This is my first FanDuel piece since the All-Star break, and it feels like a month since I wrote one. It was actually only two weeks ago, but that's a lifetime in baseball days. We only have about two months of regular season remaining, and there's no better time to play DFS with not much else going on in the sports world. There are only five games in total on this Thursday slate, with four of them taking place at night. That doesn't leave us with too many options, but it's still a fun one to dissect. With that in mind, let's dive into this Thursday's slate!
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Pitching
Yusei Kikuchi, LAA vs. SEA ($9,400)
There has not been enough discussion about how special Kikuchi has been this season. The lefty is having a breakout campaign in LA, compiling a 3.13 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 9.4 K/9 rate. He's been even better recently, registering a 2.98 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 11.2 K/9 rate across his last eight starts. A home matchup with Seattle doesn't scare us because Kikuchi scored 46 FanDuel points in both of his matchups with the Mariners last year. They're also struggling out of the All-Star break, scoring just six runs across their last four fixtures.
Top Targets
Spencer Torkelson, DET (vs. Eric Lauer) $3,300
The Motor City Kitties have been one of the biggest surprises in baseball this season, and Tork is a major reason why in the heart of their lineup. The slugger has been slaughtering southpaws all season, sporting a .403 OBP, .638 SLG and 1.041 OPS against them. That's amazing from a $3,300 player, and here he gets a matchup against a lefty who is due for some regression. Lauer has an amazing 2.80 ERA, but his 3.82 xFIP and 4.16 career ERA indicate that he's pitching above his head. If you want to stack the Tigers, Riley Greene ($3,300) would be an excellent pairing with Torkelson.
Mike Trout, LAA (vs. Logan Evans) $3,300
We all know that Trout has been the best player in baseball over the last 15 years, but many might not realize just how hot the superstar is right now. Over his last 10 outings, Trout has tallied a .417 OBP, .605 SLG and 1.022 OPS. That's in line with a career .408 OBP and .983 OPS, which makes him a good value at this salary. We also love that Trout has reverse splits, providing a .381 OBP and .872 OPS against righties this year. Evans isn't a bad matchup either, posting a 5.51 xERA and 1.42 WHIP.
Bargain Bats
Alec Burleson, STL (vs. Yu Darvish) $3,000
Darvish is actually my favorite pitcher in the league, but he's definitely on the back nine of his career. The righty has been dealing with numerous injuries, totaling a 6.08 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 13.1 innings since his belated start to the campaign. That's why we're willing to roster bats against him, with Burleson looking like the best option. He hits third against right-handers, amassing a .314 AVG and .871 OPS with the platoon advantage. Burleson is also rolling right now, registering a .307 AVG and .888 OPS across his last 41 fixtures.
Tyler Soderstrom, ATH (vs. Jason Alexander) $2,900
It's funny to see Alexander taking the mound for the 'Stros after his Seinfeld career, but that's how desperate Houston is right now for healthy pitchers. Jokes aside, this is one of the best matchups on the board, something we'll dive into in the Stacks To Consider section. As for Soderstrom, he has the platoon advantage against Alexander, accruing a .356 OBP, .502 SLG and .858 OPS against righties this year. He's also crushing it right now, compiling a .311 AVG, .644 SLG and .971 OPS across his last 12 outings.
Stacks to Consider
Athletics at Astros (Alexander): Nick Kurtz ($3,900), Brent Rooker ($3,400), Lawrence Butler ($3,000), Soderstrom ($2,900)
We just joked about Alexander taking the mound, but the joke's on Houston. The righty is simply a temp in a shorthanded rotation, and he's totaled an 8.40 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in his limited time in the majors this year. He also had a 5.40 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in his last stint at this level in 2022, making him a tough sell against an underrated A's lineup.
If we're stacking the A's, Kurtz has to be our first option. The rookie has 19 homers across just 63 games en route to a .357 OBP, .616 SLG and .973 OPS. Rooker has been one of the betters sluggers in the league for a few years now, generating a .396 OBP, .578 SLG and .974 OPS across his last 53 outings. Butler has the platoon advantage as the leadoff hitter, averaging 12 FD points per game since last season.
Astros vs. Athletics (Luis Severino): Jose Altuve ($3,000), Christian Walker ($2,900), Cam Smith ($2,800), Victor Caratini ($2,800)
It's odd to use both sides of a game, but the 'Stros have had one of the hottest offenses over the last month. What really intrigues us is that Severino has struggled mightily over the last couple months. The A's righty has only made one quality start across his last nine outings, posting a 6.94 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in that span. He's also been terrible against Houston, allowing 21 runs across 32 innings over his last six starts against them.
Altuve has had a Hall of Fame career, and he comes into this matchup scorching. He has a .384 OBP, .591 SLG and .974 OPS across his last 51 games. As for Walker, he's picked up multiple hits in three of his last four outings as he creeps closer to his Arizona form. Smith has been a sneaky rookie, registering a .266 AVG and .732 OPS. Caratini is the final piece of our stack, collecting a .368 AVG and 1.028 OPS across his last 15 fixtures.
