There are 11 games on the MLB schedule on Thursday, four in the afternoon and seven at night.  DraftKings daily fantasy players have a small pool to choose from in both the early and late contests.  While that may allow for an easier decision process when selecting a lineup, it also creates added pressure to make the right picks in order to keep up with the competition.

Here are five ideal options to go with on July 23.

Afternoon

David Price, P ($12,200), vs. Seattle Mariners

David Price is easily the most expensive pitcher on the board, but with so few possibilities available, he’s well worth the money.  Price has surrendered two or fewer earned runs in 10 of his last 11 starts.  He’s posted a 1.59 ERA in that span, with 85 strikeouts in 79 innings.

Price is averaging 28.8 fantasy points over his past seven outings.  The Detroit Tigers ace is also a virtual lock to pitch deep into the ballgame.  He’s thrown six or more innings in 14 of 15 appearances, with the one exception being a five-inning showing cut short by a rain delay in which he struck out six and allowed just two runs.

Price has the benefit of facing a Mariners squad with an American League-worst .237 team batting average.

Yoenis Cespedes, OF, Detroit Tigers ($3,800)

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

With an average of 7.9 fantasy points per game and a salary of $3,800, Yoenis Cespedes gives you 2.1 points per $1,000, solid value for a hitter.  What makes Cespedes a must-start, however, is his history against Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, which includes a monstrous 1.037 slugging percentage in 27 career at-bats:

Cespedes went 1-for-3 with a home run the last time he faced Iwakuma, which was only 17 days ago.

The slugger also enters Thursday’s contest on a mild hot streak, having reached base five times in two games with a homer, two runs scored and two RBI.

Evening

Lance McCullers, P ($9,300) vs. Boston Red Sox

Steve Nesius/Associated Press

Outside of Clayton Kershaw, there are no big-time arms taking the hill.  Kershaw‘s $14,500 price tag is tough to swallow, leaving Lance McCullers as a much cheaper alternative.  The 21-year-old will make just the 12th start of his young career, but his body of work to this point is quite impressive.

McCullers has 71 strikeouts in 64.1 innings and is averaging 20.4 fantasy points per game.  He’s also been spectacular at Minute Maid Park:

Against Boston on July 5, McCullers yielded just one run in five innings.  In addition, the Red Sox have been mired in a brutal offensive slump since the All-Star break—they are 0-6 with a total of only nine runs scored.

Eric Hosmer, 1B, Kansas City Royals ($3,900)

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

As noted by Mathew DeFranks of Sports Radio 810 WHB in Kansas City, Eric Hosmer is on a tear right now:

Including tonight, Eric Hosmer’s last 11 games: .455/.478/.659. #Royals

— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) July 23, 2015

Hosmer is also in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak in which he is 14-for-33.  Over his last four contests, Hosmer is a blistering 9-for-14 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored.

In his career versus St. Louis Cardinals starter John Lackey, Hosmer is 2-for-9 with a double, a homer and three RBI.  The Royals first baseman went 1-for-3 with a double against Lackey back on May 23.

Ruben Tejada, SS/3B, New York Mets ($2,400)

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

On Tuesday, Ruben Tejada was a bargain at $2,900, and on Thursday, he can be had for $500 less.  Tejada has a hit in 10 straight games, along with an on-base streak of 15 consecutive contests.  New York’s shortstop has also either scored or driven in a run in eight of 10 games.

Tejada’s price tag is lower than normal because of his opponent, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Kershaw.  Surprisingly, Tejada has fared well in his career when facing this season’s MLB strikeout leader.  Tejada has five hits and three walks in 13 career plate appearances for a .615 on-base percentage against Kershaw, including a 2-for-3 performance on July 3.

Don’t expect anything huge from Tejada, but if you spend your last $2,400 on him to fill out your roster, he may well provide a few points to help put you in the money.

All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via MLB.com unless otherwise noted. Mark Vandeusen is an MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @LucidSportsFan.

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