Thursday’s MLB DFS main slate at DraftKings features six games, starting at 12:35 p.m. ET. FanDuel’s main slate also starts at 12:35 p.m. ET, but it’s seven games, because it includes the 3:05 p.m. ET contest between the Athletics and the Rangers. The Underdog pick ’em choices are from those seven games.
Thursday’s Top MLB DFS Picks & Player Props
Thursday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings (4/16)
Max Fried has piled up 28 innings through four starts this year. Per FanGraphs, he’s spun a 1.93 ERA, 2.30 xERA, 3.86 xFIP, 3.90 SIERA, and 0.75 WHIP in 2026. The 32-year-old lefty’s 19.0 K% this season leaves something to be desired, but his pitch modeling is strong, and he has a quality start in all four of his turns.
Fried can bump his strikeout rate up in a plus matchup on Thursday. Jo Adell‘s 20.7 K% versus lefties since 2024 is the lowest among the projected starters for the Angels, and the second-lowest mark is 24.2%. Fried should smash, and the Yankees are -240 favorites, suggesting he’ll be in a decent position to earn a win.
Steven Matz had a stellar season in the bullpen in 2025, and he’s thriving in his return to the rotation for the Rays this year. In three starts spanning 16 innings this year, Matz has logged the following stats.
- 3 wins
- 1 quality start
- 3.94 ERA
- 3.33 xERA
- 3.80 xFIP
- 3.55 SIERA
- 0.94 WHIP
- 7.9 BB%
- 27.0 K%
- 11.7 SwStr% (career high)
- 28.2 CSW%
- 97 stuff+
- 107 location+
- 102 pitching+
The veteran lefty has thrown his changeup at a career-high 32.3% clip this season, leading to a career-high swinging-strike rate.
Matz’s matchup is a plus for his DFS outlook today. Only three of Chicago’s projected starters (Sam Antonacci isn’t on the table because he made his MLB debut last night) have had a wRC+ above 96 against lefties since 2024. The lefty’s betting info is also OK. The Rays are -135 favorites, and the game’s total is 8.5 runs.
Braxton Ashcraft was sharp in a mix of relief and starting opportunities across 69.2 innings in his debut in the Majors last season. The introduction did him wonders, and he’s off to a blistering start to his sophomore campaign. In three starts, totaling 17 innings this year, Ashcraft has twirled the following numbers.
- 1 win
- 2 quality starts
- 2.12 ERA
- 2.19 xERA
- 2.82 xFIP
- 2.92 SIERA
- 1.00 WHIP
- 7.6 BB%
- 30.3 K%
- 11.6 SwStr%
- 28.3 CSW%
- 102 stuff+
- 98 location+
- 100 pitching+
Ashcraft’s underlying data is better than Matz’s, but he ranks behind the veteran lefty because the young righty hasn’t recorded more than 18 outs in a game in the Majors. Pittsburgh’s cautious handling of Ashcraft caps his ceiling.
Nevertheless, the underlying data is outstanding, and the Pirates are -155 favorites. Thus, gamers can enjoy the discount of using Ashcraft instead of Matz as the SP2 in cash games on DraftKings. He’s also a fine SP2 in GPPs at DraftKings, but he’s less appealing at FanDuel. He’s pitched six innings only twice since reaching The Show last year, and FanDuel awards fantasy points for quality starts.
Suggested Lineup Stacks
The Angels will throw a bullpen game today, and Roster Resource projects Walbert Urena to open the contest. Urena has never started a game in the Majors and has pitched only 1.2 innings in two relief appearances, both of which have come this season.
The 22-year-old righty didn’t exactly conquer the Minors. In 46 starts in the upper Minors (Double-A and Triple-A) spanning 226.2 innings in his professional career, he has a 4.37 ERA, 4.22 FIP, 1.43 WHIP, 13.3 BB%, and 19.9 K%. His putrid control is a recipe for a meltdown in his first start in the Majors. Furthermore, the Angels have a bottom-10 bullpen in ERA this season. The Yankees can tee off on the Angels today.
Chase Burns might be a popular option in DFS today, as a high-upside, high-strikeout hurler. Instead of chasing his ceiling, pivoting to stacking the Giants in homer-friendly Great American Ball Park is an enticing GPP move.
Burns isn’t without warts. He’s coughed up 1.65 HR/9 in three starts this season, and his control is a little shaky, as evidenced by his 11.4 BB%. In addition, Burns has surrendered a .379 wOBA to 135 left-handed batters since last season.
Core Studs
- Aaron Judge has drilled 82 dongs with a .438 OBP, .342 ISO, .456 wOBA, and 202 wRC+ in 1,093 plate appearances against righties since 2024, and he’ll be unfazed if he faces a southpaw out of the Angels’ bullpen.
- Like Judge, Giancarlo Stanton won’t have an issue with holding the platoon advantage if he steps into the batter’s box against a lefty reliever. He’s also smashed righties, ripping 42 round-trippers with a .318 OBP, .284 ISO, .366 wOBA, and 140 wRC+ in 570 plate appearances against them since 2024.
- Matt Chapman has launched 40 long-balls with a .331 OBP, .215 ISO, .342 wOBA, and 122 wRC+ in 939 plate appearances against righties since 2024, and his power will get a lift from hitting at GABP today.
Value Plays/Punts
- Trent Grisham has hit 37 homers with a .344 OBP, .239 ISO, .353 wOBA, and 129 wRC+ in 647 plate appearances against righties since 2024. Grisham is a less enticing selection if the Angels use a left-handed opener and Grisham hits leadoff against a lefty or drops in the lineup to avoid the southpaw opener.
- Jazz Chisholm is off to a dreadful start to the year, but he’s at least stolen seven bases. More importantly, Chisholm has hit 43 homers with a .327 OBP, .224 ISO, .343 wOBA, and 122 wRC+ in 846 plate appearances against righties since 2024.
- Konnor Griffin has scuffled in his first opportunity in The Show. Nevertheless, he’s a top-shelf prospect and tallied 21 homers, 65 stolen bases, a .415 OBP, .194 ISO, .437 wOBA, and 165 wRC+ in High-A (234 plate appearances) and Double-A (98 plate appearances) combined last season. Shortstop is also a decent position to punt today.
Thursday’s Top 3 Underdog Player Props
Check out our best picks on the MLB Underdog Cheat Sheet 
Foster Griffin has recorded fewer than 15.5 outs in two of his three starts. He tallied 16 outs in his most recent turn, but he enjoyed remarkable luck, allowing only one hit and zero runs with three walks and one strikeout. Furthermore, the lefty’s 1.76 ERA flies in stark contrast to his 5.09 xERA, 4.49 xFIP, and 4.53 SIERA. The other shoe should drop today and prevent him from clearing 15.5 outs.
Elly De La Cruz has excelled against righties at home. In 488 plate appearances against righties at home since 2024, De La Cruz has rattled off 122 hits, a .285 batting average, .373 OBP, .234 ISO, .381 wOBA, and 136 wRC+. He’s also totaled 46 Hits + Runs + RBI in 18 games and 80 plate appearances this year, going over 1.5 in four of his last five games.
Nick Kurtz is a beast at home with the platoon advantage in his hitter-friendly home ballpark. In 180 plate appearances against righties at home in his career, Kurtz has hit 14 homers with a .436 OBP, .354 ISO, .461 wOBA, and 196 wRC+. He should clear the bar of 8.5 fantasy points this afternoon.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
