There’s an eight-game MLB DFS slate on DraftKings this evening and I’d be lying if I said the starting pitching options weren’t a little underwhelming.
Where can you turn for a reliable and cost-effective starter on Wednesday? Who are some cheap bats to toss in a stack? Let’s go through all of my favorite value picks for tonight’s action on the diamond.
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SP Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies, $7,500
For the second week in a row, I’ll recommend Shohei Ohtani as a value pitching option. However, this week I’m doing so with waaaaaaay more confidence — despite the fact that the Dodgers are visiting Coors Field. Allow me to explain.
Last Wednesday was Ohtani’s ninth start of 2025, yet the term “start” is really loose in this context. Ohtani was basically an opener in his first four pitching appearances of the season and, prior to last week’s contest against the Angels, he’d never thrown more than 54 pitching in a single outing. All that changed in Anaheim, when Ohtani worked 4.1 innings and tossed 80 pitches in an eventual loss. Still, we’re process over results here. Ohtani now appears to be almost fully built-up and that equates to as much upside as any pitcher on the planet. Consider that in the 23.1 innings we’ve already seen him work, he’s managed a 2.13 FIP and a 33.3% strikeout rate.
Yes, the Rockies are a top 10 offense in the league at home by most surface metrics. However, the altitude doesn’t matter all that much when every third batter is going down on strikes. Coors is also factored heavily into Ohtani’s price tag. Too heavily, in my opinion. Take advantage of the savings and the fact the starter with the most upside on tonight’s slate is only the eight-most expensive asset.
OF Trevor Larnach, Minnesota Twins vs. Athletics, $3,500
Larnach has been living at the top of the Twins’ order lately when the team has been facing a right-handed pitcher. That’s for good reason. For the season as a whole, Larnach has hit 15 of his 16 home runs off of RHPs, translating out to a very respectable 118 wRC+ within the split. Larnach has also been swinging the bat extremely well in August, with a .268 ISO and an .884 OPS in the month.
Who is the righty that Larnach and the rest of Minnesota will get to face on Wednesday? It’s J.T. Ginn ($5,800). The 26-year-old has been completely unable to consistently retire opposing LHBs in 2025, with left-handed opponents combining to hit .326 off Ginn with an eye-popping .632 slugging percentage. Heck, Ginn is surrendering 3.13 home runs per nine in opposite-hand matchups. That’s gross.
OF Lawrence Butler, Athletics at Minnesota Twins, $4,000
Butler’s salary is way down from where its sat for most of the season, even dipping below $4,000 in Tuesday’s contest, a game where the outfielder hit a double and scored a run. Some of this movement is justified, as Butler’s been a little underwhelming at the dish following his breakout 2024 campaign. Still, the 25-year-old seems like a lock for his first ever 20/20 season in 2025 and he’s mustered an above-average .754 OPS against RHPs. The upside and potential remain tantalizing.
All that said, the real reason for Butler’s viability on Wednesday is the presence of Bailey Ober, who is simply in the midst of a nightmarish stretch. Dating back to June 6, Ober’s ERA sits a 7.38, as the freakishly tall RHP has surrendered a whopping 17 home runs in only 46.1 innings of work. No other stats matter when the ball is leaving the park at a clip like that. That’s all you need to know.
