This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Thursday is one of the last breather days on the MLB calendar for some teams. Soon enough, though, those that don't make the playoffs will be done until next season. There are only six games on the docket starting at 6:40 p.m. EDT on Thursday. Before you try to figure out how to watch the NFL on Amazon Prime, here are my MLB DFS lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Lance McCullers, HOU vs. OAK ($9,900): After returning from injury, McCullers appears no worse for the wear. He's made five starts, gone at least five innings in all of them and posting a 2.20 ERA. The Athletics are a nice tuneup ahead of the playoffs, as they rank 29th in runs scored.
Carlos Carrasco, NYM vs. PIT ($9,000): Carrasco's first season as a Met was rough, and this season didn't start great either. However, he has a 2.27 ERA over his last nine starts. Plus, on the year he has a 3.35 ERA at home. The Pirates, for their part, are 28th in runs scored and team OPS.
Top Targets
This season, Manny Machado ($4,500) hit the ground running and has never really slowed down. Over the last three weeks he has a .997 OPS. Madison Bumgarner went from being a hero with the Giants to an afterthought with the Diamondbacks. In three seasons with Arizona the southpaw has a 4.99 ERA, and righties have hit .277 against him in that time.
While Nolan Arenado has been slumping, Tommy Edman ($3,500) has gotten hot to shoulder the load. Over the last three weeks he has an 1.111 OPS. Normally not a power hitter, Edman does have 13 home runs to go with his 20 stolen bases. Chase Anderson has a 9.00 ERA, and while he typically doesn't go late into the game, as a switch hitter Edman can handle whatever the bullpen throws at him.
Bargain Bats
In his first season with the Twins, Gio Urshela ($2,600) has hit .271. Notably, he has a .769 OPS versus lefties and a .773 OPS at home. Daniel Lynch, a lefty, has a 5.14 ERA. However, over the last five games he has a 7.40 ERA.
Vinnie Pasquantino ($2,500) is back in the lineup and is serving as the primary DH owing to the Royals' belief in his bat. Through the first 54 games of his career, Pasquantino has slashed .251/.340/.417 with eight home runs. In his first season as a Twin, Dylan Bundy has a 4.68 ERA, and he's only struck out 6.22 batters per nine innings.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Athletics (James Kaprielian): Alex Bregman ($3,700), Kyle Tucker ($3,700), Trey Mancini ($2,900)
Kaprielian is expected to start after missing his last outing with a cut on his finger. This year he has a 5.19 FIP, in line with his career 4.79 FIP. In the past, at least he was striking out guys, but this year he's struck out a mere 6.28 batters per nine innings. Yordan Alvarez is dealing with a hand injury, and the Astros have no reason to risk him, so I didn't want to include him just in case. Still, there's a strong stack option here.
Bregman has put a slow start far behind him, and over the last three weeks he has an .872 OPS. On the year he's loved his home park, where he has an 1.018 OPS. Tucker has piled up 27 home runs and 22 stolen bases. On top of that, he has a .903 OPS versus righties since 2020. Mancini will likely be in the lineup, especially if Alvarez gets a rest. He's hit seven home runs since being dealt to Houston, and he has a .778 OPS versus righties this season.
Mets vs. Pirates (JT Brubaker): Pete Alonso ($3,700), Jeff McNeil ($3,100), Tyler Naquin ($2,700)
In his career, Brubaker has a 4.85 ERA. While this year he has a 4.36 ERA, over his last eight outings he has a 5.08 ERA. He allowed seven home runs across those starts, which played a role in that ERA bloat to be sure. If he remains shaky on the road in New York, the Mets should clean up.
After a brief cold patch on the home run front, Alonso has five home runs in the last three weeks, giving him 35 homers total. He hits everywhere, but at home he has an .874 OPS this year. McNeil is more a contact guy, and he has a .321 batting average this year with a .374 OBP. Versus righties though, he has slugged .473 in 2022. With Starling Marte on the IL, Naquin has been playing. With a righty on the mound this is the time to deploy him. Since 2020, Naquin has an .823 OPS against right-handed pitchers.
