This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Mispriced assets on both sides of the ball can help us immeasurably on the six-game main slate Thursday, allowing DFS players the flexibility to put together all sorts of lineups. This includes the least expensive pitcher on the slate, as his price doesn't reflect how well he's been throwing the ball lately.
Pitching
Clayton Kershaw, LAD vs. ARI ($10,300): Kershaw is making the most of a short 2020 season after a disappointing 2019 (by his standards), having put up a 1.80 ERA in five starts. The Diamondbacks have logged the second-lowest wOBA in the league against left-handed pitching this year and Kershaw should be able to use his 56 percent groundball rate to stifle the Arizona bats, as they have hit the ball on the ground at a 44 percent clip.
Taijuan Walker, TOR at BOS ($4,800): There isn't much that makes this a great matchup for Walker, but the pricing here makes very little sense, as Walker hasn't put up less than 18.7 DraftKings points in any of his last three starts. This makes Walker an attractive option on a short slate, particularly since the Red Sox fall just outside of the bottom-10 offenses against right-handed pitching according to wOBA.
Top Hitters
Mookie Betts, LAD at ARI ($5,800): Betts has exploded out of the gate in his first season as a Dodger, as we can see from the tremendous .422(!) ISO and .479 wOBA he has logged against righty pitching in 102 at-bats. Luke Weaver has been smashed by both sides of the platoon and while he has been slightly better against right-handers, we certainly won't balk at the .593 slugging percentage he has allowed to same-handed opposition in 13.2 frames.
Tim Anderson, CWS at KC ($5,500): For the second time this week I can talk about Anderson's unbelievable numbers against southpaws, against whom he has notched a .647 ISO and .652 wOBA in 34 at-bats. Danny Duffy has done well to keep right-handed hitters off base but they have still gotten to him for plenty of damage, tallying a .473 slugging percentage and a 2.0 HR/9 rate in 27.1 frames.
Rhys Hoskins, PHI vs. WAS ($4,700): Hoskins has quietly mashed in 2020. While he has done more damage against lefty hurlers, he has had plenty of success against right-handed pitching, logging a .236 ISO in 72 at-bats. Anibal Sanchez has been hit hard by both righties and lefties but has particularly struggled against righty bats, as evidenced by the .657 slugging percentage he has allowed in 16 innings.
Best Values
Vladimir Guerrero, TOR at BOS ($4,300): Guerrero hasn't been doing much against left-handers besides hitting for power, but that works just fine for our purposes. The 21-year-old has tallied a .289 ISO in 38 at-bats against his opposite hand. Meanwhile, Martin Perez has logged a 5.05 xFIP against righty hitters in 29.2 innings. We may also get a less-than-perfect version of Perez if the blister he has been dealing with continues to cause problems.
Luke Voit, NYY at NYM ($3,900): Voit isn't priced like one of the best hitters in the league, but that's exactly what you get based on his numbers. While he has shown a bit more power against southpaws, he has been a better overall hitter against righties, tallying a .341 ISO and .432 wOBA in 88 at-bats. There was some uncertainty as to whether Robert Gsellman would make the start Thursday, but fortunately for us, the right-hander will take the .579 slugging percentage he's allowed against righty hitters into the matchup.
Adam Eaton, WAS at PHI ($3,400): The Nationals don't have many hard-hitting lefty bats outside of Juan Soto, but Eaton will certainly do at this price thanks to the .202 ISO and .343 wOBA he has kept against right-handed hurlers. Zach Eflin has handled righty bats extremely well this year, but lefties have been a different story, as we can see from the .721 slugging percentage he has allowed in 9.1 innings.
Stacks to Consider
Yankees against Robert Gsellman: DJ LeMahieu, ($4,300) Luke Voit, ($3,900) Clint Frazier, ($3,600)
We don't get to say this very often, but we can line up a fantastic value stack of Yankees against Gsellman on Thursday. LeMahieu is a name that will garner some attention, but Frazier is another bat that may go overlooked despite the .400 ISO and .495 wOBA he has notched in 40 at-bats against right-handed pitching.
Phillies against Anibal Sanchez: Rhys Hoskins, ($4,700) Didi Gregorius, ($4,400) Jay Bruce, ($2,900)
Sanchez will be a stack target for as long as he remains in the rotation at this rate, as he carries a 6.90 ERA through six starts. Bruce may sneak up on some prospective owners after recently returning from the injured list, but he represents major value due to the .521 ISO and .459 wOBA he has tallied against righty pitchers in 48 at-bats.
