This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
As usual, Thursday is a day off for several MLB teams, and a few teams play in the afternoon on "getaway day" before they move on to the next series. That leaves us with three MLB games in the evening, with the first pitch at 7:40 p.m. ET. Onto my DFS recommendations.
Pitching
Ben Lively, CLE at CWS ($7,600): Why not? Lively likely won't keep up his 2.08 ERA, given he has a career 4.77 ERA, but he's off to a hot start in 2024, and the White Sox very much are not. Chicago is comfortably last in runs scored and team OPS, and I imagine it will end the season there.
Top Target
Even with inexplicable struggles with righties and road games (since 2022 he has a .870 OPS versus right-handers and a .839 OPS in away contests), Jose Ramirez ($6,000) has tallied seven homers and five stolen bases. You can't keep the Cleveland stalwart from racking up the counting stats. Erick Fedde, who has a career 5.25 ERA, spent last season in Korea. It did not turn his career around. Though he has a 3.46 ERA through seven starts, he has a 4.52 FIP and has allowed 1.62 homers per nine innings.
Bargain Bat
If you haven't noted what Brice Turang ($4,800) is doing in his sophomore season, it's time to pay attention. He had 26 stolen bases as a rookie, but he already has 14 in 33 games this year. It helps that he's gone from a .285 on-base percentage (OBP) to a .382 OBP. Turang is a lefty and a righty will be on the mound Thursday. Unfortunately, due to a rainout, that righty will likely be Sonny Gray instead of Lance Lynn. As such, my enthusiasm is a little lower, but I'd still roster Turang.
Stack to Consider
Angels vs. Royals (Michael Wacha) Taylor Ward ($5,400), Nolan Schanuel ($3,700), Jo Adell ($3,500)
Wacha's numbers in 2023 look good in the big picture, but he spent the season with the Padres. Petco Park earned a major assist in Wacha's performance. The righty had a 2.62 ERA at home, but a 4.07 ERA on the road. Now a Royal, he has a 5.50 ERA through seven starts. A good rule of thumb? If a pitcher is on his sixth team in six seasons, he's probably not that good. The Angels don't have a great lineup, but this is still a worthwhile stack.
Ward has hit .273 and slugged .469 this season with seven homers. In the last couple of years, he's put up poor numbers at home, but in 2022 he had a .901 OPS in the same ballpark, so while I am worried a bit, that worry only goes so far. Lefties have averaged .320 against Wacha, which is why I included Schanuel in this stack. His keen batting eye has yielded a career .363 OBP. Last season he had a .757 OPS against righties and a .846 OPS at home. Adell has never secured the regular role the Angels envisioned, but he has five homers and seven stolen bases this year. Fellow right-handers have hit .288 against Wacha in 2024. Two righties in this stack, including Adell, works for me.
