As usual, we have another small Thursday main slate in DFS. Even though just five games are scheduled this evening, there happens to be plenty of great starting pitchers taking the mound. It seems like it has been a while since we have had the luxury of choosing from a variety of strong starters, which should diversify ownership across all formats. Let’s take a deeper look into some of the best options.
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Pitchers
Aaron Nola (PHI): $8,700 vs. MIA
The 2018 Cy Young Award candidate has had a rocky start to this season, owning an inflated 6.84 ERA. With a 4.32 SIERA and 4.11 xFIP, his ratios should normalize sooner than later, starting tonight. Nola has faced some tough teams in his first five starts, which may go overlooked by some. The Marlins come to Philly carrying the fourth-worst batting average, third-highest strikeout rate, and fourth-lowest wRC+. Simply put, Miami has a horrible offense. Nola is a top-tier starting pitcher who is worth considering any night he takes the mound. The matchup and discounted price tag make him the top choice this evening.
Marco Gonzales (SEA): $8,500 vs. TEX
Although a risk against the Rangers, Marco Gonzales is a great option at a lower price. Texas is a dynamic offense at home. On the road, however, they are very pedestrian. Seattle has one of the league’s best pitching parks, which creates a massive negative shift for the opposing offense. Gonzales has had a solid start to the 2019 campaign but should see an uptick in strikeouts against a team owning a 28.9% K rate on the road. While the Seattle starter has not shown immense upside yet, this could be a ceiling game on a night where he will see single-digit ownership.
Other Notables:
Gerrit Cole (HOU): $10,600 vs. CLE
Trevor Bauer (CLE): $10,800 @ HOU
Trevor Cahill (LAA): $6,200 vs. NYY
Hitters
Mookie Betts (OF – BOS): $3,900 vs. DET
The Red Sox exploded for 11 runs last night against the Tigers and will look to continue swinging hot bats against Jordan Zimmermann. Mookie Betts is priced down on FanDuel at just $3,900 after starting the season a little cold. Now hitting second in the order, he should have more RBI opportunities, especially in this matchup against a weak starting pitcher.
Maikel Franco (3B – PHI): $3,600 vs. MIA
Maikel Franco has started the season on fire and will look to continue raking tonight against Caleb Smith and the Miami Marlins. Back home, the Phillies will try to score some runs against a lefty who can struggle at times. There are not a lot of weak spots in this dangerous lineup, and Franco has capitalized on the RBI chances all season long. Consistently among the league leaders in exit velocity, the third baseman has immense power and is a threat to hit multiple home runs any game.
Andrelton Simmons (SS – LAA): $2,900 vs. NYY
Although an Angeles stack is not recommended against Masahiro Tanaka, taking a one-off or two is certainly viable. Tanaka gives up plenty of long balls, and Andrelton Simmons appears to be absolutely locked in. After crushing two homers last night, he can surely pay off a mediocre price tag by staying hot against the Yankees.
Tim Beckham (SS – SEA): $3,400 vs. TEX
The Seattle shortstop finds himself in a great spot tonight against a weak left-handed starter. To start the season, Beckham is crushing lefties with a .683 wOBA, 350 wRC+, and .500 ISO in just 16 plate appearances. A whole Mariners stack is viable tonight, but Beckham remains one of the top options.
Other Notables:
J.D. Martinez (BOS): $4,000 vs. DET
Edwin Encarnacion (SEA): $3,500 vs. TEX
Niko Goodrum (DET): $3,400 @ BOS
Xander Bogaerts (BOS): $3,700 vs. DET
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Jeremy Maw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jeremy, check out his archive or follow him @j_maw.
