Fantasy baseball lineup advice for Thursday: Matchups bode well for Taj Bradley, Jack Flaherty

ESPN FantasyMay 27, 2026, 04:08 PM ET
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Check out all of our starting pitcher rankings and other lineup selection tools here to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions. All fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

Note: All information is accurate as of the time of publication. For updates, as well as any breaking news that might impact today's MLB slate, be sure to check out the latest fantasy baseball buzz.

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ESPN's 2026 Draft Guide | Betting notes for Thursday

STARTING PITCHERS FOR THURSDAY

Pitchers are ranked in order of their Forecaster/Daily Notes projected fantasy points (FPTS), using ESPN's standard scoring system (2 points per win, minus-2 per loss, 3 per inning, 1 per K, minus-1 apiece per hit or walk allowed, minus-2 per earned run allowed).

T: The pitcher's handedness. OPP: Opposing team. RST%: The pitcher's roster percentage in ESPN leagues. W%: The individual starting pitcher's win probability using ESPN projections. IP: Projected innings pitched. H+BB: Projected hits plus walks allowed. ER: Projected earned runs allowed. K: Projected strikeouts.

If a team is planning on using an "opener" to start their game, but will rely on a "bulk pitcher" to follow him on the mound after 1-2 innings, the bulk pitcher is listed and indicated with an asterisk.

FPTS	Pitcher	T	Opp	Rst%	W%	IP	H+BB	ER	K
14.1	Paul Skenes	R	CHC	99.9%	43%	6.0	6.4	2.0	6.3
12.9	Chris Sale	L	@BOS	99.7%	36%	6.0	7.2	2.6	7.1
12.4	Nathan Eovaldi	R	HOU	87.5%	37%	6.2	7.0	2.6	6.1
11.5	Davis Martin	R	MIN	88.8%	43%	6.2	7.8	2.7	5.8
11.2	Taj Bradley	R	@CWS	72.1%	32%	5.9	7.3	2.5	5.9
10.4	Spencer Arrighetti	R	@TEX	50.6%	33%	5.9	7.6	2.8	5.8
10.1	Jack Flaherty	R	LAA	35.0%	31%	5.3	6.8	2.6	6.0
8.7	Chris Bassitt	R	TOR	4.6%	33%	5.8	7.8	3.0	5.1
8.7	Grayson Rodriguez	R	@DET	4.6%	28%	5.5	7.4	2.9	5.7
8.6	Payton Tolle	L	ATL	41.5%	25%	5.1	6.6	2.7	5.4
8.1	Colin Rea	R	@PIT	5.6%	24%	5.6	7.3	2.9	4.7
7.3	Patrick Corbin	L	@BAL	1.2%	26%	5.0	6.7	2.7	4.5

Pitchers to stream on Thursday

The Minnesota Twins visit the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Taj Bradley is only available in 28% of ESPN leagues, but it's an abbreviated seven-game slate, and the options available in at least 50% all come with more risk than usual for a streamer. Overall, the White Sox's offense is below average with an above-average strikeout rate, but they have a potent top half of the order. Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery have accounted for 44 of the club's 73 homers. Bradley is a fly ball pitcher, but thus far, he has done a good job keeping the ball in the yard, along with posting a solid 27.2% strikeout rate.
Payton Tolle has recorded a quality start in four of his six outings, including an eight-inning road effort against the Atlanta Braves. As the Boston Red Sox's natural rival, the clubs play each other home and away, with the Braves visiting Fenway Park. The early forecast calls for the wind to blow in from center field.
Jack Flaherty has been a disappointment, especially considering the Detroit Tigers' recent losing streak. The veteran righty doesn't merit this recommendation based on performance, but the matchup is too good to miss. The Los Angeles Angels visit Comerica Park, and while Flaherty's command and control have been below par, he's still racking up strikeouts at a high clip. The Angels fan at the highest rate in the league against right-handed pitching.

Hitters to stream on Thursday

The Baltimore Orioles host the Toronto Blue Jays in the first of a four-game series at Camden Yards. The hosts like to play matchups, so several right-handed platoon hitters are in play against the journeyman southpaw. Tyler O'Neill, Coby Mayo and Jeremiah Jackson should benefit from enjoying the platoon advantage. In addition, teams have run wild on the Blue Jays this month, so Blaze Alexander is a candidate to be active on the base paths.