Wednesday features a 10-game MLB main slate, and the action on DraftKings gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET. Let’s go position-by-position and break down everything you’ll need to know to set your lineups.
Editor’s Note: Royals SP Carlos Hernandez will start tonight’s game vs. the Athletics.
PITCHER
Stud
José Urquidy, Houston Astros at Texas Rangers ($10,000) — The Rangers offense struggles with right-handed pitching (87 wRC+, .297 wOBA, .155 ISO and a 24% K rate) and José Urquidy allows too many fly balls (46%), but when he gets away with his fly ball outs, he’s a top tier pitcher. Urquidy limits hard contact (24%) and the Rangers’ hard contact rate against right-handed pitching since Aug. 1 ranks 26th (31.3%). This will be Urquidy’s third start since returning from the IL and first against a below-average team. Before going on the IL in June, Urquidy scored over 22 DKFP in four of his last five full starts and reached highs of 29.4 and 31.1 DKFP.
Other Option: Julio Urias ($10,500), Huascar Ynoa ($8,900)
Value
Scott Kazmir, San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres ($5,000) — What year is it? The last time Kazmir was relevant — DFS barely existed. There are a handful of studs pitching tonight, so paying up for both spots will likely be the winning formula in tournaments. However, if you’re going to spend down, then you might want to go all the way down, so you can afford the big bats that compensate for missing out on one of the elite pitchers. The Padres aren’t hitting lefties — 85 wRC+, .293 wOBA and a .112 ISO since Aug. 1 — and the spacious San Francisco ball park favors Kazmir (0.90 GO/AO in 46 innings at Triple-A). For the most part, Kazmir is the typical washed up minor leaguer hanging on to a dream that we’ve seen in the movies — the Giants have been desperate for pitching for a while and Kazmir is just now getting the call — but tonight he can move out of the role of tertiary character to star of his own movie with a heroic or just average September performance. NOTE: Dominic Leone is the Probable Opener for the third time in six days, so it is likely that Kazmir comes in as long relief.
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CATCHER
Stud
Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks ($4,900) — Against right-handed pitching, Smith — not a lefty — is one of the best hitting catchers in baseball — .408 wOBA, .277 ISO, 161 wRC+ and a 38% hard contact rate. As noted in previous targets articles, Merrill Kelly ($7,000) is a reverse splits pitcher. He is surrendering a .350 wOBA, .204 ISO, 37% hard contact rate and 1.7 HR/9 to right handed batters.
Other Option: Yasmani Grandal ($5,100)
Value
Yan Gomes, Oakland Athletics at Kansas City Royals ($4,000) — Against left-handed pitching, Gomes — obviously not a lefty — is one of the best hitting catchers in baseball — .386 wOBA, .274 ISO, 145 wRC+ and a 40% hard contact rate. Mike Minor should be better at home where he can get away with his fly balls (41%), but he isn’t — 5.18 home ERA — and right-handed batters are getting to him — .204 ISO and 1.6 HR/9.
Other Option: James McCann ($3,100)
FIRST BASE
Stud
Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves vs. Colorado Rockies ($5,800) — Antonio Senzatela ($7,700) has been better on the road, but it’s all relative. That statement sounds good but one has to realize that the comparison is to Coors Field. You’re better look than that guy, but if that guy is a mutant, then it’s not much of a compliment. Senzatela is a pitcher that can be targeted with Braves and who better than the guy — not that guy, he’s a mutant — that is crushing right-handed pitching — .394 wOBA, .228 ISO, 146 wRC+, 39% hard contact rate and a 15% K rate.
Other Option: Yuli Gurriel ($4,900), Pete Alonso ($4,700)
Value
Brad Miller, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs ($3,400) — Against right-handed pitching, Miller still has DFS potential — .368 wOBA, .258 ISO, 130 wRC+ and a 46% hard contact rate. He strikes out a little too much, but the Cubs’ quasi-rookie starter does not strikeout lefties. Alec Mills ($6,300) is having a solid season, but just like every new pitcher, he is struggling to retire opposite-handed batters —.381 wOBA, .189 ISO, 1.5 HR/9 and a 16% K rate to left-handed batters.
Other Option: Luke Voit ($3,600)
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SECOND BASE
Stud
Jose Altuve, Houston Astros at Texas Rangers ($5,100) — Welcome back Kohei Arihara ($5,500). In April, he was in the targets article every five to six days, but not as a pitcher to target, but as a pitcher to be targeted. The 29-year-old struggled in his first starts in the major leagues — 6.59 ERA — before a shoulder injury landed him on the IL. This will be his third start since returning, and nothing has changed — two home runs in eight innings. Against right-handed pitching, Altuve has a .369 wOBA, .233 ISO, 140 wRC+ and 14% K rate.
Other Option: Javier Baez ($4,700)
Value
David Fletcher, Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox ($3,600) — Dallas Keuchel ($5,800) is an old ground ball pitcher which makes him a pitch-to-contact pitcher. He’s allowing a .345 wOBA while only striking out 12% of right-handed batters. Fletcher has been cool lately, but he does not strike out (6% K rate vs. LHP). There will be action in these at-bats.
Other Option: Tommy Edman ($4,300)
THIRD BASE
Stud
Patrick Wisdom, Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies ($4,500) — By now most MLB fans and DFS players are familiar with Wisdom. The conventional wisdom — yes, we’re really doing this — is to fade Wisdom in cash lineups because of his high strikeout rate (44%), and to chase Wisdom in GPPs where it is wise — really? — to roster players with high upside (.376 wOBA, .319 ISO, 137 wRC+ and a 46% hard contact rate).
Other Option: Austin Riley ($5,400)
Value
Jonathan Villar, New York Mets vs. St. Louis Cardinals ($4,100) — Since Aug 1, Villar has a .368 wOBA, .188 ISO and a 136 wRC+. He’s been better against right-handed pitching, but Jon Lester ($6,100) is too good of a matchup to dismiss — .376 wOBA, .206 ISO, 1.7 HR/9, 13% K rate and a 10% BB rate to right-handed batters.
Other Option: Alex Bregman ($4,400)
SHORTSTOP
Stud
Francisco Lindor, New York Mets vs. St. Louis Cardinals ($5,100) — It’s too late for the Mets, but Lindor is finally hitting. In his last three games, Lindor has five hits — three of which are home runs — and he has scored five runs. His BvP numbers against Jon Lester aren’t great, but those stats draw heavily from a time long ago when Jon Lester was an ace.
Other Option: Fernando Tatis Jr. ($6,200)
Value
Freddy Galvis, Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs ($4,100) — Alec Mills might be an elite sinker ball pitcher someday, but that someday better hurry up and come for the 29-year-old getting his first extended stay at the big league level. For now, the sinker works on right-handed batters, but not so much on the lefties (5.11 xFIP). Before going on the IL in late June, Galvis was routinely underpriced for his production. Now, he’s on another team and almost a month removed from the IL, and has reprised his role as every day value shortstop, for those that dare spend down at the position.
Other Option: Gleyber Torres ($3,500)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs ($5,900) — For the first three months (up to June 28), Harper was an all star — .375 wOBA, .216 ISO and a 135 wRC+. Since then, Harper has been a hall of famer — .472 wOBA, .381 ISO and a 198 wRC+. Harper has homered in six of the last eight games, and he’s facing an inexperienced pitcher that struggles with lefties.
Other Option: Giancarlo Stanton ($4,700), Mark Canha ($4,900)
Value
Dylan Carlson, St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets ($2,900) — Tylor Megill ($9,200) looks great at times, and a lot of the time against lefties, he looks awful — .408 wOBA, .293 ISO, 2.9 HR/9, 39 % hard contact rate and a 54% fly ball rate. It is common when watching Megill pitch to scream at the TV, “Throw something other than fastballs!” as a left-handed batter fouls off the 87th pitch of the at-bat. Carlson is one of the few lefties that the Cardinals have, so Megill could whirl a gem tonight, but Carlson will get pitches to hit.
Other Option: Austin Hays ($3,200), Jose Siri ($2,000)
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