This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have only a seven-game main slate with several games throughout the afternoon. While that waters down the player pool, at least we get baseball all day.
Pitchers
DraftKings' decision to not raise Shohei Ohtani's ($9,100) price is pretty baffling, but we may as well take advantage. He's the only pitcher with a strikeout rate above 30 percent on the slate and also has the lowest SIERA by nearly 0.7 points. Yet, his price point checks in only fourth-highest. At that point matchup hardly matters, but Ohtani draws a White Sox offense that has failed to score four runs in four of their last six games despite getting back to near full health.
We'll circle back to the top price on the board, because it's at least worth mentioning the stability that Sandy Alcantara ($10,000) offers. He's worked at least seven innings in each of his last nine starts. He was stung for four earned runs in his last outing but still managed 12.2 DK points thanks to his ability to work deep into the game. He'll draw a tough matchup against the Cardinals, so it may not be a ceiling game for him, so there's not much case to be made for taking him over Ohtani except to take a contrarian approach.
Speaking of tough matchups, Alek Manoah ($8,700) draws the Red Sox. However, he's put up at least 15 DK points in 12 of his 14 starts this season. That gives some security for cash game consideration, but I wouldn't expect a spike performance.
I'll bypass the entire middle tier of starting options and jump into two potential punt plays. Justin Steele ($6,500) draws Cincinnati for his start at Wrigley Field. The Reds have the second-lowest team wOBA (.270) on the road this season, and Steele has posted eight or more strikeouts in three of his last eight starts.
Andre Pallante ($5,100) is another jump down the board, but he has a respectable 4.11 SIERA across 48.2 innings this season, which doesn't align with his price. The Marlins are a mediocre offense, so it's not a must-attack spot, but worth considering if needed to utilize a high-end stack.
Top Hitters
Despite the talent he's flashed at times in his rookie campaign, Hunter Greene has served up 2.6 HR/9 this season. That makes him a pretty clear target, and Patrick Wisdom ($3,800) – who has a .228 ISO against right-handed pitching this season – a strong play.
Jose Ramirez ($5,100) is a more traditional "top hitter." He and the Guardians will take on Dylan Bundy, who has the third-lowest strikeout rate among the pitchers on the main slate and also has allowed 1.5 HR/9 on the season.
I like both sides of the Guardians-Twins game for some offense. Cal Quantrill is able to get soft contact fairly consistently, but he has a minuscule 15.1 percent strikeout rate. He's going to give up a lot of contact, and the Twins have hitters capable of making him pay. Carlos Correa ($4,800) is among that group.
Value Hitters
Garrett Cooper ($2,800) hasn't gotten enough respect for the season that he's put together so far. He's maintained a .832 OPS (.460 slug) and regularly hits cleanup in the Miami lineup. Andre Pallante is a potential punt play, but there are a lot of paths for it to go very wrong for Pallante. Cooper is a low-risk option to get exposure to the Marlins.
No one can be sure exactly why the Angels are hitting David MacKinnon ($2,100) fifth in their lineup, but that's where he has found a home. He's particularly interesting Wednesday because he and the Angels will take on Michael Kopech, who has a significant problem with walks. That makes it a strong likelihood that MacKinnon will come to the plate with runners in scoring position at some point in the game.
With another lefty on the mound for the Dodgers (Julio Urias), Elehuris Montero ($2,000) may enter the lineup for Ryan McMahon. Montero will hit towards the bottom of the order, but the offensive environment at Coors Field will help balance that.
Stacks to Consider
Guardians vs. Twins (Dylan Bundy): Amed Rosario ($4,000), Jose Ramirez ($5,100), Franmil Reyes ($2,900)
Bundy checks a lot of the boxes that we look for in targeting starting pitchers, highlighted by a low strikeout rate (17.9 percent) and a 1.5 HR/9. I like the Guardians against him specifically because they strike out at the lowest rate in the league. That's a good combination paired with Bundy's low strikeout rate, as a few bloop and blasts could lead to a lot of DK points.
Twins vs. Guardians (Cal Quantrill): Byron Buxton ($5,600), Carlos Correa ($4,800), Max Kepler ($4,500)
The Twins-Guardians game has a 9-run total, highest on the slate setting aside the Coors Field matchup. The obvious reason for that is that both starting pitchers look susceptible. The Twins offer a bit more volatility to a stack than the Guardians, as they make less contact but deliver more power. Quantrill isn't good at generating strikeouts, so it's possible that Minnesota can hit him hard Wednesday.
Braves vs. Phillies (Ranger Suarez): Dansby Swanson ($5,100), Matt Olson ($4,200), Austin Riley ($4,800)
Suarez doesn't have a particularly strong home run problem, but his 9.1 percent walk rate stands out among the pitchers in the pool Tuesday. Even without Ronald Acuna, Atlanta boasts a strong lineup that can make Suarez pay for putting hitters on base. The price points of the top/middle of the order also aren't particularly prohibitive.
Also consider: Dodgers at Rockies (German Marquez)
