This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There will only be five games played across baseball Thursday, three of which will make up the main evening slate on Yahoo. As we look to zero-in on the limited options, here are some pitchers and hitters worth considering.
Pitchers
Aside from one bad outing against the Cardinals, Dylan Cease ($41) has been locked in on the mound. Over his last nine starts, he has given up two or fewer runs nine times. During that nine-start span, he has also racked up 70 strikeouts over 51 innings. He could stay hot against the Guardians, who rank inside the bottom-10 in baseball in runs scored and OPS. He has already faced them twice this season, allowing a total of five runs over 12.1 innings.
Staying in that same matchup, Tanner Bibee ($40) is worth considering on the other side. He has been nearly as good as Cease, giving up two or fewer runs in each of his last five outings. His WHIP checks in at 1.19 and he has given up just 0.8 HR/9. The White Sox have some dangerous hitters, but they have largely struggled, leaving them with the fourth-worst OPS in baseball.
Top Targets
Justin Steele ($42) is having an excellent season for the Cubs, posting a 2.97 FIP and a 1.11 WHIP. However, Paul Goldschmidt ($19) and Nolan Arenado ($21) stand out as appealing options whenever a left-handed pitcher is on the mound. For their careers, they have a 171 wRC+ and 145 wRC+ against southpaws, respectively. Arenado has been swinging a particularly hot bat lately, going 15-for-44 (.341) with three home runs and two doubles over his last 11 games.
Bargain Bats
Even with a big night of games, filling the catcher spot can sometimes be difficult. Throw in there being just three games in this slate and it gets particularly troublesome. One to consider taking a chance on at a cheaper salary is Keibert Ruiz ($12), who will be facing Kodai Senga ($44). Ruiz has been locked in at the plate, hitting 16-for-40 (.400) with two home runs and four doubles over his last 11 games.
Stacks to Consider
Mets vs. Josiah Gray ($33), Nationals: Francisco Lindor ($20), Brandon Nimmo ($17), Pete Alonso ($15)
After having major home run issues early in his career, Gray only gave up five of them over his first 57.2 innings this season. However, he has allowed 10 home runs over 54.2 innings since. Given his 1.44 WHIP, his 3.45 ERA could be on the rise quickly if he can't get his home run issues under control. Alonso was ice-cold at the plate, but he has shown signs of life by hitting 9-for-23 (.391) with two doubles and two home runs over his last five games.
Cubs vs. Miles Mikolas ($34), Cardinals: Cody Bellinger ($22), Christopher Morel ($14), Dansby Swanson ($17)
Mikolas faced the Cubs in his last start, giving up five runs and 11 hits over five innings. He only has a 15.8 percent strikeout rate this season, which doesn't leave him with much margin for error. After posting a career-best 1.03 WHIP last season, that mark has regressed to 1.31 this year. The Cubs could be in line for another scoring outburst, with Bellinger potentially right in the thick of it. Over his last 27 games, he is 42-for-103 (.408) with a .689 slugging percentage.
