Yahoo DFS Baseball: Thursday Picks

Yahoo DFS Baseball: Thursday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.

Pitcher

Corey Kluber, CLE at CHW ($66): It's Kluber's turn in the rotation again, so I want you to think long and hard about whether or not to fade him – or better yet, just take him. Kluber has been the most consistent pitcher this season and at this point, he's absolutely matchup proof, which would matter if he had a tough matchup... but he doesn't, The White Sox have some bats that can hurt you, but most of them are only good against lefties. The White Sox enter with the third lowest wOBA against righties this season.

Lance Lynn, STL at SD ($42): Before we get to Lynn, I feel obligated to mention the other top option on the slate and that's Clayton Kershaw. I've got nothing against Kershaw tonight, I think he's a great pick, but I wanted to present an option that wouldn't kill your bankroll and that option is Lynn. Lynn enters with an impressive 2.99 ERA, but he's been anything but consistent this season, With that said, he's got a great matchup against the Padres, who enters with the second highest K rate against righties this season.

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CATCHER

Salvador Perez, KC vs MN ($7): Believe it or not, Kyle Gibson has actually been really good over his past few starts, so much so that I didn't give much thought at all to a Royal stack. With that said, Perez has been hot lately and he's fared well against righties this season. Perez doesn't have great career numbers against Gibson, but he has gone deep a couple times against him. Perez is not a great pick, but at this price, all you need is a little upside, which he certainly has.

FIRST BASE

Joey Votto, CIN at NYM ($27): The highest priced first baseman on the board is worth the price as he matches up with Matt Harvey. Harvey was smashed in his return from the DL in his most recent outing and there's no reason to think he'll rebound in this spot. Votto enters with a .431 wOBA against righties this season, which is top five in the majors this season. The Reds present an interesting stacking option against Harvey on a short slate.

SECOND BASE

Scooter Gennett, CIN at NYM ($19): Did I mention a Reds stack might be a good idea? One reason is Harvey, another reason is that Gennett is hitting again. Gennett caught the attention of baseball fans when he went deep four times in one game earlier this season, but since then, he hasn't resembled that player very often. With that said, he's been on a roll lately and he enters with a .397 wOBA against righties this season, which is 12th in the majors.

THIRD BASE

Jose Ramirez, CLE at CHW ($21): If you've gone against or had Ramirez on your team lately, you know how well he's produced over the past couple of weeks. The nice thing about Ramirez is, as a switch hitter who hits well from both sides of the plate, he's almost always is on the favorable side of the matchup. That again is the case as he enters with a .379 wOBA against lefties this season and he'll face a lefty in Carlos Rodon.

SHORTSTOP

Paul DeJong, STL at SD ($16): The last time the Cardinals saw a lefty, they pounded him for six runs in two innings. With their current makeup, the Cardinals are set up to expose left-handed pitching and one reason is DeJong. DeJong enters with a .392 wOBA against lefties this season, which is second on the Cardinals. First on the Cardinals is Jose Martinez ($12), who is also a great pick on this slate but is listed as a 1B on Yahoo and therefore is more of a bargain option if you can't afford Votto.

OUTFIELD

Max Kepler, MN at KC ($18): As of a week ago, the Twins bats were on fire, but as is the case with all teams, eventually, they cool down. With Sam Gaviglio on the mound for the Royals though, I feel it necessary to get a piece of the Twins. That piece will come in the form of Kepler, who enters with a .359 wOBA against righties this season and edges out teammates Eddie Rosario because his salary is $3 lower.

Andrew McCutchen, PIT vs CHC ($11): McCutchen was on fire during the month of July and while he cooled in August, he's showing signs of life again this month. McCutchen and the Pirates match up with Jon Lester, who is simply not the pitcher he used to be anymore. Lester enters with a 4.42 ERA and he's allowed 11 runs in just 6.2 innings over his past two starts. While I wouldn't advise a Pirate stack, I would recommend jumping on McCutchen as he enters with a .448 wOBA against lefties this season.

Giancarlo Stanton, MIA at ATL ($28): Stanton is in the midst of a huge slump right now – yeah, he hasn't homered since Monday. If he can somehow get his head straight, he might be a good pick tonight as he faces the lefty Sean Newcomb. Newcomb has been decent this season as he enters with a 4.34 ERA, but whenever there is a lefty on the hill, Stanton is in play. Stanton enters with a .401 wOBA against lefties this season, which is top 10 in the majors.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Greg Vara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: lennykarl1, DraftKings: lennykarl1.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Greg Vara
Vara is the lead golf writer at RotoWire. He was named the FSWA Golf Writer of the Year in 2005 and 2013. He also picks college football games against the spread in his "College Capper" article.
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