This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Temperatures are rising here in June, which is good for offense in baseball. What will the weather mean for the MLB action Thursday? There are six games Thursday night starting at 7:05 p.m. ET or later. Let's get your DFS winnings rising like the temps! Here are my recommendations for your lineups.
Pitching
Adrian Houser, MIL vs. SD ($8,500): House has really enjoyed pitching at home the last couple of years. He had a 2.81 ERA at home in 2021, and this year it's down to 1.99. Without Fernando Tatis Jr. in the lineup, the Padres are in the middle of the league in runs scored.
Chris Flexen, SEA at BAL ($6,200): This is a rough night for pitchers. The good ones have difficult matchups, and the pitcher with the best matchup, Flexen, has a 4.47 ERA. However, last year he had a 3.61 ERA in his first year as a starter. The Orioles are in the bottom eight in runs scored. Thursday night, that gives Flexen more upside than most.
Top Targets
Nobody benefits more from their home ballpark than C.J. Cron ($5,500). Last year he joined the Rockies and posted an 1.073 OPS at home. This year, that number is up to 1.163. Ian Anderson has a 4.71 FIP this season, and while he doesn't allow a lot of home runs, Coors Field can change that dynamic.
It's not an easy matchup for Freddie Freeman ($5,200) on Thursday, but he's an elite bat that you can trust. He's primed to hit over .300 for the sixth time in his last seven campaigns. The former Brave also loves facing righties, as he has a .997 OPS against them since 2020. Taijuan Walker is having a strong campaign, but I'm betting on the bat of Freeman.
Bargain Bats
Patrick Wisdom ($4,500) has emerged as a legitimate power hitter. Last year he popped up out of nowhere and hit 28 homers in 106 games. This season he's added 11 more home runs. One swing of the bat can turn Wisdom into a DFS value. Matthew Liberatore has made two starts in MLB thus far. One went well, but in the other he allowed four runs in 4.2 innings to the Pirates.
Due to injuries, Tyrone Taylor ($3,400) is finding himself in the lineup more and more. Plus, his play has earned him more at-bats anyway. He has a .928 OPS over the last three weeks, and last season he did have 12 homers and six stolen bases in 93 games. Sean Manaea's move to San Diego is not working out for him. Over his last five starts he has a 5.35 ERA and has allowed seven home runs.
Stacks to Consider
Braves at Rockies (Peter Lambert): Ronald Acuna ($5,900), Austin Riley ($4,700), Dansby Swanson ($4,500)
Currently, we at Rotowire have Lambert pegged to start Thursday after the Rockies had a doubleheader Wednesday. Things could get swapped around, so I've gone with three righties for this stack in case a lefty ends up on the mound. The important thing is that the Braves are at Coors Field, and they aren't going to be facing any daunting pitcher, whoever it is.
Acuna's power is a little bit down, but in his career he's slugged .544. Even so, he's hitting .284 and has nine stolen bases, and a knee injury would make you more concerned about his running than his power. Riley broke out with an .898 OPS and 33 homers in 2021, and recently he's been looking more like that guy again. Over the last two weeks he has a .962 OPS. Swanson has six homers and eight stolen bases, and last year he had 27 home runs and nine swiped bags.
Mariners at Orioles (Jordan Lyles): Julio Rodriguez ($4,500), Ty France ($4,400), J.P. Crawford ($4,100)
Lyles has bounced around the majors in his career, and that's not surprising given that he has a career 5.16 ERA. This year, his first with Baltimore, he's been slightly better, but that means he has a 4.26 ERA. The righty also gets roughed up by lefties and righties equally. Southpaws have hit .274 against him since 2020, while right handers have hit .286.
As a rookie, Rodriguez is already showing himself to be an accumulator of counting stats, which is ideal for DFS players. The 21-year-old has six home runs and 14 stolen bases. France proved himself a quality hitter the last couple of years, but he's taken things to another level in 2022 by adding some power. He's slashed .355/.426/513. Crawford doesn't have a ton of power, but he does have a .298 average and .388 OBP. He also has an .881 OPS against righties this year.
