This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Wednesday's MLB schedule is busy with all 30 teams are in action, and also a little unusual. The first game starts at 12:37 PM ET, so you'll have to get your lineup in early if you want to play a full slate. There are also quite a few iffy pitchers in action, providing matchups you will definitely want to take advantage of. With that in mind, here are my recommendations for your lineup.
PITCHER
Carlos Rodon, CWS vs. MIN ($8,800): Rodon seems to finally be showing the skills that made him a first-round pick. He has a 2.69 ERA, and in fact at home that ERA drops to 1.50. Meanwhile, on the road the Twins rank 23rd in runs scored, and they have a .299 OBP in those games.
GPP Fade: Jack Flaherty, STL at LAD ($9,200): Flaherty has improved upon his 2017 debut season when he had a 5.31 FIP, but this year his FIP is still 3.85. He also has allowed 1.23 homers per nine innings. The Dodgers rank seventh in runs scored, and that includes the time before they had Manny Machado and Brian Dozier. Their offense is clearly more powerful now.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Jon Lester, CHC at DET ($7,700): Lester has actually been better on the road this year, as he has a 3.18 ERA away from Wrigley Field. The Tigers have struggled offensively all year, but they have been even worse since the All-Star break. They are second-to-last in runs scored in that time and have a .628 OPS.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Justin Smoak, TOR vs. BAL ($3,500): Smoak hit his 19th homer of the season Tuesday, and he's all but guaranteed to hit at least 20 homers for the second season in a row. His numbers have really dropped against lefties, but he has a robust .504 slugging percentage against righties such as David Hess, and Baltimore's starter has also given up a whopping 2.08 home runs per nine innings.
SECOND BASE
Brian Dozier, LAD vs. STL ($3,200): Since joining the Dodgers, Dozier has slashed .250/.395/.453 in 18 games. On the season he has 19 homers, and we know the man who once hit 42 home runs in a season has power. Flaherty's numbers are not imposing, and it wouldn't be a surprise if Dozier reached the 20-homer threshold for the fifth straight season Wednesday.
THIRD BASE
Matt Chapman, OAK vs. TEX ($3,500): Chapman is known for his glove, but this year he's also excelled with his bat. The 25-year-old has slashed .275/.359/.504 with 17 homers in 110 games. He's also hit lefties and righties pretty much equally well. Mike Minor has a 4.61 ERA, but on the road he's been considerably worse. Away from Texas, he has a 6.48 ERA.
SHORTSTOP
Gleyber Torres, NYY at MIA ($3,600): Torres has hit the ground running as a rookie. He has a .820 OPS with 18 homers in 87 games. Miami's Trevor Richards has a 4.28 ERA, but righty batters (like Torres) have feasted on him this year with a .310 batting average against the rookie pitcher.
OUTFIELD
Khris Davis, OAK vs. TEX ($4,200): Power is the name of the game for Davis. The slugger has 38 homers and is all but guaranteed to hit the 40-homer mark for the third consecutive season. He's also been particularly hot recently, as he has 17 home runs in his last 30 contests. In addition to his 6.48 road ERA, Mike Minor has allowed 1.46 home runs per game this year.
Carlos Gonzalez, COL vs. SD ($3,800): Gonzalez has bounced back from his down year in 2017, and he owes a lot of it to home cooking. At Coors Field, the 32-year-old has a 1.027 OPS. San Diego's Jacob Nix has only made two starts in his career, but in his last one he allowed five runs in two-thirds of an inning. That was at Petco Park. This is a much less favorable situation for the rookie.
Lorenzo Cain, MIL vs. CIN ($3,500): Cain has been getting on base with gusto this season, as he has a .396 OBP. He's also shown speed, as per usual, picking up 24 stolen bases in 109 games. Robert Stephenson has never quite cut it in the majors, as he has a 5.23 ERA in his career. This year, he's been even worse, as he has a 7.94 ERA over two starts.
