This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Thursday slates tend to be tiny, which is what we have again here. While we have nine games in total, four of them are happening during the day. That leaves us with a five-game night slate to discuss, but there are some interesting options on the board. There weren't a ton of pitching possibilities we love, but there's one guy that stands out above the rest.
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Pitching
Jack Flaherty, DET vs. CLE ($8,800)
Flaherty has always shown flashes of brilliance, but he's been one of the best pitchers in baseball during his Tigers tenure. The righty has a 3.45 ERA and 1.10 WHIP since the start of last season, and benefits from the spacious dimensions at Comerica Park. In fact, Flaherty has a 3.60 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 13.1 K/9 rate at home, scoring at least 41 FanDuel points in three of four Comerica starts. A matchup with Cleveland can be challenging, but the righty registered a 1.07 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in four starts against the Guardians last year.
Top Targets
Alex Bregman, BOS (vs. Cade Povich) $3,700
Bregman was one of the best signings in the offseason, and he's really taken his game to another level in Beantown. The third baseman has a .388 OBP and .953 OPS and is tracking toward the best year of his career. His splits are even more sensational, he as sports a .491 OBP and .991 OPS against left-handers. That's been a common trend throughout Bregman's career, and we're not worried about a pitcher like Povich. The O's lefty has a 5.23 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, completing just 4.1 innings in his one meeting with the BoSox. If you want to stack Boston hitters, we'd use Jarren Duran ($3,400), Rafael Devers ($3,900), Rob Refsnyder ($2.800) or Trevor Story ($2,800) to pair with Bregman.
Jorge Polanco, SEA (at Lance McCullers) $3,300
Polanco was pitiful in his first season in Seattle, but something has changed. The second baseman is back to being the stud we saw in Minnesota, maintaining a .306 AVG and .954 OPS. We don't expect him to hold those numbers, but it's nearly impossible to overlook his splits. Polanco has a .312 AVG and .989 OPS against righties this year and now faces one with a 7.88 ERA and 2.13 WHIP. Stacking Seattle is tough, but Julio Rodriguez ($3,200) and Cal Raleigh ($3,700) are always solid options.
Bargain Bats
Ryan O'Hearn, BAL (at Lucas Giolito) $2,900
There's no doubt that the O's have been the biggest disappointments in baseball, but it's no fault of O'Hearn's. The outfielder has been hitting between second and fifth, establishing a .393 OBP and .917 OPS against righties this year. Those are superb splits from such an affordable player, and we love it since he matches up with Giolito. The Red Sox righty has a 7.08 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in a nightmarish start to the season. Baltimore has been bad, but Gunnar Henderson ($3,100), Cedric Mullins ($3,400) and Jackson Holliday ($2,900) all have the platoon advantage against Giolito.
Kerry Carpenter, DET (vs. Slade Cecconi) $3,000
Carpenter has been hitting leadoff for the Motor City Kitties, and it's easy to see why. This outfielder has been crushing right-handers all season, registering a .311 AVG and .891 OPS against them. You might think it's a small sample size, but it's backed by a .901 OPS against righties since 2023. That should bode well against a pitcher like Cecconi, who has compiled a 6.59 ERA and 1.39 WHIP over the last two years. Riley Greene ($3,500) and Spencer Torkelson ($3,200) are having breakout seasons if you want to build a Detroit stack.
Stacks to Consider
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Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners (Emerson Hancock): Jose Altuve ($2,700), Isaac Paredes ($3,200), Jeremy Pena ($3,000), Christian Walker ($2,900)
It was challenging to pick a stack on this short slate, but Houston is an intriguing option. The most important variable in this matchup is Hancock. The Seattle pitcher has been slaughtered this season, posting a 6.21 ERA and 1.68 WHIP. That's hard to believe since T-Mobile Park is a pitcher's haven, but we're talking about a guy who had a 7.36 ERA and 1.53 WHIP on the road last year. We also love the way this team stacks up because there's not really any expensive bats to clog your salary cap.
Let's kickstart our stack with one of the best Astros of all time. That's Altuve, who's got a .304 AVG, .361 OBP and .826 OPS in his career. As for Paredes, the slugger had a .414 OBP and 1.018 OPS across 13 fixtures prior to launching two dingers Wednesday. Pena is projected to hit leadoff, providing a .302 AVG and .803 OPS in what could be a career year. There's nothing to get excited about when talking about Walker's current form, but he still has 100 homers and 300 RBI over the last three years.
