Eric Lindquist recommended betting Lance McCullers to allow more than 2.5 earned runs in Friday’s start against Texas. He noted that McCullers’ trademark strike-out juice has disappeared—just a 15.4 % K-rate through two outings compared to 26-30 % in his prime—and the veteran was yanked after a seven-run inning last time out. Lindquist pointed out that most of the Rangers’ order is right-handed, the very split McCullers used to dominate, but his sinker/cutter combo is no longer missing bats or limiting hard contact. Because Texas profiles as a top-10 offense versus righties and Houston may monitor McCullers’ workload after multiple injury-plagued seasons, Lindquist expects a short leash that still leaves enough time for three earned runs to cross. He would play the prop to –125 or better.

Razzle said Lance McCullers is "in play" as a salary-saver on this slate despite the obvious unknowns. The right-hander is making his first MLB start in nearly two seasons after forearm surgery, so the key variable is how many pitches Houston will actually let him throw. Razzle plans to monitor pre-game reports on pitch count and first-time-through-the-order expectations, but noted that McCullers historically posts a 28% strike-out rate and an elite 57% ground-ball rate—numbers good enough to pay off a sub-$7K DFS tag even in four-to-five efficient innings. The tout recommends treating McCullers as a low-owned GPP dart who can crack 15–18 DraftKings points if he reaches 75 pitches and secures the win bonus.

Morgan framed Lance McCullers as a GPP dart at $7,700. Although the righty hasn’t appeared in the majors since the 2022 World Series, he tossed four and five scoreless innings in his last two Triple-A rehab starts. The White Sox rank bottom-eight in both runs and OPS, so even a limited 5-to-6 inning workload could generate value if McCullers’ stuff is close to form.

Kirby flat-out dismissed Lance McCullers as a fantasy option, stating she has "never had interest" and sees none now despite reports of an upcoming return. The long injury layoff, chronic forearm/elbow issues, and McCullers’ historically bloated walk rate (career 9.8%) make him too risky. She would only consider him in ultra-deep dynasty formats where an IL slot costs nothing; otherwise, she prefers to leave the inevitable first-start pitch count and command hiccups for someone else to endure.