Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, tips for Thursday’s MLB lineup

Find our fantasy baseball shooters rankings, batting upgrades and score drops daily to help you make smart fantasy decisions about your baseball lineup and MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and fantasy tips are directed towards ESPN’s 10-team leagues with record scoring.

NB: This file will be updated with any overnight viewing changes or weather-related game delays, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the specified publication time.

What you need to know for Thursday MLB games

by Mike Sheets

• Thursday marks the return of Stephen Strasbourg, who has been out all season with a neck injury. The 33-year-old right-hander made three rehabs (two on Low-A and one on Triple-A), delivering a 1.98 ERA and 13 Ks on 13 2/3 tires. Triple-A’s outing included six 83-floor layovers, so he should be ready to push 90 more pitches against the Miami Marlins. Given Strasbourg’s streamlined health record, which includes just seven starts since 2019, it’s fair to ask how much he has to give. However, he is always effectively directed when he is healthy. In fact, his last healthy season came in 2019 with a 3.32 ERA and 251 strokes in 209 runs. So we probably can’t necessarily count on Strasbourg staying healthy for the remainder of 2022, but it looks healthy now and is available in over 50% of ESPN’s leagues, so there’s no good reason not to collect it and see what’s left in the tank.

• Zach Evelyn (11% listed on ESPN’s roster) has faced some inconsistencies this season, but both real hiccups have been against the New York Mets. Outside of these two starts, Right has 2.21 distinct ERA in his other seven outings. He doesn’t post big numbers on strike (7.9k/9), but he shows precise control (1.7b/9) and does a great job limiting hard contact, as his 28.9% hit rate allowed is the top five in baseball (min 50). IP). Against the Brewers’ offense that has been the worst in the National League over the past two weeks with 82 wRC+, Eflin is one of Thursday’s top streaming options.

• Since joining the Cleveland rotational tournament, Conor Pilkington (2% on the roster) has made three starts, the last of which has been the most impressive. He threw five goal-free innings against the Kansas City Royals his last, eight write-offs and had 17 flops and fouls. Perhaps worth noting is that Pilkington showed a slight pick up in speed, earning an extra 1.2 mph on his four-stitch. Walking has been an issue for the 24-year-old left-hander, but there is some great striking potential here, especially if he can hold on to the extra pace. On Thursday, Pilkington tied a favourite against an Oakland A offensive that was one of the worst in the game, ranking 29th in the MLB with 79 wRC+ and .268 wOBA.

• After a hot start in April, Bruce Zimmerman posted a 5.85 ERA in May, and his struggles continued into June. The left Baltimore now surrendered 20 wins over the last 21 innings (8.57 ERA) while marking it for a whopping 10 runs in that period. Zimmermann has been particularly prone to right-handed speculators, who have put a .303/.340/.532 slash against him this season. At DFS, the Kansas City Royals’ right bats stacking at the top of the lineup – Wyatt Merifield, Bobby Waite Jr., Salvador Perez – should pay dividends. For broadcast purposes, the Hunter Dozier (30%) is an attractive pickup.

The bowler classification begins on Thursday