We're back in action with another Thursday slate. This is always a travel day for most teams, and it's why we only have four games on the main card. That makes things tough because of the lack of pitching options, but there's still some value out there on the hitting side. With that in mind, we only have one pitcher recommendation, so let's start there!
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Pitching
Michael King, SD vs. STL ($10,300)
King has been a reliable pitcher for the Padres when healthy, and it feels like no one's noticed. Including his time as a swingman with the Yankees, the right-hander has a 2.91 ERA and 1.16 WHIP since 2021 while posting a 2.95 ERA and 1.13 WHIP so far this season. Those are nearly ace-level numbers, and they look even better at home, where King has compiled a 2.39 ERA and 1.07 WHIP since the start of last year. That makes him an easy option against St Louis, with the Cardinals projected to score only 3.5 runs in this spot. Not to mention, King is a -180 favorite!
Top Targets
Bryce Harper, PHI ($3,600) vs. J.T. Ginn
The Phillies have won nine of their last 11 games, and the play of their superstar is a major reason why. Harper has gotten on base in 12 of his last 14 fixtures, posting a .387 OBP and 1.047 OPS in that span. That's not even far off from his sensational splits, as he sports a .411 OBP and 1.045 OPS against right-handers this year. All of that should have him sitting at least in the $4K range, but he remains a value because of an early-season slump. We'll discuss the matchup below.
Nick Kurtz, ATH ($3,400) vs. Andrew Painter
Kurtz was also the victim of an early-season slump, but that's a thing of the past. The sophomore slugger has a 29-game on-base streak since taking a day off April 1, providing a .434 OBP and .896 OPS in that span. That's the form we saw from Kurtz in his rookie season, and his power stroke hasn't even come around yet. We love that he has the platoon advantage against Painter, too, with Kurtz compiling a .441 OBP and 1.113 OPS against righties in the majors. In addition, Painter has a 5.28 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. We don't mind an A's stack against the young Philly right-hander, with Tyler Soderstrom ($3,100) and Brent Rooker ($2,900) looking like solid values.
Bargain Bats
Manny Machado / Fernando Tatis, SD ($3,000 / $2,900) vs. Matthew Liberatore
Both of these San Diego sluggers have been struggling this season, but seeing them in this salary range against a subpar southpaw is quite the treat. Let's start there, because both of these All-Stars have the platoon advantage against Liberatore. Manny has maintained a .462 OBP and 1.098 OPS against lefties this year, while Tatis' OPS is 200 points higher against them. That doesn't bode well for Liberatore, who has a 5.76 ERA and 1.64 WHIP across his last five starts. These two studs will eventually be a lot more expensive, and seeing them together at $3K or less makes them one of the sexiest two-man stacks of the day.
Ryan Vilade, TB ($2,400) vs. Jake Bennett
The Rays always seem to find these random guys that become elite platoon players for them, and Vilade is their latest surprise. He's been a southpaw killer since his call-up, collecting a .345 AVG and .904 OPS in that split this year. Tampa has realized that and is projected to bat him third in this game. Finding a three-hole hitter at $2,400 is a miracle, and we haven't even mentioned the matchup. Vilade and the Rays face a rookie who didn't even throw 100 innings above Single-A last season. Junior Caminero ($3,500) and Yandy Diaz ($3,500) also have the platoon advantage against Bennett.
Stacks to Consider
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Athletics (J.T. Ginn): Harper ($3,600), Kyle Schwarber ($3,600), Brandon Marsh ($3,100), Trea Turner ($2,900)
We mentioned that Philly is finally starting to get hot, and the resurgence of this offense is the main reason. This is a top-five lineup in baseball, and they currently rank sixth in runs scored over the last two weeks. We expect that to be a regular thing going forward, and they should add to that against Ginn. The A's righty has a 4.89 ERA and 1.34 WHIP since the start of last season, with Philly projected to score five runs in their hitter's haven of a park.
Harper is our favorite piece of this Phillies stack, but Schwarber is right there with him at the same salary. Schwarber has a .363 OBP and .887 OPS over the last three seasons. Marsh has been hitting fifth and sixth of late, registering a .355 AVG and .933 OPS against righties this year. Turner is one of the best values below $3K, establishing himself as a top-20 DFS player over the last decade.
