Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and fantasy advice is geared towards ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

For an in-depth look at what to expect in this daily article and for how to best utilize the information contained within, check out our handy primer here.

Note: This file will be updated with overnight pitching changes and weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.

What you need to know for Thursday’s MLB Games

By Mike Sheets

Fantasy Baseball Essentials

• Closer Chart: Latest bullpen intel
• MLB Depth Charts for every team
• Player news wire with fantasy spin

• Is there big-league pitcher more vulnerable than Graham Ashcraft right now? With Alek Manoah being sent to the minors on Tuesday, it’s hard to argue against Ashcraft, who has been pummeled for a 12.99 ERA and 2.21 WHIP over his last six starts, including a 10-run blowup against the Milwaukee Brewers his last time out. Most of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ big bats are already rostered, but James Outman (36%), Miguel Vargas (20%), and Chris Taylor (6%) are all still widely available. Plus, for those who play in shallow formats, the red-hot J.D. Martinez (.351/.361/.877 over his last 14 games) is still on the wire in 25% of ESPN leagues.

• After going nine consecutive starts with two earned runs allowed or fewer, Drew Smyly (42% rostered in ESPN leagues), has been tagged four eight runs over his last 10 1/3 frames. Still, the veteran lefty sports a strong 3.56 ERA and 1.11 WHIP this season, and he’s been excellent at avoiding hard contact, as his 30.7% hard-hit rate allowed ranks in the top 10% of baseball. It’s true that the Los Angeles Angels have been tough on left-handers this year, but Smyly remains one of the more reliable arms in the streamer discussion on Thursday.

• Reid Detmers’ (27%) 5.15 ERA is probably enough to scare most fantasy managers away, but he carries big-time strikeout upside into Thursday’s matchup against the Chicago Cubs. The 23-year-old southpaw sports an impressive 10.7 K/9 rate this season, while the Cubs have been fanning at an NL-worst 27.1% clip over the last 30 days. Not only that, but their 25.5% K rate versus lefties this season is sixth-worst in baseball. Sure, there’s some ratio risk here, but there’s also double-digit K upside.

• The underlying numbers don’t paint a particularly pretty long-term picture for Josiah Gray (17%), but he’s perfectly fine as a streaming option. After being roughed up in his first start of the season, Gray owns a 2.61 ERA over his last 11 starts, surrendering more than three runs just once in that timeframe. While the Arizona Diamondbacks’ offense has been above average this season, they’ve struggled over the last two weeks, sputtering to a 91 wRC+, which gives us reason to think the right-hander can keep them in check on Thursday.

• Thursday’s Coors Field matchup has Chase Anderson toeing the rubber for the Colorado Rockies. Anderson possesses a 5.56 ERA in seven career starts at Coors, and his career-worst 4.1 K/9 this season means lots of balls in play in the game’s most hitter-friendly environment. In other words, this is a prime spot to stream hitters from the visiting San Francisco Giants. The entire Giants’ lineup is still on the waiver wire in most leagues, so you can have your pick, but the top options include Joc Pederson (6%), LaMonte Wade Jr. (15%), Michael Conforto (14%), and Mike Yastrzemski (9%), all of whom carry the platoon advantage.

Starting pitcher rankings for Thursday

Best Sub-50% Rostered Hitters for Thursday

Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing, and lots more.

• Joc Pederson (SF, LF — 6%) at Chase Anderson

• Mitch Haniger (SF, RF — 11%) at Anderson

• J.D. Davis (SF, 3B — 10%) at Anderson

• LaMonte Wade Jr. (SF, RF — 15%) at Anderson

• Michael Conforto (SF, RF — 14%) at Anderson

• Charlie Blackmon (COL, RF — 26%) vs. Alex Cobb

• Ryan McMahon (COL, 3B — 33%) vs. Cobb

• Jurickson Profar (COL, LF — 10%) vs. Cobb

• Mike Yastrzemski (SF, RF — 9%) at Anderson

• Randal Grichuk (COL, RF — 4%) vs. Cobb

Worst Over-50% Rostered Hitters for Thursday

Editor’s Picks

1 Related

• Starling Marte (NYM, RF — 64%) at Spencer Strider

• Michael Harris II (ATL, CF — 66%) vs. Justin Verlander

• Jose Abreu (HOU, 1B — 58%) at Jose Berrios

• Jeremy Pena (HOU, SS — 65%) at Berrios

• Tim Anderson (CHW, SS — 51%) at Luis Severino

• Jorge Polanco (MIN, 2B — 52%) at Tyler Glasnow

• Francisco Lindor (NYM, SS — 99%) at Strider

• Daulton Varsho (TOR, C — 89%) vs. Framber Valdez

• Alejandro Kirk (TOR, C — 62%) vs. Valdez

• Andrew Vaughn (CHW, RF — 78%) at Severino