This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Thursday brings a fairly limited schedule with just eight games making up the main evening slate on DraftKings. There could be a few high-scoring games, though, with some underwhelming starting pitchers set to take the mound. Let's dive into the matchups and highlight some players to consider for your lineups.
Pitchers
One ace who is scheduled to take the mound is Walker Buehler ($11,500). He's once again done an excellent job of keeping hitters off base, using his 0.90 WHIP to post a 2.38 ERA and 3.53 FIP. If there is one negative to his early returns, it's that his strikeout rate is 25.2 percent, which would be the lowest mark of his career. Still, he's allowed two or fewer runs in 11 of his 14 starts, so he's a great option for his matchup versus the Cubs.
Jose Berrios ($10,400) has shown improved control this season, using a 6.2 percent walk rate to record a 1.09 WHIP. He's also allowed only 1.1 HR/9, which is right in line with his career mark. The result has been a 3.56 ERA that is supported by a nearly identical 3.57 FIP. Add in a matchup against an Indians team that ranks inside the bottom-10 in baseball in OPS and Berrios should be a popular option, and rightfully so.
While several teams are trying to piece together their starting rotations, the Astros have six starters that they are happy about. One of them is Luis Garcia ($8,700), who has received his first extended look in the majors. He's passed with flying colors, posting a 2.82 ERA and 3.62 FIP across 70.1 innings. While he did have some control issues in the minors, he has a respectable 7.7 percent walk rate this season to go along with a 28.1 percent strikeout rate. Look for him to keep things rolling against the Tigers, who rank inside the bottom-10 in the league in OPS.
Top Targets
There hasn't been much to like about the performance of Chad Kuhl ($6,900), who enters his start against the Cardinals with a 5.66 ERA and 5.88 FIP. His 13.8 percent walk rate has ballooned his WHIP to 1.49 and he's not missing many bats, generating a 17.0 percent strikeout rate. This could be a great matchup for Nolan Arenado ($5,700), who generally doesn't strike out much, anyways, with his 13.7 percent strikeout rate.
Between injuries and doubleheaders, the Braves don't have many viable start pitching options for their matchup against the Reds. Josh Tomlin ($5,700) could serve as the opener in what amounts to a bullpen game. That means his could be a prime opportunity to deploy Jesse Winker ($5,800), who is having a fantastic season with a 170 wRC+.
Bargain Bats
Going back to the Reds' matchup against Kuhl, Tyler O'Neill ($3,400) is someone to consider at a cheaper salary if you can't squeeze Arenado into your entry. His biggest issue this season has been his 34.8 percent strikeout rate, but that might not be a problem in this matchup given Kuhl's inability to miss bats. O'Neill has been excellent, otherwise, with a .307 ISO and a .378 wOBA.
Kyle Schwarber ($3,900) is on some kind of heater right now. He went deep again Wednesday, giving him 10 home runs over his last 12 games. He already has 19 home runs for the season and could end up being a problem for Cody Poteet ($7,100), who has allowed 1.6 HR/9 with the Marlins after allowing 2.2 HR/9 at Triple-A in 2019.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Jose Urena ($5,100), Tigers: Jose Altuve ($5,800), Yordan Alvarez ($5,400), Michael Brantley ($4,200)
Urena's last two starts have been a disaster. He faced two tough opponents in the White Sox and Angels, which resulted in him allowing a combined 15 runs (14 earned) across six innings. He was taken deep four times while registering only five strikeouts. His overall WHIP for the season now sits at 1.59, which is not a huge surprise given that he's coming off of consecutive seasons with a WHIP of at least 1.48. Now he'll face another potent lineup in the Astros, who have the best OPS in baseball. Brantley has been one of their hottest players, hitting 28-for-55 (.509) with a home runs and seven doubles across 14 games since coming off the IL.
Blue Jays vs. Dean Kremer ($6,500), Orioles: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($6,100), Bo Bichette ($6,000), Cavan Biggio ($4,300)
Kremer faced the Blue Jays in his last outing and actually pitched well, allowing two runs over six innings. However, both runs came on home runs, leaving him with 13 home runs allowed over 49.1 innings. He also has a 1.48 WHIP, so he might not be so lucky in this rematch. Biggio is a viable option with a cheaper salary for a Jays stack given that he is 12-for-38 (.316) with three home runs and three doubles across 12 games since being activated from the IL.
Red Sox vs. Michael Wacha ($7,000), Rays: Rafael Devers ($5,100), Xander Bogaerts ($4,800), Alex Verdugo ($4,000)
Wacha had a favorable matchup in his last start against the Mariners, who have the second-worst OPS in baseball. However, he still imploded, allowing five runs and 11 hits across 3.2 innings. After back-to-back seasons with a WHIP of at least 1.56, Wacha has a 1.38 WHIP while both starting and coming out of the bullpen this season. This could be a disastrous outing for him against the Red Sox, especially given that they scored five runs across five innings against him earlier this season. Devers is a great player to build a Red Sox stack around given his .384 wOBA and .297 ISO.
