On Wednesday, Major League Baseball has a great slate of eight games lined up for fantasy baseball on DraftKings, with plenty of options to consider for your lineups. Several awesome matchups have provided plenty of drama in the early part of the week, and that should continue on Wednesday’s slate, which gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET.
Of the eight games on the slate, three are divisional matchups, including the Orioles at Fenway Park taking on the Red Sox in an important AL East matchup. Baltimore is dueling for the top spot in the division with the Yankees, who host the Royals in another important early game with playoff implications for both sides. Later in the night, the Dodgers and Brewers are in action on the West Coast as they look to wrap up their divisions and continue to jostle with the Phillies for the top record in the National League.
With 16 teams taking the field on Wednesday, several strategies make sense as you assemble your squad. I’ve put together my top studs and values for what should be another entertaining night of action from the diamond. Let’s dive in!
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Network app. You also can follow DK Network on Twitter @dknetwork.
PITCHER
Stud
Hunter Brown, Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics ($9,000) – Even though he’s only the fourth-most expensive option on Wednesday’s slate, Brown has been one of the most consistent options available and is in a great matchup against Oakland. He struck out eight in six innings while giving up just one run to earn 26.1 fantasy points the first time he faced the A’s this season and has a similar upside on Wednesday.
In his nine starts since the All-Star break, Brown has allowed more than two runs only once while going 4-1 with a sterling 1.65 ERA, 2.54 FIP and 56 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings. He produced over 20 fantasy points in seven of those nine outings, including each of his last five. The 26-year-old righty started the season slowly, but he has established himself as one of the Astros top arms as they look to lock up the AL West and prepare for another playoff run.
Value
Dean Kremer, Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox ($6,500) – Kremer was extremely impressive in his most recent outing last Friday, spinning six shutout innings against the Rays with seven strikeouts and only two hits allowed. He earned his seventh win of the season, along with 27.9 fantasy points. He has shown a high ceiling with over 24 fantasy points in six outings this season, including two of his last four. One of those starts was cut short by a comebacker off the forearm, but he looked past that issue last Friday.
The Red Sox have faded from the Wild Card race as their offense has gone quiet. Over the last two weeks, they rank in the bottom 10 in the MLB in runs scored and team batting average, ranking fourth in K%. They broke through for 12 runs against the O’s on Monday but were quiet again with just three runs on Tuesday. Kremer will look to build on the momentum from his last outing and post another strong showing against a divisional foe. Getting him at this salary is a great way to save salary while still securing plenty of upside.
INFIELD
Stud
Jose Altuve, Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics ($5,200) – Altuve is heating up at just the right time for the Astros and putting the finishing touches on another impressive season. He is hitting .304 with 19 homers, 20 stolen bases and a .352 wOBA on the year. it would be his third straight season, hitting over .300 and his fourth straight with a wOBA over .350 if he continues at this pace. If anything, the veteran has been getting hotter as the season winds down, going 20-for-52 (.385) over his last 13 games with seven multi-hit performances during that stretch, which also includes six doubles, a home run and two stolen bases to help him average 10.2 fantasy points per game over that productive stretch. He and the Astros get a good matchup against Joey Estes ($6,600) in the second game of their three-game series Wednesday.
Stud
Matt Chapman, San Francisco Giants vs. Milwaukee Brewers ($4,400) – Despite the Giants’ struggles on offense, Chapman has put together a strong second half and landed a six-year contract extension to be a fixture in the Giants’ lineup moving forward. Since the All-Star break, Chapman is hitting .285 with a .382 wOBA and a 53.2% hard-hit rate. He has had even more success over the last 12 games, hitting .348 (16-for-46) with four doubles, three home runs and a .427 wOBA. He doesn’t cost as much as some other elite infield options but is a very strong mid-range target with elite upside.
Value
Edouard Julien, Minnesota Twins vs. Los Angeles Angels ($2,900) – Julien continues to bring a high ceiling while hitting leadoff for the Twins. He went 1-for-5 with a run scored and five fantasy points on Tuesday, demonstrating how, with so many opportunities, he brings a high floor. He also had two games of double-digit DFKP in his last five games, with a home run last Thursday and a two-hit performance last Saturday. His season-long numbers are in a different zip code than Altuve’s, but he saves so much salary that he still is worth a look while hitting leadoff if you’re spending up in other places.
Value
Niko Kavadas, Los Angeles Angels at Minnesota Twins ($2,400) – On the other side of that matchup in Minnesota, Kavadas is a “swing for the fences” value. The lefty hit 19 homers in 94 games at Triple-A and had an impressive .427 wOBA with the WooSox before being traded from Boston to Los Angeles at the Trade Deadline. Kavadas joined the Halos in mid-August and went an ugly 3-for-38 in his first 12 games. In his last five games since then, he went 7-for-17 (.412) with a home run, a .547 wOBA and an average of 11 fantasy points per game. Kavadas is boom-or-bust, but there’s lots of upside to love at this salary.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers at Los Angeles Angels ($7,000) – In one of the rarest occurrences in his impressive season, Ohtani had zero fantasy points on Tuesday night. He should be able to bounce back on Wednesday as he tries to help the Dodgers avoid a home sweep at the hands of the Cubs. Even in a lefty-lefty matchup against Jordan Wicks ($6,800), Ohtani is worth considering paying up for since he has so regularly returned huge results. He has averaged an impressive 12.2 fantasy points per game on the season and has 47 stolen bases and 46 home runs as he continues his quest for the first-ever 50/50 season in MLB history. Since he can post big numbers in multiple ways, Ohtani rarely comes up empty like he did on Tuesday, and he seldom posts back-to-back bad games. Look for a big bounceback from Shohei on Wednesday.
Stud
Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros vs. Oakland Athletics ($5,900) – If you can’t quite afford Ohtani, Alvarez is a very solid alternative to build around. After picking up two hits and a stolen base on Tuesday, Alvarez is 28-for-80 (.350) over his last 20 games with three doubles, two stolen bases and an impressive seven home runs. He has a history of getting hot and carrying the offense, and he’s doing just that coming down the stretch. He and Altuve are a strong one-two punch at the top of Houston’s batting order, and they’re a great place to start your lineup for this Wednesday as well.
Value
Tommy Edman, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs ($3,700) – Edman was traded to the Dodgers while working his way back from a wrist injury, and the veteran has been a solid addition to their potent lineup. Since joining the lineup mid-August, he’s hitting .293 with two home runs, five stolen bases and a .320 wOBA. In his career, he has typically been solid against southpaws, so rolling him out under $4,000 either at SS or in the OF makes sense on Wednesday as part of a Dodgers stack or as a value option.
Value
Isaac Collins, Milwaukee Brewers at San Francisco Giants ($2,000) – Collins is a punt play with a lot of upside if he gets the start against lefty Blake Snell ($9,800). The Brewers have rotated people through the short side of the platoon, and Collins was called up on Sunday to replace Brewer Hicklen. He made his MLB debut on Sunday and went 1-for-2 with a stolen base and eight fantasy points. In Triple-A Nashville, the 27-year-old switch-hitter hit .273 with 14 homers, 24 stolen bases and a .382 wOBA. He was heating up since mid-August, hitting .316 with a .446 wOBA over his last 15 games before being called up. He brings power and speed potential and offers elite salary relief if he’s in the lineup on Wednesday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K 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 user (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.
