Thursday night's MLB DFS main slate is consistent on FanDuel and Yahoo, as they are using a five-game main slate starting at 7:05 p.m. ET. DraftKings' slate will start at 6:05 p.m. ET, so that they could add two games to the slate and bump it to a seven-gamer. With slates this small, we are really lacking with stud and sleeper options -- both on the mound and in the batter's box -- use in our daily fantasy baseball lineups. Fortunately, we don’t have (m)any weather concerns to worry about tonight, but make sure to check out the MLB weather center before roster lock.
This is a preview of Fantasy Alarm's MLB DFS Playbook. To see the full Playbook, as well as get access to Fantasy Alarm's full suite of DFS tools, including a lineup generator, ownership and stat projections, value plays, and much more, become a subscriber!
DOMINATE YOUR DFS CONTESTS: Join DFS Alarm from Fantasy Alarm
Today's MLB DFS Playbook: Lineup picks, tips for Thursday
SP Ian Anderson, Braves (@ Phillies). Anderson has been a mixed bag lately (and this season), but he does have three games with at least 18.7 DK points over his past five outings. He’s been a completely different pitcher on the road this year with a 3.55 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and .235 BAA compared to a 6.28 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, and .283 BAA at home. The Phillies are a much easier matchup with Bryce Harper (left thumb) out of the lineup.
SP Logan Gilbert, Mariners (vs. A's). Gilbert is going to see astronomical ownership tonight, as he's easily the top pitcher to use on this slate. He enters with a 2.44 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 89 Ks across 88.2 innings of work and now gets to face Oakland at home. He’s been especially great at home, pitching to a 2.27 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. The A’s rank 29th in runs per game this season and have the 10th-highest strikeout rate.
C Cal Raleigh, Mariners (vs. A's). Raleigh is only hitting .190 on the year, but he has 10 bombs. At this price, he’s a solid GPP play with home run upside.
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (vs. Rays). Vlad is slashing .289/.426/.500 with two home runs and 15 combined runs and RBIs over his past 10 games. He is now hitting .266 on the year with 18 home runs and 88 total runs and RBIs.
2B Jonathan India, Reds (@ Cubs). India fits right into a Reds stack today as we attack Kyle Hendricks. India is slashing .280/.345/.360 on the road compared to .163/.200/.279 at home, and he is 3-for-9 (.333) against Hendricks in his career.
3B Ha-Seong Kim, Padres (@ Dodgers). Kim has scored 10 and nine DK points, respectively, over his past two games, going 3-for-6 with two walks, a double, and two runs scored. He is slashing .268/.343/.455 on the road compared to .184/.290/.228 at home.
SS Wander Franco, Rays (@ Blue Jays). Franco is back in action, and he's in a good spot tonight. He is slashing .343/.378/.443 on the road this year compared to .214/.246/.385 at home, and he faces a struggling pitcher in Yusei Kikuchi.
OF Michael Harris Jr., Braves (@ Phillies). Harris is slashing .333/.351/.500 over his past 10 games, which goes right in line with his season line of .327/.351/.509. He has three home runs, four steals, and 34 combined runs and RBIs across 30 games since making his MLB debut.
For even more picks, plus full analysis and strategy advice, subscribe and check out Fantasy Alarm's full MLB DFS Playbook for Thursday's slate.