This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Thursday slates are usually the smallest of the week, and that's what we have again here. There are only six games on this slate, with five of them happening during the day. That's the card we're going to zone in on because that's where all the far prize pools are at! We're coming off a solid article on Sunday, so let's build off that and get started with our favorite arms on this short slate!
Pitching
Zack Littell, TB vs. LAA ($9,600)
Tampa has developed underrated arms over the last decade, and Littell is another one. The right-hander has a 4.15 ERA and 0.92 WHIP through two starts after providing a 3.80 ERA and 1.22 WHIP between 2023 and 2024. That's a heck of a two-year span, and it looks even better since Littell has a 3.27 ERA and 1.08 WHIP at home in that same stretch. That should make Littell an easy bet against the Angels, with LA ranked 27th or 28th in runs scored, OBP, OPS and xwOBA last season. In two starts against them last year, Littell had a 3.60 ERA and 9.9 K/9 rate.
We also like Littell's opposition, with Jose Soriano ($9,300) scoring 28 and 46 FanDuel points in his first two starts.
Gavin Williams, CLE vs. CWS ($8,400)
Many fantasy experts had Williams pegged for a breakout season, and this could be the start of it. His spring training is what opened people's eyes, with the righty registering a 2.08 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 38 percent K rate across 17.1 innings. That's close to what we saw from Williams' last full season, posting a 3.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 2023. Injuries have hampered him since then, but a matchup with Chicago should get him back on track. The White Sox were last in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA last season. That's why Williams enters this magical matchup as a -225 favorite!
Top Targets
Jackson Chourio, MIL ($4,100) vs. Ryan Feltner
People were panicking about Chourio after he went 0-for-5 with five Ks in the opener, but he's been the stud we expected since then. The outfielder has a hit in all 11 games since the dud, flirting with a 1.200 OPS in that span. His last three games have been even more absurd, scoring at least 31 FanDuel points in all of those. That's terrifying against a pitiful pitching staff like this in the most hitter-friendly park in baseball. We'll talk about his opposition in the stacks section!
Brenton Doyle, COL ($3,900) vs. Quinn Priester
Doyle has developed into the Rockies' best player and will be a DFS darling whenever he's at home. That's what we've seen over recent years, with Doyle donning a .362 OBP and .904 OPS at Coors Field since the start of last season. That looks even better considering Doyle's recent form, scoring nearly 80 FanDuel points over the last three fixtures. We're certainly not scared about a matchup with Priester, providing a 6.23 ERA and 1.56 WHIP throughout his career.
Bargain Bats
Ryan McMahon, COL ($3,200) vs. Priester
The Rockies have one of the worst lineups in baseball, but they'll always be one of the highest-projected teams on every slate. That's the benefit of playing at Coors Field, with Colorado projected to score over five runs in this game. If that's the case, McMahon should come through as their everyday three-hole hitter. The third baseman has a .455 OBP and 1.160 OPS at home this season. He's also flirting with an .800 OPS against righties over the last three years and has homered in two of his last four outings.
Matt Wallner, MIN ($2,900) vs. Michael Wacha
Why is Wallner still below $3k? This guy is clearly the leadoff hitter against right-handers and has been crushing them since his call-up last season. In fact, Wallner has a .394 OBP and .943 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor over the last three years. Those are averages you typically see from an All-Star, and we're not worried about the matchup with Wacha. The Royals' righty has a 4.03 ERA since 2019 while amassing a 4.66 ERA and 1.55 WHIP so far this season.
Stacks to Consider
Brewers at Rockies (Feltner): Chourio ($4,100), Christian Yelich ($4,000), Brice Turang ($3,500) and Garrett Mitchell ($3,100)
It feels unfair to recommend hitters against the Rockies in Coors Field. Not only has that ballpark been the best hitter's environment over the last 30 years, but the Rockies also have one of the worst pitching staffs year after year. That was on full display when they surrendered 17 runs on Wednesday, and it's unlikely that Feltner will slow down this hot lineup. The Rockies' righty has a 5.53 ERA and 1.55 WHIP at home since 2022.
We already kickstarted our stack with Chourio, but a former MVP is a good pairing with our favorite play of the day. That's Yelich, who has a .396 OBP and .894 OPS against righties over the last three years. As for Turang, the speedster also has the platoon advantage from the left side and has scored at least 15 FD points in five straight fixtures. Mitchell is the sneaky option of the bunch, totaling a .343 OBP and .813 OPS with the platoon advantage.
Guardians vs. White Sox (Jonathan Cannon): Jose Ramirez ($4,200), Steven Kwan ($3,100) and Kyle Manzardo ($3,000)
Much like the Rockies, we could use bats against the White Sox all season. They were bottom five in every pitching metric last year and are sending out one of their worst starters here. That's Cannon, compiling a 4.40 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in limited time at this level. He also had a 5.65 ERA and 1.55 WHIP between Double-A and Triple-A.
If we stack the Guardians, Ramirez has to be the first player in your lineup. This guy always finished Top 10 in fantasy points per game, averaging 16 FD points per game across his last eight outings. Kwan should bat leadoff for Cleveland, collecting a .353 OBP and .751 OPS against righties since his call-up. Manzardo is the one amid a breakout season while hitting cleanup, sporting a .947 OPS.
