This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Memorial Day weekend is a real check-in point for the MLB season, but we aren't quite there Thursday. Of course, that doesn't mean I am here to wildly speculate and offer up recommendations based on zero introspection and assessment. There are five MLB games Thursday night, with the first pitch happening at 6:40 p.m. ET. Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Jack Flaherty, DET vs. CLE ($8,300): Flaherty has had a couple tough starts this season in his return to Detroit. Thus, he has a 4.44 ERA through nine starts. However, he does have a 3.60 ERA at home. Also, his 10.80 K/9 rate is quite good, and his 1.93 HR/9 rate is well above his career 1.25 number. This game is in Detroit, and the Guardians are in the bottom 10 in runs scored. I think Flaherty can have a nice start and improve his numbers Thursday.
Carlos Rodriguez, MIL at PIT ($7,000): The Pirates' offense has been so bleak they have entered the "Let's call a guy up for his MLB debut against Pittsburgh" space. With the Brewers' rotation smashed by injuries, Rodriguez is in line to start during the club's four-game series with the Pirates. He struggled in three MLB starts last year, but that's just three starts. Down in Triple-A this year Rodriguez has an 1.99 ERA over 45.1 innings. The Pirates aren't all that far above a Triple-A offense.
Top Target
It hasn't taken Alex Bregman ($5,500) long to show why he was a sought-after free agent, and the Red Sox are probably feeling good about handing him his new contract right now. The former Astro is on pace for his best season since 2019, having slashed .297/.381/.554 with 11 home runs. He has an OPS over .900 at his new home ballpark as well. Cade Povich is coming off what was probably his best start of the season. It dropped his ERA all the way down to…5.23. Righties have hit .304 against him for good measure.
Bargain Bat
Well, J.P. Crawford ($3,600) has been getting on base a lot. He's hit .269 with a .391 OBP, though he's slugged .375. To be fair, the lefty is a shortstop, where power is less common and thus less pertinent. Two, he's been hampered by Seattle's pitcher-friendly park. Since 2023 he's slugged .427 on the road. The game is in Houston, and Lance McCullers' return to pitching in MLB has been dicey. He has a 0.86 K/BB rate and thanks to a disastrous start against the Reds has a 7.88 ERA.
Stack to Consider
Orioles at Red Sox (Lucas Giolito): Gunnar Henderson ($4,500), Ryan O'Hearn ($4,100), Jackson Holliday ($3,700)
Over the 2022 and 2023 seasons Giolito had a 4.88 ERA. After missing 2024, he's back pitching, and he's joined the Red Sox. It's going poorly! Through four starts the righty has posted a 7.08 ERA. Even worse for him, he has a 14.09 ERA at his new home ballpark. Both righties and lefties have hit Giolito well this year, but the Orioles are a lefty-heavy lineup, and lefties often enjoy hitting at Fenway Park. Thus, three southpaws.
Henderson has started to improve his numbers to something approaching what we have come to expect from him. He has seven homers, two triples and four stolen bases through 41 games. Plus, Henderson's issues have been entirely against lefties, with his OPS against righties well over .900 as per usual. I went with O'Hearn over Cedric Mullins because this year Mullins has been weirdly good against lefties but only fine against righties, and because O'Hearn has a history of playing well on the road. Since joining Baltimore he has an .857 OPS in away games. This is more like the Holliday we were promised. The once-vaunted prospect (in very recent history, I don't want to sound like he's some post-hype sleeper) has batted .268 with six homers and two triples. This year, the second baseman has figured out righties, and that's why he's a viable MLB player. His OPS in those matchup is .837.
Try our DraftKings MLB Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
