This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
You're going to have to be ready with your DFS lineups early Thursday because the MLB schedule leaves you with little choice. The six-game DFS slate starts at 12:05 p.m. ET. All six of these games are afternoon affairs. Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Taj Bradley, TB at TOR ($9,000): As a top pitching prospect last season, Bradley delivered on the promise of his big fastball and a lot of strikeouts, but he also gave up a ton of homers and thus had a 5.59 ERA. This year, the fastball is still blazing (96.4 miles per hour) and the strikeouts are still ample (10.75 per nine innings). However, the home runs are down and he has a 2.63 ERA with righties hitting a mere .160 against him. Both of these teams are in the bottom six in runs scored, so it may be a low-scoring affair. I think Bradley will do his part on that front.
Max Scherzer, TEX vs. CWS ($8,600): Scherzer has been dealing with arm fatigue after starting this season late due to injury, but the White Sox aren't likely to tax his arm too much. After all, they are comfortably last in runs scored with a collective .624 OPS. If Scherzer's arm is robust enough, he should be able to go at least five innings against the woeful White Sox.
Top Targets
He's dipped against his fellow southpaws, but Freddie Freeman ($5,900) has slashed .314/.425/.541 versus righties. On top of that, he has a .929 OPS on the road. Logan Webb doesn't allow many home runs, but Freeman is a guy who hit 59 doubles last season. Also, over the last two seasons, Webb has an ERA over 4.00 on the road.
I would say Manny Machado ($4,800) has been fine. His .780 OPS over the last three weeks is fine. The same goes for his .751 OPS against lefties and his .759 OPS on the road. However, "fine" is more than sufficient against Patrick Corbin. He has a 5.67 ERA over the last four seasons. Over the last three seasons, righties have hit .308 against him.
Bargain Bats
After two seasons of languishing as a Ranger, Josh Smith ($4,300) has popped this year with gusto. He's hit .285 with 20 doubles. He's powered by his .884 OPS at home. Jonathan Cannon's first MLB season has been on the languishing variety itself. He has a 6.46 ERA on the road and lefties have hit .296 against him.
A keen batting eye doesn't always port over to DFS success, but Richie Palacios ($3,500) has a .350 on-base percentage (OBP) to go with his .243 average. While the lefty has limited power, he has five homers to go with 17 stolen bases in 82 games. He's only played in 81 games because he doesn't play against lefties, but Chris Bassitt is a righty. A righty, might I add, with a 3.83 FIP who has let lefties hit .276 against him. Also, it's important to note Tampa is on the road. Palacios struggles at home, but he has a .831 OPS in away games.
Stack to Consider
Orioles at Marlins (Roddery Munoz): Gunnar Henderson ($6,300), Ryan O'Hearn ($4,000), Colton Cowser ($3,500)
How do you post a 6.65 FIP when you hold righties to a .174 average? Well, the way Munoz has done it is by walking 4.66 batters per nine innings and letting lefties hit .302 against him. Oh, and he's allowed 2.41 homers per nine innings, with two-thirds of the homers coming from southpaws. Thus, a three-lefty stack.
Henderson, having slashed .285/.371/.569 with 28 homers and 14 stolen bases, doesn't need much help. Munoz provides it, though. The possible American League MVP also happens to have a .994 OPS on the road. O'Hearn doesn't need a matchup versus a righty to excel, but he has a .842 OPS against right-handed pitchers. They haven't all been as bad as Munoz, either. The former Royal also has a .931 OPS on the road. Cowser doesn't hit at nearly the same level, but he does have 13 homers and seven stolen bases in 93 games. He also has a .765 OPS versus righties, which is viable.
