Price: $11,500

His recent performances haven't quite lived up to his absurd start to the season, but Chris Sale has still been excellent in the last four games, posting a 27.0% strikeout rate and 3.03 xFIP in that stretch.

That "slump" leaves him with a 2.55 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) as well as league-leading marks in both strikeout rate (35.3%) and swinging-strike rate (16.0%).

The Philadelphia Phillies rank 20th in wRC+ against left-handed pitching. Their 3.43 implied total is Thursday's lowest mark, and the Boston Red Sox (-230 moneyline) are they day's biggest favorites by a wide margin.

Sale combines elite production with a strong matchup, and his status as the day's top pitching option is unquestioned since Thursday's main slate doesn't offering a ton of appealing pitching options. Sale is incredibly hard to fade in any format.