This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Thursday's DFS action starts at 1:10 PM EST with a three game "early-only" and "all-day" slate before giving away to a healthy main slate of nine games at 7:05 PM EST. Max Scherzer headlines the starting pitchers and while there isn't a game at Coors Field both the Yankees/Red Sox and Orioles/Rangers games have over/under totals in the double-digits.
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PITCHER
Max Scherzer, WAS vs CIN ($11,800): The price here isn't high enough to deter owners to get away from Max and find a cheaper option. His ERA sits at 2.30 and his elite 34.4 percent is exactly the same as it was a season ago. There's no game at Coors Field tonight and there are plenty of bats below the $3,000 mark in Texas that can be rostered along with using Scherzer. There's no reason to risk going in a different direction, at least for cash games.
GPP Fade: Madison Bumgarner, SF at ARI ($9,500): Bumgarner has been solid since returning from his broken hand with a 3.06 ERA over 10 starts. He's always been better at home than on the road over his career (2.75 ERA vs 3.27) and the Diamondbacks aren't a good matchup for left-handed pitchers. Arizona has the eighth-best wOBA at home against southpaws (.335) and their 22.4 percent strikeout rate is just lower than league average. Facing Zack Greinke makes the Diamondbacks a -170 favorite meaning Bumgarner likely doesn't earn the bonus points for the win.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Nick Pivetta, PHI vs MIA ($8,300): Looking at Pivetta's game logs it's apparent he's become a boom-or-bust type of pitcher which is exactly the perfect target in GPPs. He's scored 30 or more fantasy points in 12 of his 22 starts this season with four of those being 50 fantasy points or higher. Miami has the eleventh-worst wOBA (.304) against right-handed pitching while striking out at the sixth-highest rate (25.1 percent). Pivetta has pitched much better at home where his ERA is a half run lower (4.26) and opposing hitters only have a .303 wOBA against him.
FIRST BASE/CATCHER
Steve Pearce, BOS vs NYY ($3,000): Pearce will be very chalky tonight as he'll likely hit cleanup against lefty CC Sabathia and has a good history against him. Over 39 plate appearances Pearce has a .915 OPS against Sabathia that includes two home runs. Sabathia has given up a .323 wOBA to right-handed hitters this season and is the underdog in a game with an over/under of 10. Mookie Betts and Sandy Leon both have OPS' over 1.000 against Sabathia as well.
SECOND BASE
Rougned Odor, TEX vs BAL ($3,500): This game has the highest total of the night at 10.5 runs and Arlington has played to some high scoring games over the last month. The bats from both lineups are in play tonight as Andrew Cashner and Yovani Gallardo aren't in the Cy Young discussion. After a slow start Odor has progressively gotten hot at the plate and finished July as his best month with a .485 wOBA against right-handed pitching.
THIRD BASE
Johan Camargo, ATL at NYM ($3,100): The Braves should be able to get in their game tonight and they'll have had an extra day of rest before taking on Jason Vargas. This matchup is about as good as it gets with Vargas coming into the game with a 8.36 ERA largely due to giving up 12 home runs in only 42 innings this season. Camargo has a .388 wOBA this season against lefties and an overall wOBA of .423 in 167 career plate appearances. Stacking Braves here is a good pivot away from the Boston and Texas games but sprinkling in a few Braves in cash games makes sense.
SHORTSTOP
Tim Beckham, BAL at TEX ($3,100): Beckham has been a fixture in the leadoff spot for the Orioles and gets an elite matchup against Yovani Gallardo in Texas Thursday. Beckham has reached base safely in 11 straight games scoring at least 9.2 fantasy points in nine of those contests. Including this season Gallardo has maintained an ERA north of five for the past four seasons and gave up 15 home runs in only 66 innings last season.
OUTFIELD
Shin-Soo Choo, TEX vs BAL ($2,900): Choo is having a great season with 20 home runs from the leadoff spot and put together a franchise-best 52 straight games reaching base safely. He'll leadoff against Andrew Cashner who has allowed a .365 wOBA to opposing left-handed hitters on the road. Meanwhile Choo has a .403 wOBA vs right-handed pitching this season making this a prime matchup for him.
Albert Almora, CHC vs SD ($2,500): Using Cubs like Javier Baez ($4,000) and Wilson Contreras ($2,800) is in play tonight although Almora is the cheapest and offers his own upside. After sporting a .386 wOBA against lefties last season, Almora has followed that up with a .371 mark in 2018. In a very small sample Robbie Erlin has struggled on the road (4.50 ERA) more than at home (2.00 ERA).
UTILITY
Nick Williams, PHI vs MIA ($2,500): Williams comes at an affordable price making him a viable option here or in the outfield to pair up nicely with Scherzer. Williams has a .356 wOBA this season at home against right-handed pitching (.348 last season) and should be in a good RBI spot in the middle of the batting order. The Marlins will send Pablo Lopez to the mound, a rookie who has given up five home runs in only 28.2 innings.
