Featuring picks and comments by Rob Dudek
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For a change, there were no postponed MLB games on Wednesday, and it looks good to complete all twelve on the Thursday schedule, even if there is a delay in Detroit.
Once again, we are looking at the clock more than the weather radar, as four games begin before 7:05 Eastern. If you want to include any of those players, join contests with a 1:05 deadline. Three of the best SP in baseball will not be eligible for evening leagues.
It’s always free to join DraftStreet and you can start with free leagues. Or make a deposit — use the code SHHOOP to get a 30% bonus — and choose your level of play, from $2 entry fees up to $420. Good luck!
Best Bets (Pitchers)
Clay Buchholz ($15,742) is the safest pick, but the Red Sox have chosen a 6:35 start time, so he’s available only in early-closing events. “Houston will be travelling across the country and Clay has taken his game to a new level,” says Rob. “Expect a solid performance at the very least.”
The other two afternoon aces are higher-salaried and therefore riskier. Justin Verlander ($18,645) and Cliff Lee ($18,566) are both former Cy Young award winners and perennial contenders. “Neither is in top form yet,” cautions our analyst, “ and while I expect them to pitch well, a monster performance isn’t all that likely.”
Dudek’s value play of the day is Bronson Arroyo. “$10,809 is simply too low a price for a quality veteran. The Reds starters have been solid this year, Arroyo among them, while the Nats’ bats haven’t been as loud as they were a few weeks ago.”
Hideki Kuroda ($13,087) was lights-out five days ago and faces Toronto again. “The rule of thumb is that whichever side took the worst of it makes adjustments the next time out, so that would point to a better performance from the Jays hitters.” However, Kuroda is capable of coming up with an entirely different plan tonight, so the price is fair.
Live Longshots (Pitchers)
We gave you relative unknown Lucas Harrell (8.55 points for under $9,000) yesterday, and here’s an even bigger potential bargain. “Rookie Brandon Maurer has had a rough start to his big league career, but there are signs of progress and the Mariners believe in him enough to leave him in the rotation. Priced more like a reliever at $4,806 and I believe he’ll have a good game.”
Even less expensive is Philip Humber ($3,972) but he was shelled for eight earned runs in the first inning last time and since his perfect game a year ago has a 7.26 ERA in 18 starts — not the kind of stuff you need to succeed in Fenway.
Veteran southpaw Mark Buehrle ($8,558) is attractively priced, especially if you think the Jays will figure out Kuroda.
“Jarrod Parker ($8,553) has been a huge disappointment but has the tools to put it all together,” points out Dudek. “If he isn’t carrying an injury, expect him to soon find his groove. In his home park, this has the makings of a great value pick if you can stomach some risk.”