This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
DraftKings gives us a nice surprise on Wednesday, a day when there are typically fewer games available due to getaway contests splitting the slate in half. However, this week, DK has shifted the main slate to kick off at 6:40 pm ET, which in turn gives us 10 matchups to work with. The available pitchers give us a lot of intriguing pieces, including some of the most prolific strikeout pitchers in the league as well as some potential value options in tough matchups. The early start to the slate also gives some good venues for bats, highlighted by games in Philadelphia, Cincinnati and New York (Yankee Stadium).
Pitchers
There are three pitchers with a strikeout rate above 30 percent in Tyler Glasnow ($10,600), Freddy Peralta ($10,200) and Jared Jones ($9,600). They face the Diamondbacks, Marlins and Giants respectively, which offer the interesting combination of being below-average lineups, but ones that don't strike out frequently. All three are playable, but I'd prioritize Glasnow and Peralta based on their superior chance for victory.
There's a lot of risk involved, but Blake Snell ($8,300) is set to return from the injured list to make a start against Pittsburgh. The Pirates strike out at a 24.6 percent clip as a team against southpaws, the sixth-highest rate in the league. That creates a lot of upside to balance out the risk. The other standout option in this price range is Ryan Pepiot ($7,500). He has the fourth-highest strikeout rate (29.1 percent), just behind the trio we talked about above. A matchup against Boston is mediocre as they have a .317 wOBA and a 24.5 percent strikeout rate against right-handed pitching. Pepiot is also coming off the injured list, but he's not expected to face any significant workload restrictions.
For those less willing to take on risk, Chris Bassitt ($7,200) is a steadier option. He doesn't have much upside, but a matchup against the White Sox should give him win potential and more potential for strikeouts than typical.
Justin Steele ($7,000) has better skills than this price indicates, but a matchup against Atlanta is tough. Nevertheless, he should be projected to be one of the better point-per-dollar plays of the day.
Top Hitters
Taijuan Walker has served up a home run in every start this season and is now set to pitch in one of the more homer-friendly parks in the league. That makes Marcus Semien ($5,500) a good player to build around.
We can flip to the other side of this game for more strong hitting options, as Dane Dunning is on the mound for the Rangers. He's given up a remarkable 15.6 percent barrel rate and has historically given up a lot of damage to left-handed hitters. Bryce Harper ($5,800) and Kyle Schwarber ($5,400) are also strong bats to build through.
Value Bats
Mike Ford ($3,300) has hit third for the Reds of late and we want to target this game environment due to it being played at Great American Ballpark. Ford hasn't experienced much success, but Michael King has given up 1.8 HR/9 this season so Wednesday could be the day for him to pay off.
Mitch Garver ($3,200) has gotten off to a slow start this season, but that isn't the case against lefties. He has .381 wOBA and .294 ISO against southpaws this season and is priced reasonably.
Stacks to Consider
San Diego Padres vs. Cincinnati Reds (Nick Martinez): Fernando Tatis ($5,500), Jurickson Profar ($4,100), Jake Cronenworth ($4,300)
This isn't the combination of Padres' hitters you may have expected to see, but it is the current two through four hitters. Everything lines up for them to score some runs Wednesday night. Great American Ballpark is one of the best hitting environments in the league and Martinez has mediocre overall numbers, but his splits as a starter are particularly ugly as he's posted a 6.86 ERA paired with just a 15 percent strikeout rate. Add in the relatively diminished price of the middle of the order and San Diego is an excellent option.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (Ryne Nelson): Shohei Ohtani ($6,500), Freddie Freeman ($5,700), Will Smith ($5,200)
We go from a value stack to one of the most expensive options, so there will be a need to find cheap options for those who opt to stack the Dodgers. That trade-off should be worth it, as Nelson has just a 16.3 percent strikeout rate. He's been unlucky in terms of surface stats, but giving up a lot of contact to the best lineup in the league isn't a recipe for things to turn around.
