This is the second straight Thursday that we have a big 10-game night slate of action to analyze. The pitcher pool has a lot of strong options to choose from but I recommend you stay in the shallow end of the pool and take one of the safer, more expensive pitchers and don’t try your luck in the deep end of cheap pitching options or you might drown.

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

Danny Salazar (CLE): $9,300 @ TB
Like I said, plenty of good high-end pitching option on the slate but Salazar might be my favorite. He is slightly cheaper than Jacob deGrom, James Paxton and Yu Darvish and may have the most upside of the group. Salazar has pitched tremendously over his last three starts since returning from the DL with a 1.35 ERA and massive 39.4% strikeout rate. Now he gets to face a Rays’ team that has the third highest strikeout rate (25.0%) against righties this season and has only scored a total of four runs over their last five games. Salazar has also had great success against Rays’ hitters in his career allowing just a .265 wOBA with a 40.7% strikeout rate over 59 plate appearances.

Other Notables

• James Paxton (SEA): $9,900 vs LAA
• Yu Darvish (LAD): $9,700 @ ARI

Catcher

Gary Sanchez (NYY): $3,200 @ TOR
Sanchez is the only catcher you should consider for you lineups on FanDuel tonight. He homered on Wednesday and gets a matchup against Marco Estrada, who Sanchez has gone 4-for-11 with four home runs off in his career. His salary is too cheap and upside to big to look anywhere else. If Sanchez doesn’t start for some reason then look to pivot to Matt Wieters who has favorable BvP going for him as well.

Other Notables

• None, play Sanchez

First Base

Ryan Zimmerman (WAS) : $3,200 vs MIA
Playing Zimmerman feels like we are chasing points after his big two-homer game that produced 66.3 FanDuel points on Wednesday. However, Zimmerman has been great at home versus righties all season with a .436 wOBA and .304 ISO while Dan Straily has given up a .360 wOBA and 2.70 HR/9 to righties on the road this year. Zimmerman has also taken Straily deep in his only at-bat against the righty.

Other Notables

• Edwin Encarnacion (CLE): $3,400 @ TB
• Jesus Aguliar (MIL): $2,100 vs MIN

Second Base

Jose Altuve (HOU) : $4,300 @ CHW
If you can find a way to fit Altuve into your cash game lineup, you do it. He rarely puts up a zero and has the ability to post a monster score even if he doesn’t hit a home run. He will face White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon who despite a 3.52 ERA at home has allowed a .419 wOBA and 3.09 HR/9 to right-handed hitters when he pitches at home this season.

Other Notables

• Daniel Murphy (WAS): $3,500 vs MIA
• Neil Walker (NYM): $2,600 @ PHI

Third Base

Justin Turner (LAD) : $4,000 @ ARI
Turner has been hot at the plate with four homers over his last four games. He has also made significant improvements against southpaws this season with a massive .508 wOBA and .361 ISO. He gets a favorable park adjustment at Chase Field in Arizona on Thursday while facing Diamondbacks’ rookie left-hander Anthony Banda.

Other Notables

• Mike Moustakas (KC): $4,000 @ STL
• Jose Ramirez (CLE): $3,400 @ TB

Shortstop

Didi Gregorius (NYY) : $3,100 @ TOR
I seem to roster Gregorius in my DFS lineups quite often. His salary never seems to reach the level of his production. Gregorius has 11 hits over his last five games including three doubles and a home run. He has a .463 wOBA and .284 ISO on the road versus righties this season and will take on Jays’ right-hander Marco Estrada who has allowed 1.53 HR/9 to lefties this season. Just keep plugging Gregorius into your lineup until FanDuel figures out he is a very good player.

Other Notables

• Corey Seager (LAD): $3,900 @ ARI
• Marcus Semien (OAK): $3,100 vs BAL

Outfielders

Max Kepler (MIN): $3,300 @ MIL
I don’t love a lot of the middle-priced outfielders on the slate, so I would rather pay up for someone or go with some of the cheap options that I have listed below. Kepler is a mid-priced option that I do like if your lineup construction forces you into this price range. He has hit three homers over his last four games and has a .364 wOBA versus righties this season. Kepler will match up against Brewers’ righty Zach Davies who has drastic home/road splits allowing a .367 wOBA and 1.35 HR/9 at home this year.

Jose Martinez (STL) : $2,600 vs KC
The Cardinals current winning streak coincides closely with the move of Martinez into the top half of the lineup. Martinez has seven hits over the last four games including a pair of home runs. Martinez has excelled at home this season with a .388 wOBA and .308 ISO and will get some home cookin’ at a cheap salary against the Royals and Jason Hammel on Thursday.

Kike Hernandez (LAD) : $2,000 @ ARI
Hernandez has hit nine of his 10 home runs this season against lefties with a .399 wOBA and .361 ISO. He gets a favorable park adjustment playing in Arizona on Thursday against lefty Anthony Banda. Including Hernandez at minimum salary in your lineup opens up a lot of possibilities to fit some stud hitters.

Other Notables

• Aaron Judge (NYY): $4,600 @ TOR
• Michael Conforto (NYM): $4,300 @ PHI
• Chris Taylor (LAD): $4,000 @ ARI
• Rajai Davis (OAK): $3,100 vs BAL
• Adam Lind (WAS): $2,300 vs MIA

My Lineup

• SP – Danny Salazar (CLE): $9,300
• C – Gary Sanchez (NYY): $3,200
• 1B – Ryan Zimmerman (WAS): $3,200
• 2B – Jose Altuve (HOU): $4,300
• 3B – Justin Turner (LAD): $4,000
• SS – Didi Gregorius (NYY): $3,100
• OF – Max Kepler (MIN): $3,300
• OF – Jose Martinez (STL): $2,600
• OF – Kike Hernandez (LAD): $2,000

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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.