Thursday's MLB schedule features just one night game, with seven afternoon games creating a unique MLB DFS player pool on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel. The Houston Astros will try to turn around their slow start to the season when they face the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Veteran pitcher Justin Verlander (1-0, 3.00 ERA) will be on the mound for the second time this season after allowing two earned runs across six innings at Washington last week. Should you include him in your MLB DFS lineups on Thursday?
Despite the team's slow start to the season, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is off to a hot start. He is batting .350 with six home runs and has 16 hits in his last 10 games, so he remains a popular addition to MLB DFS strategy. 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 Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan as one of his top MLB DFS picks on both sites. The result: Ryan allowed three earned runs across six innings while striking out eight batters, returning 24.5 points on DraftKings and 43 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
Now, with the 2024 MLB season rolling, McClure has locked in his top MLB daily Fantasy picks for Thursday, April 25. You can 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 Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts at $5,100 on DraftKings and $3,500 on FanDuel. Bogaerts is coming off his first three-hit performance of the season, going 3 of 4 while scoring a run against Colorado on Wednesday. He has been a streaky player so far this year, going cold following three straight multi-hit outings to open the campaign.
However, he has started to get back on track over the past week, hitting safely in four of his last five games. He also stole his second base of the season earlier this week and he has walked three times in his past four outings. Bogaerts is batting .370 with three homers and 11 runs in 12 career games at Coors Field during his career.
McClure is stacking Bogaerts with Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar at $4,000 on DraftKings and $3,500 on FanDuel. Profar has taken advantage of his spot in San Diego's deadly lineup, scoring multiple runs on three occasions this season. The latest occurrence came on Wednesday when he had a hit and a walk while scoring twice in the win over the Rockies.
Profar has a solid .286 batting average with two home runs and 15 RBI this year. He has walked 15 times and stolen a base, so this DFS stack could lead to a stolen bag from one of these players. Profar has recorded at least one hit in seven of his last eight games at Colorado, including a pair of two-hit performances. See McClure's full MLB DFS player pool at SportsLine.
How to set your MLB DFS lineups for April 25, 2024
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, and get the rest of McClure's Thursday DFS picks, 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, all from the DFS expert who has won more than $2 million.
