PrizePicks MLB: PrizePicks Plays and Strategy for Thursday, April 30

Check out the top expert picks for Thursday's MLB slate on PrizePicks, including a potential big day for Corbin Carroll.
PrizePicks MLB: PrizePicks Plays and Strategy for Thursday, April 30

We have an all-day slate on tap Thursday, and we highlight four of our favorite PrizePicks selections from those contests below:

Use code ROTOWIRE100 to sign up for your PrizePicks account and receive $50 in bonus funds when you make an initial $5 deposit and place $5 on your first selection or selections. 

You can also download RotoWire's new Picks App and utilize RotoWire's proprietary PrizePicks tool for suggestions on PrizePicks contests across all sports! 

Corbin Carroll, ARI at MIL: More Than 0.5 Total Bases

Carroll is much more closely resembling the hitter that wowed baseball during his 2023 rookie season than the one that struggled with consistency the subsequent pair of seasons. The lefty-swinging outfielder is carrying a solid .284 average and stellar .947 OPS into Thursday afternoon's matchup against Brandon Woodruff, who Carroll has actually enjoyed some fairly robust success against during his career.

Carroll owns a career .500 average against the Brewers right-hander in eight career plate appearances, with all four hits in that sample being singles. That suits this prop perfectly well, as we're just looking for Carroll to get one knock to cash. Additionally, Carroll is actually putting very good wood on the ball over the first month-plus this season — 14 of his 27 hits to date have gone for extra bases — and after Woodruff exits, the D-Backs star will have the luxury of facing a Milwaukee bullpen that's allowed a .304 average and .355 wOBA to left-handed hitters this season.

Noah Cameron, KCR at ATH: More Than 4.5 Ks

Cameron is putting together an uneven encore to his strong rookie season thus far, as he enters Thursday afternoon's road start with a 2-1 record and three starts where he's allowed three earned runs or less, but with a 5.13 ERA and 1.52 WHIP as well. The latter pair of crooked numbers are largely the byproduct of back-to-back outings against the White Sox and Yankees where allowed a combined 12 runs (10 earned) on 13 hits and four walks.

However, Cameron should come into Thursday with some confidence as well, as he was able to right the ship last time out with his first quality start of the season. The young lefty held the Angels to three earned runs over 6.1 innings, his longest stint on the mound to date. He now faces a talented Athletics team that's nevertheless struggled against left-handers to the tune of a 25.3 percent strikeout rate, .217 average, .284 wOBA and -9.7 wRAA. 

Cameron's K/9 is up slightly to 7.9 from last season's 7.4, and he has at least five strikeouts in three of his first five starts. Even if the A's break through for some runs against him eventually, he should have a solid shot of punching this ticket. 

Gunnar Henderson, BAL vs. HOU (Game 2 of doubleheader): More Than 0.5 Hits + Runs + RBI

Henderson has just a .213 average and .287 on-base percentage, but the slugger still boasts a .779 OPS thanks in large part to having already belted five doubles, one triple and nine home runs across his first 136 plate appearances of 2026. The 24-year-old's barrel rate is sitting at a career-high 12.2 percent, and he's also boasting a 50.0 percent hard-hit rate, per Statcast. Henderson's primary problem is making consistent contact — he's striking out at a career-worst 30.1 percent clip — but he should be in good position to make some noise Thursday.

Astros starter Lance McCullers carries a 6.75 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 4.6 BB/9 and 1.4 HR/9 into Thursday's start, and he's also surrendering a 10.0 percent barrel rate. McCullers is also giving up a .278 average and .396 wOBA to left-handed hitters, which have laced seven of their 15 hits against him for extra bases. Henderson also has a .264 average and .379 wOBA against right-handed pitching at home, and Astros relievers have pitched to an 8.24 ERA and .380 wOBA against left-handed hitters.

Kevin Gausman, TOR at MIN: More Than 17.5 Pitcher Outs

Gausman has opened 2026 in fine fashion, posting a 2-1 record, 2.57 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 9.8 K/9 and 0.8 HR/9 across his first six starts. The veteran right-hander has averaged just under six innings per outing as well, logging at least six frames in four of his trips to the mound. Gausman now faces a Twins squad whose hitters he's fared fairly well against in the past with the exception of Royce Lewis, who owns a .556 average against him in 10 plate appearances. 

Despite that potential landmine, Gausman has been relatively efficient with his pitch counts and has three starts where he hasn't issued a single walk and another pair with two or fewer free passes. He has no fewer than 15 outs recorded in any start and is 4-2 to this prop overall, so a six-inning outing could very much be in the cards despite the road setting. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Juan Carlos Blanco plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: jcblanco22, FanDuel: jc_blanco22, DraftPot: jc_blanco22, FantasyDraft: jc_blanco22, OwnThePlay: jcblanco22.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
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