The daily fantasy baseball gods aren't making things easy on Thursday. There are 10 total games, but the Twins-Angels makeup tilt doesn't count for DFS purposes. The rest of the slate primarly takes place in the afternoon, with all but one game starting by 6:10 p.m. ET. The options are obviously limited on both FanDuel and DraftKings, and the lack of top-tier pitchers makes things even more difficult. Today's rankings aren't pretty, but you have to pick someone.
Matthew Boyd (vs. Marlins) stands out based on matchup, but Stephen Strasburg (@ Mets), Jordan Lyles (vs. Rockies), and Masahiro Tanaka (@ Orioles) also look like worthwhile plays. Lyles is the cheapest of that group, but all four should be highly owned. Madison Bumgarner (vs. Braves) and Aaron Nola (@ Cubs) have fairly tough matchups, but name value alone could land them in a lot of lineups. Nola in particular is a risky play given his struggles and high cost.
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The best value sleepers are Kevin Gausman (@ Giants) and Trevor Richards (@ Tigers), though it's tough to count on a win from the latter. If you want to go contrarian in a tournament, Richards is still a decent option given Detroit's No. 29 ranking in wRC+ vs. righties. Astros rookie Corbin Martin (vs. White Sox) has big strikeout upside, but through two starts, walks and homers have been an issue. He's a good GPP flier on a day like today.
Steven Matz (vs. Nationals) and Lucas Giolito (@ Astros) both look like fades based on matchups, but it's tough to completely rule anyone out on such a short slate. If you hit on either, you'll be well ahead of the game, but they're not worth the trouble in cash formats.
It doesn't look like weather will be an issue today, but we thought that yesterday and the Twins-Angels wound up being postponed because of heavy rain prior to the game. Check with the Fantasy Alarm Weather Center closer to lineup lock.
MORE THURSDAY MLB: DFS picks | FD lineup | Betting picks
Today's Daily Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Rankings: Thursday, May 23
(O) = Opener | (PLR) = Primary long reliever
Updated wRC+ stats coming soon
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Opponent | Opp. wRC+ vs. LHP (rank) | Opp. wRC+ vs. RHP (rank) | FD | DK |
| 1 | Matthew Boyd | Tigers | vs. Marlins | N/A | $9,500 | $10,300 | |
| 2 | Stephen Strasburg | Nationals | @ Mets | N/A | $11,000 | $11,000 | |
| 3 | Jordan Lyles | Pirates | vs. Rockies | N/A | $9,000 | $8,500 | |
| 4 | Masahiro Tanaka | Yankees | @ Orioles | N/A | $9,800 | $9,300 | |
| 5 | Jon Lester | Cubs | vs. Phillies | N/A | $8,500 | $8,300 | |
| 6 | Madison Bumgarner | Giants | vs. Braves | N/A | $8,700 | $9,300 | |
| 7 | Martin Perez | Twins | @ Angels | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| 8 | Aaron Nola | Phillies | @ Cubs | N/A | $9,100 | $9,700 | |
| 9 | Kevin Gausman | Braves | @ Giants | N/A | $8,000 | $8,300 | |
| 10 | Trevor Richards | Marlins | @ Tigers | N/A | $6,700 | $7,500 | |
| 11 | Corbin Martin | Astros | vs. White Sox | N/A | $8,300 | $9,300 | |
| 12 | Steven Matz | Mets | vs. Nationals | N/A | $7,300 | $7,300 | |
| 13 | Ryan Yarbrough (PLR) | Rays | @ Indians | N/A | N/A | $7,600 | |
| 14 | Lucas Giolito | White Sox | @ Astros | N/A | $8,400 | $8,400 | |
| 15 | Antonio Senzatela | Rockies | @ Pirates | N/A | $6,500 | $6,400 | |
| 16 | Dylan Bundy | Orioles | vs. Yankees | N/A | $6,800 | $6,800 | |
| 17 | Matt Harvey | Angels | vs. Twins | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| 18 | Adam Plutko | Indians | vs. Rays | N/A | $7,600 | $7,400 | |
| 19 | Ryne Stanek (O) | Rays | @ Indians | N/A | N/A | $6,000 | |
| 20 | Ryan Weber (O) | Red Sox | @ Blue Jays | N/A | $5,500 | $5,900 | |
| 21 | Clayton Richard | Blue Jays | vs. Red Sox | N/A | $6,300 | $6,500 |
wRC+ is defined by Fangraphs as "[measuring] how a player’s wRC compares with league average after controlling for park effects. League average for position players is 100, and every point above 100 is a percentage point above league average. For example, a 125 wRC+ means a player created 25% more runs than a league average hitter would have in the same number of plate appearances. Similarly, every point below 100 is a percentage point below league average, so a 80 wRC+ means a player created 20% fewer runs than league average." For more on the stat, click here.