This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Thursday bring us 13 games, with the majority happening earlier in the day. Let's take a look at who we should consider for the day games starting at 12:35 EDT.
PITCHERS
Today's a day when I think we can look past the top options and be more economical on the mound. Zack Wheeler ($8,100) has struggled out of the gate but has outings of 18 and 20 fantasy points under his belt. It's a good home matchup against the Rockies, who obviously don't have the advantage of playing at Coors Field. Wheeler's 8.53 ERA should regress to the mean (he had a 2.78 ERA last season) so now seems like a good time to utilize him.
Patrick Corbin ($7,100) is also dealing with a slow start out of the gate, posting games of 18, -1, 22 and -4 fantasy points to start the season. While it's never a good idea to ride the good-game-bad-game pattern, Corbin is at home today against the Marlins. The southpaw has pitched better at home than away as a member of the Nationals and should be able to deliver solid value.
TOP BATS
Byron Buxton ($4,500) deals the biggest hit to your salary cap, but he's definitely worth it. He's averaging over 16 fantasy points per game and coming off two 0-for-4 performances, so he might not be the most popular pick today. He'll be at home and get the favorable righty-vs-lefty matchup against Tarik Skubal.
I'm going to suggest rostering Nick Castellanos ($4,100) because I think of myself as a man of faith, as there's a drive into deep left field by Castellanos and that'll be a home run. And so that'll make it a 4-0 ballgame. Seriously, Castellanos has been stellar this season with hits in seven straight games, and his home matchup against southpaw Austin Gomber is extremely favorable.
TOP BARGAINS
Michael Brantley ($2,800) is an extremely boring pick to some, but for me he's a great guy to roster in DFS. He's scored positive fantasy points in 14 of 16 games this season including five straight games. He'll likely hit second as usual for the Astros so getting four, maybe five plate appearances is guaranteed.
Unlike Brantley, Jake Cronenworth ($2,800) is off to a slow start with a .209 batting average. However, hitting in the middle of the lineup for the Padres is a good spot and he has 10 RBI as a result. He's eligible at three different positions, making him very rosterable. He has performances of 24.7 and 25.7 fantasy points in two of his last four games.
STACKS TO CONSIDER
Yankees vs. Bruce Zimmermann (Orioles): Anthony Rizzo ($3,900), Aaron Judge ($3,700), Josh Donaldson ($3,100), Giancarlo Stanton ($2,800)
Yes, this is a homer selection by me as a Yankee fan. Stanton could easily have ended up in the Top Bargains section, as it's just a matter of time before he starts launching long balls, but all of these hitters have the righty-vs-lefty matchup going for them sans Rizzo. I'm putting Rizzo in there because he has 31.4 and 72.8 fantasy points in two of his last three games.
Blue Jays vs. Garrett Whitlock (Red Sox): Vladimir Guerrero ($3,900), Lourdes Gurriel ($3,600), George Springer ($3,600), Bo Bichette ($3,300)
I'm not sold on Whitlock being some pitching ace, and I think no matter the matchup it's worth using a Toronto stack. Springer is raking with a 1.123 OPS over his last five games and Guerrero is capable of hitting three home runs any given day. We've seen scoring down this season, but the Jays remains one of the better offensive teams in the league.
