This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The Wednesday schedule is split pretty evenly between day and night games due to getaway-day for many teams. However, we still have seven matchups to choose from on the main slate. There's not a lot of quality pitching to go around, so the most common strategy will likely be to pay up at the position while searching for cheap bats/stacks.
Pitching
Carlos Rodon ($10,200) carries the heftiest price tag, and rightfully so. He has an incredible 46.7 percent strikeout rate early in the 2022 season. While that won't continue throughout the campaign, it does illustrate he has the ceiling to return value even with a five-digit salary. That may not be the case Tuesday though, as the Mets have hit regardless of the matchup.
Logan Gilbert ($9,800) has shown the early signs of having the breakout campaign that many in the season-long fantasy space projected. He has an impressive 11:1 K:BB across 10 innings while surrendering only one home run. A matchup against Texas isn't easy, but it's preferable to the Mets.
There are a trio of intriguing hurlers in the $7,000-$8,000 range. Merrill Kelly ($8,000) has showcased some pumped up velocity after two turns through the rotation. That hasn't led to a steep increase in swinging strikes, but he faces a Washington lineup that is empty after navigating Juan Soto, Nelson Cruz and Josh Bell. Marcus Stroman ($7,600) was hit hard in his last outing, but it came at Coors Field. His profile suggests he's a boring innings eater, but that plays early in the season with so many starters struggling to work deep into games. A matchup against the Rays is neutral, and the weather in Chicago should continue to suppress offense. Last in this range is Jose Berrios ($7,300). He's squaring off against Boston, which is admittedly a bit scary. However, he's priced way off where his talent would dictate, mitigating some of the risk against a stout Red Sox lineup.
The punt of the day is Chris Paddack ($5,900). Like Berrios, the price is right. The rest of the story is the inverse, as he has a great matchup but boasts questionable skills.
Top Hitters
Pick your favorite Blue Jays hitter and insert the name here. Nick Pivetta has been serving up homers and walks at a disastrous clip early this season, and his track record says that will remain the case (3.8 BB/9 and 1.4 HR/9 in 2021). Vladimir Guerrero ($5,800) and George Springer ($5,600) are the most obvious choices.
Cedric Mullins ($4,700) has been all or nothing at the plate early this season. He has only eight hits across 48 plate appearances, but half of those knocks have gone for extra bases. He'll see Daulton Jefferies on the mound, who has posted a measly 11.9 percent strikeout rate across a very small sample of 26 major-league innings. Mullins can score DK points in multiple ways, so if he is making contact, fantasy goodness is likely to follow.
Seiya Suzuki ($5,800) has rightfully seen his price skyrocket as he has delivered incredible results early in his stateside career. His plate skills give him an excellent floor, as he's posted fewer than five DK points only once in 11 starts.
Value Hitters
Gio Urshela ($2,200) has hit either third or fourth in the Twins' lineup with a lefty on the mound this season. That will be the scenario Wednesday when the Twins take on Daniel Lynch. Nearly the entire Minnesota lineup is viable, and Urshela stands out as a must have salary saver.
Monitor the Athletics lineup, as it has routinely changed this season. Sheldon Neuse ($2,900) projects to be a value hitter if he occupies either the third spot in the order or hits cleanup. More generally, target players who towards the top of Oakland's order against Jordan Lyles.
Joc Pederson ($3,100) has quietly started the season red hot. It's generally not the best idea to simply chase hot streaks, but his price hasn't risen with his performance. Chris Bassitt has been tough on opposing hitters early on, which dampens some of the enthusiasm for Pederson.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Nick Pivetta: George Springer ($5,600), Vladimir Guerrero ($5,800), Lourdes Gurriel ($4,200)
The reasons for targeting Pivetta have already been highlighted. This stack is likely to be very popular, as most of the worst pitchers on the slate are facing equally poor lineups. The Blue Jays offer some intersection of great lineup and positive matchup. Toronto is also tricky because of the difficulty in rostering more than one of the studs in the order. Gurriel has occupied the cleanup spot in Teoscar Hernandez's absence and Zack Collins ($2,800) hit fifth Tuesday. Look for some cheap hitters in similar spots Wednesday to make this workable.
Twins vs. Daniel Lynch: Luis Arraez ($2,800), Jorge Polanco ($4,000), Carlos Correa ($4,900), Gio Urshela ($2,220)
The Twins are a desirable team to target for the second consecutive night. Daniel Lynch had a disastrous MLB debut in 2021 (7.7 K-BB%). He looked better from a skills perspective in his opening start of the 2022 season, but that's not enough to convince me he's taken a step forward. Minnesota will remain intriguing despite not boasting the star power of other teams, because two of the top-four projected members of the lineup are priced under $3,000.
Orioles vs. Daulton Jefferies: Cedric Mullins ($4,700), Ryan Mountcastle ($3,400), Anthony Santander ($3,300), Trey Mancini ($2,900)
The Orioles are the punt stack for Wednesday. As covered, Jefferies surrenders a lot of contact, and once balls are in play anything can happen. Oakland isn't a great environment for offense, but otherwise this is one of the more attractive teams to stack. Doing so would also open up the rest of the roster quite a bit, as it's possible to stack some of the less pricey Blue Jays hitters while also paying up for both Rodon and Gilbert at the SP spots.
