MLB strikeout props for Thu. 8/29: Great matchup for Jays' Francis

We were victims of the reverse sweep on Wednesday night, dropping our record to 12-9 in our last 21 plays. Everyone has rough days, but not everyone can bounce back from them. Let's do just that with our three favorite K props for Thursday's MLB slate.

Ryne Nelson over 5.5 Ks (+108 FanDuel )

Mets at Diamondbacks, 3:40 p.m. ET

Nelson isn't having a great statistical season if you look at his whole body of work. The Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander ranks in the fourth percentile in whiff rate (18.1 percent) and the 26th percentile in strikeout rate (19.7 percent) this season, but he's been a completely different pitcher over his last five starts. Since July 30, Nelson has a 31.7 percent K rate and is 5-0 to the over on this line. This is not the same pitcher we saw earlier in the season, and now he gets to face a New York Mets lineup that has the fourth-highest strikeout rate against righties over the last two weeks (27.7 percent).

Cristopher Sanchez over 4.5 Ks (-144 FD )

Braves at Phillies, 6:40 p.m. ET

The Atlanta Braves have been one of the worst lineups in baseball at avoiding strikeouts against left-handed pitchers of late. Atlanta has a 28.0 percent K rate against southpaws over the last two weeks, which is the seventh-highest mark in the league. Current Braves hitters have also struggled against Sanchez with a .180 xBA, a .281 xSLG and a 32.2 percent K rate in 59 plate appearances. The Philadelphia Phillies need Sanchez to eat up innings with a crucial four-game series beginning on Thursday night.

Bowden Francis 6+ Ks (+100 DraftKings )

Blue Jays at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. ET

Like Nelson, Francis turned it up a notch when the calendar flipped to August. The Toronto Blue Jays righty has an impressive 35.4 percent strikeout rate this month. For reference, Paul Skenes, one of the most dominant strikeout artists in MLB, has a 32.3 percent strikeout rate this season. The Boston Red Sox have the fourth-highest K rate in the league over the last week (28.8 percent), so this is a great matchup for Francis to keep his hot streak rolling.