This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have an interesting schedule on Wednesday, as a few teams are on the afternoon getaway schedule. However, most matchups are in only the second game of their series, so the main slate kicks off at 6:35 p.m. ET and includes 10 games.
Pitchers
This is a tough slate for pitching, as there are arguably zero true aces set to take the mound. The closest based on track record would be Aaron Nola ($9,000), and his price is very reasonable. The Giants have slowed offensively and struck out at the fourth-highest clip (25.4 percent) in the league. He's not the most exciting option, but price and matchup point his way.
The other standout option in a similar price range is Brandon Pfaadt ($8,700). He doesn't have the same upside of Kris Bubic or Jose Soriano, but his matchup against the Marlins makes him stand out.
Pricing is very condensed, so even though there isn't a significant gap in price, Robbie Ray ($8,000) and Mitchell Parker ($7,900) fall into the next tier of the pitcher pool. Ray has the second-highest strikeout rate of the group since the start of the 2024 season (29.3 percent). That's mitigated by both a high walk and homer rate, but on a slate without much upside at the position, Ray could fill the void. Parker is primarily a matchup play, as he draws the Pirates.
The two value options of the day are Clarke Schmidt ($7,400) and Osvaldo Bido ($7,200). The case for Bido is straightforward thanks to a matchup against the White Sox. Schmidt is risky given that this is his season debut, but his price will likely rise by around $800 moving forward, so this is a time to buy low as he takes on the Royals.
Top Hitters
Zack Littell has gotten hit hard early this season, and the Boston offense should be able to take advantage. They are a decent stacking option, but using one of Jarren Duran ($5,200) or Rafael Devers ($4,900) is a good start.
Jonathan Cannon's skills finally started to catch up to him in his last outing and that should continue Wednesday against the A's. Lawrence Butler ($4,800), Shea Langeliers ($4,400), Brent Rooker ($5,400) and Tyler Soderstrom ($4,800) are all decent options, which also suggests the A's are very stackable.
Value Bats
The entire Rockies' lineup is a value, as none check in above $4,100, thanks to a matchup against Bobby Miller. Miller has an 11:11 K:BB across 12 innings with Triple-A Oklahoma City this season after a disastrous 2024 season. Rostering multiple Rockies is a high-risk strategy but is a viable play in larger tournaments because Miller's name value will likely still cause him to draw a higher roster rate than his production dictates.
Dean Kremer hasn't had a good start to the season and has allowed four home runs across his three starts. The Guardians don't have star power, but they do have some cheap bats such as Nolan Jones ($3,100) and Angel Martinez ($3,100), that are capable of producing.
Stacks to Consider
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox (Sean Newcomb): Yandy Diaz ($4,100), Junior Caminero ($4,500), Curtis Mead ($3,400)
We want to target pitchers with high walk rates, high home-run rates and low strikeout rates. Newcomb offers two of the three. He's survived recent starts but has yet to pitch more than 4.1 innings in any of his appearances, which in turn puts a lot of strain on the rest of the pitching staff. In those three contests, the Red Sox have surrendered eight, four and 11 runs, respectively. That makes the Rays a strong offense to stack.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies (German Marquez): Shohei Ohtani ($6,500), Mookie Betts ($6,300), Freddie Freeman ($5,100)
Stacking the Dodgers is a viable option every night, so this isn't exactly going out on a limb and doesn't really merit much discussion on its face. There are two theories to build the rest of the roster around the Dodgers. The first is based on the assumption that they'll be less popular than anticipated because there isn't a lot of high-end pitching, thus pushing the field up the price pool at the position in search of stability. The second is that even if the Dodgers' lineup is popular, the field will stack Bobby Miller with them. Going a different direction at pitcher would be another way to try to be unique.
