The midweek MLB schedule provides plenty of all-day action on DraftKings this Wednesday with a six-game schedule in the afternoon and a seven-game slate under the lights that gets underway at 6:45 p.m. ET. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite MLB DFS picks for the featured Wednesday night slate, looking at some studs and values at each position.
While the early East Coast games have some concerns in Washington and New York, the West Coast brings some nice matchups with good forecasts to close out the day. Coors Field is back on the slate as well, with the Phillies looking to close out a sweep of the Rockies. Of the 14 teams in action, a few are at the top of their rotation, sending their ace to the mound, while others should be in great matchups to attack against some starters from the back end of other teams’ rotations.
Let’s break it all down in my MLB DFS picks.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $175K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox vs. New York Mets, $10,500: If the weather cooperates, AJ Smith-Shawver ($9,800) will be a great play, but he’s too high-risk based on the forecast coming into the day. Instead, I’ll pay up for Crochet, who gets a solid home matchup against the Mets.
Crochet has dominated in his first 10 starts with the Red Sox, posting a 4-3 record with a sterling 2.00 ERA, 2.80 FIP, and 10.4 K/9. He is averaging 23.6 fantasy points per start and had exactly that number in his most recent start against the Braves despite taking the loss. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four straight starts and nine of his 10 outings this season, while producing at least 23 fantasy points in six of his last nine outings.
The Mets have scored just one run in the first two games of this series and have been held to three runs or fewer in seven straight games. In the last week, they are the only team in the MLB to not hit a home run and are hitting just .177 as a team, the worst mark of any team in the majors.
On the season, the Mets have done a good job of strikeout suppression, especially against lefties, but Crochet still has enough strikeout upside to be an ace to build around, especially since the Mets’ lineup has struggled so badly over the last week.
Value
Taijuan Walker, Philadelphia Phillies at Colorado Rockies, $7,000: When the Rockies are at home, they present an interesting opportunity for DFS. Sometimes the Coors Field effect is enough to ruin a starting pitcher’s value, while on other nights, the team’s high strikeout rate makes their opponent a great play despite the elevation. The risk-reward equation is further complicated on Wednesday since Walker is making his first start since May 1, but ultimately, I think his upside outweighs the risk of playing him at $7K this Wednesday night.
Walker had a solid 2.54 ERA, 4.04 FIP and 22 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings over six starts before moving to the bullpen. He pitched two games in relief, logging three innings each time, so he should still be relatively stretched out. He faced the Rockies in the first of those starts, posting 22.5 fantasy points and earning his first win of the season with six shutout innings with four strikeouts.
The Rockies have the second-highest K% in the majors this season and are hitting only .217 as a team, with and without Coors in play. Over the last week, they have a 31.1% strikeout rate and are hitting only .223. Given the matchup and his solid performance this season, I’m ready to overlook the environment and go with Walker as my top value starting pitcher this Wednesday night.
INFIELD
Stud
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, $6,400: Ohtani continues to post exceptional numbers for the Dodgers and is a big bat to consider paying up for on every slate. The fact that he fits either at 1B or OF makes him even more flexible for roster construction. In his last 20 games, Ohtani has 11 homers, four stolen bases, a .337 batting average, a 72.3% hard-hit rate, and a 29.2% barrel rate.
He has posted double-digit fantasy points in 12 of his last 14 contests after going 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, and a home run on Tuesday night against Arizona. On Wednesday, he’ll face Corbin Burnes ($9,300), who has been much more effective in his last few outings after a slow start to the season. Ohtani is 4-for-8 against Burnes in their previous meetings, including a home run. Despite the tougher matchup at first glance, Ohtani is still a great play if you can afford to pay up for him this Wednesday.
Stud
Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels at Athletics, $4,600: Neto had a breakout season last year for the Halos and has picked up where he left off after getting a last start to the season after offseason shoulder surgery. In his last eight games, he is hitting .303 with four doubles, three home runs, a 52.2% hard-hit rate and an average of 12.4 fantasy points per game.
Neto is providing good production from the leadoff spot for the Angels, who have won five straight. He hasn’t done much against lefties yet this season, but he hit .374 with .435 wOBA against lefties last season, and should be able to return good production against JP Sears ($7,900) and the Athletics on Wednesday night.
Value
Nick Kurtz, Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels, $2,600: Kurtz smashed his second major league home run on Tuesday night, going 2-for-4 and finishing with 19 fantasy points. He had been struggling before that, going 0-for-20 with one walk and seven strikeouts over six games. The 22-year-old lefty still oozes potential after quickly rising through the A’s system. He hit .321 with seven homers and a .434 wOBA at Triple-A before joining the team this season, and is still hitting .222 with a .270 wOBA and 44.2% hard-hit rate despite his recent slide.
At this salary, he’s a great play on Wednesday against Jack Kochanowicz ($5,700), who has a 4.71 ERA, 5.26 FIP, and 1.47 WHIP in his nine starts this season. Left-handed hitters like Kurtz have hit .311 off him with six home runs and a .391 wOBA this season.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies at Colorado Rockies, $6,500: Schwarber has homered in each of the first two games of the Phillies’ visit to Denver, going 1-for-4 in each contest but hitting home run No. 300 and 301 in his career. He and Ohtani share the major league lead with 17 homers, and 10 of Schwarber’s 17 bombs have come in his last 20 games, while he is hitting .276 with a 64.4% hard-hit rate and 20.3% barrel rate over that span.
On Wednesday night, Schwarber will be in a lefty-lefty matchup against rookie Carson Palmquist ($5,000), who was rudely welcomed to the majors by the Diamondbacks last Friday. Arizona scored five runs in four innings with six hits and a walk, and Palmquist failed to record a strikeout. Palmquist has some intriguing strikeout potential once he settles in, but he’s definitely not a reason to avoid Schwarber this Wednesday.
Stud
Lawrence Butler, Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels, $4,300: Butler gets that juicy split against Kochanowicz as well this Wednesday as the Athletics host the Angels at Sutter Health Park. Butler has hit safely in four straight, with three doubles and a stolen base. His average for the season is just .232, but he has six homers, seven stolen bases and an average of 7.5 fantasy points per game. He has a .340 wOBA and 121 wRC+ against righties and his spot atop the Athletics’ batting order should give him a chance to put up a big game against Kochanowicz on Wednesday.
Value
Sam Haggerty, Texas Rangers at New York Yankees, $3,300: With Evan Carter (quad) on the injured list with a Grade 2 right quad strain, Haggerty should get opportunities to play over the next few weeks, especially against lefties. The switch-hitter hit leadoff on Sunday and batted nine on Monday, going 1-for-4 in each game, but his one hit on Tuesday was a triple that helped him get to eight fantasy points.
Haggerty has a .266 career batting average against lefties like Ryan Yarbrough ($6,500) with seven of his nine career homers on that side of the split and a .346 career wOBA vs. southpaws. In Triple-A for the Round Rock Express, Haggerty hit .313 this season in 22 games, with one home run and seven stolen bases. He has good speed and run production potential at this salary if leading off at Yankee Stadium.
