This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Thursday brings us to perhaps a new chapter in FanDuel DFS as the main slate of games starts early, at 12:10 EDT. In the past FanDuel would use the small, three-game slate starting later, but this change allows for a bigger player pool. There are two different $100,000 contests with the entry fee starting as little as $4 for a chance at a top prize of $20,000.
Pitching
There are four different pitching options with a salary cap hit of $9,800 or more, and the player I like best among them is Robbie Ray ($10,000). He's got a great matchup on the road against the Athletics, who have been abysmal at the plate this season. They strike out the 10th most against left-handed pitching (23.0 percent) and their team .285 wOBA is the third worst in baseball. Looking at the FanDuel Sportsbook, Ray is the only pitcher on this slate who carries an over/under of 7.5 strikeouts. That suggests he'll have more than a handful of Ks against this Oakland offense.
A more economical option, especially for tournaments, is the Rockies' Kyle Freeland ($7,500). He gets a huge park upgrade playing in Miami over Coors Field and has a good matchup to go along with it. The Marlins are dead last against southpaws with a .275 wOBA, and their 29.0 percent strikeout rate is also dead last. This sets up to be the perfect matchup for Freeland, who in a small sample has a 3.00 road ERA this season after posting a 3.84 mark last season.
Top Targets
It always nice when you can count on a fantasy player to score points by swiping bags in case their power doesn't show up. It's even better when said player qualifies at a somewhat scarce position like third base. Jose Ramirez ($4,300) has been nothing short of excellent this season with 16 home runs and 11 stolen bases leading to an OPS of 1.023, and he's been on fire as of late. He's scored at least 18.4 fantasy points in seven of his last 11 games and has a good matchup against lefty Devin Smeltzer.
Another good option today at third base (or you can use both with one in your Utility spot) is Atlanta's Austin Riley ($3,500). In a small sample this season (83 plate appearances), Riley has a 1.019 against lefties and has already hit a home run against Alex Wood in only three plate appearances. Riley should be fresh after getting Wednesday off, and Wood comes into the game allowing a .334 wOBA to right-handed hitters this season.
Bargain Bats
If we aren't going to go the Freeland route today, then Jesus Aguilar ($2,800) is in play. Aguilar has the favorable righty-vs.-lefty matchup, and his best splits this season are at home against left-handed pitching. There's also good history between them as the former has gone 6-for-11 against Freeland with three home runs and a walk in 12 plate appearances.
If you're looking for an economical option who has caught fire, then Patrick Wisdom ($2,600) is your man. Wisdom has homered in back-to-back games, bringing him to 14 on the season, and he should be hitting cleanup for the Cubs. He's scored positive fantasy points in eight straight games and has thrived against southpaws this season with an .887 OPS. Jose Quintana has struggled, surrendering five home runs over his last two starts (10.1 innings).
Stacks To Consider
Braves vs. Giants (Wood): Ronald Acuna ($3,900), Dansby Swanson ($3,700), Riley ($3,500), Marcell Ozuna ($3,000)
I'm going with all right-handed hitters here against Wood, and Atlanta has one of the higher expected run totals as a -160 favorite in a game with an over/under of 9.5 runs. It'll be a scorcher at Truist Park today at 92 degrees and the ball should be flying out of the park. Both Acuna and Riley have homered against Wood in only eight combined plate appearances this season, and Swanson has a .914 OPS against left-handed pitching. Ozuna has a .296 batting average against Wood and has always raked against lefties.
Guardians at Twins (Smeltzer): Ramirez ($4,300), Amed Rosario ($2,700), Oscar Gonzalez ($2,600), Franmil Reyes ($2,500)
The obvious case for Ramirez has already been made so let's take a look at the other three hitters here. I can see leaving Rosario off and just using the other three hitters, although he's had past success against lefties including a .839 OPS last season. Reyes is your boom-or-bust player who can easily go 0-for-4 or homer as he did in his return to the lineup Tuesday. This will be an unpopular stack given despite the over/under total of 9.5 runs due to Cleveland being the road underdog.
