This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Thursday evening is not a robust one for MLB. Only four games are on the schedule with a first pitch of 7:07 p.m. ET or later. Even so, four games is more than zero, and enough for some DFS action. Here are your lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Jack Flaherty, DET at LAA ($9,800): Taking a shot on Flaherty has worked out extremely well for the Tigers, as the former Cardinal has responded with the best season of his career. Through 14 starts he has a 2.69 FIP. His road ERA is 2.17. Unsurprisingly, sans Mike Trout, the Angels have slipped offensively. They are now in the bottom 10 in runs scored.
Top Target
Always a counting-stats star, Jose Ramirez ($6,000) has been on a tear recently and now has 21 homers and 15 stolen bases. He's a switch hitter, but since 2022 he has a .875 OPS versus righties. Michael Wacha has been a journeyman and he's not enjoying his new home park. He has a 4.28 ERA at home, and lefties have hit .265 against him.
Bargain Bat
Now starting for the Blue Jays, Isiah Kiner-Falefa ($3,400) has hit .281 and tallied six homers and three stolen bases. He also has a .784 OPS over the last three weeks, which is strong for him. Meanwhile, Carlos Rodon has been slipping. Over his last five starts, he has a 5.86 ERA. Over his last 11 outings, he's allowed 1.7 homers per nine innings.
Stack to Consider
Reds at Cardinals (Miles Mikolas): Elly De La Cruz ($6,100), Jonathan India ($3,500), Will Benson ($3,300)
Mikolas doesn't issue many walks or strikeouts, but he has a 4.81 ERA because he gets hit a ton. Since 2022, righties have hit .259 against him, while lefties have hit .251. In modern baseball, that counts as high. This year, southpaws have batted .270 against Mikolas, though, so I have two guys who hit left-handed in this stack.
De La Cruz has built upon last season, having hit 14 homers and recording 37 stolen bases in only 79 games. While he's a switch hitter, he has a .848 OPS versus righties in 2024. Over the last three weeks, India has a .971 OPS. While he's right-handed, his .738 OPS against righties since 2022 is a bit better than his .725 OPS against lefties. Benson has been ice cold, but he should be alright. He has eight homers and nine stolen bases through 74 games. Plus, as a rookie last year, he had a .938 OPS versus right-handed pitchers.
