This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We had a massive card to dissect Monday, but this Thursday's slate is relatively tame. We only have six games in total, with five of them starting at 7 p.m. EDT. We're going to focus on those games because the morning contest is a standalone from a DFS standpoint. With that said, there are still three pitchers we love, so let's start there!
Pitching
Tyler Glasnow, LAD vs. CIN ($11,300)
Glasnow was my preseason pick for NL Cy Young, and there's no doubt he'll finish near the top of that voting as long as he stays healthy. The Dodgers ace has a 2.53 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 11.5 K/9 rate to go along with a 6-1 record. He's also scored at least 40 FanDuel points in seven of nine starts, scoring at least 52 FD points in four straight outings! Another one of those should be in line against a Cincy team averaging 2.9 runs per game across its last 13 outings. That's the worst mark in baseball, with Glasnow entering this home matchup as a -300 favorite!
Justin Steele, CHC vs. PIT ($8,200)
Steele struggled in his most recent outing but that's an outlier. He had a 0.96 ERA and 0.86 WHIP before that stinker, which is more in line with his 3.06 ERA and 1.17 WHIP last year. He's also been a different pitcher in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, amassing a 2.59 ERA and 1.18 WHIP there in that same span. We are slightly concerned that his one dud was against Pittsburgh, but that offense has been pitiful. The Pirates rank 25th in K rate and 26th in wOBA while scoring the fewest runs in baseball over the last 30 days! We also like Jared Jones as his opposition because these two could throw down in a pitcher's duel with a 7.5-run total!
Cristian Javier, HOU vs. OAK ($7,800)
Javier was horrid in his first start off the IL but we're willing to overlook that. The righty had a 1.54 ERA and 1.11 WHIP going into that start, registering a 3.59 ERA and 1.13 WHIP throughout his career. This guy has been too good to be this affordable in a matchup like this. Oakland ranks 27th in OBP and K rate, sporting one of the worst lineups in the league. That's why Javier enters this matchup as a -210 favorite! In his last three starts against the A's, Javier has allowed just three runs across 16.2 innings!
Top Targets
Kyle Tucker, HOU (vs. Joey Estes) $4,300
Tucker has been one of the best players in fantasy for three years now, averaging about 30 homers and 25 steals in that span. That's scary when evaluating his recent form, homering in eight of his last 15 outings. He's also got a .415 OBP and 1.169 OPS in that span which is amazing since he has the platoon advantage against an inexperienced Estes. We'll dive into his numbers later on, but it's difficult to overlook Tucker's .359 OBP and .862 career OPS against right-handers!
Rafael Devers, BOS (vs. Zack Littell) $3,400
It was really difficult to find a second stud we wanted to recommend with how stacked the pitching pool is, but Devers is a solid option. The All-Star has been crushing it since sitting out a week with a shoulder issue, sporting a .348 AVG, .430 OBP and .967 OPS across his last 18 outings. We also love that he has the platoon advantage against Littell, who has allowed a .367 OBP and .898 OPS to righties over the last three years! It's not like Littell is someone we're worried about either, given his a 4.18 career xFIP.
Bargain Bats
Nick Castellanos, PHI (vs. Jose Quintana) $2,800
Castellanos was one of the worst hitters in baseball through April, but something has clicked recently. The former All-Star has a hit in nine of his last 10 outings, generating a .378 OBP and .891 OPS in that span. That's on par with the stud we've seen for a decade, providing a .815 OPS since 2016. The real reason we love him is that he has the platoon advantage against Quintana -- Castellanos has a .350 OBP and .868 OPS against lefties throughout his career. We'll dive into the Quintana numbers in the next section.
DJ Stewart, NYM (vs. Taijuan Walker) $2,500
Stewart has been undervalued since the end of last season, with the outfielder accruing a .354 OBP and .949 OPS over his final 35 games last year. That form has carried over into this season, and he's delivered a .385 OBP and .805 OPS. All of that damage has come against right-handers, and he's registered a .356 OBP and .882 OPS against them over the last two seasons. Facing Walker provides a wonderful matchup too, as the righty has accumulated a 4.42 ERA and 1.31 WHIP since 2023.
Stacks to Consider
Houston Astros vs. (Estes): Tucker ($4,300), Yordan Alvarez ($3,700), Alex Bregman ($2,800), Jon Singleton ($2,600)
This is the easiest stack on this slate. Some people might be fooled when they see that Estes has a 1.80 ERA and 0.40 WHIP, but that's only one start! He had a 7.20 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in two starts last season but a 5.61 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 12 starts at Triple-A. Those are not numbers that earned a call-up, but we all know that Oakland is desperate to find anybody to throw out on the mound.
Throwing this kid to the wolves is just what's happening because Houston is starting to get hot. They've won six of their last seven games, scoring 24 total runs in their four-game winning streak. Tucker has been the straw that stirs the drink, but Alvarez has been their best hitter since his call-up. He's flirting with a .400 OBP and 1.000 OPS against righties throughout his career! Bregman is too cheap for someone of his caliber, and he's starting to get hot too. The All-Star third baseman has three doubles and three homers over his last six games en route to a 1.357 OPS. Singleton is the punt play of the bunch, tallying a .750 OPS over his last 14 fixtures.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. (Quintana): Alec Bohm ($3,600), Bryson Stott ($3,200), Castellanos ($2,800)
Any pitcher in Citizens Bank Park is in for a rough showing. That's developed into one of the most hitter-friendly environments in baseball, with the Phils projected to score over five runs in this game. That's no surprise when looking at their offense, ranked second in OBP and runs scored. That projection is even more likely against Quintana, collecting a 5.44 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in a rough start to the year.
Those ugly numbers should put all of these Philly bats in play, but we're going to go with the middle portion of the lineup. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto are interesting options up top, but these guys are much better values. Bohm is the best play of the bunch, blasting lefties to the tune of a .373 OBP and .942 OPS over the last three seasons! Stott is also scorching, sporting a .493 OBP and 1.185 OPS over his last 16 games. He's also got seven steals in that span, scoring at least 12 FanDuel points in all but four of those!
