This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Thursday's a lighter schedule, with only 8 games to choose from, so making the right decisions will be crucial. In addition, two of them are day games, so make sure to check the early lineups. Here are our daily value plays for Thursday, April 29.
Pitcher:
Chris Sale ($10,000): Sale is the highest priced pitcher on the board today and it is for good reason. Not only is Sale clearly the cream of a weak crop, but he also faces a Twins team that has been offensively challenged all season. The Twins sport the third-worst team OPS and have scored the fifth-least amount of runs this season and it doesn't look to get any better against Sale. Sale, for his part, has been good this season – 2.37 ERA and 1.11 WHIP – and should see those numbers get even better after twirling a gem today against Minnesota.
Daniel Norris ($5,800): Norris has struggled so far in 2015, but is coming off his best outing of the season – seven strikeouts in seven innings while only allowing one earned run – in Saturday's loss to Tampa Bay. Norris has stuff for days and faces a Cleveland lineup that is batting .214 against left-handed pitching this season. With the price point so low, Norris makes for a nice tourney play on Thursday and will allow you to spread your money across other positions.
Catcher:
Evan Gattis ($2,700): It appears that Gattis' bat is finally waking up from it's long slumber. Gattis has raised his average from .109 to .174 (yuck, but getting less yucky by the day) over the last week and he faces a struggling James Paxton in Houston. Gattis has hit lefties far better than righties – career .817 OPS vs. lefties as opposed to a career .750 OPS vs. righties – so Paxton presents a nice matchup for the slugger. With Gattis' price being quite affordable, he presents a nice option from of a weak slate of catchers on Thursday.
First Base:
Kendrys Morales ($2,500): Morales has been great for the Royals this season and yet still seems to be priced lower than he should be. He has hit safely in 13 of the Royals' last 14 games, so he is a safe bet to not put up a negative score for you. In addition, Morales has historically hit right-handed pitchers – career .811 OPS – better than left-handed pitchers – career .726 OPS – so the matchup with Alfredo Simon should be a positive as well. Morales should be a nice cheap alternative at first base on Thursday.
Second Base:
Jose Altuve ($4,400): Altuve is the highest-priced second baseman on Thursday but should be worth the money. The diminutive Altuve has been white-hot of late – .467 average with a home run and 3 stolen bases over the last week – and has generally been a stud all season. Add in a matchup with left-handed James Paxton – Altuve is crushing lefties this season to the tune of a .545 average – and Altuve is a good guy to spend on today.
Third Base:
Josh Donaldson ($4,200): This is another spot where it makes sense to get the top guy on the board. Donaldson has been great for Toronto this season and has been especially potent against left-handed pitching, batting .500 with a 1.154 OPS against southpaws. Thursday's matchup with struggling lefty T.J. House should present a nice opportunity for Donaldson to rake, and makes the price tag far more palatable.
Shortstop:
Freddy Galvis ($2,300): Galvis has been one of the surprises of the season so far as his .366 average is among the league leaders. Galvis has been especially hot lately with three, three-hit games out the Phillies' last six contests. Add in a .600 average vs. left-handed pitchers this season, and Thursday's matchup with unproven lefty Tim Cooney seems like a can't miss opportunity for Galvis, especially for such a cheap price.
Outfield:
Kole Calhoun ($3,300): Calhoun has been great this season – .323 average and .895 OPS – and should be able to take advantage of a nice matchup with right-hander Jesse Chavez. Calhoun has hit Chavez well in the past – .500 slugging percentage, with a home run – and is a solid threat for counting stats hitting at the top of a talented Angels lineup. For the relatively cheap price, Calhoun is a nice play on Thursday.
Kelly Johnson ($2,800): Johnson has been hitting well lately – .368 average with a home run over the last week – and has been especially good against right-handed pitching sporting a .886 OPS against them this season. As if that weren't enough, Johnson has a great track record against Thursday's opponent – right-hander Mike Leake – with a career .385 average vs. the soft-tossing righty. Look for Johnson to be a strong value play today.
Curtis Granderson ($2,800): Granderson has started to heat up over the last week raising his average from .196 to .230 over the last seven days. The Grandy man has also pounded right-handed pitching over his career – OPS of .855 – and is facing a struggling Stephen Strasburg. Don't be scared off by the matchup, as Strasburg has not looked good yet this season. Granderson is a solid option, especially for the price, on Thursday.
Good luck!
