Thursday’s MLB DFS main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel both feature six games, starting at 7:15 p.m. ET. The Underdog player props are also from those six games.
Thursday’s Top MLB DFS Picks & Player Props
Thursday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings (9/3)
Tarik Skubal has pitched well this season, and he’s seamlessly transitioned to the National League and the Dodgers. According to FanGraphs, in five starts for the Dodgers, totaling 30 innings, the lefty has logged the following numbers:
- 1 win
- 4 quality starts
- 3.00 ERA
- 2.80 xERA
- 3.03 xFIP
- 2.96 SIERA
- 1.03 WHIP
- 5.8% walk rate
- 30.6% strikeout rate
- 14.4% SwStr%
- 27.6% CSW%
- 120 stuff+
- 107 location+
- 125 pitching+
Skubal’s matchup doesn’t look great on paper, but his betting info is tantalizing. The Cardinals are tied for 10th in wRC+ (101) with an 18.8% strikeout rate versus lefties and fourth in wRC+ (103) with a 21.7% strikeout rate on the road in 2026.
St. Louis is also tied for seventh in wRC+ (106) with a 22.1% strikeout rate in the previous 30 days and 15th in wRC+ (98) with a 23.6% strikeout rate in the last 14 days. SThe Dodgers are commanding -280 favorites, and the game’s total is a pitcher-friendly 7.5 runs.
Logan Henderson is in fabulous form. In his previous five starts spanning 32.1 innings, Henderson has amassed the following statistics:
- 4 wins
- 5 quality starts
- 2.23 ERA
- 2.80 xERA
- 3.72 xFIP
- 3.51 SIERA
- 0.71 WHIP
- 4.3% walk rate
- 27.4% strikeout rate
- 12% SwStr%
- 28.4% CSW%
- 99 stuff+
- 110 location+
- 107 pitching+
Henderson has a nightmare matchup against the Cubs a night after they roughed up Jacob Misiorowski. Chicago is tied for first in wRC+ (111) with a 21.4% strikeout rate versus righties and first in wRC+ (125) with a 20.3% strikeout rate at home this season.
The Cubs are also first in wRC+ (138) with a 20% strikeout rate in the previous 30 days and first in wRC+ (154) with an 18.2% strikeout rate in the last 14 days. Nevertheless, the Brewers are -115 favorites, and the game’s total is a non-threatening eight runs. Henderson is an intriguing GPP option.
The Mariners selected Kade Anderson with the third pick in the 2025 MLB Amateur Draft, and the lefty carved up Double-A in his professional debut this season. In 18 Double-A starts in 2026, the 21-year-old southpaw spun a 1.06 ERA, 2.60 xFIP, 0.64 WHIP, 3.9% walk rate, 40.5% strikeout rate, 18.5% SwStr% and 36.9% CSW%.
Anderson hasn’t hit the ground running in the Majors through two starts, though. He hasn’t embarrassed himself, either. The lefty has a dreamy matchup and betting info tonight.
The Athletics are tied for 20th in wRC+ (92) with a 24.7% strikeout rate versus lefties and 30th in wRC+ (82) with a 24% strikeout rate on the road this season. The A’s are also 23rd in wRC+ (90) with a 21.8% strikeout rate in the previous 30 days and 18th in wRC+ (94) with a 23.3% strikeout rate in the last 14 days. The Mariners are -210 favorites, and the game’s total is 7.5 runs. Anderson is a viable GPP pick on FanDuel and the top SP2 in all game types on DraftKings.
Suggested Lineup Stacks
The Dodgers have a sweet matchup against rookie Quinn Mathews. The 25-year-old lefty had a 3.27 ERA, 4.24 xERA and 4.44 xFIP in 21 Triple-A starts this year, and he has a 5.03 ERA, 3.33 xERA, 4.12 xFIP and 4.18 SIERA in four starts for the Cardinals. The Red Birds also have a below-average bullpen.
Kevin Gausman has a 5.14 ERA in his past five starts, which is unlucky relative to his 3.69 xERA, 3.60 xFIP and 3.61 SIERA. Nonetheless, the 35-year-old righty has a 4.52 ERA, 3.92 xERA, 3.76 xFIP and 4.52 SIERA in 28 starts in 2026.
It might be unwise to handwave away the gap between his ERA and ERA estimators as only bad luck. The veteran righty has also allowed a .308 wOBA to 374 left-handed batters and a .319 wOBA to 282 right-handed batters this year, putting lefties and righties from the Brewers in play as stacking options.
Core Studs
- Jake Bauers has launched 23 long balls with 78 runs, 76 RBI, 10 stolen bases, a .390 on-base percentage (OBP), .220 ISO, .383 wOBA and 144 wRC+ in 503 plate appearances in 2026.
- Shohei Ohtani has drilled 39 dingers with a .344 OBP, .256 ISO, .374 wOBA and 141 wRC+ in 687 plate appearances against southpaws since 2024.
- William Contreras has mashed 43 targets with a .348 OBP, .161 ISO, .340 wOBA and 119 wRC+ in 1,386 plate appearances against right-handed pitching since 2024.
Value Plays/Punts
- Teoscar Hernandez has hammered 22 home runs with a .334 OBP, .235 ISO, .358 wOBA and 130 wRC+ in 410 plate appearances against southpaws since 2024.
- Griffin Conine has ripped 14 round-trippers with 32 runs, 32 RBIs, four stolen bases, a .357 OBP, .234 ISO, .370 wOBA and 133 wRC+ in 238 plate appearances this season.
- Tommy Edman has hit 14 homers with a .309 OBP, .249 ISO, .346 wOBA and 121 wRC+ in 233 plate appearances against lefties since 2024.
Thursday’s Top 3 Underdog Player Props
Check out our best picks on the MLB Underdog Cheat Sheet 
Jac Caglianone has been superb at home. In 63 games and 228 plate appearances at home before last night, he rattled off 65 hits, including 12 homers, with 35 runs, 32 RBI, a .285 batting average, .336 OBP, .228 ISO, .366 wOBA and 131 wRC+. Last night, Caglianone logged a double, a run and an RBI in five plate appearances.
Sandy Alcantara has sizable home-road splits that favor toeing the slab at home. In 16 road starts across 102.1 innings, Alcantara has recorded a 4.22 ERA, 4.35 xFIP and 1.35 WHIP. However, he has failed to clear 18.5 outs recorded in 11 of his 16 road starts.
Cal Quantrill has rattled off eight, six, five, six, four and seven strikeouts, working backward over his last six starts. In those six starts, he’s spun the following marks:
- 35.1 innings
- 1.53 ERA
- 2.74 xERA
- 2.93 xFIP
- 3.10 SIERA
- 0.82 WHIP
- 36 strikeouts
- 9.17 K/9
- 26.7% strikeout rate
- 9.3% SwStr%
- 25.2% CSW%
- 89 stuff+
- 110 location+
- 97 pitching+
Quantrill can clear the low bar of 3.5 strikeouts tonight.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
