We have a 10-game MLB slate on Thursday, with six games starting before 3 p.m. ET and plenty of action until the slate’s final game at 8:40 p.m. ET. If you’re looking for fantasy baseball advice regarding which pitchers to potentially stream on this slate, here are three options to consider.
Why You Should Stream Steven Matz in Thursday’s Fantasy Baseball Slate
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say Matz might be the most attractive streaming option on this slate, and it should be easy to get him in most formats since he’s rostered in around 20% of most leagues. He faces an excellent matchup against a Chicago White Sox offense that ranks dead last in collective OPS in the majors this season (.590) while averaging a mere 3.16 runs scored per game.
As if having a strong matchup wasn’t enough of a reason to start Matz, it’s worth noting that he has struck out 15 batters over his last two outings (11 innings) and has posted a 2.45 ERA and 0.73 WHIP in that span, so he should be good enough to dominate a White Sox lineup that’s not only far from threatening but also slumping of late. After striking out at least 7 in each of his last two starts, don’t be surprised if Matz hovers around that mark once again on Thursday.
Why Lance McCullers Jr. Could Be a Strong Streaming Option vs. the Rockies
Continuing the trend of a favorable matchup against a subpar offense, Lance McCullers Jr. has a golden chance to get things back on track when facing the Rockies away from Coors Field. This is a Colorado lineup that was K’d 10 times by Spencer Arrighetti on Wednesday, and it wouldn’t be surprising if McCullers has a solid showing as well.
He lives and dies by his breaking pitches to right-handed hitters, and that’s exactly the profile of hitter the Rockies have struggled against this season. Colorado ranks as the ninth-worst collective OPS (.681) despite playing at Coors Field, and it has a .648 OPS in games on the road so far.
At least on paper, this is a great opportunity for McCullers, who’s rostered in around 20% of leagues, mainly because he hasn’t completed 5 innings in any of his last two starts while sporting an 8:5 K:BB across 8.1 frames in that stretch.
Why Kris Bubic Could Be a Strong Fantasy Alternative vs. the Tigers on Thursday
Kris Bubic is coming off one of his best outings of the season after striking out 11 over 7 scoreless innings in a win over the Chicago White Sox the last time out. He has an excellent chance to continue on that dominance trail against the Tigers.
In 56 plate appearances against current Tigers hitters, Bubic has limited opponents to a .196 average and .259 xwOBA, striking out more than 32% of the batters he’s faced. Considering the Tigers have been struggling on offense and that Bubic has a 2.50 ERA with an excellent 0.83 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB through his first three starts (18.0 innings) in 2026, all signs point to Bubic being an excellent option to start on Thursday’s slate, regardless of whether you’re playing season-long formats or DFS contests.
Leave a Reply