As usual, Thursday is slower than normal across MLB with only 20 teams in action.  There are also three afternoon games on the docket, further shrinking the talent pool in most DraftKings daily fantasy contests.

With such a small field available, picking one or two key players becomes all the more important.  Here are a few of the best pitcher and hitter options for June 4.

Pitchers

Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros ($10,000)

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Among the early games, Dallas Keuchel is a must-start.  On Wednesday, he was named American League Pitcher of the Month for May, an honor he also received in April.  Keuchel‘s 1.76 ERA and 0.91 WHIP are both second best in the majors, while his batting average against of .183 is the lowest in baseball.

Even if he’s not dominant, Keuchel is certain to last deep into the ballgame.  Over 11 outings this season, he’s never failed to pitch at least six innings and has thrown seven or more on eight occasions.  Keuchel is also coming off back-to-back complete games, including a four-hit shutout of the Chicago White Sox on May 30.

Considering the other possibilities are Wei-Yin Chen, Jesse Hahn, Shane Greene and Steven Wright, Thursday’s afternoon winners will almost certainly have Keuchel in their lineups.

Aaron Harang, Philadelphia Phillies ($6,800)

With an average of 18.8 fantasy points per start, Aaron Harang’s $6,800 salary provides great bang for your buck.  At 2.76 points per $1,000, Harang compares quite favorably to the evening’s most expensive options.  Matt Harvey, $10,400, and Jake Arrieta, $9,600, average out to 2.16 and 2.17 points per $1,000, respectively.

This will be Harang’s sixth home appearance of the season, a place where he is thriving so far in 2015.

Harang went 2-3 in the month of May, but don’t be fooled by his record.  In his last six starts, Harang allowed a total of just seven earned runs while pitching six innings or more in every outing.

The veteran has the added bonus Thursday of facing the Cincinnati Reds offense, which has scored the third-fewest runs in the National League.

Hitters

Xander Bogaerts, 3B/SS, Boston Red Sox ($3,900)

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Since there are only three games to choose from in the early contests, if a player has a huge afternoon and he’s not in your lineup, chances are you won’t be in the money.  With that in mind, it’s worth betting on the hot hand, especially at an affordable price—Xander Bogaerts has eight hits in his last four games.

The Red Sox’s 22-year-old shortstop is also showing a sudden inclination to steal bases.  Bogaerts has just three steals all season, but two in the past two days.

The youngster is displaying great discipline at the plate as well.  Bogaerts‘ strikeout on Wednesday was just the sixth in his last 89 plate appearances.

Matt Carpenter, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals ($4,400)

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Matt Carpenter’s numbers don’t necessarily jump off the table, but he’s a consistent performer with a great matchup on Thursday.

Matt Carpenter, who will soon make his 3rd All-Star team in his 4th full MLB season…also never made a single Top-100 prospect list.

— Jonah Keri (@jonahkeri) May 30, 2015

Carpenter’s .314 batting average ranks 10th in the National League.  His .396 on-base percentage is sixth, and his .543 slugging percentage is eighth.  He’s also scored 35 runs this year, tied for the sixth most in the NL.

Facing off against Carpenter will be Los Angeles Dodgers righty Carlos Frias.  At $4,500, Frias is easily the cheapest pitcher on the board Thursday night.  The left-handed hitting Carpenter is 2-for-3 in his career against Frias.

A.J. Pollock, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks ($4,100)

Ben Margot/Associated Press

No one in baseball is hotter over the past two weeks than A.J. Pollock, who’s homered in consecutive games.

For the year, Pollack is batting .318, the sixth-highest average in the NL.  He’s also scored 37 runs, the third most in the league, and stolen 13 bases, which is fourth best.

Daily fantasy players may be hesitant to use Pollock in their lineups while he’s facing New York Mets ace Matt Harvey.  But at just $4,100, Pollock is worth the risk.

Four days ago in a more favorable matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers’ Tyler Wagner, Pollock’s price tag was $4,900.  Since then, all he’s done is go 8-for-20 with two home runs and five RBI.  

All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

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