This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Thursday doesn't bring a ton of action across baseball with just six games making up the main evening slate on DraftKings. There are still some fun matchups, though, including the Red Sox hosting the Astros and the Blue Jays taking on the White Sox. Let's dive into all of the games and highlight some players to consider for your entries.
Pitchers
Max Scherzer ($11,400) has been locked in on the mound, allowing two or fewer runs in each of his last seven starts. During that stretch, he also recorded 66 strikeouts across 47 innings. Look for him to keep things rolling against a Giants lineup that is currently missing Mike Yastrzemski (thumb), Evan Longoria (shoulder) and Alex Dickerson (back).
As appealing as Scherzer's matchup is, Trevor Rogers ($9,000) may have an even better one for his home start against the Rockies. The Rockies have been awful away from Coors Field, posting a .565 OPS on the road this season. Not only is this matchup heavily in his favor, but Rogers has been excellent in his own right with a 1.97 ERA and a 2.29 FIP across 12 starts.
Mike Minor ($8,400) hasn't had a great season with his 4.84 ERA and 4.22 FIP. Keeping hitters inside the ball park has been an issue with him allowing 1.5 HR/9. On the bright side, his 26.1 percent strikeout rate is on pace to be his highest mark since 2017. A road matchup at the Athletics' pitcher-friendly park makes Minor an intriguing option for this slate. While the A's have a .771 OPS on the road, they have just a .682 OPS at home.
Top Targets
Juan Soto ($5,500) has experienced a power outage, following up his .344 ISO last season with a .182 mark this year. The good news is, he's still walking more than he's striking out and he has a .375 wOBA. It could only be a matter of time before the power comes back. In the meantime, he still is an appealing option for his home matchup with Anthony DeSclafani ($6,300), who has a 4.34 FIP on the road.
When Alex Bregman ($5,000) faces a left-handed pitcher, he's usually someone to target in DFS. For his career, he has a .415 wOBA against southpaws, compared to a .364 wOBA versus righties. Trying to slow him down will be Eduardo Rodriguez ($7,300), who's inability to keep runners off base has left him with a 1.41 WHIP through 11 starts.
Bargain Bats
Chi Chi Gonzalez ($) has shown some improvement this season, lowering his FIP to 4.66 after having a 5.53 mark last season. He still has a disappointing 1.39 WHIP, though, and he's not missing hardly any bats given his 12.3 percent strikeout rate. If you're looking to exploit his matchup with the Marlins, then Corey Dickerson ($4,100) has the potential to provide value. For his career, he has a .357 wOBA and just a 19.4 percent strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers.
Going back to the Astros' matchup against Rodriquez, Yuli Gurriel ($4,000) could also be a viable option. He has a measly 9.2 percent strikeout rate, which has helped propel him to a .400 wOBA. He's even shown a bit of added power with his .199 ISO, which is nearly 50 points higher than last season.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Dallas Keuchel ($6,100), White Sox: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($5,400), Marcus Semien ($5,200), Teoscar Hernandez ($4,400)
A pitcher with a 12.0 percent strikeout rate like Keuchel could be in trouble against a Blue Jays team that has the second-highest OPS in baseball. While Guerrero and Semien have been leading the charge, don't sleep on Hernandez. He has a 15.3 percent barrel rate and has traditionally excelled in that department, helping him record a career .238 ISO.
Yankees vs. J.A. Happ ($5,800), Twins: Aaron Judge ($5,600), DJ LeMahieu ($4,200), Gio Urshela ($4,000)
Happ's time with the Yankees did not end well last year when they appeared to try and limit his innings in an effort to avoid his 2021 option from kicking in. That could lead to the revenge narrative here for him, but he'd have to be pitching well for that angle to even be considered. He's been anything but reliable for his new squad, recording a 5.61 ERA and a 4.78 FIP through 10 starts. His strikeout rate has dropped all the way down to 16.8 percent, which would be the lowest mark of his career.
Twins vs. Michael King ($5,700), Yankees: Nelson Cruz ($5,000), Josh Donaldson ($4,900), Miguel Sano ($3,500)
King showed promise pitching out of the bullpen for the Yankees early on, but he's struggled since becoming a starter. In two such appearances, he's allowed eight runs (six earned) over 7.2 innings. Even with all of their injuries, this could still be a favorable spot to deploy a Twins stack. King has allowed eight home runs across 56 career innings in the majors, which makes this powerful trio appealing. As ugly as Sano's .178 batting average is, he still has a .255 ISO.
