This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
There's a lot of DFS FanDuel action Thursday with an early slate (12:05 p.m. EDT, five games), an afternoon-only (2:10 p.m. EDT, two games) and a main (7:07 p.m. EDT, five games) slate of games.
The main slate feature games in Arlington and San Diego along with the Yankees visiting the Blue Jays.
Pitching
Despite a rough outing the last time taking the mound, the Nationals' Patrick Corbin ($10,900) should be the chalk pitcher for cash games. He had a disappointing minus-4 fantasy points last time out in Cincinnati but should be able to bounce back in a good matchup against the Padres in Petco Park. The Padres strike out 27.2 percent of the time against left-handed pitching the third highest mark against that handedness. Their .306 wOBA is in the bottom third of the league as well. Meanwhile, Corbin has struck out 26.9 percent of the batters he's faced this season (down from 30.8 percent last season) suggesting there's some positive regression coming.
GPP players could sensibly roll with Minnesota's Jose Berrios ($9,300) over his opponent Trevor Bauer, who will be the more popular choice. At this point of the season, Bauer averages about a fantasy point more per game. Berrios has had some monster performances this season, scoring 37 or more fantasy points in eight of his 12 starts. The Indians' .299 wOBA against right-handed pitching is the sixth lowest in baseball, and their 23.4 percent strikeout rate is higher than league average.
The best cheap pitching option of the night is the Padres' Joey Lucchesi ($8,200), who has the benefit of playing at home tonight. The Padres are an ever so slight favorite in this one (-108), and this game easily has the lowest over/under of the night at 7.5 runs. Lucchesi has been downright filthy at home this season with a 2.61 ERA that is supported by a 0.99 WHIP. The Nationals aren't a great matchup for left-handed pitchers, but Lucchesi and his track record in Petco are worth the chance in tournaments.
Key Values/Chalk
The Athletics' Stephen Piscotty ($3,000) is at a fair price, considering (albeit in a small sample) he has a .429 wOBA against left-handed pitching. It's not a shocker that southpaw Tyler Skaggs has struggled more with right-handed hitting this season, and the A's will throw plenty at him. Hint: This might be a good stack to use tonight.
The Rangers are good bats to target -- just don't forget about the opposing Orioles. Ariel Jurado likely won't shut down Baltimore, and while his 2.43 ERA is elite, his 4.09 xFIP suggests some correction is coming. Jonathan Villar ($3,300) is a good play as a result and should be in the leadoff spot against a right-handed pitcher. He's averaging 10.4 fantasy points per games this season, an excellent number considering the position.
At home against J.A. Happ seems like a good matchup for Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($3,000). He's not going to ruin a salary cap at that price and comes with as much upside as anyone at the position. Happ has allowed a .341 wOBA to opposing right-handed hitters this season while Vlad Jr. has heated up over the last week with a 1.084 OPS (that was the number before going 2-for-4 with a home run and walk Wednesday night).
The Rangers' Rougned Odor ($2,800) will be a popular choice playing at home against righty David Hess. Odor had a .361 wOBA against right-handed pitching at home last season, and it's a good matchup against Hess, who has surrendered a .352 wOBA to opposing left-handed hitters last season and has a .334 mark this season.
All of the Yankees are in play tonight, but Gary Sanchez ($4,500) stands out among his teammates. He's averaging almost 14 fantasy points per game this season, and it's possible to fit him in with one of the higher-priced pitching options. Edwin Jackson is a great pitcher to target and has been killed by right-hitting this season. All six home runs he's allowed have been to right-handed batters, which is a ton, considering he's faced only 42 batters from that side of the plate.
Stacks
Athletics at Angels (Tyler Skaggs)
Piscotty, Chad Pinder (OF - $2,300), Khris Davis (OF - $3,600), Marcus Semien (SS - $3,100)
Matt Chapman ($3,700) gets a mention here, but Semien is listed due to position scarcity, pricing and likely leadoff spot. Pinder has a .360 wOBA against lefties so he's playable in any format. Try to ignore the bad "Tinder" jokes on social media. As far as Davis goes, remember how many home runs he hit last season (48!).
Orioles at Rangers (Ariel Jurado)
Villar, Trey Mancini (C/1B - $3,900), Dwight Smith (OF - $3,900), Chris Davis (C/1B - $2,200)
Is there a revenge factor for Davis who - a long time ago - played for the Rangers? Much like Nelson Cruz, Davis went onto another team and crushed homers so there may be some added motivation here at a discounted price. DSJ has been hot as of late and the case for Villar has already been made. This game is a good example of when most players will go GPP on the Rangers rather than take the low-owned stack of the Orioles.
