Tonight’s MLB DFS main slate starts at 6:40 p.m. ET at DraftKings and FanDuel and has five games. The suggested pick ’em choices from Underdog are also from the five-game slate.
Check out our best picks on the MLB Underdog Cheat Sheet 
Today’s MLB DFS & Player Props Picks
Thursday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings
Blake Snell can’t stay healthy for entire seasons. However, he’s superb when he’s healthy enough to toe the slab. According to FanGraphs, Snell has had the following stats in his previous four starts spanning 23.1 innings.
- 1.93 ERA
- 3.18 xFIP
- 3.75 SIERA
- 1.20 WHIP
- Two wins
- Two quality starts
- 10.9 BB%
- 28.3 K%
- 15.7 SwStr%
- 30.9 CSW%
- 99 stuff+
- 106 location+
- 110 pitching+
Snell has a mouthwatering matchup and rock-solid betting info.
The Pirates are tied for 28th in wRC+ (75) with a 25.6 K% versus lefties and 22nd in wRC+ (92) with a 22.2 K% at home this year. Pittsburgh was also 21st in wRC+ (93) with a 23.4 K% in the previous 30 days. Thus, even though Snell is opposing a forthcoming ace, the Dodgers are listed as -130 favorites, and the game’s total of 7.0 runs indicates expectations for a pitching duel.
Paul Skenes is opposing Snell, and Pittsburgh’s ace’s matchup is challenging. Nevertheless, the Pirates are only slight underdogs (+108), and the game’s total is a pitcher-friendly 7.0 runs.
Furthermore, Skenes is featured in this space for GPPs, where all gamers should care about is his ceiling. Skenes has amassed the following stats in his previous five starts spanning 29 innings.
- 2.17 ERA
- 2.91 xFIP
- 3.02 SIERA
- 1.10 WHIP
- Three wins
- Four quality starts
- 3.4 BB%
- 28.2 K%
- 11.6 SwStr%
- 29.0 CSW%
- 113 stuff+
- 123 location+
- 133 pitching+
Skenes can tie up even an elite lineup, such as Los Angeles’s, making him a viable GPP pick on tonight’s medium-sized slate.
Ryan Pepiot is in stellar form. In his previous five starts spanning 27.2 innings, he’s spun a 3.25 ERA, 3.76 xFIP, 3.96 SIERA, 1.01 WHIP, 9.6 BB% and 26.0 K%. Pepiot also recorded four wins in those five turns. He should stay hot in a plus matchup.
The Guardians are 27th in wRC+ (87) with a 22.2 K% versus righties and 28th in wRC+ (81) with a 21.7 K% on the road this season. Cleveland was also dead last in wRC+ (62) with a 24.3 K% in the previous 30 days. Finally, the Rays are -150 favorites, and the game’s total is 8.5 runs.
Suggested Lineup Stacks
Cristian Javier‘s 3.38 ERA and 2.73 xERA in four starts this season suggest he’s in superb form, but his 5.31 xFIP, 5.04 SIERA, 13.4 BB% and 23.9 K% indicate the contrary. Javier’s lousy control can bite him in the butt against the Bronx Bombers, making the Yankees a high-upside stack.
- Home (Kauffman Stadium)
- Game Total/Moneyline: 9.0 Runs/KC -160
Teams have hammered Kyle Hendricks lately. In the soft-tossing righty’s previous five starts, he’s recorded a 6.20 ERA, 5.02 xFIP, 5.05 SIERA and 1.62 WHIP. The Royals don’t have a loaded lineup, but they can make the most of a cushy matchup. Moreover, their salaries are affordable, allowing Kansas City to be stacked with the Yankees.
Core Studs
- In Giancarlo Stanton‘s previous 60 plate appearances, he’s belted seven bombs with 10 runs, 18 RBIs, a .424 OBP, .471 ISO, .504 wOBA, .525 xwOBA and 231 wRC+.
- Bobby Witt has ripped off a .352 OBP, .236 ISO, .373 wOBA and 140 wRC+ in 1,584 plate appearances against righties since 2023.
- Vinnie Pasquantino has swatted 28 homers with 57 runs, 95 RBIs, one stolen base, a .321 OBP, .207 ISO, .335 wOBA, .343 xwOBA and 111 wRC+ in 581 plate appearances this season.
- Trent Grisham has launched nine long-balls with 19 runs, 17 RBIs, two stolen bases, a .363 OBP, .281 ISO, .384 wOBA, .390 xwOBA and 149 wRC+ in his previous 113 plate appearances.
Value Plays/Punts
- Adam Frazier is in good form, with one homer, eight runs, eight RBIs, a .369 OBP, .101 ISO, .351 wOBA, .313 xwOBA and 122 wRC+ in his last 84 plate appearances.
- Ryan McMahon‘s been a precisely average hitter against righties this year, with 16 homers, a .329 OBP, .198 ISO, .328 wOBA and 100 wRC+ in 401 plate appearances against them.
Thursday’s Top 3 Underdog Player Props
Check out our best picks on the MLB Underdog Cheat Sheet
Jazz Chisholm (2B, 3B, OF – NYY): 8.5 Fantasy Points – Higher
Jazz Chisholm is on fire. In his previous 99 plate appearances, he’s hit nine homers with 22 runs, 19 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, a .354 OBP, .370 ISO, .397 wOBA, .359 xwOBA and 158 wRC+.
Trent Grisham (OF – NYY): 7.5 Fantasy Points – Higher
In addition to being hot, Grisham is having an outstanding season with the platoon advantage. In 351 plate appearances against righties, New York’s leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching has hit 23 homers with a .377 OBP, .265 ISO, .391 wOBA and 154 wRC+.
Adam Frazier (2B, 3B, OF, DH – KC): 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs – Higher
I highlighted Frazier’s recent heater above, but I sandbagged his utter dominance of Hendricks. According to Baseball Savant, Frazier has a .467 wOBA and .437 xwOBA in 37 career plate appearances against Hendricks.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
