Major League Baseball has another big slate on tap this Wednesday night, with nine games on the main slate, which gets underway at 7:07 p.m. ET. Four interleague games and just two divisional contests are included in the mix of matchups, providing plenty of interesting options to consider from the 18 teams in the main MLB DFS player pool. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite MLB DFS picks for Wednesday night.
As we get closer to game time, be sure to check the latest weather updates, although aside from the Pirates-Mets game in New York, the slate looks mostly clear at this point. There are a few top-end starting pitchers available as well as some great options to attack that could give up plenty of runs based on their recent track record.
Let’s break it all down in my MLB DFS picks.
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PITCHER
Stud
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Athletics, $10,500: While several of the Dodgers key starting pitchers have been limited by injuries, Yamamoto has been outstanding and helped carry the workload in the rotation. He had a bumpy outing in Arizona in his last start, but he should be able to bounce back against the Athletics.
Yamamoto is 4-3 in his eight starts this season with a 1.80 ERA, 2.90 FIP, and 10.6 K/9. He had earned at least 27 fantasy points in three of four outings before giving up five runs in five innings to the D-backs in his last start. He still had four strikeouts in that outing but was hurt by a pair of home runs.
The Athletics’ offense is much improved this season, but Yamamoto has been strong enough that a bounce back performance from him on Wednesday’s slate seems reasonable, especially since all the other top-tier starting pitchers come with red flags as well.
Value
Colton Gordon, Houston Astros vs. Kansas City Royals, $7,000: Gordon will be making his MLB debut against the Royals on Wednesday, but the 26-year-old lefty has shown enough potential at Triple-A to be worth a look as a value option this Wednesday. In his eight starts for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys this year, he is 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA, 4.22 FIP, 1.20 WHIP and 9.1 K/9. He has 43 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings on the season and 22 strikeouts in 18 innings over his last three starts while giving up only three total runs in those outings.
Gordon gets a decent matchup against the Royals, who rank in the middle of the pack in most offensive categories but have the worst ISO in the majors against left-handed pitchers. Gordon is risky since he hasn’t pitched at this level before, but he could earn an extended look in the rotation since the team is planning to use a six-man rotation for the near future with him joining the mix.
INFIELD
Stud
Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals, $4,800: Riley and the Braves are facing lefty Mitchell Parker ($7,200) and the Nats in one of the divisional matchups on the board, and Riley is a strong anchor for your lineup from the hot corner. Riley is hitting .313 in May with two stolen bases, two doubles, two home runs, and a .366 wOBA.
He is hitting .300 with a .381 wOBA against lefties on the season and hitting .341 with a .408 wOBA at home this season. Parker has given up 15 runs in 13 innings over his last three starts, so Riley should be able to deliver on Wednesday night on the strong side of all of his splits
Stud
Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels at San Diego Padres, $4,700: After a late start to the season after offseason shoulder surgery, Neto has quickly taken over as the Halos’ primary leadoff hitter and become a very productive dual-threat fantasy option with a high ceiling, even though his salary is lower than the other elite producers at his position.
He has hit safely in 16 of his last 18 games with a .315 batting average, .407 wOBA, and 56.0% hard-hit rate. He has five home runs and seven stolen bases over that span and has gone yard in back-to-back games to start this series in San Diego.
Value
Hyeseong Kim, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Athletics, $2,300: Kim took a seat for the start of Tuesday’s game against a lefty but should be back in the lineup Wednesday against Gunnar Hoglund ($8,000).
His average per game production is low since he has entered four games late since being called up, but he has gone 7-for-23 (.304) with two stolen bases in two attempts since joining the team from Triple-A. He averaged 6.0 fantasy points per game in his six starts and has the potential to produce good run production numbers with his speed as part of the Dodgers’ potent lineup.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Angels, $6,100: Merrill went 0-for-4 in Tuesday’s win over the Angels, snapping an impressive streak of five straight multi-hit games with double-digit fantasy points since coming off the injured list. When he has been healthy, Merrill has absolutely raked and comes into Wednesday’s matchup with a .438 batting average and .504 wOBA in his 16 games.
He has four homers, four doubles and a triple, meaning just under half his hits have been for extra bases. In just 16 games, Merrill also has an impressive 17 RBI, helping him average 12.5 fantasy points per contest. He and the Padres will face contact-prone Kyle Hendricks ($5,500) on Wednesday night, and Merrill should be able to get back on track and keep mashing like he has been since returning to action.
Stud
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs vs. Miami Marlins, $5,000: PCA is facing a lefty, which could keep his ownership lower, but he still brings a very high ceiling in his role atop the Cubs’ order. He has five home runs in his last 11 games while hitting .268 with a .405 wOBA.
On top of his recent power surge, he’s one of the fastest players in baseball and has 13 stolen bases in 16 attempts this year. He has double-digit fantasy points in three of his last four contests and is averaging 10.6 fantasy points per game over that 11-game stretch.
Value
Chandler Simpson, Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays, $3,400: Let’s hunt some more speed with the final play in my MLB DFS picks for the day. Simpson has picked up multiple hits in each of his last two games, producing 12 and 14 fantasy points in those two contests.
He is hitting .269 in his 21 games in the majors with seven stolen bases. Simpson doesn’t hit the ball hard very often, but his speed turns every ground ball into an adventure, and once he is on base, he is always a threat to steal. He is a nice value play under $3,500 for as long as he keeps leading off and getting the green light for the Rays.
