Wednesday night sets up to be a very busy one in Major League Baseball with 10 games on the main DraftKings slate. Six of the games are interleague contests while the other four are divisional matchups, with two from the AL West and two from the NL West.
Based on form, matchup and expected opportunity, I’ve selected my favorite value plays and studs at each position. Make sure to stay locked in to @DKLive on Twitter throughout the day and check the latest news in the DK Live app for lineups and any breaking news that may impact your roster.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: MLB $333K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
Starting Pitcher
Stud
Yu Darvish, CHC at KC, $10,400 — Darvish gets a good matchup against the Royals in his third start of the season after bouncing back from a rough opener with a dominant performance against the Pirates. He threw six shutout innings in that start against Pittsburgh, fanning seven and allowing just two hits on his way to 29.7 DKFP. He is 2-1 with a 2.34 ERA in his five career starts against the Royals, and he has looked sharp with 12 strikeouts in 10 innings in the early going this season. Kansas City’s lineup has struggled to this point, so Darvish should be in a favorable spot to post another good outing.
Other Options — Mike Clevinger ($9,200), Lance McCullers Jr. ($8,300)
Value
Randy Dobnak, MIN at PIT, $7,200 — The Pirates’ offense has struggled out of the gate this season with a .575 team OPS, which is the third-worst in the Majors, along with an average of just 3.36 runs per game. Dobnak will try to take advantage of this matchup, as he looks to build on a scoreless outing in his most recent start as well. He fanned four and gave up three hits in five scoreless innings against Cleveland to get his first win of the season along with 20.3 DKFP. While he may not stick in the rotation once Jake Odorizzi (back) returns, the 25-year-old righty showed he’s ready to contribute in the Majors with a 1.59 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 28 and one third innings last season. He’s a solid value option in this outing and has only given up one run in nine innings so far this season.
Other Option — Ross Stripling ($7,800), Garrett Richards ($6,200)
Catcher
Stud
Willson Contreras, CHC at KC, $4,800 — Contreras has been a fixture in the middle of the Cubs lineup this season, as manager David Ross uses the DH spot to keep his bat in the lineup. Contreras has gone 11-for-35 (.314) with five doubles and two home runs to average 8.9 DKFP per sim and produce a 1.013 OPS. He connected on his second home of the season on Tuesday and finished with 19 DKFP, giving him at least seven DKFP in seven of his past nine. Contreras and the Cubs take on young lefty Kris Bubic ($6,400) as this home-and-home set switches to Kansas City, and Contreras should be in a good spot since he mashed southpaws last season, hitting .320 against them with a 1.027 OPS.
Other Options — Yasmani Grandal ($4,900), Travis d’Arnaud ($4,400)
Value
Chadwick Tromp, SF at COL, $3,400 — Tromp got Tuesday night off in Colorado but should be back in the lineup Wednesday since he has been swinging a hot bat lately. He homered in each of his past two games and has at least 14 DKFP in each of his three most recent contests. He gets the Coors Field boost in addition to his recent success, so he’s worth a look as a cheap backstop. The 25-year-old rookie signed with the Giants as a free agent this past offseason and could work his way into more playing time since the Giants are trying to replace Buster Posey, who opted out of the season.
Other Options — Francisco Mejía ($3,700), Martín Maldonado ($2,800)
First Base
Stud
José Abreu, CWS vs. MIL, $4,700 — Abreu has started the season strong in the heart of the White Sox’ batting order that has been one of the most productive in the Majors. He has hit two home runs while going 14-for-45 (.286) with three doubles and eight RBI as well in his first 11 games. Abreu and the White Sox are home against the Brewers as they try to pick up their seventh straight win. Last season, Abreu especially enjoyed hitting at home with a .309 average and .905 OPS. He’s one of the most consistent bats at the 1B slot and also offers plenty of upside.
Other Options — Brandon Belt ($4,400), Yuli Gurriel ($4,100)
Value
Jake Cronenworth, SD vs. LAD, $2,600 — Cronenworth has been a very solid fill-in option for the Padres while Eric Hosmer (illness) has been sidelined. The 26-year-old lefty hit his first home run of the season on Tuesday and finished with 14 DKFP while extending his hitting streak to four straight games. He has gone 6-for-18 (.333) on the season with a double, two triples, a home run and an impressive 1.146 OPS. He’ll likely head back to the bench when Hosmer returns, but until then, he makes a great value play.
Other Options — Ryon Healy ($3,900), Ryan O’Hearn ($2,800)
Second Base
Stud
Jose Altuve, HOU at ARI, $5,700 — Altuve hasn’t gotten off to a great start to the season, going just 7-for-43 (.163) with two home runs, six walks and a stolen base while also striking out 11 times. He did homer on Tuesday, though, and has a good history against today’s scheduled opponent Robbie Ray ($6,500). Altuve has gone 6-for-11 with three doubles and a triple against Ray in their past meetings and usually tees off on lefties. Maybe facing Ray is exactly what the All-Star needs to shake out of his early season funk and put together a big game in Arizona.
Other Option — Keston Hiura ($5,100), Ketel Marte ($5,000)
Value
César Hernández, CLE vs. CIN, $3,900 — Hernández has stayed in the leadoff spot for Cleveland throughout his first 11 games with the team and has gone 12-for-41 (.293) with five walks and a hit-by-pitch, giving him a solid .383 OBP. While OBP isn’t typically one of the top stats we lean on for DFS, it shows he has been successfully getting on base in front of the heart of the Cleveland order, which should start to result in runs scored once the rest of the lineup starts hitting closer to its potential. Hernández and the rest of that lineup will take on Tejay Antone ($4,000) in one of the better matchups of the day.
Other Options — Luis Arraez ($3,300), Nico Hoerner ($3,100)
Third Base
Stud
Yoán Moncada, CWS vs. MIL, $4,300 — Moncada is another member of the White Sox’ lineup that has started the season strong, going 14-for-42 (.333) with three doubles and a pair of home runs. He has been making a ton of hard contact and has reached base in all 10 games he has played. While there are some great options at the hot corner, Moncada can save you a little bit of salary while still offering great upside in his matchup with Adrian Houser ($8,100).
Other Options — Nolan Arenado ($5,600), Anthony Rendon ($5,200)
Value
David Fletcher, LAA at SEA, $3,700 — With Mike Trout ($6,200) back in the lineup behind him, Fletcher should continue to be a solid option at the top of the Halos’ order. He has started the season 15-for-42 (.357) with three doubles, a home run, eight walks and a couple of stolen bases. He is averaging over 10 DKFP per contest and has always had good numbers against lefties in his career. He has gone 8-for-25 (.320) with three doubles and a triple in the past against Mariners’ scheduled starter lefty Marco Gonzales ($6,800).
Other Option — Johan Camargo ($3,300), Isiah Kiner-Falefa ($2,600)
Shortstop
Stud
Fernando Tatis Jr., SD vs. LAD, $5,200 — Tatis has reached base safely in all 12 of his games this season and is producing 12 DKFP per contest. He has four doubles, a triple three home runs and three stolen bases on the young season and continues to be one of the most exciting emerging talents in the Majors. He’s hardly ever a fantasy bust and already has a home run in his two previous career at-bats against Ross Stripling, who is starting at Petco Park for the Dodgers on Wednesday.
Other Options — Trevor Story ($5,800), Dansby Swanson ($4,600)
Value
Carlos Correa, HOU at ARI, $4,300 — Correa is still vastly under-priced since he has been one of the few Astros’ bats that have started the season strong. He is 14-for-36 (.389) in his 10 contests with three doubles, two home runs and 9.6 DKFP per contest. He homered on Tuesday in Arizona and should have a good matchup in this contest against Robbie Ray. Correa is 4-for-8 with a home run off lefties this season and hit .308 off them last year with a robust .962 OPS. There’s lots of star power at SS on a nightly basis, but if you need to go a little cheaper, Correa is a nice option at this salary.
Other Option — Jorge Polanco ($3,900), Freddy Galvis ($3,300)
Outfield
Stud
Joey Gallo, TEX at OAK, $5,300 — Gallo has already hit three home runs in his first nine games of the season, and all three have come against southpaws. Overall, he is 10-for-33 (.303) with three doubles, eight RBI and even two stolen bases, giving him a 1.077 OPS and 11.9 DKFP per contest. He has an unsustainable 1.375 OPS against southpaws on the season, but mashing lefties isn’t anything new for Gallo. He hit 8-of-22 home runs last year against lefties with a 1.174 OPS. He takes on a lefty in Sean Manaea ($8,600) on Wednesday in Oakland, so the power potential is there for another good night for Gallo.
Other Option — Mike Yastrzemski ($5,800), Nelson Cruz ($4,900), Cody Bellinger ($4,700)
Value
Kyle Lewis, SEA vs. LAA, $3,900 — While the Mariners’ offense has been unimpressive overall, Lewis has established himself as a legitimate bat in the middle of the order, going 18-for-48 (.375) in his first 12 games with a double, three home runs and 9.9 DKFP per game. He and the Mariners take on Julio Teheran ($7,500) in his Angels debut on Wednesday night. Even though he’s not getting much help from the hitters around him, Lewis is a solid play for less than $4K.
Other Option — Luis Robert ($4,300), Max Kepler ($4,100), Jo Adell ($3,000)
Set your DraftKings lineups here: MLB $333K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Z.Thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.