There are three substantial slates Wednesday, all of which come in the evening. The first begins at 6:35 p.m. ET and includes four games. There are nine games at 7:05 p.m. ET, and finally a five-game set at 9:38 p.m. ET. Our focus will be on the 7:05 p.m. contests, the main slate of the day.
Pitchers
There are three pitchers priced $9,700 or more, and each of them is worth considering. Garrett Crochet ($10,700) and Blake Snell ($10,200) have excellent upside, with Crochet leading the pitcher pool in strikeout rate while Snell has recorded 37.1 and 41.4 DraftKings points in his last two starts. Crochet has a slightly better matchup against the Blue Jays, so he's the preferred option. Max Fried ($9,700) has more of a safe floor, and he also benefits from a matchup against the White Sox.
In contrast, the middle tier of pitchers is relatively devoid of options. One exception is Sonny Gray ($8,500), who has delivered at least 20 DK points in half of his last eight starts and at least 17 DK points on six occasions in that span.
There are two options in the $7,000 range. Luis Castillo ($7,700) has been underwhelming for most of the second half, but he's delivered 25.1, 18.1 and 21.7 DK points in his last three starts. A matchup against the Rockies in Seattle is his true appeal. Stephen Kolek ($7,000) also has a good recent track record, and he draws a matchup against an Angels' lineup that has consistently struck out at the highest rate of the league.
Jonah Tong ($6,700) is the punt option of the day. He's a boom-or-bust option but has must-roster upside, even in a matchup against the Cubs.
Top Hitters
J.T. Ginn has been effective on the road this season, but he has just under a 2.5 HR/9 when pitching in Sacramento this season. Houston has not been a good lineup lately and is very injured, but Jose Altuve ($4,000) has still put up big performances in recent games.
The Mariners clinched a playoff spot Tuesday but still need to wrap up the AL West, so we should expect their best lineup Wednesday against Tanner Gordon. Gordon has been just as abysmal on the road as at home this season (1.85 HR/9 away from Coors Field), so some of the big Mariners' bats such as Cal Raleigh ($6,300) and Julio Rodriguez ($5,000) should come through.
Value Bats
Max Scherzer has unraveled in his recent starts, allowing at least four earned runs in four of his last five outings, while giving up a pair of home runs on three occasions in that span. Masataka Yoshida ($3,000) has a regular role as Boston's cleanup hitter and has been very cheap since returning from the injured list.
The White Sox look to be deploying a true bullpen game Wednesday, with Tyler Alexander serving as the initial starter. Paul Goldschmidt ($3,600) could be in the leadoff spot as a result. With the Yankees in a good spot to put up runs, Goldschmidt should be a strong value.
Stacks to Consider
St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants (Robbie Ray): Ivan Herrera ($4,500), Alec Burleson ($4,000), Nolan Arenado ($3,200)
The Cardinals are generally a poor lineup but have shown some signs of life in the last two weeks, posting a team wOBA of .322 (10th best in the league). More importantly, they have a matchup against Ray, who is another pitcher who has surprisingly faded of late, allowing at least four earned runs in four of his last five starts. The price is also right for the heart of the lineup, particularly without many obvious value pitchers available.
Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels (Yusei Kikuchi): Maikel Garcia ($4,200), Bobby Witt ($6,000), Vinnie Pasquantino ($4,100)
The top of the Royals' lineup came through Tuesday in a positive matchup, and they have the chance to do so again with Kikuchi on the mound for the Angels. He has underwhelmed all season, but particularly in the last five starts, during which he has a 1.67 WHIP with an 8.10 ERA. The stack isn't quite as cheap as St. Louis, but still offers strong value to complement the top-end pitching of the day.
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