This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Thursday night brings us a mixed bag of seven games for the main slate. It's a mixed bag in that there's both a game at Coors Field, and the best pitcher in baseball is on the mound. Let's take a look at how to attack this main slate of games.
NOTE: Today looks very dicey for most games as far as weather goes. Keep track of forecasts throughout the day.
Pitching
Jacob deGrom, NYM at ATL ($11,500): You might think this is a no-brainer, but deGrom has slipped of late when comparing his fantasy points to his salary cap hit as he's gone four straight games without hitting 40 fantasy points. DeGrom is still averaging over 51 fantasy points per game on the year and he's had at least 31 fantasy points in every start this season. That 31-point effort came in his last game and with any superstar, it's rare to see them have two "bad" outings in a row. Atlanta also strikes out the eighth most (25.2 percent) in baseball against right-handed pitching.
Luis Castillo, CIN vs. SD ($8,000): First, I want to make it clear I like Castillo only in tournaments as the Padres aren't a team to pick on. That being said, it looks like the right-hander has turned a corner. His starts in June show him having scores of 49, 37, 46, 29 and 40 fantasy points. The game of 37 fantasy points was against the same San Diego team he will face tonight. Both the Padres' strikeout rate and wOBA against right-handed pitching are worse on the road than they are at home.
Top Targets
Kyle Schwarber, WAS vs. LAD ($4,500): Schwarber has been on a mad tear lately with 12 home runs over a 10-game span before going 0-for-6 on Wednesday. Hopefully the small hiccup will have DFS players giving him the cold shoulder for this matchup against Tony Gonsolin. Schwarber has a .413 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season, while Gonsolin is still getting acclimated to the mound after a long injury layoff, as evidenced by his 1.54 WHIP.
Carlos Correa, HOU at CLE ($4,300): Correa has been outstanding this season and he's raked of late, setting a nice floor. The shortstop had scored at least 12.2 fantasy points in 12 of his last 14 contests heading into Wednesday, and I like spending up on a position that's typically scarce on fantasy points. J.C. Mejia has been less than stellar this season with a 4.94 ERA and has only pitched past the fifth inning once.
Value Bats
Charlie Blackmon, COL vs. STL ($3,700): It seems odd to have a player with this high a salary in this space, but hear me out. Blackmon at home, against a right-handed pitcher, would have been a no-brainer in the past and despite a slow start, I don't think he's fallen off a cliff. There are 21 players with a higher salary on this slate and chances are almost all of them will have a higher roster rate than Blackmon. Working in his favor is his career .411 wOBA against right-handed pitching, plus he has good history against Adam Wainwright, going 8-for-18 with two doubles, a triple and a home run.
Eduardo Escobar, ARI vs. SF ($3,300): Upon first glance I have to give Johnny Cueto some credit for being on the wrong side of 35 and yet still sporting a 3.63 ERA. He had a nice outing last time out against Oakland but had surrendered six home runs in his previous three starts (15.2 innings). Cueto's been much worse on the road (4.97 ERA) than at home (2.81 ERA) and he's allowed a .353 wOBA to lefties this season after allowing a .347 wOBA in 2020. Escobar has a .361 wOBA against right-handed pitching when in Arizona this season.
Stacks To Consider
Diamondbacks vs. Cueto: Escobar, Pavin Smith ($2,600), Josh Rojas ($3,200), David Peralta ($2,900)
The case against Cueto has been made and these are the top four lefties that should be in the Arizona lineup. In a small sample, Smith and Rojas have gone 4-for-7 against Cueto while Escobar has gone 4-for-12 with a home run. If more salary cap relief is needed, Josh Reddick ($2,300) is an option, and this is an easy stack to use with any pitcher including deGrom.
Dodgers at Patrick Corbin: Justin Turner ($3,100), Mookie Betts ($4,000), Will Smith ($2,600), AJ Pollock ($2,400)
By all means, stack up the Coors Field game on either side, although I think mixing up both teams will be the way to go in that one. Let's take a look at a not-so-obvious game instead. Corbin has been all over the place this season, giving up three or more runs 10 times while staying under three runs only five times. Not shockingly, he has struggled against right-handed hitting (.366 wOBA) and every player listed above has taken advantage of this matchup in the past.
