This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Thursday's nine-game main slate brings us at least one sneaky low-cost hurler we can plugin so that we can roster an elite asset. On the offensive side, we can find an uncommon name or two in order to fit the more expensive stacks in our lineups.
Pitching Overview
Gerrit Cole's ($12,000) fantastic 37 percent strikeout rate should be all we need to roster him against the Tigers, who are tied with the Marlins for the lowest wOBA in the league against right-handed pitching (.283). It should also be noted that Detroit stands alone with the highest strikeout rate in the league against righties.
Max Scherzer ($11,400) will return to the Nationals starting rotation after missing nearly a month with a back injury. Scherzer completed a 64-pitch simulated game earlier this week to get him ready for his return but there may be some question as to how many pitches he will be allowed to throw in his first game back, which could hurt his value at this price. Scherzer was on an incredible run prior to the injury, having secured at least 30 DraftKings points in each of his previous seven starts.
Noah Syndergaard ($10,300) needs to be in our player pools until further notice thanks to the 2.44 ERA he has logged in 55.1 innings since July 1. He will face a tough test against an Indians offense that holds a .322 wOBA and a .193 ISO against right-handed pitching.
Mike Soroka ($10,000) will be a popular option Thursday when he takes on a Marlins team that is tied for the lowest wOBA in the league against right-handed pitching. While they don't strike out quite as much as the Tigers, they do hold the lowest ISO in the league against righties (.124). This is all good news for Soroka, who has allowed just eight homers in 134.2 innings this year.
Ryan Yarbrough ($9,300) demands our attention Thursday thanks to the microscopic 0.46 ERA he has logged in 19.2 innings this month. The Orioles will head into the contest sporting a bottom-5 wOBA against right-handed pitching this year.
Kenta Maeda ($8,100) has had a few too many issues with walks and homers this season, but still carries a 26 percent strikeout rate in 127 innings. The Blue Jays are a powerful offense who have logged a bottom-10 wOBA against right-handed pitching in 2019. While the power is a concern, it will be tough to avoid Maeda, who gets a struggling American League offense in a National League park at a reasonable price.
Miles Mikolas ($7,200) isn't generally seen as a strong DFS play but he is worthy of consideration when he is at home, where he carries a 2.43 ERA in 77.2 innings. He will face the Rockies, who have kept the lowest wOBA in the league on the road.
Key Values
Austin Meadows ($4,800) has quietly had a great year against right-handed pitching, logging a .249 ISO and a .375 wOBA in 265 at-bats. Meanwhile, Asher Wojciechowski has been hammered by left-handed hitters to the tune of a .583 slugging percentage in 22 innings.
Sandy Alcantara may not seem like a vulnerable hurler when we look at standard metrics but it should be noted that he carries an xFIP over 5.00 against both sides of the platoon. Josh Donaldson ($4,700) has done his best work against same-handed pitchers in 2019, as evidenced by the .269 ISO and .386 wOBA he has logged in 342 at-bats.
While he has been a better overall hitter against southpaws this season, A.J. Pollock ($4,500) has shown more power against righties, logging a .213 ISO in 136 at-bats. Jacob Waguespack has had real trouble retiring same-handed opposition this year, allowing a .573 slugging percentage in 22.2 innings.
Didi Gregorius ($4,000) got a late start to the season due to an injury but he has still shown a considerable amount of power, as we can see from the .208 ISO he has logged against right-handed pitching. Tanner Roark has thrown the ball well against righties in 2019 but has struggled against lefties, having allowed a .515 slugging percentage in 55.1 frames.
Stacks
Rangers against Ross Detwiler (White Sox)
Nick Solak (2B - $3,600) Elvis Andrus (SS -$4,300) Danny Santana (1B/OF $5,400)
Ross Detwiller has been mashed by both righties and lefties this season, which has resulted in a 6.10 ERA in 41.1 innings. This makes it tough to find value plays, but we may just have something with new arrival Nick Solak, who showed power throughout the minor leagues and has gone 4-for-11 with a homer in three games with the big club thus far.
Rays against Asher Wojciechowski (Orioles)
Austin Meadows (OF- $4,800) Ji-Man Choi (1B - $4,100) Kevin Kiermaier (OF - $4,200)
We don't have to stretch too much to find three quality lefty bats against Wojciechowski. Choi may not have the power of hitters like Kiermaier and Meadows, but he has logged a .341 wOBA against right-handed hitters in 254 at-bats.
