This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
On this Thursday night in June, hockey shall be played in South Florida and baseball will be played in Toronto. Just as it should be. It's a light night for MLB, as there are four games starting at 7:05 p.m. ET or later on the DFS docket. That's not unusual for a Thursday, of course. There is another game happening, but it's the second half of a doubleheader between the White Sox and Yankees, because Wednesday's game was postponed. The Canada fires are messing with air quality on the East Coast, so don't be surprised if Thursday sees some postponements again. Keep an eye out, and stay safe out there. Here are some recommendations for your DFS lineups.
Pitching
Spencer Strider, ATL vs. NYM ($12,000): Strider has followed up his rookie season nicely in 2023. His 2.97 ERA is totally acceptable, but his 2.59 FIP is even better. Plus, he's struck out a whopping 14.60 batters per nine innings. While Strider has delivered as hoped, the Mets have not. Their mediocre offense is below average in terms of runs scored.
Top Target
The formidable power of Yordan Alvarez ($5,900) has been on full display once again in 2023. He's picked up 17 homers, and the Cuban has a career .588 slugging percentage. Jose Berrios has had a couple good starts in a row, and his ERA is down to 3.66. However, what still stands out to me is the fact lefties have hit .289 against Berrios this season, and .279 since 2021.
Bargain Bat
There is talk Matt Dermody will start for the Red Sox on Thursday, which would be his first MLB game of the season.. It makes sense, as the Guardians are a lefty-heavy lineup, and Dermody is a southpaw. That being said, Murphy's career ERA in Triple-A is 4.06, and his career MLB ERA is 5.60. Josh Bell ($2,600) is a switch hitter, and since 2021 he has an .825 OPS versus lefties.
Stack to Consider
Cubs at Angels (Reid Detmers): Dansby Swanson ($5,200), Nico Hoerner ($5,000), Seiya Suzuki ($4,400)
Detmers is good at suppressing homers, but that's about it. He has a 5.15 ERA this season, including a 5.33 ERA at home. Notably, in his career he's allowed 1.2 home runs per nine innings in his home starts. The lefty gets batted around, and this Cubs trio could do just that.
Swanson has six homers and four swiped bags, and he's walking more than ever, giving him a .360 OBP. Since 2021, the former Atlanta player has an .812 OPS versus southpaws. Hoerner hits for average and steals bases. He's posted a .283 average with 14 stolen bases this year, but he has slugged .448 against lefties. Suzuki had 14 home runs in 111 games as a rookie, and he has six in 48 games in 2023. So far, he's shown a real penchant to hit against lefties, having slashed .298/.384/.477 in those matchups in his career.
