This article is part of our DFS MLB series.
We have a scattering of a few games throughout the day, but the main slate will kick off at 6:35 p.m. ET. It consists of nine games but just be sure to set lineups before lock with a slightly earlier first pitch time.
Pitchers
It's a weak day for pitching overall, so the immediate decision is whether to roster Nathan Eovaldi ($9,200). He's the highest-priced pitcher but draws a matchup against the Athletics, who have been a competent lineup that doesn't strikeout much. There should be a safe floor, which is valuable given the pitcher pool with which to work. However, this isn't a must-roster situation, so I'd be wiling to pass in most circumstances.
There are several pitchers in the second tier of pricing worth considering. The first is Drew Rasmussen ($8,800), with whom I'd feel most comfortable providing a solid floor in a matchup against the Royals. Rasmussen has the third-highest strikeout rate (27.8 percent) among the pitchers available. While the Royals have been relatively punchless as a lineup, they strike out at the seventh-lowest clip in the league. Cristopher Sanchez ($8,200) is in a near-identical situation to Rasmussen. He has a matchup against the Nationals, but he also has some additional risk after overcoming forearm soreness that surfaced during his last start.
Based purely on matchup, Matthew Boyd ($8,400) could be the most intriguing target of all as he heads into a showdown against the Pirates. Pittsburgh's lineup has been abysmal, striking out at the
We have a scattering of a few games throughout the day, but the main slate will kick off at 6:35 p.m. ET. It consists of nine games but just be sure to set lineups before lock with a slightly earlier first pitch time.
Pitchers
It's a weak day for pitching overall, so the immediate decision is whether to roster Nathan Eovaldi ($9,200). He's the highest-priced pitcher but draws a matchup against the Athletics, who have been a competent lineup that doesn't strikeout much. There should be a safe floor, which is valuable given the pitcher pool with which to work. However, this isn't a must-roster situation, so I'd be wiling to pass in most circumstances.
There are several pitchers in the second tier of pricing worth considering. The first is Drew Rasmussen ($8,800), with whom I'd feel most comfortable providing a solid floor in a matchup against the Royals. Rasmussen has the third-highest strikeout rate (27.8 percent) among the pitchers available. While the Royals have been relatively punchless as a lineup, they strike out at the seventh-lowest clip in the league. Cristopher Sanchez ($8,200) is in a near-identical situation to Rasmussen. He has a matchup against the Nationals, but he also has some additional risk after overcoming forearm soreness that surfaced during his last start.
Based purely on matchup, Matthew Boyd ($8,400) could be the most intriguing target of all as he heads into a showdown against the Pirates. Pittsburgh's lineup has been abysmal, striking out at the sixth-highest rate in the league, combined with the sixth-worst wOBA.
DraftKings has tightened the lower end of its pricing this season, so there are fewer punt options than there had been in the past. Tobias Myers ($7,200) isn't quite in punt territory, but he is a relative value. He threw only four innings in his season debut, but he should be able to get on track Wednesday in a matchup against the White Sox.
For those really willing to go out on a limb, Shane Smith ($7,000) has shown signs of brilliance this season, albeit inconsistently. The Brewers aren't a particularly imposing lineup, so he could turn in a respectable outing.
Top Hitters
Ryan O'Hearn ($4,300) has been one of the few bright spots in the Orioles' lineup and has a steady role in the middle of the order against righties. Carlos Carrasco will take the mound for the Yankees and has surrendered a 12.0 percent barrel rate to batters this season.
We don't know exactly who will start for the Jays on Wednesday, but it has the looks of a bullpen game. Either way, it's likely to be a low-quality pitching door for Toronto, putting Boston's lineup on the radar. Jarren Duran ($5,200) and Alex Bregman ($5,000) stand out in particular.
Value Bats
Willson Contreras ($3,300) hasn't had a good start to the season, but he is still regularly hitting second in the order. A matchup against Andrew Abbott hasn't been all that exploitable, but Great American Ballpark is a very good environment for hitters.
Curtis Mead ($2,500) has struggled in a very small sample this season as he serves in a small-side platoon. He should get a chance to hit in the top half of the Rays' order Wednesday, as the team is scheduled to face southpaw Noah Cameron in his big-league debut.
Stacks to Consider
Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (Carmen Mlodzinski): Ian Happ ($4,300), Kyle Tucker ($6,200), Seiya Suzuki ($5,500)
Mlodzinski was a surprise winner of a rotation job to begin the year in Pittsburgh, but things haven't gone particularly well for him. Most notably, he has a 1.82 WHIP, suggesting there is always traffic on the basepaths. That's exactly what we want for stacks, and the Cubs remain one of the most productive lineups in the early going.
New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles (Cade Povich): Ben Rice ($4,800), Aaron Judge ($6,300), Cody Bellinger ($4,500)
This matchup has the looks of a good game stack, as the matchup is between Povich and Carlos Carrasco. The Yankees have the better lineup and Carrasco the better skills, so we'll highlight the New York side of the matchup for purposes of this article. Povich has a disastrous combination of a 1.72 WHIP and 1.44 HR/9, setting up the top of the order for a big evening.
