Thursday presents us with its usual shortened slate, as there are 11 games on the menu. What makes this abbreviated slate unique is that it's the last one of the regular season. With eight teams getting the day off, this is likely the last time you'll have multiple empty lineup spots to fill with streamers. There are precious few decisions left to make before a champion is crowned in your fantasy league, so make those decisions count.
Here's a look at Thursday's top streaming options, focusing on players rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues.
Pitching
Kevin Gausman (R), rostered in 43% of ESPN leagues, San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies: Gausman continues to stay under the radar despite being on a dominant roll. The right-hander has now allowed two or fewer runs in four straight starts, and he's surrendered more than three earned runs just once in nine starts this season, leading to a 3.76 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. And it's not like Gausman is doing it with smoke and mirrors, as his 11.6 K/9 top-10 in baseball and his 4.5 K/BB ranks top-15. Fire him up with confidence against a Rockies lineup that is non-threatening outside of Coors Field (77 wRC+).
Alec Mills (R), 35%, Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates: After spinning a no-hitter against Milwaukee, Mills came back down to earth in his last outing against the Twins, surrendering four runs over six frames. Fortunately, he finds himself in a prime bounce-back spot on Thursday, facing a Pittsburgh team that ranks dead last in wOBA (.256) and wRC (58) against right-handed pitching. While Mills doesn't generate many strikeouts (6.8 K/9), the Pirates sport a 25.4% whiff rate against righties, so he's still a decent bet to rack up a handful of K's in this matchup.
David Peterson (L), 12%, New York Mets at Washington Nationals: Peterson has been up and down this season, but he's currently trending up. After a solid start against the Blue Jays (5 IP, 2 ER), he delivered his strongest outing of the season, holding a strong Braves lineup to one run over six innings while fanning a season-high 10 batters. Peterson has been increasing his slider usage (up to 32.4%), and the pitch generated 14 swings and misses against the Braves on Saturday (his previous season-high was seven). He'll look to continue that momentum against a Nationals offense that's been well below average in September (91 wRC+).
Kris Bubic (L), 6%, Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers: Bubic is in the midst of a nice little stretch, allowing two or fewer earned runs in four straight turns with 25 K's in 22 2/3 frames. The rookie isn't just picking on bad teams, as two of those outings came against the White Sox, the best team in baseball against left-handed pitching (.384 wOBA). Thursday's matchup against Detroit presents an easier path to success. While the Tigers have been tough on lefties this season, their offense has sputtered to the finish line with a .281 wOBA and 28.2% strikeout rate in September.
Pablo Lopez (R), 36%, Miami Marlins at Atlanta Braves: Lopez has had a couple of hiccups this season, including one against the Braves, but he's actually been quite consistent, holding opponents to two or fewer earned runs in eight of 10 starts. Not only is he fanning more than a batter per inning, but he's also doing a good job limiting hard contact, as his 28.7% hard-hit rate is 14th-best in MLB. Yes, a matchup against Atlanta is generally one we want to shy away from. Since the beginning of September, they've been the best offense in baseball with a .386 wOBA and 141 wRC+. Having said that, there are only a few days left in the regular season, so if you're trying to make up ground in the standings, now isn't the time to play it safe.
Bullpen: Jeremy Jeffress leads the Cubs with eight saves, yet he's still available in 47% of leagues. He's undoubtedly been their best reliever this season, demonstrated by his 1.61 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. With the Cubs still trying to secure a playoff spot, Jeffress should get plenty of work in the season's final days.
For the latest team-by-team closer situations, please consult our Closer Chart.
Hitting
Catcher -- Sean Murphy (R), 17%, Oakland Athletics at Los Angeles Dodgers (RHP Walker Buehler): Production at the catcher position can be hard to find, which is why Murphy deserves more attention. Since the beginning of September, he's batting .313/.463/.688 with four homers and more walks (9) than walks (7). Buehler is obviously a tough customer, but Murphy sports a .382 wOBA versus righties.
First Base -- Darin Ruf (R), 1%, San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies (RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez): Ruf has been getting regular playing time and making the most of it. The veteran slugger is batting .343/.410/.771 with four home runs in September, while Gonzalez sports a 7.53 ERA over five starts this season.
Second Base -- Gavin Lux (L), 48%, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Oakland Athletics (RHP Mike Fiers): While Lux's .169/.246/.356 slash line is obviously disappointing, let's not forget that he's still one of baseball's most intriguing young bats. The 22-year-old has been showing some signs of life, clubbing three homers over his last eight games.
Third Base -- Bobby Dalbec (R), 12%, Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles (RHP Alex Cobb): If you need a late power boost, Dalbec is your guy. The 25-year-old thumper has swatted seven homers and driven in 13 runs in his first 18 big-league games. Strikeouts have been a big problem for the youngster (47.8% K rate), but that problem is mitigated by Cobb, who doesn't miss many bats.
Shortstop -- Miguel Rojas (R), 24%, Miami Marlins at Atlanta Braves (RHP Ian Anderson): Rojas has done nothing but hit all season. He sports a .343/.439/.562 slash line over 35 games, including a nearly identical .352/.435/.574 triple slash over his last 17 contests. Rojas also swiped a pair of bases earlier this week for good measure.
Corner Infield -- Maikel Franco (R), 34%, Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers (RHP Michael Fulmer): Fulmer has been arguably the worst starter in baseball this season, posting an 8.17 ERA and 1.97 WHIP over nine starts. Needless to say, this is a prime time to scoop up Franco, who has popped all seven of his homers against righties this season.
Middle Infield -- Willi Castro (S), 7%, Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals (LHP Kris Bubic): The switch-hitting Castro has quietly been a nice fantasy asset this season, batting .352/.388/.560 with four homers and 16 RBIs over his last 25 games. He's also settled in as the Tigers' No. 2 hitter over the last week, opening up more run-scoring opportunities.
Outfield -- Jason Heyward (L), 24%, Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates (RHP Chad Kuhl): Heyward remains a popular name in this space whenever he has the platoon edge. The veteran outfielder has put up a .327/.457/.554 slash line against righty pitchers this season. Meanwhile, Kuhl has been tagged for 13 runs in his last 7 1/3 innings.
Outfield -- Austin Hays (R), 8%, Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox (LHP Martin Perez): Perez has been vulnerable to right-handed bats this season, allowing a .294/.357/.454 slash line. This puts Hays in a nice spot with the platoon advantage. The 25-year-old has been heating up of late, batting .333/.394/.467 over his last nine games.
Outfield -- Austin Riley (R), 35%, Atlanta Braves vs. Miami Marlins (RHP Pablo Lopez): The Braves lineup has been the best in baseball in September, and Riley is a good way to get some exposure to it. While he can be inconsistent, his big-time power makes him a high-upside play on a team that has been scoring runs by the truckload.