This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Some of these Thursday schedules have been bizarre. We have another one here, with only one night game on the ledger. We do have five games during the day, though, and that's the slate we'll focus on. That doesn't give us too many options to pick from, but there are still two pitchers we're willing to trust. Let's start there!
Pitching
Nathan Eovaldi, TEX vs. WAS ($10,100)
Eovaldi has been awesome since 2020, posting a 3.69 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in that four-year span. That's right on par with what we've seen this year, with Eovaldi generating a 3.00 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 9.0 K/9 rate. That strikeout stuff is what has us really excited because it's led to Eovaldi scoring at least 25 FanDuel points in five of six starts. We expect that to be his floor against Washington, with the Nats ranked 17th in wOBA and 19th in runs scored. This guy is also the best bet for a win on this slate, entering this matchup as a -200 favorite! It's been a while, but the last time Eovaldi faced Washington, he allowed just one hit across six scoreless innings en route to 55 FanDuel points!
Edward Cabrera, MIA vs. COL ($9,600)
This is a risky option with how poor Cabrera looked in his most recent outing, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Despite posting a 5.28 ERA and 1.43 WHIP, Cabrera has compiled a 2.44 FIP, 2.69 xFIP, 2.98 SIERA and 31 percent K rate. That means some positive regression could be right around the corner, and facing one of the worst road offenses in baseball is a good way to kickstart it. The Rockies have ranked 29th or 30th in runs scored and OPS on the road in three straight seasons! That's horrifying in a spacious stadium like LoanDepot Park, with Colorado projected to score just 3.5 runs. In addition, Cabrera is projected for 6.5 Ks and enters this matchup as a -170 favorite!
Top Targets
Adolis Garcia, TEX (vs. Mitchell Parker) $4,000
Garcia is in the middle of one of his tears, and he's always a great option when that happens. The World Series hero has four doubles and four homers over his last 11 games en route to a .993 OPS. That's not far off of his .932 OPS for the season, and it doesn't even take into consideration his ability to steal 20 bags. The sensational splits are the icing on the cake, though, sporting a .406 OBP, .679 SLG and 1.085 OPS against southpaws so far this season. Parker has definitely been a pleasant surprise for Washington, but it's hard to overlook that Texas is projected to score nearly five runs!
Tyler O'Neill, BOS (vs. Kyle Harrison) $3,400
O'Neill has been one of the best off-season acquisitions, carrying this Boston lineup. The beefy outfielder has a .433 OBP, .693 SLG and 1.126 OPS in the best month of his career. That's less surprising since this guy had 34 dingers and 15 steals a few years ago, with health being a major reason for his resurgence. His numbers against lefties are equally as impressive, tallying a .367 OBP and .846 OPS against them throughout his career.
Bargain Bats
DJ Stewart, NYM (vs. Ben Brown) $2,700
This guy closed the 2023 season with a .354 OBP, .595 SLG and .949 OPS across the final 35 games. That's earned him an everyday role against righties, registering a .381 OBP, .510 SLG and .891 OPS against them this year. That looks even better when examining his recent form, as he's amassed a .404 OBP, .568 SLG and .972 OPS across his last 17 outings. We're not worried about the matchup with Brown either, who had a 5.43 ERA and 1.55 WHIP at Triple-A last year and has posted a 4.41 ERA through limited time at this level.
LaMonte Wade, SF (vs. Josh Winckowski) $2,600
Late-Night LaMonte has been cheap all season, and it's hard to understand why. This man has been rocking right-handers for two years now, providing a .385 OBP and .827 OPS against them in that span. Those are amazing averages from such an affordable player, and that form should carry over against Winckowski. The Red Sox righty has a 4.86 ERA and an ugly 1.52 career WHIP. Don't be afraid to use other San Fran southpaws like Jung Hoo Lee ($2,700) and Michael Conforto ($3,000) as well!
Stacks to Consider
Miami Marlins vs. (Peter Lambert): Jazz Chisholm ($3,300), Luis Arraez ($2,800), Bryan De La Cruz ($3,100)
This might be the only time we have the Marlins as a stack all season, but we would use a little league team against the Rockies. Colorado ranks last in both ERA and WHIP, with Lambert adding to those ugly statistics. The Rockies righty has a 4.67 ERA and 1.33 WHIP this year, allowing six runs in his only start last week! His career averages are even more concerning, compiling a 6.47 ERA and 1.59 WHIP coming into the year.
All of that makes the Marlins an enticing stack because these guys are way too cheap. Chisholm is definitely the key to the stack, batting cleanup for the Marlins. He's got a .865 OPS against right-handers over the last three years, averaging nearly 30 homers and 30 steals per 150 games played. We anticipate Arraez hitting leadoff for Miami, maintaining a .407 OBP and .891 OPS against righties last year. De La Cruz is the riskiest of the bunch, but we love that he has an .862 OPS across his last 17 outings while posting better splits against righties.
Chicago Cubs vs. (Adrian Houser): Michael Busch ($3,200), Ian Happ ($3,000), Christopher Morel ($3,200)
We would like the Cubs more if Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki were healthy, but it's tough to fade any lineup facing Houser. The Mets righty has been one of the worst pitchers in baseball, providing a 8.37 ERA and 1.90 WHIP. He's also got a 10.13 ERA and 2.09 WHIP across his last four starts and might make his last start here if Chicago slices through him like we expect them to.
Despite Suzuki and Bellinger both being out, there are still some great options in this lineup! Busch is the power bat of the bunch, totaling a .347 OBP, .549 SLG and .896 OPS against righties this year. Happ has also been incredible with the platoon advantage in his favor, providing a .373 OBP and .813 OPS against them since the start of last season. Morel hasn't been too shabby either, scoring at least 9.2 FanDuel points in seven of his last nine outings!
