Wednesday is another busy day of baseball, featuring two strong slates of fantasy baseball available on DraftKings. There are six games in the contests that get underway at 1:10 p.m. ET followed by the main seven-game slate on Wednesday night, which begins at 7:20 p.m. ET. Four of the seven games are divisional matchups, including the Nationals and Braves to start the slate and the Astros and Mariners to close things out. Another important matchup to take note of is the Guardians taking on the Rockies at Coors Field, where there’s always plenty of offense available.
With 14 teams on what should be a solid slate, let’s jump right in and find some top plays for Wednesday night:
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $175K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Network on Twitter @dknetwork.
PITCHER
Stud
Luis Gil, New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels ($10,300) – Wednesday is a stacked starting pitching slate with multiple top options to consider, but Gil stands out based on his excellent form and favorable matchup. The 25-year-old righty has allowed zero or one run in five straight starts, going 5-0 with a 0.59 ERA in 30 2⁄3 innings. He posted over 20 DKFP in each of those five starts and over 30 DKFP in each of his last two games. On the season, he has 70 strikeouts in 55 1⁄3 innings and has compiled an impressive 2.11 ERA backed up by a 2.93 FIP. Gil has 22 strikeouts in just 12 1⁄3 innings over his last two outings, and his high strikeout rate gives him both a high ceiling and a good floor against the Angels. The Angels offense has been better overall this season but ranks average to slightly below average in most offensive categories.
Value
Spencer Schwellenbach, Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals ($7,500) – The Braves have run into some brutal injury luck the last few weeks, and their rotation has been stretched to the point where they will call up Schwellenbach straight from Double-A to make his MLB debut on Wednesday against Washington. Schwellenbach is a 23-year-old righty the Braves took in the second round out of Nebraska just under two years ago. The team is still in the process of converting him to a starting pitcher, but so far his stuff and his results have been impressive enough to earn him the No. 3 rank in their perennially productive system, according to MLB Pipeline. In eight starts this season, Schwellenbach went 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 45 innings. He made six starts in High-A for the Emperors and two for the Mississippi Braves, where he worked 13 scoreless innings with just one walk and 17 strikeouts. It’s a big jump from Double-A to the minors, making him a high-risk play, but he has enough upside to be a good value consideration Wednesday night.
INFIELD
Stud
Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians at Colorado Rockies ($6,400) – I promise not to just make this a list of all the Guardians hitters, but they’re all good plays since they’re taking on the Rockies and Ty Blach ($5,000) at Coors Field. Whether you’re building a full Guardians stack or just sprinkling in a little exposure, Ramirez is a great option at 3B. He’s hitting a solid .272 with 16 homers and a .377 wOBA on the season, but he has been especially good lately with nine multi-hit performances in his last 20 including four of his last five. Over his last 20 games, he is hitting .346 with 16 extra-base hits including nine homers and a .503 wOBA. He added in a couple of stolen bases as well and brings both power and speed potential. The switch-hitter has hit .328 this year against lefties, so facing Blach is another reason to build around Ramirez as a cornerstone play this Wednesday.
Stud
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins ($6,200) – Despite going 0-for-4 on Tuesday, Witt starts the day with a .303 batting average and .384 wOBA, which rank him in the top 15 in the MLB. He also leads the league in runs scored and is in the top five with 16 stolen bases. On the season, he is averaging 11.0 DKFP per game and has increased that by averaging 13.7 DKFP per game over his last 10 contests. During his 10-game hitting streak that came to an end on Tuesday, he hit .372 with a .483 wOBA, and he should be in a great spot to start another hitting streak on Wednesday since he’ll face the Twins Bailey Ober ($8,000), who Witt has gone 7-for-13 (.538) against in their past meetings including a home run.
Value
Davis Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox ($4,400) – Schneider has been excellent in the leadoff spot for the Blue Jays, hitting atop the lineup in each of his last 10 starts. He’s hitting .255 on the season with six homers and a .365 wOBA. Over his last five games, Schneider is 6-for-15 (.400) with three doubles, five walks, a home run and a .507 wOBA. If he leads off against Chris Flexen ($5,300) on Wednesday, he should be a great option that offers a little salary relief and added roster flexibility since he can slot at 2B or in the OF.
Value
Ryan Bliss, Seattle Mariners vs. Houston Astros ($2,000) – I highlighted Bliss in my values for Tuesday, and he’s a great bargain play again on Wednesday since he’s still at the minimum salary. His positional eligibility has moved from SS to 2B, which can help him fit with Witt or even Schneider if you move the Blue Jays’ leadoff hitter to the OF. Bliss has started each of the last two games at 2B after being called up from Triple-A to help fill in for Jorge Polanco (hamstring). He went 0-for-2 in each game but did draw a walk in each contest and scored a run on Tuesday to finish with 4.0 DKFP. Bliss showed both power and speed potential in Triple-A, hitting .247 with a .372 wOBA and 28 stolen bases in 50 games. Bliss is a great bargain with a good upside and can help you build around whatever big-name bats you’re targeting with his bargain basement salary.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels ($6,000) – Judge always brings a high ceiling and is a good pay-up play in the outfield again on this slate, although I’d rather go with Witt and Ramirez as big bats and go value in the outfield if you have to prioritize. Judge and the Yankees take on lefty Tyler Anderson ($7,300) on Wednesday, which is why I give him the slight edge over Juan Soto ($6,300), who is also a great pay-up option. Judge has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games, going 22-for-52 (.423) over that span with eight doubles, eight homers and a .623 wOBA. He has been slightly better at home than on the road, but he still brings tons of potential for success in this contest and one of the highest ceilings on any slate when he is this locked in at the plate.
Stud
Tyler Freeman, Cleveland Guardians at Colorado Rockies ($4,100) – Freeman has been very solid for the Guardians while stepping in for Steven Kwan (hamstring) in the leadoff spot and could keep the role against lefties even after Kwan’s impending return. The 25-year-old righty came up empty on Tuesday even though the Guardians put up 13 runs, but he should get in on the action Wednesday against a lefty. Over his last 14 games, Freeman is 16-for-53 (.302) with six doubles, 13 runs scored and three stolen bases. He hasn’t homered in those games but does have four blasts on the year, giving him a .303 wOBA despite just a .222 batting average. More than half of his career homers have come against lefties, even though he has much fewer at-bats against southpaws. Getting him in the leadoff spot of what’s expected to be a very productive lineup at just over $4,000 is a good way to at least get a mini-stack of Guardians even if you don’t lean all the way into Coors Field. If you are embracing the elevation, Freeman would be the second most important Guardians piece I would add after Ramirez.
Value
Sean Bouchard, Colorado Rockies vs. Cleveland Guardians at Los Angeles Angels ($3,700) – Bouchard was called back up to the MLB after Jordan Beck (hand) landed on the IL, and he should get good playing time until Nolan Jones (back) is ready to return. Bouchard made the most of his chance in the first two games of this series, producing 20 and 16 DKFP while scoring four runs, stealing two bases and going 2-for-5 with three walks. Getting him for under $4,000 while he’s playing at Coors Field is a great option to save salary and still get a good ceiling.
Value
Corey Julks, Chicago White Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays ($3,200) – Julks has the kind of dual-threat upside that I love to target since there are multiple ways players can come through. Julks had five homers and six stolen bases in his 31 games at Triple-A for the Astros before getting traded to the White Sox, where he has a clearer path to playing time with Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) back in his usual spot on the IL. Julks has gone 9-for-29 (.310) with three doubles, a home run and two stolen bases in his 10 games since being called up. He has averaged a solid 7.4 DKFP per contest and has the potential to contribute in a variety of ways from this very affordable price point.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $175K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
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.
