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.
