This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
That trade deadline was ridiculous. We didn't have too many transactions that changed things from a fantasy perspective, but it's hard to believe how many players shifted teams. That always makes for a small adjustment period in DFS because some lineups have been dismantled. With that said, we only have a handful of games making up this Thursday card, so let's go ahead and get into it!
Pitching
Seth Lugo, KC at DET ($10,300)
It was a bit surprising to see KC hold onto Lugo at the trade deadline because it was the perfect time to capitalize on what's been a career year. The righty has allowed two runs or fewer in 17 of his 22 starts, registering a 2.66 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. Those are some of the best ratios in baseball. Comerica Park is also one of the best pitcher's parks in the sport, while the Tigers rank 21st in K rate, 26th in wOBA and 28th in OBP. That was on full display when Lugo threw seven scoreless innings in their one matchup earlier this year en route to 58 FanDuel points!
Shota Imanaga, CHC vs. STL ($9,700)
Despite some recent struggles, Shota is having a remarkable rookie season. The lefty has a pristine 8-2 record, thanks to his 2.95 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 9.1 K/9 rate. It's only a 10-run dud and a seven-run stinker that's keeping him out of the NL Cy Young race, posting a 1.85 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in the other 17 starts. We expect him to duplicate that form against St. Louis, sitting 25th in runs scored, 21st in OBP, and 19th in wOBA. In addition, Imanaga allowed just one run across seven sparkling innings in his one matchup with St. Louis, scoring 46 FD points!
Carson Fulmer, LAA vs. COL ($6,700)
After recommending two expensive pitchers, we needed to get one cheap guy in here. This is more about the matchup than anything, with the Rockies ranked 28th in xwOBA and 29th in K rate. That doesn't even take into consideration their road numbers, finishing last in runs scored and OPS on the road in three of the last four years. That's scary against an underrated pitcher like Fulmer, totaling a 3.77 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 8.6 K/9 rate. All you need is a quality start for Fulmer to be in the optimal lineup at his price, and this matchup should get him there.
Top Targets
Bobby Witt, KC (vs. Keider Montero) $4,500
Witt is the most expensive position player on this slate, but he's difficult to fade right now. The superstar leads all players with 14.6 FanDuel points per game but has been even more absurd recently. In fact, Witt has a .457 AVG, .491 OBP, .790 SLG and 1.282 OPS across his last 27 outings. In addition, he has a .596 OBP and 1.526 OPS across his last 11 fixtures. That makes him tough to fade against Montero and we'll dive into his numbers later on!
Brenton Doyle, COL (vs. Carson Fulmer) $3,200
While we like Fulmer as a value, we can't overlook the fact that he's the cheapest pitcher on this slate. That's why we don't mind using Doyle because he's quietly been one of the best players in the NL over the last month. The Gold Glove winner has 12 homers over his last 28 games, generating a .370 OBP and 1.108 OPS in that span. If you want to avoid Fulmer as a pitcher and stack against him, we'd use Ezequiel Tovar ($3,400), Ryan McMahon ($3,000), and Charlie Blackmon ($2,900) in a Colorado stack.
Bargain Bats
Xavier Edwards, MIA (vs. Charlie Morton) $3,100
This rookie has burst on the scene, and he looks like a stud atop this Miami lineup. Despite some limited power, Edwards has a .433 AVG, .506 OBP and 1.058 OPS across his last 19 outings. Most importantly, he's one of the league leads with nine steals and should be a threat as the leadoff hitter with the way he's hitting right now. We also love that he has the platoon advantage against Morton, with the veteran maintaining a 4.91 ERA and 1.31 WHIP across his last 10 starts.
Jackson Holliday, BAL (vs. Ben Lively) $2,300
Holliday's first call-up was a nightmare, but we know this kid will be a stud at some point. Matt Holliday's son was the top pick in the draft for a reason, registering a .441 OBP, .487 SLG and .928 OPS throughout his minor-league career. He's also projected to be a 20-20 threat, and it's hard to believe he's just $2,300 after scoring 29.2 FanDuel points on Thursday. Lively is also a pitcher due for some negative regression, posting a 4.49 FIP this season and a 4.80 career xFIP. If you want to stack Baltimore, Gunnar Henderson ($4,300), Anthony Santander ($4,000), Ryan O'Hearn ($3,100) and Colton Cowser ($3,000) all have the platoon advantage against Lively.
Stacks to Consider
Kansas City Royals vs. (Montero): Witt ($4,500), Vinnie Pasquantino ($3,100), Salvador Perez ($3,000), Maikel Garcia ($2,900)
We already foreshadowed that we want to exploit Montero, so let's start there. The Tigers starter is simply a fill-in for Jack Flaherty, totaling a 6.38 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. He's also allowed at least five runs in three straight starts, but that's no surprise when looking at his minor-league numbers. The righty has a 4.96 ERA and 1.52 WHIP between Double-A and Triple-A.
With how poor Montero has been, Witt is the best hitter on the board, and it's not really close. We love to stack him with Vinnie P, though, flirting with a .500 OBP and 1.000 OPS across his last 10 outings. Perez has been pummeling baseballs all season, providing a .273 AVG, .461 SLG, and .792 OPS. Garcia doesn't possess the power that those guys do, but he's still averaging 10 FD points per game, thanks to his 25 steals.
Los Angeles Angels vs. (Ryan Feltner): Luis Rengifo ($3,000), Zach Neto ($3,000), Taylor Ward ($2,900)
We use opposing offenses against Colorado on every slate. It's easy to see why because the Rockies rank last in ERA and WHIP. Feltner hasn't done anything to lower those atrocious averages, accruing a 4.99 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. He's also got a 5.59 career ERA and 1.48 WHIP, making this cheap Angels stack one of the most intriguing options out there.
If we're going to stack LA, we need to use Rengifo. He's been their best hitter all season, averaging 10.4 FD points per game. Most of that damage has happened since the opening month, tallying a .362 OBP and .805 OPS across his last 58 outings. Neto is just as hot as Rengifo, registering a .444 OBP and .973 OPS across his last 17 outings. Many consider Ward to be the best pure hitter, totaling a .772 OPS over the last four years, batting third or fourth every game.
