This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There are 12 games scheduled across baseball Thursday, eight of which will make up the main slate on DraftKings. Several bad lineups will be in action, which could help out a pitching slate that is generally lacking elite options. Here are some players to target as you building your entries.
Pitchers
One of the few big-name pitchers that is scheduled to take the mound is Yu Darvish ($10,700). He's been everything the Padres could have hoped for when they signed him, recording a 2.92 FIP, 0.93 WHIP and 30.0 percent strikeout rate. He's allowed more than two runs in only two of his 11 starts. Look for him to provide another excellent outing against a Mets team that is still dealing with multiple injuries to their lineup.
Griffin Canning ($9,400) has not pitched well for the Angels, posting a 5.40 ERA that is supported by a 5.48 FIP. On the bright side, he does have a 25.9 percent strikeout rate. As bad as he's been, he's still a viable option against the Mariners, who entered Wednesday with the second-worst OPS in baseball. The last time Canning faced them, he allowed one unearned run and recorded nine strikeouts over 5.1 innings.
If you want to take a chance on a pitcher with a cheaper salary in tournament play, then Casey Mize ($6,700) might be worth considering. He doesn't have a favorable matchup against the White Sox, who entered Wednesday with the sixth-best OPS in baseball. However, Mize has been at the top of his game lately, allowing three or fewer runs in each of his last six starts. That including a start against these same White Sox in which he allowed three runs and recorded six strikeouts across six innings.
Top Targets
While Nelson Cruz ($5,100) hasn't exactly been tearing the cover off the ball, it's difficult to complain about a guy with a .232 ISO and a .364 wOBA entering Wednesday. He's even dropped his strikeout rate to 20.0 percent after two straight seasons with a mark of at least 25.1 percent. Add in his career .400 wOBA against left-handed pitchers and he's an appealing option for his matchup with southpaw Kris Bubic ($6,900).
As of late Wednesday night, Jon Duplantier ($5,200) was listed as the Diamondbacks' starting pitcher against the Brewers. The team could also go with Seth Frankoff ($5,400), but neither pitcher is much to worry about. Duplantier has a 1.60 WHIP across 16 career appearances and Frankoff has a bloated 1.90 WHIP through three starts this season. While Christian Yelich ($5,200) has struggled out of the gate, this could be a night for him to shine.
Bargain Bats
Yelich isn't the only appealing option on the Brewers. If you want to take advantage of their matchup without allocating such a significant portion of your budget to one player, then Avisail Garcia ($3,900) could be someone to target. After a poor power performance last season, he's bounced back with a .209 ISO this year.
The Giants are dealing with several injuries right not, which leaves them with a compromised lineup. One of the few healthy regulars that they should have available to them Thursday is Brandon Crawford ($3,700), who has a .260 ISO and a .356 wOBA. That makes him an intriguing option for his matchup against Zach Davies ($6,100), who has experienced a lack of control that has left him with an 11.7 percent walk rate and a 1.61 WHIP.
Stacks to Consider
Cardinals vs. Vladimir Gutierrez ($5,000), Reds: Nolan Arenado ($5,300), Tyler O'Neill ($4,600), Dylan Carlson ($3,800)
Gutierrez was originally scheduled to start Wednesday, but had his start pushed back a day after a rainout. He will be making his second career start in the majors after limiting the Cubs to one run across five innings in his debut. In his last full season at Triple-A in 2019, he had a 1.40 WHIP while recording only 117 strikeouts over 137 innings. That could make him someone to stack against. O'Neill is in the midst of an excellent campaign, recording a .341 ISO and a .390 wOBA entering Wednesday.
Angels vs. Justus Sheffield ($7,900), Mariners: Shohei Ohtani ($5,600), Anthony Rendon ($4,900), Taylor Ward ($3,500)
Sheffield has performed well this season in his pitcher-friendly home park, allowing 13 runs (11 earned) across 27.2 innings. However, he's been hammered on the road, allowing 20 runs (16 earned) over 21.1 innings. His WHIP is even a bloated 1.88 on the road. That could make this a good spot to deploy the Angels with this being a road game for the Mariners. That includes Rendon, who has a career .381 wOBA against left-handed pitchers.
Royals vs. J.A. Happ ($7,000), Twins: Whit Merrifield ($5,400), Carlos Santana ($4,200), Edward Olivares ($2,300)
Happ hasn't left himself with a lot of room for error this season given his 17.9 percent walk rate. The result has been a 5.24 ERA across nine outings. Despite not having the deepest of lineups, this matchup still makes for a few appealing options on the Royals. Santana has been one of their more consistent hitters with a .363 wOBA entering Wednesday and Olivares, who is one of their top prospects, was recently called up after posting a .485 wOBA at Triple-A.
