Daily Fantasy baseball players won't have many options when scouring over the MLB DFS player pool on Thursday. With only six games on the schedule and four starting after 7 p.m. ET, depending on the type of game you're looking to play, the options will be even slimmer when forming MLB DFS lineups on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings.
The Dodgers and Red Sox are the only two teams ranked in the top 10 in runs scored playing on Thursday. A Dodgers stack of players like Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Will Smith will be one of the most popular MLB DFS strategies, especially with LA entering on a 10-game winning streak. Should you follow and insert them in your MLB DFS picks, or maybe find some players others won't be targeting with a lower owned percentage? Before submitting any MLB DFS picks for Thursday, be sure to check out the MLB DFS advice, strategy and projections from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.
McClure is a daily Fantasy pro who has won more than $2 million in his career. And when it comes to daily Fantasy baseball, McClure is at his best. Recognized in the book "Fantasy Football (and Baseball) for Smart People: How to Turn Your Hobby into a Fortune" as a top MLB DFS player, McClure's proprietary projection model simulates each game 10,000 times, taking factors such as matchups and recent results into account. This allows him to find the best values on every site.
On Wednesday, McClure highlighted Cubs first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger as one of his top picks in his MLB DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Bellinger went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, returning 10 points on DraftKings and 12.2 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
Now, with the 2023 MLB season rolling on, McClure has locked in his top MLB daily Fantasy picks for Thursday, August 17. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
McClure's top MLB DFS picks for Thursday
One of McClure's top MLB DFS picks for Thursday is Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor ($5,000 on DraftKings and $3,600 on FanDuel). Lindor ranks in the top five at his position in nearly every power category, such as home runs, RBI, doubles, total bases and OPS. His 22 home runs are second and 72 RBI are third amongst shortstops this season as he's been one of the brighter spots in a disappointing season for the Mets.
Lindor has a slash line of .350/.435/.567 with three home runs, 10 RBI and 12 runs scored over his last 16 games. The four-time All-Star is familiar with Cardinals probable right-handed pitcher Adam Wainwright, with two hits and a walk in 10 career plate appearances. The switch-hitter has 13 of his 22 home runs against RHPs this season with a .797 OPS on the season and .810 OPS over his nine-year career against righties.
McClure's optimal MLB DFS strategy includes stacking Lindor with outfielder Brandon Nimmo ($4,400 on DraftKings and $3,000 on FanDuel). The 30-year-old is in the middle of one of his best stretches of the season, riding an eight-game hitting streak into Thursday. The left-handed hitter has four multi-hit games in his last five contests with an RBI in each of his last three games and a home run in two of his last three contests.
Nimmo, who signed an eight-year, $162 million contract to stay with the Mets this offseason, has a home run and a walk in three career plate appearances against Wainwright. Nimmo has an .824 OPS against RHP this season and left-handed hitters are batting .403 with a 1.168 OPS against Wainwright in his 18th MLB year. Wainwright's struggles against left-handed hitters make these two Mets an appealing stack in a limited MLB DFS player pool on Thursday. See who else to pick right here.
How to set your MLB DFS lineups for August 17, 2023
McClure is also targeting an undervalued player who is set to explode for huge numbers on Thursday. The stars are aligning for him to return tournament-winning value and he comes at a price that won't break the bank. You can only see who it is here.
So what are the top MLB DFS picks for Thursday? Visit SportsLine now to see DFS millionaire Mike McClure's complete player pool and picks for FanDuel and DraftKings, and cash in big on MLB DFS.
