With less than a week left in the regular season, we’ve got a solid nine-game slate of DFS fantasy baseball on tap for this Wednesday on DraftKings. With only a week and a half left in the regular season, teams are making their final push to the finish line. For some teams that means battling it out for a playoff seeding while other teams are evaluating players for next year and beyond.
The action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET and starts with three divisional matchups in the East. In the middle trio of games, the Cardinals visit the Rockies at Coors Field before the action shifts to the West for three more divisional matchups to close out the evening.
With 18 teams in action, good options are available at every position and price point. There are only a few chances left to play giant slates like this, so be sure to get your lineups locked in after checking out my top studs and values for Wednesday’s slate.
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PITCHER
Stud
Editor’s Note: Yankees SP Nestor Cortes (elbow) has been scratched from tonight’s game vs. the Orioles.
Nestor Cortes, New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles ($8,300) – While there are some high-priced studs at the top to consider building around, Cortes is a great play at barely over $8,000 that offers a very high ceiling, especially given his salary. His season-long numbers are solid but not spectacular. Luckily he’s been heating up down the stretch and peaking just in time for the postseason.
Over his last six games, Cortes has gone 4-0 with a sterling 1.58 ERA and 2.99 FIP. He has 38 strikeouts in 40 innings over that stretch and has allowed more than one earned run only one time. He has earned at least 19 fantasy points in six of his last seven appearances and threw six shutout innings in Seattle in his most recent outing, earning 21.3 fantasy points in a no-decision.
Cortes faced the Orioles twice this season, going six innings in each start. In his most recent head-to-head matchup with the O’s which was also at home, he earned 26.5 fantasy points in six shutout innings. Baltimore was in much better form at that point; their young lineup has struggled to produce coming down the stretch, especially against southpaws like Nasty Nestor. The Orioles also clinched the playoffs on Tuesday and could choose to rest regulars on Wednesday.
Value
Edward Cabrera, Miami Marlins at Minnesota Twins ($6,200) – The Marlins are out of the postseason race after making the playoffs last season, but they can still play spoiler to the Twins, who remain in the thick of the AL Wild Card race. Cabrera has shown flashes of a high ceiling over the last month of the season but has been erratic. He’s 4-8 on the year with a 5.12 ERA, but he had been rolling before the Dodgers knocked him around last week. In his previous five starts, he had gone 2-3 with a 2.12 ERA and 3.54 FIP while racking up 29 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings.
Before losing control in the third inning against the Dodgers, he had back-to-back great outings, posting over 29 fantasy points against the Phillies and the Nationals. He brings that kind of high ceiling in this matchup in Minnesota. The Twins have scored the fourth-fewest runs of any team in the majors over the last month while hitting only .219 as a team with a .275 wOBA that is only better than the White Sox over that span.
INFIELD
Stud
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox ($5,300) – Although his Blue Jays struggled this season, Guerrero is putting together one of the best seasons of his career. He’s hitting a career-high .324 on the year with 30 homers, 102 RBI, and a .400 wOBA. Over his last 20 games, he is hitting .341 with three homers and a .385 wOBA and has slightly stronger splits at home than on the road and against righties instead of lefties. His matchup at Rogers Centre against Richard Fitts ($6,900) puts him on the good side of both those splits. Vladdy brings a high ceiling and plenty of power potential at just over $5,000 and can fit at either corner infield spot.
Stud
Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles ($4,200) – Despite a costly base running blunder on Tuesday, Torres has been putting together a strong finish to the season. He has established himself as the Yankees’ answer in the leadoff spot and has hit safely in 18 of his last 20 contests with multiple hits in each of his last three. Over those 20 games, he is hitting a solid .352 with three home runs, 16 runs scored, 11 RBI, and a .394 wOBA. His leadoff spot atop a productive lineup gives him a great ceiling at this salary.
Value
Trevor Story, Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays ($3,900) – Story missed most of the season with a shoulder injury but has been productive since returning from the IL. He brings both power and speed potential and has been regularly outproducing his salary while helping the Red Sox keep their slim playoff hopes alive. In his 15 games since returning, Story has gone 15-for-54 (.278) with three doubles, two home runs, and a .341 wOBA while also adding five stolen bases. He has at least nine fantasy points in three of his last four games and six of his last 10.
Value
Thomas Saggese, St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies ($3,100) – Saggese is an inexpensive way to get some Coors exposure on Wednesday and brings some solid pop for a 2B at this salary. The 22-year-old was ranked as the Cards’ No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline after being acquired last year at the Trade Deadline from the Rangers for Jordan Montgomery. Saggese’s overall stats from the minors aren’t that impressive overall, but he found his groove midway through the season. Since July 1, he hit .290 with 12 home runs, four stolen bases, and a .381 wOBA. He picked up his first MLB home run since being called up mid-September and will likely get the start on Wednesday since the Cardinals will face lefty Austin Gomber ($5,500).
OUTFIELD
Stud
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles ($7,000) – Judge has been absolutely crushing it over his last 10 games with five home runs, a .595 wOBA, and an average of 15.3 fantasy points per game. Judge has really been red hot since the All-Star break, hitting .351 with a .500 wOBA in 59 games. Judge has gone yard in three straight games and is up to 56 dingers on the season. He still has an outside shot at 60 at this pace but he’ll need to stay hot through the weekend.
Stud
Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets ($4,900) – The Braves pulled within 1/2 game of the final NL Wild Card spot and just one game behind the Mets with their win over New York on Tuesday. Harris was the hero in their 5-1 win, going 3-for-4 with a home run and 26 fantasy points. Over his last five games, Harris has gone 14-for-24 (.583) with five extra-base hits and a .705 wOBA. He has five homers in his last seven games while averaging an absurd 19.3 fantasy points per game. He is in a lefty-vs.-lefty matchup against David Peterson ($8,200), but he’s hot enough to overlook the matchup and still start at this salary under $5,000.
Value
Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies ($3,600) – Walker is another affordable option at Coors Field and always brings boom-or-bust potential. The 22-year-old is only hitting .189 in his 46 games this season in the majors but has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games with three homers and a .371 wOBA. He has averaged 8.1 fantasy points per game during that stretch and will likely get the start against Gomber since the Cardinals will get try to get their right-handed bats in the lineup.
Value
Gustavo Campero, Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox ($2,300) – Campero is an extremely cheap option in the outfield but has brought plenty of upside in his eight games since joining the Angels. He hit a solid .279 with 14 homers, a .402 wOBA, and 33 stolen bases in 107 games between Double-A and Triple-A. In his eight games in the majors, Campero is gone 8-for-26 (.308) with one triple and a pair of stolen bases in his seven starts. He has averaged 7.3 fantasy points per start and produced at least eight fantasy points in four of his last six contests. Campero didn’t start on Tuesday but should be back in the mix on Wednesday at this bargain salary.
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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.
