Thursday night MLB DFS always means a shorter slate, which isn’t always a bad thing. It isn’t strong from a starting pitching perspective at all, so you definitely have to choose wisely there. Especially on DraftKings where you need two starters, you are going to have to make smart decisions. Given that, it will be even more important than usual today to hit on a few bargain players so let’s get to some good options in the action tonight.
Both Sites
Abraham Toro, 3B, SEA ($3,500 DK; $2,500 FD) – Toro has been quite the find for the Mariners as he has been tearing the cover off the ball since the trade to Seattle. He has two home runs and three multi-hit games in the last seven and he has also scored seven runs over that span. The Yankees will start Nestor Cortes in this game who has been pretty good since joining the team, although he has allowed four earned runs in his last seven innings. Toro is hitting .367 against left-handed pitching as opposed to .224 against righties. The game is also in Yankee Stadium which is always conducive to some runs being put on the board.
Andrew Vaughn, OF, CWS ($2,900 DK; $2,800 FD). He has hit .378 over the past two weeks with a couple of homers and five RBI as it looks like he has been able to keep the momentum up after the All-Star break. His batting average is also 20 points higher at home than on the road. The Royals are going to throw Daniel Lynch who is sitting on an ERA just a hair under 7.00. The White Sox tattooed him for eight runs in a game on May 8th where Lynch couldn’t even finish a single inning. Vaughn had an RBI double off of him in that game in the only at-bat he has had against Lynch. Vaughn is hitting .322 against lefties with a 1.054 OPS. Half of his 12 home runs have come against lefties despite 137 fewer at-bats against them.
Bryan Reynolds, OF, PIT ($4,000 DK; $3,200 FD). He gets next to no attention in Pittsburgh, and he isn’t a sexy name, but Reynolds is quietly having a great season. He has hit .326 in the last two weeks and has six multi-hit games since July 21st including last night where he tripled, singled and walked twice. The Reds will start Sonny Gray who was better his last time out but had allowed 13 earned runs in his previous two starts that spanned only eight innings. Reynolds hits for a better average against lefties, but 14 of his 18 home runs have come against right-handed pitching. He has also handled Gray well in the past with four hits in eight at-bats including a double and two home runs.
DraftKings
Touki Toussaint, SP, ATL ($7,400). Granted, he was garbage his last time out. However, he has shown flashes when able to stay healthy in his career and had allowed just two earned runs in 13.2 innings with 15 strikeouts in his previous two starts against Philadelphia and San Diego. So, we know the talent is there. Tonight’s slate isn’t full of strong starting pitchers, and we know we need two on DraftKings. The Cardinals have scored the fourth fewest runs in the National League and are hitting just .233 asa team against right-handed pitchers with the ninth most strikeouts in the Majors. St. Louis is also throwing Wade LeBlanc who is very likely to get lit up so there is a strong chance Toussaint comes away with the win in this one as well.
Michael Brantley, OF, HOU ($3,100). He isn’t crushing in the power department, but Brantley did homer yesterday after an ankle injury scare, and he has hit .444 over the last seven days. I want a piece of the action as the Twins are throwing Griffin Jax who hasn’t been terrible, but certainly is one of the pitchers I will target on Thursday. Jax has been a bit better in his last two starts but had allowed 13 earned runs in his previous three outings that spanned 13.1 innings. Brantley has not faced him yet, but he is torturing right-handed pitchers with a .372 average and six of his seven home runs.
FanDuel
Salvador Perez, C, KC ($3,300). FanDuel is just not respecting the Royals tonight, which I know might sound like a crazy statement, but they do have a couple good players. It isn’t that Salvy is some bargain basement price, but he should be higher than he is here. He tied his career high with his 27th home run last night and that was his fourth in seven days and ninth in 12 days with 12 RBI over than span. He has struggled with Dallas Keuchel in his career, but Keuchel used to be a much better pitcher, and Perez is at an all-time best as a hitter. Keuchel has allowed nine earned runs, including six home runs in his last two starts. Perez is also mashing lefties this season with a .346 average and 1.095 OPS as opposed to .252 and .723 against right-handed pitching. He also has just one fewer homer against lefties despite 210 fewer at-bats against them. His price tag isn’t super low, but he sure fits the value definition here.
Whit Merrifield, 2B/OF, KC ($3,100). Another Royal I have high hopes for today, Merrifield has a hit in every game but one since July 20th. He also has three doubles and four stolen bases in that time. We have already talked about Keuchel’s struggles lately, and Whit hits 31 points higher against left-handed pitching. Unlike Perez though, Merrifield has done well against Keuchel in his career, hitting .350 with two doubles and driving in two runs against him in 20 at-bats. Merrifield has also hit .300 for his career on the South Side of Chicago with 16 extra base hits and eight stolen bases in 40 career starts there.