This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
There's a nice eight-game slate tonight, which is par for the course for a Thursday. There's a lot of divisional action including the Yankees at the Red Sox, the Mariners hosting the A's and the Dodgers hosting the Giants. Let's look at some DFS players to consider.
Pitching
Walker Buehler, LAD vs. SF, ($10,500): Buehler's got the highest salary as far a pitchers go, but he should be worth it. He has a ridiculous floor with at least 24 fantasy point in each of his starts this season and he's regularly in the 40-plus range. Buehler has a 2.13 ERA at home and has a potent offense to back up him up for the win bonus. Set it and forget it in cash games.
Blake Snell, SD at MIA ($7,500): It's tough to get a read on Snell. This was a pitcher in Tampa who seemed to be held back, but he's been very inconsistent during his time as a Padre. The ups and downs makes him an ideal candidate for GPPs, which is why I'm looking at him. He's got games in the 30 fantasy point range (eight or more this season) but also more than a couple of negative totals. The reduced salary that comes with that inconsistency makes him the perfect hit-or-miss type of candidate. The Marlins are dead last against left-handed pitchers with a .291 wOBA, and their 28.2 percent strikeout rate is also the worst against that handedness. This is an easy play if you want to pay up for bats in your lineup.
Top Targets
Matt Olson, OAK at SEA, ($4,200): If you look at Olson's recent box scores, you'll see he has 31.4, 21.7, 15.2, 21.7, and 37.4 fantasy points in five of his last six games. Oddly, Olson has a better road split this season with a .410 wOBA, and in a very small sample has gone 2-for-3 against Chris Flexen with an RBI.
J.D. Martinez, BOS vs. NYY ($4,000): There has always been the narrative to use Martinez against lefties, but for the first part of the season that didn't hold true. However, he's in the middle of a hot streak with a 1.393 OPS over the last two weeks and has improved his wOBA to .370 against left-handed hitters. That number inflates to .427 at home, which is where he'll be tonight against Jordan Montgomery.
Value Bats
Brandon Marsh, LAA at MIN ($2,200): Marsh is considered one of the best prospects in the Angels system and apparently major-league teams don't have a book on him yet. He's gone 4-for-11 since being called up with a walk and a stolen base, and he has the skill set to supply power and speed. Kenta Maeda has struggled this season with a 4.58 ERA, so this should be a good matchup for the rookie.
Randy Arozarena, TB at CLE ($2,800): Arozarena got off to a slow start this season but has recently heated up. He has three home runs in his last two games and has scored 12.5, 27.9 and 40.4 fantasy points over his last three. Tonight he'll face off against Cal Quantrill, whose 4.78 xFIP suggests he's not an elite pitcher.
Stacks To Consider
Red Sox vs. Montgomery: Martinez, Xander Bogaerts ($3,900), Enrique Hernandez ($3,200), Hunter Renfroe ($3,200)
This is a manageable stack salary-wise and all of these hitters rake against southpaws. Hernandez likely will be hitting leadoff, while Renfroe has a career .378 wOBA against lefties. The case has already been made for Martinez, and Bogaerts should be in his usual cleanup spot, a good place from which to drive in runs.
Cubs vs. Kwang Hyun Kim: Javier Baez ($4,100), Kris Bryant ($3,600), Willson Contreras ($2,900), Patrick Wisdom ($3,000)
Kim has surpassed expectations this season with a 2.87 ERA and five wins. That being said, his success might make fantasy owners overlook his opponent. All four of these hitters have hit lefties hard, and it's always a smart play to use Wisdom. Just check and make sure Bryant (hamstring) is in the lineup before using him.
