Wednesday is another day of wall-to-wall baseball as the MLB dives into May with options spread throughout the day as teams get ready for travel and new series to finish out the week. While there are some great afternoon matchups to enjoy, the main featured fantasy baseball slate gets underway at 6:35 p.m. ET on DraftKings and includes the seven games scheduled to take place under the lights. Just two of the seven games are divisional contests, and they’re set up to bookend the slate. The Yankees and Orioles start things off from the AL East, and the Diamondbacks and Dodgers wrap things up from the NL West.
Let’s take a look at the best DFS options from Wednesday night’s seven-game slate.
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PITCHER
Stud
Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs at New York Mets ($9,800) – Imanaga has been outstanding in his first five MLB starts and is a good arm to build around even though he has the highest starting pitcher salary on the slate. He has produced an average of 23 DKFP per start and only finished under 19 DKFP in one outing that was cut short due to a rain delay. The 30-year-old has won four of his five starts and compiled an impressive 0.98 ERA, 2.40 FIP and 28 strikeouts in 27 2⁄3 innings. He shut down the Red Sox at Fenway in his last start for 26.7 DKFP and will be in a good spot against the Mets as the Cubs look to finish their trip strong Wednesday and Thursday before heading home for their big series with the Brewers this weekend. The Mets have scored four runs or fewer in five straight games and seven of their last eight.
Value
Kutter Crawford, Boston Red Sox vs. San Francisco Giants ($8,600) – I’d love to go cheaper than Crawford at this salary but the cheaper options on this slate are pretty scary. Crawford has been a very strong mid-range option, so I think it makes more sense on this slate to go with a little pricier pitching and find some value bats. Crawford lost to the Cubs in his last start but has posted an impressive 1.35 ERA and 2.20 FIP in his 33 1⁄3 innings this season. He only has one win but has still managed to post over 15 DKFP in all but one of his six starts with four games of over 19 DKFP. The Giants were shut out on Tuesday by the Red Sox and rank in the bottom 10 in the MLB in runs scored, averaging 3.9 runs per contest. They also rank in the bottom 10 in team home runs, team stolen bases and team wRC+. Crawford should get some run support as he goes head-to-head with Daulton Jefferies ($5,000) who is the cheapest SP on the slate after posting -8.9 DKFP in his first start of the year.
INFIELD
Stud
Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians at Houston Astros ($5,800) – Ramirez and the Guardians are atop the AL Central after a 19-10 start, and they’ll look to get their 20th win of the season as they take on familiar roe Justin Verlander ($9,200). Ramirez has gone 12-for-36 (.333) in their previous career meetings with six extra-base hits and three home runs. He’s firmly entrenched in the heart of the Guardians order and has four stolen bases and two home runs over his last 10 games for a solid average of 10.4 DKFP per contest over that stretch.
Stud
Nathaniel Lowe, Texas Rangers vs. Washington Nationals ($3,900) – Lowe got a late start to the year after an oblique injury, but he has settled in quickly to the No. 3 spot in the Rangers batting order and is still available at a great value with his salary just under $4,000. He has hit safely in seven of his nine games with four multi-hit games. He has gone 11-for-33 (.333) with a home run and a .385 wOBA. He and the rest of the Rangers’ left-handed hitters will be in a good spot against Nationals SP Trevor Williams ($6,300), who has given up a .295 batting average and .341 wOBA to lefties this season.
Value
Kike Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks ($2,800) – Diamondbacks starter Jordan Montgomery ($8,700) was scratched on Tuesday after a swarm of bees caused a delay at the start of the DBacks 4-3, extra-inning win. The lefty getting pushed back to Wednesday should make Hernandez a good value once again since he usually starts against Southpaws. He’s hitting a solid .242 in his 23 games this season with just one home run. That homer did come off a lefty, and he is hitting .297 with a .309 wOBA in the split. He can fit at either 2B or OF in your DraftKings lineups and the Dodgers usually find a spot for the super-utility option when they take on a lefty like Montgomery. Hernandez has hit safely in six of his last seven games, going 8-for-23 (.364) with a 54.5% hard-hit rate.
Value
Vidal Brujan, Miami Marlins vs. Colorado Rockies ($2,500) – During the offseason, Brujan was traded from the Rays to the Marlins, and the 26-year-old speedster has been able to find some success at the plate after struggling in his various stints for Tampa Bay. The switch-hitter has picked up multiple hits in each of his last four starts, going 8-for-14 (.529) with a pair of triples. He surprisingly doesn’t have a stolen base yet this year, but if he keeps getting on base, he should have more chances to run. Brujan is eligible at SS and 3B in this favorable matchup with Dakota Hudson ($5,300) and the Rockies
OUTFIELD
Stud
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Miami Marlins vs. Colorado Rockies ($5,300) – Chisholm is another Marlins’ bat that should be in a productive spot against Hudson, who has a 6.57 ERA and 5.27 FIP in his five starts and has given up 15 runs over 13 1⁄3 innings over his last three stars. Chisholm hit two homers over the weekend against the Nats before going 0-for-3 on Tuesday. He has a solid 40.0% hard-hit rate, per Statcast with 11 barrels and a 14.7% barrel rate this season. He has also added five stolen bases to average 7.6 DKFP per game this season and 8.2 DKFP per game over his last 10.
Stud
Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox vs. San Francisco Giants ($4,700) – Duran has run hot and cold throughout the first month of the season but brings a very high ceiling from the leadoff spot against Jefferies on Wednesday. Duran is hitting .268 with a .324 wOBA and nine stolen bases overall, and he’s hitting .281 with a .359 wOBA at Fenway. He has gone 6-for-13 (.462) over his last three games with a double, a triple and a 50% hard-hit rate. He’s seeing the ball well coming into this favorable home matchup, and his salary isn’t bad at all under $5,000.
Value
Joey Loperfido, Houston Astros vs. Cleveland Guardians ($2,800) – Loperfido is the latest in a long line of call-up outfielders who have brought great value early in the season. Loperfido with 1-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI for 9.0 DKFP in his MLB debut on Tuesday. Prior to being called up, he was absolutely mashing at Triple-A with 13 homers and a .444 wOBA over his 101 at-bats with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. He also had five stolen bases in those 25 games, so there’s good speed potential as well as plenty of power from this rookie lefty, whose salary is extremely affordable under $3,000.
Value
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs at New York Mets ($2,700) – Crow-Armstrong arrived in the majors just a little ahead of Loperfido, and he has gone 5-for-18 (.278) with a home run and 5.1 DKFP in his seven games this season. At Triple-A, he showcased good speed and power, and he’s considered one of the top prospects in the Cubs’ system. Of the two youngsters, I’d lean towards Loperfido on this slate, but both are solid options if you’re spending up in other spots and need a pair of cheap young outfielders with high ceilings.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
