With teams switching series in the middle of the week, Wednesdays can get wild during the regular season. This week, there are four games on the early slate on DraftKings, while the featured MLB DFS slate on Wednesday night includes the nine games that start at 6:35 p.m. ET or later. With 18 teams in the player pool, there are plenty of stars, studs and values to consider, so let’s take a look at some of my favorite MLB DFS picks to consider for your lineup.
The weather this Wednesday looks fairly cooperative, with only Colorado and Chicago looking like they could be trouble spots. With the Brewers a strong option against the White Sox, keep a close eye on the radar leading up to the first pitch of that game. It’s a solid group of starting pitchers taking the mound overall, but there are also some good spots to find favorable offensive matchups.
Let’s break it all down in my MLB DFS picks.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals, $8,200: The Phillies can breathe a sigh of relief that Sanchez is on track to make this start against the Nationals after leaving his last outing with forearm tightness after just two innings. He has thrown since without an issue and will get an extra day of rest rather than skipping a whole start.
Before leaving that start, Sanchez was off to a great start to the season, going 2-0 with a 2.96 ERA, 3.66 FIP and 31 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings over his first four starts. In those four outings, he averaged 22.7 fantasy points per game.
In his last home outing, he was absolutely dominant against the visiting Giants, holding them to four hits and two earned runs over seven innings with a season-high 12 strikeouts and 36.2 fantasy points. He has at least 18 fantasy points in each of his three home starts this season, and he should be able to get back track against the Nationals on Wednesday night, so as long as the injury scare is past.
Value
Noah Cameron, Kansas City Royals at Tampa Bay Rays, $4,000: Cameron will be making his MLB debut in place of the injured Cole Ragans (groin) on Wednesday night in Tampa. The 25-year-old lefty has made five starts this season for the Omaha Storm Chasers in Triple-A, going 2-0 and compiling a 3.22 ERA, 3.86 FIP, 1.04 WHIP and just a 29.7% hard-hit rate against. He also has piled up 27 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings, so he brings some punchout potential. He only went two innings in his most recent outing, but he has pitched at least five innings in three of those five starts, so length shouldn’t be a limiting factor.
Cameron is a bargain at the minimum salary, who leaves you plenty to pay up for heavy hitters on the rest of your roster. He’s also in a pretty favorable spot against the Rays, who have hit just .207 against lefties as a team this season with a 78 team wRC+ in the split and a 24.7% strikeout rate.
INFIELD
Stud
Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees, $5,100: Henderson missed the very start of the season, but has been a productive part of the top of the Orioles’ batting order since rejoining the squad. He has picked up his extra-base production over his last 10 games with three doubles, a triple and two home runs, helping him to average 7.1 fantasy points per game over that stretch.
He smashed his third homer of the season on Tuesday night in Baltimore’s loss and should be able to put up a good stat line again on Wednesday against Yankees’ starter Carlos Carrasco ($5,700). Carrasco had a good spring training but has given up 15 runs in 25 2/3 innings this season with a 5.26 ERA, 5.34 FIP and 1.36 WHIP.
Stud
Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays, $4,700: Devers couldn’t hit anything at all to start the season, but the 28-year-old lefty has definitely found his way at the plate. He has homered in three of the four games on the Red Sox’s current road trip, going 6-for-21 (.353) with at least 16 fantasy points in each contest. He homered and raised his average to .217 on the season on Tuesday, and his overall numbers and DraftKings salary are still low from his sluggish start.
Value
Luis Urias, Athletics at Texas Rangers, $2,600: Urias has settled in as the Atheltics’ regular 2B, starting each of the last nine games. He has gone 8-for-29 (.276) during that stretch with three home runs and an average of 7.9 fantasy points per game. He has at least five fantasy points in five of his last six games and is finding ways to chip in from the bottom of the batting order. Getting him under $3,000 allows you to stack the rest of your infield with superstar sluggers while still giving you solid value potential from Urias.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles, $6,300: Judge continues to rake for the Yankees and is hitting .412 on the season after going 2-for-3 on Tuesday night with his ninth homer. He is averaging an impressive 13.2 fantasy points per game over his 30 games this season with a .522 wOBA, .316 ISO and 57.0% hard-hit rate.
Four of his nine homers have come against left-handed pitchers, who he is 10-for-21 (.476) against so far this year. Going against Cade Povich ($5,500) puts him in a smash spot on Wednesday and makes him worth paying up for, if your other salary-savers give you enough space to make his hefty price tag workable.
Stud
Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays, $5,200: Like his teammate Devers, Duran is turning things around after a slow start. He has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games, going 21-for-67 (.313) with a .389 wOBA and four stolen bases. Over his last six games, he has four multi-hit performances, three stolen bases and an average of 14.7 fantasy points per game. He brings a high ceiling with both power and speed upside as the Red Sox face a bullpen day in the second game of their series in Toronto.
Value
Drew Waters, Kansas City Royals at Tampa Bay Rays, $2,400: Waters has been a go-to bargain play in the outfield for me over the last week. He was in my bargain plays for Friday and my targets on Saturday. He continues to find ways to contribute for the Royals, who are desperate for offense from the outfield.
In his last nine games, Waters has averaged 9.7 fantasy points per contest by going 11-for-30 (.367) with two doubles, two triples, a home run and a stolen base. Waters was a top prospect earlier in his minor league career, but hasn’t ever been able to get going in MLB until this successful stretch. The heater may not last forever, but at such a cheap salary, he’s a great option in the outfield that allows you to stack sluggers in other spots.
