On Wednesday night, Major League Baseball has 10 games on the main DFS fantasy baseball slate, providing plenty of great options to consider for your lineups. The Dodgers and Phillies get the action underway at 7:05 p.m. ET as one of the most exciting matchups on the board, but there are also some intriguing fantasy plays from the other games, which include three divisional matchups, three interleague contests and the second game of a doubleheader in the Show-Me Series between the Cardinals and Royals.
With so many options in play to break down, let’s dive right into my top studs and values on Wednesday night’s slate.
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PITCHER
Stud
Nick Pivetta, Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics ($9,600) – All the pitchers near the top of the salary structure this Wednesday have had some ups and downs recently. There aren’t any true “ace” options around, so I’m going with Pivetta since he has a high strikeout ceiling and is in a great matchup at home. Pivetta showed his upside with a dominant, 10-strikeout performance last Thursday against the Marlins in Miami. He posted 34 DKFP even though he ended up with a no-decision. On the season, he is 4-5 with a 4.06 ERA, 4.15 FIP and 10.2 K/9. He had an excellent outing at home in early June against the Braves, totaling 36 DKFP but was then knocked around by the Phillies, Reds and Padres in starts later in the month. Pivetta is a boom-or-bust option, but he should be in a good spot to succeed against the Athletics. Oakland has the second-highest K% in the MLB, the third-lowest team batting average and the third-fewest runs scored. Over the last 30 days, the A’s offense has been trending up, but they still have a high strikeout rate and should give Pivetta enough K’s to balance out any damage they can do at Fenway.
Value
Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies at Cincinnati Reds ($5,000) – While the options at the top of the salary structure are a little shaky, the value options are pretty terrifying for the most part. Most of the pitchers under $8,000 have been hit hard regularly this season with a few strong starts in the game lot. The one exception to that is Freeland, who was sidelined most of the season with a strained left elbow. Before being sidelined, he had a ghastly 13.21 ERA in four starts, and only one of those came at Coors Field. Since coming back, though, the lefty has looked like a different pitcher, giving up only three earned runs in 19 2⁄3 innings with a 1.37 ERA, 3.22 FIP and 0.97 WHIP. He faced the Nats, White Sox and Royals in those three outings and two of them were even at Coors. He lasted at least six innings in each start, averaging 17.0 DKFP. Freeland isn’t in an ideal spot against the Reds at Great American Ballpark, but his success has been due to using his sinker to keep the ball in the ballpark, which should translate well to Cincinnati from Denver. He comes at only $5,000, so he doesn’t have to dominate to deliver excellent value.
INFIELD
Stud
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies ($6,600) – Even in a lefty-lefty matchup, Ohtani is worth considering paying up for since he brings so much upside for the Dodgers, who will look to bounce back from Tuesday night’s 10-1 loss in Philly. Ohtani went 1-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base to get to 10 DKFP and has double-digit DKFP in three straight and seven of his last 12 games. In just those 12 games, Ohtani had five home runs and five stolen bases while hitting .295 with a .466 wOBA. His matchup with Christopher Sanchez ($9,000) isn’t ideal, but Sanchez did get knocked around by the Cubs in his most recent start. Ohtani’s upside is obvious with his power potential, and since he’s been running more lately, he also brings speed potential as well.
Stud
Corey Seager, Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels ($5,000) – Seager has battled multiple injuries this season, but he’s been very productive when available. In his 79 games, he is hitting .270 with 17 homers and a .353 wOBA, but he has been much hotter lately, hitting .352 over his last 14 games with three home runs, 10 runs scored, 10 RBI and a .440 wOBA to go with a .296 ISO. He has hit well all season against righties like Griffin Canning ($6,800) and should be in a good spot to stay hot as the Rangers look to finish a sweep in Anaheim and win their sixth game in a row.
Value
Connor Wong, Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics ($3,900) – Wong is still very affordable given his offensive surge this season, and he’s on the strong side of his splits at home against lefty J.P. Sears ($6,500) on Wednesday. Overall, the 28-year-old backstop is hitting .309 with seven homers and a .353 wOBA, but he has really shone against lefties with a .333 batting average and .400 wOBA in the split. In Wednesday’s matchup, he is a nice way to get top-shelf production behind the plate while still paying under $4,000.
Value
Jose Iglesias, New York Mets at Washington Nationals ($3,200) – While he’s more well-known for his glove, Iglesias has brought good value against left-handed pitchers since joining the Mets at the end of May. He’s hitting .313 overall this season and an even stronger .382 against southpaws. He has gone 13-for-34 with five doubles and a .411 wOBA while posting a 174 wRC+ against lefties in his limited sample size. On Wednesday, he is in a great matchup against Patrick Corbin ($5,500) and represents a nice way to pay down at either 2B or 3B and get part of what should be a productive Mets’ lineup.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Tyler O’Neill, Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics ($5,300) – O’Neill is another Red Sox bat to consider whenever the Sox are in a good spot against a lefty. O’Neill has 16 homers and a .370 wOBA on the year, and six of those long balls have come against lefties, who he has hit .333 against. In his 20 games since returning from a few days off with knee soreness, O’Neill has hit five homers and posted a .384 wOBA and 49.1% hard-hit rate, per Statcast. He has moved into the third spot in the order and should continue to thrive against Sears on Wednesday.
Stud
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Atlanta Braves ($4,900) – Carroll is still priced under $5,000 since he’s hitting only .210 on the season, but the 23-year-old is flashing signs of returning to form that gives him a high ceiling with his power and speed potential. Carroll has six hits in his last six games including two doubles and a home run. He has scored eight runs during that stretch and stolen two bases to help him average 10.2 DKFP per game. Carroll and the Dbacks are at home against Charlie Morton ($8,800), who has struggled on the road this season. Carroll’s salary has been on the rise with his recent surge, so this may be the last chance to get him at this reduced salary for a while.
Value
Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates ($3,800) – Another young leadoff hitter with nice upside this Wednesday is Chourio, who seems to have adjusted and found a good groove again. The 20-year-old started the season hot but then struggled as many rookies do as the league adjusts to them. Recently, though, Chourio has headed back up, though 17-for-48 (.354) with four doubles, two home runs and two stolen bases over his last 14 games. He hit safely in 13 of those 14 games, averaging 9.5 DKFP per game. He will likely lead off against lefty Martin Perez ($5,800) on Wednesday, putting him in a prime run production spot.
Value
Rece Hinds, Cincinnati Reds vs. Colorado Rockies ($2,500) – Another young rookie with upside to consider is the Reds’ recent call-up, Rece Hinds. Hinds only hit .216 in Triple-A with a 38.3% strikeout rate but did have 13 home runs and 12 stolen bases. The 23-year-old was called up on Monday and went 2-for-3 with a home run and 19 DKFP in his debut on Monday, and he followed that up with another home run on Tuesday while going 3-for-5 and earning 29 DKFP. He became the first player since 1901 to pile up five extra-base hits in his first two MLB games. His power and speed give him a high ceiling, and while he may not be able to sustain this success, given his minor league track record, he is on a heater worth riding at only $2,500.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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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.
