FanDuel MLB: Wednesday Breakdown

Written by

Published on August 7, 2019

Wednesday is a full day of baseball on FanDuel starting with a very early-only slate at 12:10 p.m. EDT consisting of five games. Then there's an early-only slate of games at 2:10 p.m. EDT that has four games. Finally, the main slate of games start earlier than usual at 6:40 p.m. EDT and features another five games.

Pitching

Looking at his matchup and the limited options at the position, the popular cash game option for the main slate will be the Yankees' James Paxton ($9,600). His 4.61 ERA is troublesome but his 11.57 K/9 rate often mitigates the earned runs allowed. The Orioles are a great matchup for the southpaw, as Baltimore has a .303 wOBA (sixth-worst) and their 26.8 strikeout rate to lefties is the highest mark in baseball. Despite being on the road, the Yankees are a -200 favorite, suggesting Paxton should be in line for the win bonus.

There's a strong argument that Boston's Eduardo Rodriguez ($9,000) might be a better cash game option given he also has a good matchup but is at home. The Royals have the fourth-lowest wOBA (.289) against left-handed pitching and their 24.2 percent strikeout rate is the 10th-highest. Rodriguez's numbers have been much better at home than on the road this season, and he's averaging 35 FanDuel points per game in Fenway Park.

The cheaper options for GPPs are thin with only five games on the slate, and two of those starting pitchers are making their first appearances off the IL. One of the usable, cheaper options is the Padres' Joey Lucchesi ($7,300). The Padres are a -150 road favorite and the game is tied for the lowest over/under of the five games at 9.5 runs. Seattle has the fourth-highest strikeout rate against left-handed pitching with a 26.2 percent mark.

Key Values/Chalk

Yusei Kikuchi has been horrible lately, giving up multiple home runs in each of his last three starts (eight home runs in 15.2 innings). putting the Padres' Hunter Renfroe ($3,000) in play. Renfroe is up to 30 home runs this season and kills lefties, posting a .403 wOBA against that handedness. Kikuchi has allowed 17 home runs in 46 innings at home this season to right-handed hitters, leading to a .369 wOBA.

If either Fernando Tatis Jr. ($4,300) or Xander Bogaerts ($4,100) can be afforded, by all means use one of them. If a cheaper option is desired to pivot off those two in tournaments, consider the Diamondbacks' Nick Ahmed ($3,200). Ahmed has a .363 wOBA this season against lefties and facing Jason Vargas is a decent matchup for him. While Vargas is no longer on the Mets, he has a 5.03 ERA on the road this season and will be in Arizona.

Looking at the expected starters, it appears the Pirates' Colin Moran ($2,700) will be the cheapest player at his position. He's not a bad punt considering his .365 wOBA at home against right-handed pitching. With Zach Davies going on the IL on Monday, Milwaukee's starter is yet to be announced. Logic would say it's probably it'll be a right-hander, but check throughout the day for confirmation.

If Lucchesi isn't being used in a lineup then the Mariners' Austin Nola ($2,600) is a good, cheap option at second base. After sporting a .935 OPS at Triple-A Tacoma, Nola has carried that success with the bat over into the big leagues. He's raking against left-handed pitching with a .470 wOBA, albeit it in a limited sample.

The Diamondbacks' Christian Walker ($3,400) is enjoying a nice breakout season with 20 home runs and has been hot as of late with a .934 OPS over the last 14 days. His best split is at home facing left-handed pitching, where he has a .371 wOBA. Tonight he'll get the same matchup as Ahmed against the southpaw Vargas.

Stacks

Diamondbacks vs. Phillies (Vargas)

Walker (C/1B - $3,400), Ahmed (SS - $3,200), Eduardo Escobar (3B - $4,100), Ketel Marte (2B - $4,000)

Both Escobar (.410) and Marte (.401) have extremely good wOBAs against lefties and Marte's mark goes up to .422 at home. It's possible to use all four players along with Paxton or Rodriguez and still have over $2,600 on average to spend on the rest of your roster.

Padres at Mariners (Kikuchi)

Tatis Jr. (SS - $4,300), Manny Machado (3B - $4,000), Renfroe (OF - $3,000), Manuel Margot (OF - $2,800)

Margot has a .434 wOBA this season against lefties and for his price is a good option in cash games, especially considering the speed factor. Tatis Jr. has a .461 wOBA against lefties and Machado has a whopping .513 mark.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Kevin Payne plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: Fanduel: kevinccp, Draft Kings: kevinccp, Yahoo: kevinccp.