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The early slate of MLB games offers plenty of potential for DFS value on Thursday, May 20th. With four games to choose from, the San Francisco Giants will play the Cincinnati Reds on the road to open up the early games. Below is a look at some of the top pitchers and hitters along with some players with the best DFS value.
Top Pitchers
Tyler Mahle, San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds ($9,200) — Tyler Mahl has had a fantastic start to the 2021 season with a 2-1 record and a 2.93 ERA through eight starts. He allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his starts so far this year and is going up against a Giants offense that has the sixth most strikeouts this season.
Rich Hill, Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles ($8,700) — Rich Hill gave up exactly four runs in each of his first four starts this season but has not allowed a single run in each of his last three starts, spanning 15.2 innings of work. He is 2-1 this season with a 4.26 ERA through eight starts.
Top Hitters
Nick Castellanos, San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds ($5,900) — The Reds outfielder is putting together some fantastic numbers at the place with a .338 batting average to go along with a .402 on-base percentage this season. He will look to extend his seven-game hit streak and has a favorable matchup against Johnny Cueto, who has struggled a bit in two starts since returning from the injured list.
Trea Turner, Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs ($5.800) — Trea Turner has recorded a hit in each of his last six games and 11 of his last 12. He also drove in at least one run in six games in a row. He will match up against Cubs’ starter Trevor Williams, who has a 6.27 ERA this season in eight starts.
Value Pitcher
Joe Ross, Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs ($7,100) — Joe Ross has been an all-or-nothing pitcher this season with two blow-up starts that have shattered his statistics. He gave up two or less runs in five of his seven starts this season, but in the other two, he gave up 18 combined runs. He is significantly better than his 5.80 ERA would indicate and has value in this spot.
Value Hitter
Kyle Schwarber, Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs ($4,200) — It makes sense to load up on Nationals batters in the early slate going up against Williams, who hasn’t lasted more than four innings in any of his last three starts. Kyle Schwarber’s numbers are not impressive this season, but he should have a few chances with runners on base against his former team.