Thursday's MLB schedule consists of only nine games, four during the day and five at night. Whether DraftKings daily fantasy players choose to enter contests in the afternoon, evening or both, options are limited. Scoring points from unexpected sources is what will separate the winners from the losers.
With that in mind, here are five names that qualify as bargain buys for August 13, ranging from an aging veteran to a relatively unknown rookie.
Afternoon
SP Mark Buehrle, Toronto Blue Jays ($7,600) vs. Oakland A's
Mark Buehrle has been the model of consistency in 2015. The 36-year-old hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in a game since May 29, a span of 12 starts. Buehrle has also lasted at least six innings in 15 of his last 16 outings, with the only slip-up being a 5.2-inning performance. In that time, his season ERA has dropped from 6.00 to 3.34.
Buehrle's numbers at Rogers Centre this year are also much better than his stats on the road:
The soft-throwing lefty doesn't get many strikeouts, but he rarely walks anyone either. Buehrle has surrendered just two bases on balls over his past seven starts.
1B Prince Fielder, Texas Rangers ($4,500) at Minnesota Twins
A perennial All-Star, Prince Fielder hardly qualifies as a sleeper. But considering his history when facing Twins starter Ervin Santana, Fielder is a bargain at $4,500.
The Texas slugger has three home runs and six RBI in 16 at-bats against Santana:
Fielder also owns a modest four-game hitting streak, during which he's 7-for-17 with a homer and four RBI.
Evening
SP Keyvius Sampson, Cincinnati Reds ($4,500) at Los Angeles Dodgers
Keyvius Sampson is the definition of "sleeper"—at $4,500, he's the cheapest pitcher available on Thursday night. Sampson is making just his third major league start, but considering his average of 17.1 fantasy points through his first two, he's a steal.
Above are highlights of Sampson's previous outing in Arizona in which he picked up the win after yielding one run on four hits in six innings. The rookie has a total of 12 strikeouts in 12 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .159 batting average.
Five of the 10 starting pitchers on the board cost more than double what Sampson does. Taking a calculated gamble on the 24-year-old will allow for much bigger bats throughout your lineup.
SS Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians ($3,600) vs. New York Yankees
Francisco Lindor got off to a rocky start to his big league career. However, the 21-year-old phenom is steadily building momentum as the season progresses. Lindor batted only .211 in June, but he then hit .295 in July. After 10 games this month, his August average stands at .325.
The youngtser's offensive production over his last 20 games has been outstanding:
Lindor has a base hit in each of his last seven contests. He's 12-for-28 with eight runs scored during the streak. Even though his salary ranks at the top of the list for shortstops, Lindor will be well worth the money if his hot hitting continues.
2B Neil Walker, Pittsburgh Pirates ($3,200) at St. Louis Cardinals
Neil Walker is 0-for-8 with a pair of strikeouts in his last two games, but look for that to change once he steps into the batter's box versus Lance Lynn. When the St. Louis righty last faced the Pirates on July 10, Walker went 3-for-3 with a homer in the first four innings.
Walker's fourth-inning blast led to Lynn's briefest appearance in over 13 months, according to KTGR radio host Brandon Kiley:
For his career, Walker is 13-for-37 against Lynn, with seven extra-base hits, three homers, 10 RBI and a .432 on-base percentage.
Walker is also a better hitter away from PNC Park this season. He's batting .254 and scoring 6.5 fantasy points per game at home, but those averages jump to .289 and 7.8, respectively, on the road.
All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via MLB.com unless otherwise noted. Mark Vandeusen is an MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @LucidSportsFan.
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