This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Just like most Thursdays, this is a travel day for many teams. We actually have more games than usual, though, because 22 teams will be in action. The only issue is that those games are split between day and night. That leaves us with two shorter slates to dissect, but we'll focus on the night card beginning at 6:40 EDT. Interestingly, this slate doesn't have many bad pitchers, but that should make for some fascinating lineup construction. With that in mind, let's start with one of the hottest pitchers in baseball!
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Pitching
Framber Valdez, HOU at PIT ($10,300)
Valdez gets on these runs where it feels like he will complete every game in 87 pitches. Not only does that get grandpas excited to reminisce about the old days of Maddux and Pedro, it's also a recipe to be a DFS darling. The lefty has allowed just one run in four of his last five starts, generating a 1.70 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 8.8 K/9 rate in that span. He also scored at least 40 FanDuel points in all of those, culminating in a 61-point masterpiece in his most recent outing. That absurd form would make him an amazing option against anyone, but facing the Pirates in Pittsburgh is astounding. Not only is PNC a pitcher-friendly park, but the Pirates also rank 27th in wOBA, 28th in runs scored and 24th in K rate.
Ryan Pepiot, TB vs. TEX ($9,000)
Tampa always makes these magical moves and develops trade acquisitions into valuable assets. That's just what they've done with Pepiot, who has provided a 3.21 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in a strong campaign. He's also allowed three runs or fewer in 11 of 12 starts, collecting a 2.14 ERA and 0.93 WHIP across his last seven outings. That includes two straight scoreless appearances, with Pepiot scoring at least 34 FD points in three of his last four starts. That makes him a tantalizing option against Texas because the Rangers rank 21st in K rate, 26th in runs scored, 28th in wOBA and 29th in OBP.
Top Targets
Kyle Tucker, CHC (vs. Jake Irvin) $4,100
Tucker jammed his finger over the weekend, but the superstar should be ready to roll here after pinch hitting Wednesday. That's exactly what he's been doing all season, sporting a .394 OBP and .918 OPS. He's also on pace for 30 homers and 40 steals, but Tucker has been producing big numbers for five years now. His splits are even better, as he's posted a .997 OPS against righties since the start of last year. Irvin is not a pitcher we're worried about, compiling a 4.66 ERA and 1.34 WHIP across his last six starts. If you want to stack Cubbies, Pete Crow-Armstrong ($4,200) and Seiya Suzuki ($3,700) have been superb all season next to Tucker.
James Wood, WAS (vs. Colin Rea) $3,900
Wood was one of the top prospects in baseball when he was called up last year, and he's quickly developed into one of the best players in the league. The outfielder has 16 homers and nine steals en route to a .385 OBP, .567 SLG and .952 OPS. Much of that damage has happened recently, with Wood amassing a .441 OBP and 1.150 OPS across his last 15 fixtures. The matchup with Rea might not look great on the surface, but we'll discuss that more in the Stacks To Consider section.
Bargain Bats
Junior Caminero, TB (vs. Jack Leiter) $3,300
Calling Caminero a value is a bit of a stretch, but we had to get this kid in here given how hot he is right now. Tampa's top prospect has been showing his pedigree of late, providing a .395 AVG, .977 SLG and 1.412 OPS across his last 11 outings. The best part is that we have an explanation for the success because Caminero called up his ex-hitting coach on May 21 to help fix his swing. That lesson has changed his season, and there's nothing better for a fantasy analyst than a plausible explanation for progress. Facing a youngster like Leiter is not worrisome either, with the righty tallying a 5.90 career ERA and 1.42 WHIP.
Jasson Dominguez, NYY (vs. Slade Cecconi) $3,000
This must be the former top prospects article, because Dominguez was the jewel of the Yankees' organization. That's why fans were excited to see him making the Opening Day lineup, and we've seen glimpses of that potential recently. Dominguez has a .375 OBP, .517 SLG and .892 OPS across his last 18 outings. Most importantly, Jasson has a .360 OBP and .869 OPS against righties. We'll dive into the matchup with Cecconi in the next section.
Stacks to Consider
New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians (Cecconi): Aaron Judge ($5,000), Cody Bellinger ($3,200), Ben Rice ($3,400), Dominguez ($3,000)
Cecconi is a talented pitcher, but he just hasn't put it together. In three starts this season, the right-hander has compiled a 5.28 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. We might overlook that due to it being a small sample, but we're talking about a guy with a 6.66 ERA and 1.42 WHIP across 77 innings last year for Arizona. That's terrifying against a lineup like New York's, with the Yankees ranked first in OBP and third in runs scored.
When you stack the Yankees, Judge has to be the first player in your lineup. The reigning AL MVP is amid one of the best stretches in MLB history, accruing a .465 OBP, .717 SLG and 1.182 OPS since the start of last season. Bellinger is having a bounceback season in the Bronx, producing a .396 OBP and .951 OPS across his last 24 fixtures. Rice is also having a breakout campaign, collecting a .361 OBP and .884 OPS against righties this year.
Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs (Colin Rea): Woods ($3,900), CJ Abrams ($3,500), Nathaniel Lowe ($2,900), Luis Garcia ($2,900)
This is a risky stack when looking at Rea's numbers on the season, but we need to look deeper. The 3.96 ERA and 1.38 WHIP aren't too bad, but his 4.57 xERA is a better indicator of where he might be headed. We've seen glimpses of that regression recently, as he's registered a 10.12 ERA and 2.06 WHIP across his last two starts. That poor form is really scary given how Washington is playing, ranking fifth in runs scored over the last three weeks.
We had to kickstart our Nats stack with Wood, but Abrams is right there with him. The shortstop is on pace for a 25-30 season, accumulating a .362 OBP and .862 OPS against righties this year. As for Lowe, he bats third every day. He's earned that optimal lineup spot thanks to his .360 OBP and .785 OPS against righties since 2023. Garcia is also starting to get hot, generating a .345 AVG and .950 OPS across his last 14 outings.
