This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
It saddens me to say this, but we only have 11 days left in the regular season. The good news is that almost every slate is stacked at this point, which is something we rarely see on Thursday cards. We don't have many big-name pitchers we love on this slate, but we have two guys in sensational spots. With that in mind, let's start there!
Pitching
Yusei Kikuchi, HOU vs. LAA ($10,800)
Kikuchi has been a volatile pitcher throughout his career, but this move to Houston has done the lefty wonders. He's now 5-0 in eight starts with the 'Stros, sporting a 3.19 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 11.1 K/9 rate in that span. That alone makes him an attractive option, but having a home matchup with the Angels is the icing on the cake. Los Angeles ranks 27th in wOBA, OBP and runs scored, with Kikuchi entering this matchup as a -280 favorite. The last time he faced the Halos, Kikuchi scored 40 FanDuel points!
Erick Fedde, STL vs. PIT ($8,300)
Fedde was a fantastic acquisition by St. Louis, posting a 3.45 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in the best year of his career. He found something while pitching in the KBO, and it's led to him allowing five runs or fewer in all 29 starts this season. That floor makes Fedde a fantastic option against Pittsburgh because the Pirates rank 22nd in runs scored, 25th in K rate, 26th in OBP and 28th in wOBA. The best part about all of this is that he faces the Pirates at home, with Fedde amassing a 1.98 ERA and 1.14 WHIP at Busch Stadium this season.
Top Targets
Jose Altuve, HOU (vs. Jose Suarez) $3,300
I've been stacking against Suarez for years, and it's difficult to understand why the Angels keeps trotting him out there. The lefty has a 6.80 ERA and 1.70 WHIP this season, backed by his 5.55 career ERA and 1.48 WHIP. That's rough against a guy like Altuve, who has accrued a .373 AVG, .435 OBP and .973 OPS against left-handers this year. The second baseman also comes into this matchup with a .438 OBP and 1.006 OPS across his last 10 outings! If you stack the 'Stros, don't forget about Yordan Alvarez ($3,900), Alex Bregman ($3,100) and Yainer Diaz ($3,000)
Isaac Paredes, CHC (vs. Patrick Corbin) $3,000
Paredes was one of the worst hitters in baseball through the opening month with his new team, but that's an outlier. The third baseman had an OPS above .800 before that trade and comes into this matchup with a .500 OBP and .969 OPS across his last nine outings. That hot streak was inevitable and it looks even better since Paredes has a .386 OBP and .898 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. Corbin is also one of the best matchups out there, and we'll dive into that later on.
Bargain Bats
Garrett Mitchell, MIL (vs. Brandon Pfaadt) $2,500
Mitchell had a .404 OBP and 1.040 OPS at Triple-A before being called up this season, and he's carried that form into his time with the Brewers. While he's strictly a platoon player, Mitchell has maintained a .366 OBP and .862 OPS against right-handers this year, and he's registered a .393 OBP and 1.116 OPS across his last 19 fixtures. Pfaadt is not a worrisome matchup right now either, posting a 9.00 ERA and 2.00 WHIP across his last six starts. Mitchell is the cheap piece of this Milwaukee stack, but he's a great pairing with Willy Adames ($3,600) or Jackson Chourio ($3,500) if you want to stack the Brew Crew.
Jesse Winker, NYM (vs. Taijuan Walker) $2,700
It's shocking that Philly is sending out Taijuan Walker again, but we'll discuss that more in the Stacks section. Winker is the cheap piece we like for a Mets stack, recording 14 homers and 14 steals en route to a .363 OBP and .777 OPS. That's on par with his superb splits, as he's collected a .370 OBP and .805 OPS against righties this year. That's why Winker should be in the heart of the Mets lineup and should be in line for some RBI opportunities against such a poor pitcher.
Stacks to Consider
Chicago Cubs vs. Washington Nationals (Corbin): Seiya Suzuki ($3,400), Dansby Swanson ($3,100) and Paredes ($3,000)
Corbin has been better over the last month, but that's like saying your 1995 Honda Accord is running well. This is a veteran arm that shouldn't be pitching anymore, with a 5.45 ERA and 1.49 WHIP this season. Those are actually better than his averages since 2020, a stretch in which he's provided a 5.58 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. We'd use any team against him, but Chicago has been a top-five offense over the last three weeks.
Suzuki needs to be the first piece of our stack against Corbin, because he's been Chicago's best bat and has the platoon advantage in his favor. Seiya has a .279 AVG, .368 OBP and .821 OPS against lefties throughout his career. We already discussed Paredes' phenomenal splits, but Swanson is right there with these guys. The shortstop has .341 OBP and .795 OPS across his last 41 games while posting a .387 OBP and .901 OPS against southpaws this season.
New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies (Walker): Pete Alonso ($3,300), Brandon Nimmo ($3,000), Winker ($2,700)
Why is Walker taking the mound here? He's been a disaster for Philly all season, getting walloped to the tune of a 6.29 ERA and 1.63 WHIP. Those are some of the worst numbers in baseball. New York has been a top-10 offense since the opening month of the season, including a 10-run eruption against the Nationals on Wednesday, and these salaries remain too cheap in such a magical matchup.
Alonso hasn't been quite as good as he's been in the past but 33 homers, 86 RBI and 87 runs scored is nothing to complain about. He's also got a .500 OBP and 1.300 OPS during his current five-game hitting streak. Nimmo also homered Wednesday, and he has an OPS above .800 against right-handers for his career We already discussed Winker but Francisco Lindor ($3,800) would be an obvious play if he's able to return to the lineup as well.
