This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Wednesday's main MLB slate offers no shortage of selections, with 12 games on tap from 7:05 PM Eastern time. Below, you'll find which individual pitchers and hitters are primed to provide the best value, as well as the top lineup stacking options on this slate.
Pitching
The go-to pitching option is clearly Mets ace Jacob deGrom ($11,900) at home against Miami's 29th-ranked offense. DeGrom is putting together another fantastic campaign, with a 2.51 ERA, 2.72 FIP and 31.8 percent strikeout rate.
On the cheaper end of the price spectrum lies Cubs southpaw Jon Lester ($6,700) in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have a league-worst .676 OPS against lefties, and Chicago needs to win out to have any chance at a playoff berth, so this is a nice opportunity for Lester to deliver strong bang for the buck.
Key Values/Chalk
The Astros, Athletics and Nationals all have something left to play for, be it playoff seeding or just a playoff berth. All of those teams will thus be motivated to take advantage of their respective favorable matchups, but there's value to be found outside of those three stackable lineups.
Switch-hitting Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies ($3,700) has always been significantly better from the right side, and he has a .455 wOBA from there compared to a .325 mark when batting left-handed. That trend should continue against Royals lefty Mike Montgomery, who has a 5.00 ERA and 5.64 FIP.
Indians first baseman Carlos Santana ($3,900) is another switch-hitter who thrives from the right side, posting a .421 wOBA against lefties. He's likely to find further success against White Sox southpaw Ross Detwiler, who's surrendering a .422 wOBA to right-handed batters.
Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo ($2,900) has taken advantage of Globe Life Park in Arlington's hitter-friendly conditions, posting a home wOBA over .400 against righties at home. The left-handed slugger is a nice value play out of the leadoff spot against visiting Red Sox righty Rick Porcello.
Stocks
Astros at Mariners (LHP Yusei Kikuchi)
Jose Altuve (2B - $4,200), Alex Bregman (3B - $4,400), George Springer (OF - $4,400)
Kikuchi's first season in North America has been subpar, as indicated by his 5.55 ERA and 5.85 FIP. Things are likely to only get worse against an Astros lineup teeming with hitters who dominate lefties. Altuve has a .438 wOBA against southpaws, Bergman's at .453 in that split and Springer's at .368. All three also bat in the first four spots in the order, allowing them to benefit from each other's production.
Athletics at Angels (LHP Andrew Heaney)
Marcus Semien (SS - $4,000), Matt Chapman (3B - $3,600), Khris Davis (OF - $2,800)
Sticking in the AL West, the A's are in a similar situation to the Astros, facing a vulnerable lefty on the road. Heaney has a 5.10 ERA overall, but that number sits at 9.31 in four September starts, and he's been taken deep multiple times in three of those four games. Semien leads off and has a .377 wOBA against lefties. Chapman's at .362 in that split, while Davis has a .366 mark that grows to .437 on the road.
Nationals vs. Phillies (LHP Drew Smyly)
Ryan Zimmerman (1B - $2,700), Juan Soto (OF - $4,000), Anthony Rendon (3B - $4,200)
Smyly has an ugly 6.44 ERA and 6.51 FIP, and left-handed hitters have actually hit him harder than those from the right side (.456 wOBA to .368). Zimmerman has dominated lefties with a wOBA over .400 this season. Soto has a .420 home wOBA in lefty-on-lefty matchups, so he's primed to take advantage of Smyly's struggles in that split. Rendon's another guy who has had success against lefties at home — the right-handed slugger has a .477 wOBA in that split.
