This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There's limited baseball Thursday night, but let's make the most of it on the DFS front. We've got five MLB games on the slate, with first pitches at 7:05 p.m. Here are my lineup recommendations to help make the most of the Thursday docket.
Pitching
Justin Steele, CHC at PIT ($9,800): Steele has emerged as the top pitcher in the Cubs rotation, and a legitimate ace. In 23 starts he has a 2.80 ERA and 3.12 FIP, and he's proven to be excellent at keeping the ball in the park. Pittsburgh has improved offensively, but only to the degree where it is a bottom-10 offense in terms of runs scored, as opposed to a bottom-five offense.
Jesse Scholtens, CWS vs. OAK ($5,000): This is an utterly-bleak game, but there is an opportunity for Scholtens here, with some fantasy upside owing to his salary. The Athletics are comfortably last in runs scored, clearly MLB's worst offense. They are also the heavy favorite to finish with the worst record, so if there is any chance of Scholtens picking up a win down the stretch, it's here.
Top Target
Across both the White Sox and the Athletics, there is exactly one standout bat, and that is Luis Robert ($5,600). This year he has a .953 OPS against lefties, and a .911 OPS at home. I like the chance of the Cuban slugger to club his 34th home runs of the season. In his career, lefty Ken Waldichuk has a 7.03 ERA away from Oakland.
Bargain Bat
He doesn't make a lot of contact, or walk at all, but Michael Taylor ($2,400) has also managed to rack up 17 homers and 12 swiped bags. The outfielder also has a .752 OPS against lefties and a .763 OPS on the road. Southpaw Andrew Heaney has not impressed in his first year with the Rangers, as he has a 4.71 FIP and has given up 1.45 homers per nine innings.
Stacks to Consider
Diamondbacks vs. Reds (Brandon Williamson): Ketel Marte ($5,300), Christian Walker ($5,200), Lourdes Gurriel ($4,200)
Lacking the pitching prospects to compare to the elite selection of promising hitters, the Reds have turned to Williamson more than ideal for a team with hopes of being competitive. The rookie southpaw has a 4.47 ERA, but a 4.79 ERA on the road. It tends not to be easy to pitch on the road in the Diamondbacks' stadium, and with the improvements to the roster for 2023, that is even truer this season.
Marte has been a bit cold, but this matchup should help. He's a switch hitter, but since 2021 he has a .938 OPS against lefties, and as a second baseman, it's easier to take a shot on him. Walker has emerged as a must-have at home against a lefty. This year he has an 1.003 OPS against southpaws and a .903 OPS at home. Gurriel's first season with Arizona has had plenty of ups and down, but he has an .866 OPS over the last three weeks. He's also slugged .490 at his new home ballpark.
Blue Jays at Orioles (Kyle Gibson): Vladimir Guerrero ($5,100), Brandon Belt ($3,600), Daulton Varsho ($3,300)
The planned rotation for the Orioles got tweaked due to an unspecified issue with Jack Flaherty that led to a late scratch. Having been rocking a six-man rotation, Baltimore can just push everybody up a day and not sweat it. That would leave Gibson to start Thursday. If things change in the interim, as long as it isn't a lefty on the mound, I'm happy with this stack. Specific to Gibson, though, he has a 5.34 ERA at home, and lefties have hit .304 against him.
Guerrero was himself banged up, but his finger isn't keeping him out of the lineup. With playoff dreams, the Jays likely want Vladito hitting on the road as much as possible. While Guerrero has struggled at home, he has an .864 OPS on the road. Belt is red hot, with an 1.091 OPS across the last three weeks. Toronto just needs to keep trotting him out against righties, as he has an .878 OPS against those pitchers since 2021. Like his teammate, Varsho has had issues at home, but has a .777 OPS on the road. He's also a boon on the counting-stat front, having notched 16 homers and 15 stolen bases.
