This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Thursday's MLB slate takes its foot off the gas. As we head into the final weeks of the regular season, only six games are taking place, the first of which begins at 6:40 p.m. EDT. These are my DFS lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Eduardo Rodriguez, DET at NYY ($9,900): Rodriguez has had arguably the best season of his career. He's got a 3.11 ERA with the lowest walk and homer rates of his career. The scuffling Yankees don't provide much of a threat. They are in the bottom 10 in runs scored, and only about the lowly Athletics in team batting average.
Griffin Canning, LAA vs. CLE ($9,200): Canning has one clear issue, which is allowing home runs. Over his last six starts he has a 3.52 ERA, but has allowed four homers. However, the Guardians are in the bottom five in runs scored largely because they are last in home runs. They aren't built to take advantage of Canning's weakness.
Top Target
Having his best season ever at the plate, Matt Olson ($4,200) has a fine opportunity to pad his stats, and to inch toward his first 50-homer campaign. One, the southpaw has a .996 OPS against righties and an 1.004 OPS at home. Two, Adam Wainwright is in line to start. The 42-year-old pitcher has an 8.10 ERA, has allowed 2.5 homers per nine innings on the road, and has allowed lefties to hit .368 against him.
Bargain Bat
Rarely has Brandon Drury ($3,100) had a chance to call a park home for very long, but in his first season with the Angels he's taken to home cooking quite quickly. He's posted a .925 OPS in home games. Having recently returned from Triple-A, Cal Quantrill has a 6.16 ERA through 14 starts, with a mere 4.93 K/9 rate. Righties have consistently been hitting Quantrill better than lefties, and since 2021 right-handed hitters have batted .272 against him.
Stack to Consider
Cubs vs. Diamondbacks (Ryne Nelson): Nico Hoerner ($3,500), Ian Happ ($3,200), Seiya Suzuki ($3,100)
Slade Cecconi has been sent back down to Triple-A, and the assumption is that Nelson will be called back up from the minors to replace him. Arizona is effectively a two-pitcher rotation, and beyond that, Nelson is as viable an option as anybody. That's not a vote of confidence! Nelson has a 5.14 FIP, lefties have hit .293 against him, and righties have hit .296 against him. Maybe it won't be Nelson in the end, but these are two righties and a switch hitter, so I am not sweating any surprises. Not from a team so devoid in pitching talent.
Hoerner's strength is on the basepaths, as he's stolen 36 bags to go with four triples. He hits better at home as well, and in fact has hit .311 at Wrigley Field since 2021. Happ has picked up the pace recently and now has 17 homers and 13 swiped bases. While he's a switch hitter, he's managed an .828 OPS against righties. Suzuki has gotten hot recently, having put up an 1.116 OPS over the last three weeks. He's also a righty who has hit right handers better, having posted an .833 OPS in those matchups.
Mariners at Rays (Zach Littell): Julio Rodriguez (4,300), J.P. Crawford ($3,300), Teoscar Hernandez ($3,200)
The Rays, dealing with a litany of injuries, has turned to Littell in the rotation. It hasn't worked out, especially recently. Over his last five starts he has a 5.53 ERA. On the season, Littell has a 6.04 ERA, and while he is a righty, right-handed hitters have batted .312 against him, so I have two righties in this stack.
Rodriguez has racked up 27 homers and 36 stolen bases, building on his Rookie of the Year campaign. He's also been perhaps the hottest hitter in baseball, having managed an 1.442 OPS over the last three weeks. Crawford is having his best season at the plate, even if he still lacks power, as he's hit .271 and posted a .389 OBP. The shortstop does have power against righties, though, as he's slugged .474 in those matchups. Steady as ever, Hernandez has 25 homers and 86 RBI. He has an 1.104 OPS over the last three weeks, and on the season he has an .831 OPS on the road.
