This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Be on alert Thursday, on two fronts. One, because of the MLB schedule, the DFS docket comprises seven games with the first starting at 12:35 p.m. ET. This means having to get your DFS lineups in early. On top of that, there's rain in the forecast in a few cities. Granted, early starts could lead to delays instead of postponements, but the latter is possible. These recommendations are assuming all seven games are played, but do keep an eye on game status Thursday.
Pitching
Shane Baz, TAM vs. KAN ($9,000): A bad start against the Yankees isn't hurting Baz's numbers, too much. He still has a 2.45 ERA through five outings, and his 3.08 FIP is encouraging as well. Beyond that, Baz has a 4.00 K/BB rate. Before his arm injury that cost him all of 2023, Baz showed a real flair for striking out hitters, and that skill seems to have returned. The Royals, in the bottom five in runs scored, are also last in home runs. This may be MLB's worst offense.
Tyler Mahle, TEX vs. ATH ($8,500): Mahle was working his way back from Tommy John surgery last season, so let's just look at what he's doing this year. Through six starts he has an 1.14 ERA and 2.67 FIP. Sure, he'll allow a home run at some point, but so far, so good on that front. The Athletics are middling in runs scored, but they are top 10 in home runs bolstered by their short-term home park, and this game is in Texas.
Top Targets
Well, for starters, Oneil Cruz ($5,800) hasn't struck out three times as often as he's walked this season. That legitimately has helped him, as he's put up some excellent numbers from a DFS perspective. He was already a 20/20 guy last year, but he's tallied eight homers and 12 swiped bags to start 2025. The righty Colin Rea came into this season with a career 4.57 ERA. So yeah, I don't think his 0.96 ERA is going to hold up.
The people who were in on Wyatt Langford ($5,000) for AL Rookie of the Year last season were onto something. He's exploded this year with a .299/.375/.597 slash line with six homers and four stolen bases. Jeffrey Springs, a former Ranger, has really struggled with the Athletics. He has a 5.08 BB/9 rate and 1.59 HR/9 rate, paving the way for him to post a 6.04 ERA.
Bargain Bats
When Kyle Manzardo ($4,500) has made contact, the ball has traveled. He's averaged .227 but has slugged .538 with 12 extra-base hits. Simeon Woods Richardson has allowed a home run in each of his last four starts. Also, strikingly, lefties have hit .390 against him.
Though Willson Contreras ($3,500) is off to a slow start, his track record offers hope. Since joining the Cardinals, he has a .483 slugging percentage against lefties and also a .484 slugging percentage on the road. This is the kind of circumstance he likes. Not only are the Cardinals playing in Cincinnati's hitter-friendly ballpark, but Andrew Abbott has allowed 1.51 home runs per nine innings in his career.
Stacks to Consider
Brewers at White Sox (Sean Burke): Jackson Chourio ($5,400), Brice Turang ($4,900), William Contreras ($4,500)
Let's see, Burke has a 6.52 FIP, an 1.82 K/BB rate and a 2.33 HR/9 rate. Yeah, that's a good starting point. So why two righties in this stack against a right-handed pitcher, especially when the Brewers have a fine selection of lefties? Well, because righties have hit .313 against Burke in 2025.
Chourio really, really doesn't walk, but he's getting by on skill. He's hit .271 with six homers, 11 doubles and two stolen bases. Last year, in his vaunted rookie campaign, Chourio slugged .507 against his fellow righties. In 2024, Turang stole 50 bases. This season he's swiped eight bags, but Turang has also hit better this year. He's batted .317 and tallied three home runs, and he has an .872 OPS versus righties. Contreras is a strong hitter for a catcher. He has a .376 OBP with three homers and four swiped bags. In each of the prior two campaigns he's hit more than 35 doubles as well.
Mets vs. Diamondbacks (Zac Gallen): Francisco Lindor ($5,300), Juan Soto ($5,100), Mark Vientos ($3,600)
Things have been on a downswing for Gallen, but this year has gone particularly poorly. He has a 5.57 ERA through six starts. Gallen has allowed 1.39 homers per nine innings, which is unusual for him. However, in the past, it's Arizona's ballpark that has helped out the righty. Over the prior two seasons he allowed 1.2 homers per nine innings on the road. I have two guys who can hit left-handed here, because lefties have hit .303 against Gallen this season.
In each of the prior three seasons Lindor has had at least 30 doubles, 30 homers and 29 stolen bases. This year he's hit .308 and has six home runs. The shortstop, a switch hitter, has been particularly good against righties this year and also at home. Soto is off to a slow start, but fret not. He has a career .947 OPS, and since 2023 he has a .963 OPS against righties. Plus, he does have three homers and seven doubles. Vientos emerged from nowhere last year to hit 27 homers and 22 doubles in 111 games. He has four homers, a triple and five doubles this season. Also, his issue this year has been with lefties, so I am not worried about this matchup.
