Thursday's Starting Pitcher Value Rankings
Here are theScore's starting pitcher value rankings for Thursday, June 2 (all stats exclude Wednesday's games):
Value Rankings
C | 1B/DH | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP
Top Options
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Hendricks (CHC) | vs. LAD | 8 |
| Madison Bumgarner (SF) | at ATL | 8 |
| Jerad Eickhoff (PHI) | vs. MIL | 7 |
Hendricks holds a 2.93 ERA and has the Cubs' powerful offense behind him, helping his chances at a win. He's coming off his best game of the season, a complete-game, one-earned-run win over the Phillies.
Bumgarner looks like the safest selection of the day against the overmatched Braves, though his position-leading price limits his value somewhat. Bumgarner has allowed one run or fewer in five of his last six starts.
Milwaukee's propensity to strike out helps Eickhoff's cause, though he has given up at least three runs in five of his last six starts.
Mid-Tier Targets
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Anderson (MIL) | at PHI | 7 |
| Wei-Yin Chen (MIA) | vs. PIT | 7 |
| Zack Greinke (ARI) | at HOU | 6 |
| Matt Moore (TB) | at MIN | 6 |
| Dallas Keuchel (HOU) | vs. ARI | 6 |
| Wade Miley (SEA) | at SD | 6 |
| Matt Boyd (DET) | vs. NYY | 6 |
| Juan Nicasio (PIT) | at MIA | 6 |
| Carlos Carrasco (CLE) | vs. KC | 6 |
| Rick Porcello (BOS) | at BAL | 5 |
| Yordano Ventura (KC) | at CLE | 5 |
Greinke is priced slightly too high to trust. The Astros are the most strikeout-prone team in baseball, but its 1-2-3 hitters (George Springer, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa) are hot and Greinke has had his issues with home runs, allowing one in each of his last four starts.
The Yankees struggle against left-handed pitching, giving a boost to Boyd, who's been solid in two games, though may struggle to reach the five innings needed for a win.
Carrasco will come off the DL in time to start, but will apparently be limited to 80 pitches.
Nothing to See Here
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Gibson (MIN) | vs. TB | 4 |
| Colin Rea (SD) | vs. SEA | 4 |
| Aaron Blair (ATL) | vs. SF | 4 |
| Michael Pineda (NYY) | at DET | 4 |
| Ubaldo Jimenez (BAL) | vs. BOS | 3 |
| Eddie Butler (COL) | vs. CIN | 3 |
| Alfredo Simon (CIN) | at COL | 1 |
Pineda strikes out better than a batter per inning, offering some salvation for those who can look past his 2-6 record and 6.92 ERA.
The best thing that can be said of Simon is that he's priced as much as a relief pitcher on some sites, theoretically making him a bargain. Simon's ERA sits at 9.60 through nine starts, and he has returned negative fantasy points five times. A road start against the powerful Rockies offense, which slugged seven home runs en route to scoring 17 runs on Tuesday, looms as the worst-case scenario for the struggling veteran.
Julio Urias of the Dodgers, who may or may not be listed on some DFS sites, will start in place of Kenta Maeda against the Cubs. It's not an ideal scenario for the 19-year-old, who lasted just 2.2 innings in his MLB debut last week, allowing three earned runs and walking four.