This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There are only a few day games across baseball Wednesday, which leaves 12 games to make up the main evening slate on DraftKings. Let's highlight some pitchers and hitters to consider when crafting your lineups.
Pitchers
Gerrit Cole ($11,200) pitched poorly in his last start, allowing five runs across five innings against the Rays. That actually marked the second time in his last four outings that he allowed five runs. With that being said, he allowed a total of one run across the other two outings and he has a 1.90 FIP for the season. This could be a favorable matchup for him to get back on track with the Twins missing a couple of key hitters in their lineup, including Byron Buxton (hip).
It looks like Casey Mize ($6,800) is starting to show why he was so highly thought of while coming up through the Tigers' system. He's allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last seven starts and he pitched at least six innings in six of those contests. He didn't face all easy lineups, either, considering he took the hill against the Red Sox, Yankees and White Sox (twice). Now he'll take on the Mariners, who have the second-worst OPS in baseball. The last time he faced them, he allowed one run and recorded seven strikeouts over 7.2 innings.
Austin Gomber's ($6,000) 4.12 ERA isn't exactly terrible, but it would be a lot better had it not been for one start versus the Giants in which he allowed nine runs over 1.2 innings. He's done a good job of keeping hitters off base, posting a 1.14 WHIP. That may have been aided by him making eight of his 12 starts on the road. That's where he will be again when he faces the Marlins, who have the fourth-worst OPS in baseball.
Top Targets
One of the few hitters on the Yankees who has performed well this season is Aaron Judge ($5,600). He's hit for power with a .245 ISO and he's also cut down on his strikeouts, which has helped him record a .402 wOBA. Expect him to be a tough out for Randy Dobnak ($5,700), who has a 1.44 WHIP and just a 15.5 percent strikeout rate.
Brad Keller ($5,900) has managed to increase his strikeout rate to 19.5 percent this season, which is more than two percentage points higher than his career mark. That's been about his only positive, though, given his 4.69 FIP and 1.71 WHIP. He's even allowed 1.3 HR/9, which is nearly double his career mark. This could be a great matchup to roll with Shohei Ohtani ($5,900), who is as dangerous as it gets with his .330 ISO.
Bargain Bats
While his salary isn't overly cheap, Yordan Alvarez ($4,000) could still end up being a bargain for his matchup against Nathan Eovaldi ($8,300). He has a career .305 ISO and .413 wOBA versus right-handed pitchers. Eovaldi is off to a strong start with a 3.78 ERA and an even better 2.39 FIP, but he's not an overwhelming force, posting just a 23.3 percent strikeout rate.
Going back to the Yankees matchup against Dobnak, Gio Urshela ($3,800) could be another Bronx Bomber to consider. He's currently on a seven-game hitting streak that has seen him hit 10-for-31 (.323) with a home run and three doubles.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox vs. Jake Odorizzi ($8,100), Astros: Rafael Devers ($5,900), Xander Bogaerts ($5,800), Alex Verdugo ($3,900)
Odorozzi faced the Red Sox in Houston during his last start and gave up three runs over three innings. He allowed seven total base runners in the contest while only recording two strikeouts. The Red Sox have a .768 OPS at home, so this could be another rough outing for Odorizzi. Devers could be the key to any Red Sox stack given his .293 ISO and .379 wOBA.
Mets vs. Matt Harvey ($5,000), Orioles: Pete Alonso ($5,800), Francisco Lindor ($4,700), Dominic Smith ($5,200)
Harvey faced the Mets last month and was hit hard by his former team, allowing seven runs over 4.1 innings. They aren't the only team that has given him trouble, either, considering his 1.61 WHIP. After slow starts, Lindor and Smith are both showing signs of turning things around. In fact, Lindor is 14-for-41 (.341) with two home runs and three doubles over the last 10 games.
Reds vs. Brett Anderson ($8,500), Brewers: Nick Castellanos ($4,500), Eugenio Suarez ($4,300), Jonathan India ($3,700)
The Reds have a .824 OPS at home, which is where they will play this game against the Brewers. That's tied for the highest home OPS in baseball, which could make for a difficult night for Anderson. He's had plenty of troubles of his own, allowing 1.7 HR/9 to go along with his 5.63 FIP. Castellanos is the player to build any Reds stack around given his .443 wOBA. He's also dropped his strikeout rate to 18.3 percent, which is more than 10 percentage points lower than last season.
