This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There's plenty of games on the schedule Wednesday, though several teams have getaway days. That leaves us with a weak crop of pitching on a six-game main slate. It could also lead many to pay all the way up at both pitching spots, but it's not a day to project ceiling games for most arms. As a result, a strong way to gain leverage will likely be to pay for top bats/stacks and hope to pinpoint the right mid-tier pitching.
Pitchers
For those who want to pay all the way up for an arm, Alek Manoah ($10,500) is a decent bet. He draws an Orioles lineup that has been exactly in the middle of the league as measured by wOBA in the last month. Manoah has had rocky patches, but he has topped 23 DK points in each of his last three starts so should be a decent option to at least deliver a safe floor.
Yu Darvish ($10,00) has been excellent pretty much the entire season, but Arizona isn't the easy matchup that it once was earlier in the campaign. In the last 30 days, the lineup ranks seventh in wOBA and has struck out at the lowest rate. Darvish isn't likely to implode, but this isn't an easy matchup by any means.
Jordan Montgomery's ($9,200) price makes him a bit uncomfortable to roster, but his results have been superb since joining the Cardinals. In his last five starts, he's tallied at least 20 DK points on four occasions and 25 or more DK points three times. The Nationals are rolling out a Triple-A lineup with a month left in the season. Dean Kremer ($8,200) is worth mentioning strictly because there isn't much else to talk about in terms of useful arms. In a matchup against Toronto though, I'm staying away.
All that's left to cover is the punt play of the day, Cody Morris ($5,300). Morris wasn't impressive in his big-league debut but is projected to enter Tuesday's game against the Royals following an opener. Morris is a well-regarded prospect, so his price could be on the rise in the final few weeks of the season.
Top Hitters
Jose Altuve ($5,900) checks a lot of boxes Wednesday. He has the individual skill (.700 slugging percentage across his last 10 games) and will also lead off for a Houston lineup that should have one of the highest implied run totals of the day thanks to a matchup against Cole Ragans.
After disappointing for much of the season, Tyler O'Neill ($5,500) appears to be fully healthy and locked in at the plate. He's maintained a .944 OPS and .594 slugging percentage across his last 10 games, and he draws a matchup against Cory Abbott – who has allowed 2.0 HR.9 and has a SIERA of 5.06 in a small sample of 26.2 innings in the majors this season.
We have to get a bit more creative due to the small slate, so I like attacking Zack Greinke because of his inability to induce swings and misses and because he is making his first start in two-and-a-half weeks. Jose Ramirez ($6,300) is an attractive option as a result.
Value Hitters
Riding the hot hand typically isn't a good reason for rostering a player. However, the cheaper the cost, the more I'm willing to play someone in the midst of a strong stretch without much track record. That's true of TJ Friedl ($2,200), who has taken over as the Reds' leadoff hitter against righties and has four homers across his last seven starts.
For the second consecutive day, I want to roster Franmil Reyes ($2,600). Despite a down season against lefties in 2022, Reyes has a .352 wOBA with the handedness advantage for his career. On Wednesday, he draws a matchup against Mike Minor, who has allowed 2.1 HR/9 on the campaign.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Rangers (Cole Ragans): Jose Altuve ($5,900), Yordan Alvarez ($5,900), Alex Bregman ($5,600)
This is a really interesting stack to consider from a roster build/strategy standpoint. It's obviously pricy, but it should be a way to get different from the field because it will be impossible to roster two pitchers priced at $8,000 or more along with this trio. I'm willing to take on some of that risk in one pitcher slot because of the Astros' matchup Wednesday. Ragans has a very small sample in the majors, but he's allowed more walks than strikeouts and has allowed as many earned runs as he has strikeouts.
Reds at Cubs (Javier Assad): TJ Friedl ($2,200), Jonathan India ($4,600), Jake Fraley ($2,800)
For those who may prefer to pay up at pitcher, this is a value stack. Assad has a 0 K-BB% (13 K%, 13 BB%) in a minimal 10-inning sample. He also hasn't allowed a home run in that span, masking his poor skills. The bottom of the Reds order is as ugly as it gets, but the top of the order still can do some damage at relatively little cost.
Padres vs. Diamondbacks (Tommy Henry): Ha-Seong Kim ($4,500), Juan Soto ($5,600), Manny Machado ($6,000)
Henry has largely held his own in his first of the majors, and his ugly surface stats are primarily the product of his last outing during which he allowed seven earned runs. However, he's allowed three or more walks in four of his six starts. Against a dangerous – albeit underperforming – lineup like the Padres, that's a difficult line to walk successfully.
