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Since starting the season 0-for-5, Jackson Chourio has caught fire, hitting safely in each subsequent game and homering Wednesday. Zach Thompson supported Chourio as an undervalued DFS target for Thursday, highlighting his early-season success against lefty pitching and strong recent hitting. Facing Nick Lodolo, Thompson recommended Chourio as a DFS value chasing strong recent form vs left-handers (5-for-16, .313, with power).

Zach Thompson highlighted Aaron Judge as a high-quality DFS outfield pick, expecting him to rebound against Merrill Kelly. Despite recent struggles (five strikeouts in his last eight at-bats in the Arizona series), Judge maintains a season batting line of .368, four home runs, and an elite .626 wOBA. He holds strong past success against Merrill Kelly (including a home run) and is primed for a turnaround.

Ben Rice, identified by Zach Thompson, emerged as a great DFS budget bat due to his power potential vs Merrill Kelly. Rice earned his spot with an explosive spring (five homers, .359 wOBA) and continues to impress, hitting .385 with two home runs and a .565 wOBA so far this season. Particularly strong against righties (seven of his eight MLB homers off RHP), Rice faces a favorable matchup against Kelly, presenting great DFS value.

Zach Thompson pointed out Kristian Campbell as a premier DFS value option against Charlie Morton and the Red Sox. Campbell, newly locked into a contract extension, has started his MLB career red-hot, batting .400 (8-for-20) with a home run, four doubles, and a .523 wOBA. He's especially underpriced on FanDuel and provides positional flexibility on DraftKings, fitting either at second base or outfield, making Campbell an attractive DFS salary-saver worth rostering until his price catches up with his early-season production.

Zach Thompson recommended Eugenio Suarez as a large-upside DFS selection vs Carlos Carrasco and the Yankees. Suarez has only five hits in his first 21 at-bats this season, but all five were home runs, including a game-winning grand slam Tuesday against the Yankees. Suarez has historical success against Carrasco (4-for-17 with a home run and a triple) and remains an affordable option for DFS contests, making him a compelling choice on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Zach Thompson identified Nestor Cortes as a buy-low MLB DFS candidate after a brutal Brewers debut, where Cortes gave up eight runs and five homers in just two innings. Despite this nightmare outing, Thompson highlighted Cortes's previous season's solid metrics (3.77 ERA, 3.84 FIP, 8.4 K/9) and his strong spring (four runs in 11 innings, 14 strikeouts) as indicators of better performances to come. The Reds struggled heavily against left-handed pitching last season, ranking in the bottom 10 in most offensive categories, setting Cortes up for a favorable bounce-back matchup at home.

Zach Thompson tabbed Joe Ryan as his top pitching choice for the MLB DFS slate on April 3rd, citing particularly strong home performances over his career at Target Field, where Ryan posts a K/9 rate of 10.5, notably higher than his road strikeout rate. Ryan also exhibited encouraging form with a strong first start against the Cardinals, pitching five innings with five strikeouts, allowing only one run. Ryan's matchup against an Astros team that currently ranks among the league leaders in strikeout rate (54 Ks in six games) offers substantial upside, especially in a cold afternoon game in Minneapolis. Despite some inconsistency against Houston last season (eight earned runs over two starts), Thompson expects Ryan's strikeout skills to shine in this spot.

Zach Thompson endorsed Nick Lodolo as a strong MLB DFS pitching play at Milwaukee. In his opening game this season, Lodolo pitched well (six innings, two earned runs), but curiously recorded only one strikeout, far below his impressive rates from last year (9.5 K/9) and spring (9.8 K/9). Thompson sees this as a clear opportunity for strikeout regression, especially given Lodolo's superior road splits from last year (3.56 ERA, 3.23 FIP). The Brewers offer a fine matchup for strikeout upside, making Lodolo particularly appealing in the DFS slate.