Thursday night’s five-game MLB evening slate could be a difficult one to navigate. The top end pitcher are on the road in perceived tough matchups, the mid-tier starters don’t offer much upside and the bottom tier starters are either pitchers you never heard of or pitchers you wish you never heard of. It could be a good night to reduce the amount you play and focus on some GPPs lineups. The sample lineup below could be used in Cash or GPP tournaments with a nice mix of mini two-man stacks and players with a solid floor and some upside.
As always, be sure to pay close attention to the lineups when they are released and monitor the weather leading up to game time. For reference throughout the season, be sure to bookmark our overview of MLB Park Factors and how to Use Weather to Your Advantage in MLB DFS. Also, check out our GPP and Cash Games Primers to learn more about different daily fantasy game types specific to MLB.
Win cash playing in FanDuel’s MLB Squeeze 
Pitcher
Jon Lester (CHC): $10,000 vs CHW
Lester is the high-end pitcher who only has a perceived tough matchup that I eluded to in the intro. While the White Sox rank in the top eight in wOBA and wRC+ against lefties this season they have struggled mightily against lefties over the last 30 days. In the last month, they have the third highest strikeout rate (28.6%) and rank in the bottom three in wOBA (.254) and wRC+ (53). The Cubs are playing good ball since the All-Star break and Lester comes in as a huge road favorite.
Other Notables
- Zack Godley (ARI): $8,500 @ STL
- Chris Flexen (NYM): 6,000 @ SD
Catcher
J.T. Realmuto (MIA): $2,900 vs CIN
Realmuto had a big day on Wednesday along with the rest of the Marlins. While the Marlins aren’t in Texas anymore, they return home for another favorable matchup against the Reds and starter Robert Stephenson. Stephenson has allowed 11 runs over his last two starts, including five runs to the Marlins in his last start when Realmuto took him deep for two home runs.
Other Notables
- Willson Contreras (CHC): $3,400 @ CHW
- Wilson Ramos (TB): $2,400 @ NYY
First Base
Joey Votto (CIN): $3,600 @ MIA
Some people will see the lefty versus lefty matchup that Votto has on Thursday and just cross him off their list. However, if you look deeper at the numbers you will see that Votto hits lefties just as well as righties with a .402 wOBA and .313 ISO versus southpaws this season. He is also a nice cheaper pivot from Anthony Rizzo and Paul Goldschmidt who will certainly be popular on this small slate.
Other Notables
- Anthony Rizzo (CHC): $4,300 @ CHW
- Lucas Duda (NYM): $3,200 @ SD
Second Base
Matt Carpenter (STL): $3,500 vs ARI
Carpenter has been much more consistent at the plate this month with a .319 batting average through 20 games. He has a very good .374 wOBA and .221 ISO versus right-handed pitchers this season. On a small slate without many good options at second base, Carpenter and Dee Gordon top the list by far.
Other Notables
- Dee Gordon (MIA): $3,500 vs CIN
- Carlos Asuaje (SD): $2,400 vs NYM
Third Base
Evan Longoria (TBR): $3,300 @ NYY
You will likely hear these stats from a lot of touts for Longoria’s matchup with CC Sabathia on Thursday. Longoria has owned Sabathia going 30-for-74 with nine doubles and seven home runs off him in his career. This is also a recent trend with Longoria going 6-for-10 with a double and a homer off Sabathia over the last season and a half. Even the BvP detractors have to agree there is something to this.
Other Notables
- Jake Lamb (ARI): $3,900 @ STL
- Eugenio Suarez (CIN): $2,900 @ MIA
Shortstop
Tim Beckham (TBR) : $2,600 @ NYY
I am doubling down on Rays left side of the infield by pairing Longoria with Beckham. Beckham hit leadoff against a lefty on Tuesday, so assuming he does again against lefty Sabathia, he makes for a nice value play at a tough shortstop position to fill out.
Other Notables
- Didi Gregorius (NYY): $3,100 vs TB
- Paul DeJong (STL): $3,100 vs ARI
Outfielders
Marcell Ozuna (MIA): $3,600 vs CIN
I would love to get the red-hot Giancarlo Stanton in this spot but will settle for Ozuna who has a .428 wOBA and .315 ISO at home against right-handed pitchers this season. He will get a good matchup against righty Robert Stephenson who has allowed a .419 wOBA and 2.75 HR/9 to right-handed hitters this year.
Kyle Schwarber (CHC): $2,800 @ CHW
I am rounding out my lineup with a set of inexpensive Cubs’ bat hitting next to each other in the middle of the lineup. Schwarber will likely play DH again on Thursday with the Cubs visiting an American League park against the White Sox. He has hit 14 of his 15 homers this season off right-handed pitchers and will face righty Mike Pelfrey who has allowed a .368 wOBA and 2.02 HR/9 to lefties this season.
Ian Happ (CHC): $2,700 @ CHW
Happ is another Cubs left-handed hitter to use against Pelfrey. He went hitless in five at-bats against the White Sox on Wednesday which could help keep his ownership percentage low. I love using a hitter in a good matchup the day after they likely let down DFS players with a bad day. Happ fits that description and could be a difference maker on Thursday’s slate.
Other Notables
- Giancarlo Stanton (MIA): $4,400 vs CIN
- Michael Conforto (NYM): $3,700 @ SD
- Adam Duvall (CIN): $3,400 @ MIA
- David Peralta (ARI): $3,300 @ STL
- Jacoby Ellsbury (NYY): $2,700 vs TB
- Jose Pirela (SD): $2,600 vs NYM
My Lineup
- SP – Jon Lester (CHC): $10,000
- C – J.T. Realmuto (MIA): $2,900
- 1B – Joey Votto (CIN): $3,600
- 2B – Matt Carpenter (STL): $3,500
- 3B – Evan Longoria (TB): $3,300
- SS – Tim Beckham (TB): $2,600
- OF – Marcell Ozuna (MIA): $3,600
- OF – Kyle Schwarber (CHC): $2,800
- OF – Ian Happ (CHC): $2,700
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Brad Richter is a correspondent at FantasyPros and a contributor at DailyOverlay and GoingFor2. For more from Brad, you can view his archive or follow him @RotoPilot.
