Thursday’s MLB DFS main slate starts at 7:15 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel, with both slates consisting of five games. The Underdog pick’em choices are also from those five games.
Thursday’s Top MLB DFS Picks & Player Props
Thursday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings (6/4)
Chris Sale is having a sensational season and is comfortably the top pitcher in all game types today. According to FanGraphs, Sale has the following stats in 11 starts spanning 67 innings this year:
- 8 wins
- 9 quality starts
- 2.01 ERA
- 3.18 xERA
- 2.95 xFIP
- 2.91 SIERA
- 0.94 WHIP
- 6.4% walk rate
- 30.2% strikeout rate
- 14.1% SwStr%
- 31.4% CSW%
- 115 stuff+
- 107 location+
- 118 pitching+
Sale has an outstanding matchup and excellent betting info tonight. The Blue Jays are tied for 24th in wRC+ (84) with a 19.4% strikeout rate versus lefties and 27th in wRC+ (86) with an 18.5% strikeout rate on the road in 2026. The Braves are -205 favorites, and the game’s total is 7.5 runs.
The pickings are slim behind Sale, as all of the other starting pitchers have significant blemishes. Nevertheless, gamers must roster two pitchers on DraftKings. It takes some squinting, but Jared Jones is an enticing option, and he has a more affordable salary than many of the other flawed pitchers.
In Jones’ only start for the Pirates, he had six strikeouts, a 19.5% SwStr%, 33.8% CSW%, 108 stuff+, 108 location+ and 113 pitching+ in 4.1 innings. Sadly, he also permitted two homers and five earned runs on seven hits and two walks.
Jones allowed zero hits and one walk to seven right-handed batters, though. For his career, Jones has held 258 right-handed batters to a .305 wOBA. Houston’s only projected starters who are left-handed batters or switch-hitters are Yordan Alvarez and Taylor Trammell.
Alvarez is downright terrifying, but Jones would be wise to exercise caution against him, and the righty-heavy nature of the lineup could allow Jones to surprise. The Pirates are slight underdogs (-105), but the game’s total is a ho-hum 8.5 runs. Jones is an option only on DraftKings, but he’s a rock-solid pick.
Mediocre is good enough to warrant DFS consideration as an SP2 on tonight’s slate, and Seth Lugo fits the bill. In 98 innings on the road since last season, Lugo has a 4.13 ERA, 4.02 xFIP, 1.21 WHIP, 5.6% walk rate and 21.6% strikeout rate.
Lugo also has a decent matchup and OK betting info. The Twins are 17th in wRC+ (98) with a 23.6% strikeout rate versus righties and tied for 13th in wRC+ (103) with a 20.8% strikeout rate at home this season.
Minnesota is also 19th in wRC+ (94) with a 25% strikeout rate in the previous 30 days. The Royals are listed as -115 favorites, and the game’s total is nine runs.
Suggested Lineup Stacks
RosterResource projects Chad Dallas to make his debut after he was added to Toronto’s taxi squad on Wednesday. The 25-year-old righty has a 4.50 ERA, 4.91 xERA and 4.34 xFIP across 10 appearances (eight starts) in 36 innings in Triple-A.
Dallas’ numbers don’t suggest he’s ready to keep the Braves in check, and Atlanta’s lineup has the firepower to light up the scoreboard.
Kai-Wei Teng has split his time between the bullpen and the rotation this season, with 13 relief appearances and five starts. In his starts, he has a 3.27 ERA across 22 innings. However, Teng’s 4.47 xERA, 4.14 xFIP and 4.29 SIERA suggest regression is around the corner.
The Pirates have seven projected starting-lineup hitters with at least a 100 wRC+ against righties since 2024, with five posting at least a 112 wRC+. Pittsburgh’s hitters will also be treated to a plus-matchup against Houston’s bullpen and its league-worst bullpen ERA (5.22).
Core Studs
- Matt Olson has ripped 17 round-trippers with 45 runs, 46 RBI, one stolen base, a .348 on-base percentage (OBP), .289 ISO, .389 wOBA and 150 wRC+ in 273 plate appearances this season.
- Brandon Lowe has slugged 15 homers with 38 runs, 40 RBI, a .340 OBP, .272 ISO, .375 wOBA and 139 wRC+ in 247 plate appearances this year.
- Michael Harris has mashed 13 taters with 29 runs, 37 RBI, three stolen bases, a .333 OBP, .216 ISO, .369 wOBA and 136 wRC+ in 225 plate appearances in 2026.
Value Plays/Punts
- Nolan Arenado has turned the clock back with eight homers, 29 runs, 30 RBI, one stolen base, a .348 OBP, .196 ISO, .355 wOBA and 126 wRC+ in 210 plate appearances this year.
- Mike Yastrzemski has hit 36 homers with a .334 OBP, .199 ISO, .338 wOBA and 118 wRC+ in 979 plate appearances against righties since 2024.
- Jake Mangum has hit one homer with 17 runs, nine RBI, 10 stolen bases, a .355 OBP, .046 ISO, .314 wOBA and 97 wRC+ in 123 plate appearances in 2026.
Thursday’s Top 3 Underdog Player Props
Check out our best picks on the MLB Underdog Cheat Sheet 
Tyler Soderstrom has 25 hits (18 singles, three doubles, four homers), a .250 batting average, .400 slugging rate and .150 ISO in 107 plate appearances against lefties on the road since 2024.
Conversely, Shota Imanaga has held 227 left-handed batters to 46 hits, a .221 batting average and .389 slugging rate since last season.
Ian Happ has hit 132 singles, 62 doubles, three triples and 46 homers with a .247 batting average, .457 slugging rate and .210 ISO in 1,161 plate appearances against righties since 2024.
Meanwhile, J.T. Ginn has allowed 82 hits, a .292 batting average and .520 slugging rate to 323 left-handed batters since last season.
Chris Sale has allowed fewer than 1.5 earned runs in eight of his 11 starts this season. Moreover, he’s held opponents to fewer than 1.5 earned runs in all five of his home starts.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
