This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
MLB teams have been quite busy, so a day for much of the league to kick back (or, in reality, travel for weekend series) makes sense. There are only four MLB games Thursday, but they are all in the evening which makes the DFS slate quite simple. First pitch is at 6:45 p.m. ET. Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
MacKenzie Gore, WAS at SEA ($9,300): Gore was good last year, but this year he's been excellent. Through 11 starts he has a 3.47 ERA, but his FIP is down to 2.80. Not only that, but the lefty has managed an eye-popping 13.43 strikeouts per nine innings. The Mariners have been surprisingly good offensively, but they also have a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Throw in the fact Gore is a lefty, and I'll roster the burgeoning ace.
Jacob Lopez, ATH at TOR ($7,400): The five offenses that I'd say qualify as "really bad" aren't in action Thursday. Of the eight teams in action, the Blue Jays seem to have the worst offense. They are in the bottom eight in runs scored, and also in home runs. Lopez started the season for the Athletics in the bullpen, and he picked well. Now starting, he's coming off a game wherein he went seven innings and only allowed one run with one walk and eight strikeouts against the Phillies. Given the limited options, that's intriguing.
Top Target
If there was a Sophomore of the Year award, James Wood ($5,700) would be up for it. He's slashed .287/.380/.569 with 15 home runs and eight stolen bases. He's gone from being good against righties and mediocre against lefties to really good against lefties and great against righties. I did note that Seattle has a pitcher-friendly park, but Emerson Hancock is a bad pitcher so it can only help so much. He has a career 5.28 FIP, 5.87 K/9 rate, and 1.69 HR/9 rate.
Bargain Bat
It took a minute, but Brandon Lowe ($4,400) has gotten into a groove at the plate. Over the last three weeks he has an 1.032 OPS and seven home runs. Since 2023 he's slugged .471 against righties, and also slugged .472 on the road. In his first MLB season, righty Ryan Gusto has a 4.58 ERA and lefties have hit .284 against him.
Stack to Consider
Athletics at Blue Jays (Jose Berrios): Jacob Wilson ($4,300), Lawrence Butler ($4,100), Tyler Soderstrom ($4,000)
Well, points for consistency for Berrios, maybe? In each of the prior four seasons he's made exactly 32 starts, but that's not what I am talking about here. Last season he had a 4.71 FIP and 1.45 HR/9 rate. This year, he has a 4.70 FIP and 1.41 HR/9 rate. Lefties have hit .270 against Berrios this year, but last year righties hit .259 against him, so I was okay with having a righty in my stack.
Last year, Wilson cruised through the minors, but had a power outage in the majors. This season, in addition to hitting .353, he's slugged .512 and hit seven home runs. The shortstop isn't slowing down either, as he has an 1.008 OPS over the last three weeks. Butler has picked it up after starting a bit cool. He broke through with 22 home runs and 18 swiped bags last year, and he has eight of each this season. Now, he's been brutal against lefties, but he has an .847 OPS versus right-handed pitchers. Soderstrom has 10 homers, 10 doubles and two stolen bases. He's slowed down after a hot start, but his issues have been solely against lefties and at home. Soderstrom has an .858 OPS against righties and an .883 OPS in away outings.
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