Major League Baseball has a split schedule this Wednesday, with several series wrapping up with getaway games in the afternoon. Eight games are still on the board for the main MLB DFS slate on Wednesday night, though, leaving a robust set of matchups to break down. There are some very interesting plays from all across the board, so let’s dive in and take a look at my top MLB DFS picks for Wednesday night.
Overall, the weather forecast is looking good coming into the day. There could be some early showers in Atlanta, but they are forecast to clear out. The wind will be strong and blowing in from left field at Wrigley Field, which should limit offense in the Windy City. Be sure to double-check the forecast and lineups for any updates before game time.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $175K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]!
Pitchers
Stud
Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta Braves vs. Chicago White Sox, $8,700: The White Sox have had a huge offensive series in Atlanta, but on Wednesday night, they’ll face Braves’ rookie righty Hurston Waldrep, who has been excellent over the last few weeks. His overall numbers in the minors this season aren’t that impressive, but he found a great groove in July, allowing just two total runs in 23 innings across four starts and picking up 23 strikeouts as well.
He took over after the rain delay at the Speedway Classic and got the win in his memorable season debut. He won each of his two starts since then as well, posting at least 19 fantasy points in each of his three games while compiling a 1.02 ERA, 2.04 FIP, and 17 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings.
Waldrep is loaded with upside and brings an elite ceiling at an affordable salary. Jacob Misiorowski ($9,300) is also a strong play to consider, but since Waldrep has been so dialed in lately and comes with a lower salary, I’ll take Waldrep as my rookie righty of choice this Wednesday.
Value
Nick Martinez, Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Angels, $6,900: The Reds snapped the Brewers’ winning streak on Sunday and have picked up wins in the first two games of their road trip, which started in Anaheim against the Angels. They start the day just one game back of the third and final NL Wild Card spot, and they’ll give the ball to Martinez, looking to close out the sweep and stay hot in SoCal. Martinez got knocked around in his last start by the Brew Crew, but before that, he was on a nice roll. In a better matchup, Martinez makes a great value starting pitcher for your MLB DFS Picks under $7,000.
The veteran righty is 10-9 on the season for the Reds, with a 4.73 ERA and 4.28 FIP. Before giving up six runs (five earned) in just two innings in his last start, Martinez allowed two runs or fewer in five straight outings, going 4-0 with a 3.23 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings. If he can get back to that form against the Angels, he’ll be an excellent value play.
The Angels lead the majors this year in K% and have the fourth-lowest team batting average. Over the last two weeks, they have the highest K% in the majors as well, although their power production has helped them still average over five runs per game. Last night, Hunter Greene picked up 12 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings, and Martinez will look to continue to keep the Halos’ bats silent and the strikeouts flowing in the series finale.
Infield
Stud
Nick Kurtz, Athletics at Minnesota Twins, $5,900: Kurtz and the A’s are in Minnesota, and the 22-year-old lefty slugger is heating back up again. He hit his 25th homer of the season on Monday and went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two walks on Tuesday. He has at least 18 fantasy points in three of his last four games. Since the All-Star break, Kurtz is hitting a remarkable .408 with 12 doubles, eight homers, a .538 wOBA, and a 52.9% hard-hit rate.
Kurtz is a strong pay-up play to build around since he brings an elite ceiling to his matchup on Wednesday night against Bailey Ober ($7,100), who is 0-6 in his last eight starts with a 7.38 ERA and 7.11 FIP. Ober has allowed 24 homers on the season, and lefties like Kurtz have 15 of those long balls, along with a .350 wOBA.
Value
Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves vs. Chicago White Sox, $3,700: Albies and the Braves have been heating up over the last few series, although it will probably be too little, too late to save their season as a whole. Albies is hitting only .226 with a .280 wOBA on the season, even after hitting .333 with a .357 wOBA in his last eight games, averaging 9.5 fantasy points per contest over that span.
He and the Braves get a good matchup against veteran lefty Martin Perez ($7,300), who just came off the 60-day IL. Albies is a blistering 7-for-9 with two homers and two doubles against Perez in the past, and getting him at this affordable salary makes him a good option to roll with this Wednesday despite his down season-long numbers.
Value
Brooks Lee, Minnesota Twins vs. Athletics, $2,600: The Twins dealt away multiple pieces from their starting lineup at the trade deadline, leaving their lineup with a very different look over the last few weeks. Lee has been one constant, though, and he seems to be finding a good rhythm at the plate. He battled multiple injuries earlier in the season, but he’s starting to show some of the power potential he flashed in the minors and also comes into this favorable matchup with J.T. Ginn ($5,800) with a six-game hitting streak. Ginn is letting lefties (like the switch-hitting Lee will be against him) hit .326 with a .445 wOBA against him on the season.
Lee homered in each of his last two games and earned at least 16 fantasy points in each of his last three. He has five of his 13 homers this season in his 18 most recent contests, and he is a much more productive hitter at home this season, where he has a .269 batting average, .322 wOBA, and 105 wRC+ on the season. He’s not reliable enough to be a mid-range or pay-up play at this point, but at this bargain salary just over $2,500, he is a strong way to go to at shortstop, leaving you more salary to spend on sluggers in other spots (like the Dodgers as an expensive stack at Coors Field).
OUTFIELD
Stud
Noelvi Marte, Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Angels, $4,600: Marte smashed his 10th homer of the year on Tuesday night, and he continued his impressive surge since coming off the injured list. After an impressive rookie showing in 2023, he missed 80 games last year due to a PED suspension and hit only .210 after his return. This year, he started strong and was hitting .294 with three homers before landing on the injured list with an oblique strain that sidelined him for two months. After a period of ramping back up, Marte has caught fire and is hitting .333 over his last 27 games and .344 in August.
He comes into Wednesday night’s matchup against Yusei Kikuchi ($8,500) riding a 10-game hitting streak, and he has seven multi-hit games during that stretch with a .442 batting average (10-for-43), six doubles, three homers and a .523 wOBA. He’s hitting .344 with a .427 wOBA away from Great American Ball Park as well, so he makes a great option on the road in Anaheim this Wednesday.
Value
Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves at Cleveland Guardians, $3,400: Harris is still extremely affordable after his brutally slow start to the year. He’s been absolutely mashing since the All-Star break, though, and is saving his overall numbers with a strong second half.
He has three homers in his last four games and seven in his last 14, giving him a total of 16 homers on the year. Harris is hitting an impressive .416 over his last 27 games with eight doubles, three triples, nine home runs and two stolen bases for a .508 wOBA and 233 wRC+. He’s in a lefty-lefty matchup against Perez, but he’s so hot and so affordable that he’s still an excellent play.
Value
Owen Caissie, Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers, $2,500: The Cubs called up Caissie earlier this week, and the 23-year-old lefty has looked ready to contribute, especially at such a bargain salary. In 93 games at Triple-A, Caissie hit .289 with 22 homers and a .416 wOBA. His stolen base production dipped from 11 to three, but all the rest of his stats were trending up.
He’s 4-for-14 (.286) in his five games since his promotion, and he hit his first homer in Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader, also picking up an RBI in the nightcap. Since Misiorowski has been hittable in his last few outings and Caissie is so affordable, I like his upside as a bargain play on Wednesday night. If you’re paying up for the Dodgers at Coors or some of the other higher-priced options on the board, Caissie can be a great salary-saver to balance things out.
