This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
After a nearly full slate of matchups Tuesday, we're back to a split schedule Wednesday with plenty of teams on getaway days. That leaves us with eight games at 1:10 ET and seven beginning at 6:35 pm ET. We'll focus on the latter due to the larger variety of contests and bigger prize pools, so be sure to take note of the odd start time.
Pitchers
Given the limited number of games, it shouldn't come as a big surprise that we don't have a high number of dominant pitchers to choose from. There also aren't great cheap options, so we're likely to roster rates cluster around a few arms.
Shota Imanaga ($9,800) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($9,600) are the top-priced pitchers for the day. They have similar matchups against the Mets and Diamondbacks, respectively, but Yamamoto has more strikeout upside and a better SIERA so I'll side with him. Both New York and Arizona have above-average lineups that don't strike out frequently, so this isn't likely to be a ceiling performance for either pitcher.
Justin Verlander ($9,200) is priced similarly and the analysis is also quite similar to the top group. He's turned in two nearly identical results (19.1 and 19.6 DK points) in his pair of outings this season. Those numbers are probably his best case Wednesday, as Cleveland has been a good lineup that doesn't strike out much.
Kutter Crawford ($8,600) is the standout value of the day. Unlike the top group of pitchers, he has a fairly positive matchup as San Francisco is a slightly below-average lineup overall and has struck out batters at a league-average clip (22 percent). Crawford also has better skills than the cheap options.
There are two cheaper options to consider for those willing to take on some risk. In larger fields, these options should get a longer look given the nature of the player pool today and the fact that roster rates are likely to concentrate heavily at the top of the price points. If some of those starts go sideways and a cheap option emerges, they have the chance to help separate lineups for the field. Triston McKenzie ($7,200) has been a boom-bust option this year. In five starts, he has 14.2 points or more on three occasions, but negative points in the other two. Houston has a good lineup that doesn't strike out (16.6 percent), so I'm not overly enthused by McKenzie on Wednesday.
Roddery Munoz ($6,500) is the punt option and is a complete wild card. He's made only one career start in the majors but draws a matchup against the Rockies in Miami. His long-term outlook isn't particularly sunny, but perhaps he can sneak in a few effective starts before the league catches up.
Top Hitters
Trevor Williams has gotten good results this season but still doesn't miss many bats, so exposure to the Rangers is a good idea. Adolis Garcia ($5,400) is an elite power option and my favorite bat to target in the lineup.
Value Bats
I don't want to stack Houston bats because it's possible that McKenzie puts together a strong outing. That said, there are a lot of flaws in his profile that could lead to damage being done, highlighted by a 16.7 BB% (1.0 K-BB%) and a 1.2 HR/9. Joey Loperfido ($2,800) has a lot of pop and might be underpriced for the time being — depending on how he adjusts to major-league pitching.
Miami is certainly not a lineup we want to target often, and even in good matchups, it's probably not a good idea to devote a lot of salary to its hitters. There are some interesting potential values, though, particularly in a matchup against Dakota Hudson. Vidal Brujan ($2,500) has started five straight games and posted 8, 13, 15, 5 and 10 DK points in those contests. Bryan De La Cruz ($3,800) is a bit pricer but still checks in at a nice value as he slots into the second spot in the lineup.
Given the high price points of the pitchers, it's worth adding an additional value pick. Nick Senzel ($2,700) has hit second against lefties in the absence of Lane Thomas (knee) and faces Andrew Heaney, who has a history of giving up a lot of home runs.
Stacks to Consider
Boston Red Sox vs. San Francisco Giants (Daulton Jefferies): Jarren Duran ($4,700), Rafael Devers ($5,000), Tyler O'Neill ($5,500)
Wednesday looks to be the day of Boston chalk, as this is the standout stack and Crawford is the pretty clear point per dollar value on the pitching side. Jefferies has a limited big-league sample, but in 58.1 career innings, he has a 6.33 ERA, a 9.3 K-BB% and has allowed 1.4 HR/9. The Red Sox should put up some runs.
Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees (Luis Gil): Gunnar Henderson ($6,100), Ryan O'Hearn ($4,400), Anthony Santander ($4,400)
Gil has had some success early on, but there are warning signs in his skills profile. He's walked multiple batters in every start this season and has an overall walk rate of 17.6 percent. Gil has limited the damage by suppressing hard contact at an elite rate, but Baltimore has a number of hitters that can make him pay. The other benefit of the Orioles is that they have good hitters up and down the lineup, so it's possible to get exposure at a cheaper cost.
