This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
It's not strange to have a limited slate on a Thursday, but it is a bit odd that all eight games will start at night. That still leaves us with plenty of options to choose from on Yahoo, so here are some of the better players that stand out based on their matchups.
Pitching Overview
Bringing in Dallas Keuchel ($45) has provided a significant boost for the Braves' rotation. Although he doesn't provide much in the strikeout department, he's allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven of his nine starts. He has a great matchup on tap against the Marlins, who have scored the fewest runs in baseball. The last time he faced them, he only allowed two runs and recorded four strikeouts over 7.1 innings. Expect to see him included in plenty of entries for their rematch.
Aaron Nola ($49) had one of his finer performances of the season during his last outing against the White Sox, allowing one run and recording 10 strikeouts over seven innings. While he hasn't been as dominant as last season, he's given up one or no earned runs in seven of his last nine starts. The Giants have scored the fourth-fewest runs in the league and have an abysmal 72 wRC+ at home, making Nola one of the more appealing options on this slate.
If the Reds are going to make a push for the playoffs, taking care of business against the NL Central leading Cubs this weekend would go a long way towards helping them achieve that goal. Alex Wood ($37) will take the mound in the series opener, which will be just his third start of the season. He looked sharp in his last outing on the road against the Braves, allowing two runs and recording five strikeouts over 6.2 innings. The Cubs have a 105 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers, but lefties have held them to a 92 wRC+, so Wood could be worth considering in tournament play.
Key Values/Chalk
The chalk stack of the night is likely going to be the Red Sox against Dillon Peters. They have some of the most dangerous hitters in baseball and Peters has 1.42 WHIP. He's also allowed 1.8 HR/9, so expect to see J.D. Martinez ($20) and Mookie Betts ($22) included in a lot of lineups. Xander Bogaerts ($24) also carries plenty of upside with his 145 wRC+.
The Royals have given Matt Boyd problems this season, scoring 11 runs (10 earned) against him across 18 innings. Boyd has really take a step backward since his hot start, posting a 5.23 ERA and allowing 2.2 HR/9 across his last nine starts. Not only are Whit Merrifield ($17) and Hunter Dozier ($17) appealing options, but so is Jorge Soler ($19), who is cruising right now with a .274 ISO.
Staying in that same game brings us to the Tigers lineup. With Danny Duffy (hamstring) on the IL, the Royals are expected to turn to Jorge Lopez to make this season. He's in the midst of a terrible campaign that has left him with a 5.22 FIP and a 1.52 WHIP. Left-handed hitters have a .410 wOBA against him, leaving Harold Castro ($9) and Victor Reyes ($7) as two cheap options who could provide value in tournament play.
Stacks
Braves vs. Elieser Hernandez (Marlins)
Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF - $25), Freddie Freeman (1B - $23), Ender Inciarte (OF - $15)
Acuna is steamrolling opposing pitching staffs right now, hitting 26-for-79 (.329) with six home runs and four doubles over his last 18 games. He also has eight steals during that stretch, putting him on pace to easily reach the 30-30 club for the first time in his career. With Hernandez allowing a .393 wOBA to left-handed hitters during his career, Freeman and Inciarte are also very intriguing.
Yankees vs. Thomas Pannone (Blue Jays)
DJ LeMahieu (3B - $25), Austin Romine (C - $15), Cameron Maybin (OF- $19)
The injury-riddled Yankees continue their trek across the cellar of the AL East by facing the Blue Jays on Thursday. They just scored 32 runs across their three-game series with the Orioles despite being down several key members of their lineup. It's been another struggle for Pannone, who has a 4.76 FIP to go along with a 1.37 WHIP. LeMahieu has been one of the rocks for the Yankees all year while Romine and Maybin have thrived as injury replacements. Romine is particularly hot, hitting 14-for-36 (.389) with four home runs and four doubles over his last 12 games.
Indians vs. Kyle Gibson (Twins)
Francisco Lindor (SS - $21), Jose Ramirez (3B - $21), Jason Kipnis (2B - $17)
Gibson has been no stranger to blowups this season, allowing at least five runs in a start five times. He's largely pitched well with his 4.02 ERA and 4.00 FIP, but this won't be an easy task against an Indians' lineup that is much more dangerous after they added Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes. Lindor carries arguably the highest upside on the team while Ramirez has rebounded from a terrible start to post a 1.000 OPS over his last 40 games.
