It's a sight to behold every time that Shohei Ohtani takes the mound and the two-way superstar will be back on the bump on Thursday as the Angels host the Seattle Mariners for a 9:38 p.m. ET first pitch. Ohtani dazzled with a one-hit shutout and struck out eight during his last start in Detroit and then followed it up by hitting two home runs in the second game of a doubleheader later in the day. Now he's sure to be a popular option for MLB DFS lineups as a pitcher having posted a 5-0 record with a 2.02 ERA and 62 strikeouts over 49 innings in eight career starts against Seattle.
But Ohtani is the most expensive pitching option in the MLB DFS player pool at $11,000 on DraftKings and $10,400 on FanDuel and affording him will require sacrifices elsewhere? So who are some of the more affordable options that will allow you to take big swings on starts like Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger and Elly De La Cruz? 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 Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien in his MLB DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Semien went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored, returning 25 points on DraftKings and 34.6 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 Wednesday, August 2. 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 Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner at $4,800 on DraftKings and $3,300 on FanDuel. Chicago's first-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft has been a consistent bat-to-ball guy since first appearing in MLB in 2019 and he's providing added value after MLB rule changes created an additional emphasis on baserunning.
Hoerner has already reached a career-high with 26 stolen bases and he also has a career-high 58 RBI. His eight home runs are also two shy of a new career high and he's on a tear during this current four-game series with the Reds. Hoerner is 6-for-16 with three extra-base hits (a homer and two doubles) and he'll have another compelling matchup on Thursday against Reds righty Luke Weaver, who sports a 6.80 ERA on the season.
McClure's optimal MLB DFS strategy includes rostering Astros third baseman Alex Bregman ($5,300 on DraftKings and $3,200 on FanDuel). The two-time All-Star has leveled off a little since a 2019 season where he posted a 1.019 OPS with 41 home runs and 112 RBI but he continues to be a productive offensive player with a .796 OPS over the last four years.
Bregman is slashing .253/.349/.427 with 18 home runs and 69 RBI so far in 2023 and he has a 1.060 OPS over the last 14 days. The 29-year-old has been significantly better against right-handed pitching than left in 2023, posting an .860 OPS with 14 of his 18 home runs coming against righties. He'll take on Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt on Thursday, who has given up five home runs in his last five starts. See who else to pick right here.
How to set your MLB DFS lineups for August 3, 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.
