This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The majority of games across baseball Thursday have an early start time. Among the highlights of the afternoon games will be the White Sox hosting the A's. The Phillies, who are battling for the top spot in the NL East, will also have their ace Zach Wheeler on the mound against the Diamondbacks. For the evening games, the Yankees will continue their homestand in the first game of their series with the Twins. The Mets will also have a tough task in trying to right their recent struggles when they have to play on the road against the Dodgers. Let's focus on the main evening slate for DraftKings and highlight some players to consider for your lineups.
Pitchers
The Dodgers also played a series with the Mets last weekend and Walker Buehler ($10,600) started one of those games. The Mets couldn't get much going, leaving Buehler to allow one run and record 10 strikeouts over seven innings. Buehler has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last seven starts and he recorded at least eight strikeouts five times during that stretch. With the Mets struggling mightily, Buehler is set up to potentially provide another juicy stat line.
After a rare off outing when he was clobbered by Cleveland, Luis Castillo ($8,500) got back on track in his last start. He logged 6.2 innings against the Phillies, allowing three runs and recording eight strikeouts. Over his last 12 starts, he has a 2.81 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP while recording 78 strikeouts over 73.2 innings. Up next is a favorable matchup against the Diamondbacks, who have the sixth-worst OPS in baseball.
It's been a long time since we've seen Jameson Taillon ($6,300) struggle on the mound. In fact, he's allowed three or fewer runs in eight straight starts. During that stretch, he recorded a 1.01 WHIP and allowed only four home runs across 48.1 innings. A matchup against the Twins brings a few tough hitters to navigate, but Taillon is still an excellent option for this limited four-game slate.
Top Targets
John Gant ($6,100) was a starter for the Cardinals before he was dealt to the Twins and subsequently moved to the bullpen. He'll rejoin the rotation Thursday, but don't expect him to carry a heavy workload. A bullpen game against a hot Yankees' lineup could end up being a long night for the Twins, Among the more appealing options on the Yankees is Aaron Judge ($5,300), who has a career 175 wRC+ at home.
As of late Wednesday night, the Marlins had yet to officially name their starting pitcher for their matchup with the Reds. However, it is likely to be Zach Thompson ($7,900), who is having a good season. With that in mind, he has allowed a .330 wOBA to left-handed hitters, compared to a .224 wOBA to righties. That could mean it's worth deploying Joey Votto ($5,000), who has a .397 wOBA in what has been a renaissance season.
Bargain Bats
The Yankees have a couple of players with cheap salaries to consider, as well. Anthony Rizzo's ($3,700) salary seems way too cheap, especially when you factor in his power upside. He was hot before landing on the COVD-19 IL and returned to the Yankees' lineup Wednesday. Brett Gardner ($2,900) is appealing because he has a 14.6 percent walk rate and Gant has a 15.2 percent walk rate.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Taijuan Walker ($7,100), Mets: Max Muncy ($5,700), Trea Turner ($5,600), Cody Bellinger ($4,600)
Walker hasn't pitched quite as well as his 3.75 ERA would lead you to believe given his 4.38 FIP. He's shown signs of regression down the stretch, allowing 25 runs (24 earned) across 27.2 innings in his last six starts. His main problem was that he allowed 11 home runs during that stretch. If he can't correct that issue, he could be in line for disastrous results against the Dodgers' power-laden lineup. They have been headlined by Muncy, who entered Wednesday with a .284 ISO.
Brewers vs. Jon Lester ($5,700), Cardinals: Willy Adames ($5,200), Eduardo Escobar ($5,600), Kolten Wong ($4,200)
Lester struggled earlier this season with the Nationals and not much has changed since he was traded to the Cardinals. He's made three starts with his new team, allowing 12 runs and recording a 1.75 WHIP over 16 innings. Two of those starts came against the aforementioned underwhelming Royals lineup, so things could get ugly in a hurry against the Brewers. Adames has been one of the Brewers best hitters since being acquired from the Rays and has boosted his wOBA to .357 for the season entering play Wednesday.
