This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There are no NBA playoff games for some reason Thursday, but there's plenty of baseball. Although, in the evening there are only six games. First pitch is at 6:45 p.m. EDT. Here are the DFS recommendations I have for you.
Pitching
Logan Webb, SF vs. STL ($9,400): Webb absolutely loves pitching in San Francisco. He had an 1.96 ERA at home in 2020 and a 2.25 ERA in his ballpark this year. The Cardinals seem like they have a solid lineup, but they ranked 20th in runs scored last season, and this year they are down around the bottom 10 again.
Robbie Ray, SEA vs. TAM ($8,800): Ray won the Cy Young last season, but this season has started a bit slow. I expect him to turn it around, as he's only averaged 7.71 strikeouts per nine innings this season. His career average is 11.11. Also, he Rays have a lefty-heavy lineup when they are playing their preferred group, and Ray has allowed an .188 average to southpaws since 2020.
Jose Urquidy, HOU vs. DET ($7,800): Urquidy also enjoys pitching at home. He has a 3.19 ERA at home since 2020, and this year he has a 3.18 ERA in Houston and a 7.70 ERA on the road. This is mostly about the matchup, though. The Tigers are scuffling to start the year, as they are in the battle for being last in runs scored.
Top Targets
At the moment, Bryce Harper ($5,800) can't play in the field, but he can still hit. He also loves hitting against righties and hitting at home. The reigning MVP has an 1.051 OPS against righties and a 1.060 OPS in Philly since 2020. Tijuan Walker hasn't allowed a run yet, but he's also only pitched seven innings. Last season, he had a 4.57 FIP.
I believe Carlos Correa ($4,600) is going to be just fine. His power hasn't arrived, but he's slugged .477 in his career and has five 20-homer seasons. Spenser Watkins' 2.55 ERA is dampened by his 5.17 FIP. Also, he seems like a guy who might have reverse splits in his career. Somehow, lefties have averaged only 0.65 against him, but righties have hit him to the tune of .333.
Bargain Bats
Since Urquidy is off to a less-than-great start, I'm not against grabbing a Tiger, specifically one that can bat left handed. Enter Robbie Grossman ($4,000). Last year he hit 23 homers and stole 20 bases. This year he's hit .284 and posted a .390 OBP. He's getting on base, and even last season Urquidy had a 3.62 ERA.
Austin Hays ($3,400) has shown he can hit for average. Over the last four seasons he's hit .267. Last year he also hit 22 home runs. Chris Archer may have a 2.93 ERA, but he also has a 5.55 FIP. On top of that, he's allowed a home run in each of his last three starts.
Stacks to Consider
Padres vs. Jesus Luzardo ($8,500): Manny Machado ($5,600), Jurickson Profar ($4,700), Austin Nola ($4,000)
This stack is a little tricky, as the Padres are fairly lefty heavy. I wanted righties, since last season the southpaw Luzardo allowed a .289 average to right-handed batters. Luzardo is having the best season of his career, but he still has a 5.11 ERA in his career. I need to see more.
Machado is an easy choice right now. In addition to his career .830 OPS, this year he's slashed .365/.436/.594 with five homers and five stolen bases. Profar isn't hitting for average, but he does have fine home runs. He also has an .869 OPS against lefties this year. You need a catcher on DraftKings, and Nola is a good hitter for a backstop. He entered this season with a career.271 average and a .345 OBP.
Marlins vs. Nick Martinez ($7,000): Jazz Chisholm ($5,700), Jesus Aguilar ($4,500), Garrett Cooper ($3,300)
I'm flipping this matchup around for my second stack. Martinez posted a career 4.77 ERA with the Rangers prior to disappearing from MLB for a few years. He returned in 2022 with the Padres, but he has a 6.53 FIP and has allowed 2.29 homers per nine innings. The time away did not help Martinez, making this a fruitful stacking opportunity.
Chisholm was a boon for fantasy players particularly in 2021. He only posted a .303 OBP but hit 18 homers and stole 23 bases. This year he has a .380 OBP to go with his four homers and five swiped bags. Last year, Aguilar had his best campaign since his 2018 breakout year when he hit 35 homers with 108 RBI. He had 22 homers and 93 RBI with the Marlins in 2021, and this year he has a .379 OBP. Cooper is getting on base at a .368 clip, and while he hasn't shown power I bet that changes. Over the prior three seasons he slugged .461.
