This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
It's a weird Wednesday in MLB, at least for DFS players. There are six games on the docket, but three of them start at 6:40 p.m. ET. That's a little earlier than usual for DFS purposes. Here are a few lineup recommendations to try and make the most of an odd Wednesday of scheduling.
Pitching
Zach Eflin, TAM at MIA ($9,700): Leaving Philly for Tampa has seen Eflin pick up his production. Through 25 starts he has a 3.13 FIP. Somewhat quietly, Miami has really collapsed offensively. The Marlins are 27th in runs scored, and basically locked into the bottom five on that front.
Dane Dunning, TEX at NYM ($7,600): The Pirates' starting pitcher is up in the air, so I didn't want to go that route. Thus, I am recommending Dunning. He's been up and down, but the righty has held his fellow right handers to a .219 average, and on the road he's allowed a mere 0.4 homers per nine innings. The Mets are below average in terms of runs scored, and a few key hitters like Pete Alonso have been worse at home.
Top Target
Over the last three weeks, Randy Arozarena ($5,400) has an .859 OPS, and he now has 21 homers and 18 stolen bases, putting him on pace for his third 20/20 season in a row. The Cuban excels against lefties, as he has a .908 OPS since 2021. Jesus Luzardo is a lefty with a 3.83 FIP. Also, he's allowed eight homers over his last four starts.
Bargain Bat
It seems like Cleveland might have given up on Nolan Jones ($4,500) too quickly. In his first season with the Rockies he's slashed .275/.354/.494 with 13 homers and eight stolen bases. Notably, he has an .874 OPS against righties. We know this game is at Coors Field, but we don't know who will start for Atlanta necessarily. The odds, right now, are that it will be Darius Vines making his MLB debut.
Stacks to Consider
Atlanta at Rockies (Kyle Freeland): Austin Riley ($6,300), Sean Murphy ($5,800, Marcell Ozuna ($5,200)
I mentioned Coors Field, and Atlanta has MLB's best offense, so this is worth a stack for sure. Freeland has had a tough season, even by the standards of Rockies pitchers. The lefty has a 5.25 FIP, has only struck out 5.73 batters per nine innings, and has give up 1.67 homers per nine as well. Stacking three righties from Atlanta just makes sense.
After a slow start, Riley is now primed to have over 30 homers (check) while slugging over .500 (probably!) for the third year in a row. In that time, he has a .922 OPS against left-handed pitchers as well. Atlanta is giving Murphy plenty of rest, priming him to catch day in and day out in the playoffs. It would be wise for Murphy to be in the lineup for this one, though, as he has a .960 OPS on the road and an 1.033 OPS against lefties. Ozuna has an 1.187 OPS over the last three weeks, and Tuesday he joined the 30-homer club as well. He also has an 1.011 OPS against southpaws this season.
Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks (Brandon Pfaadt): Freddie Freeman ($6,400), Will Smith ($5,400), Max Muncy ($4,700)
Pfaadt's 4.20 ERA on the road is better than his 7.30 ERA, but that's still not good. Plus, the Diamondbacks rookie has allowed a whopping 2.4 homers per nine innings in away games. Righties have hit .260 against Pfaadt, while lefties have hit .285, so I have leaned toward southpaws.
Freeman has slashed .337/.412/.579 with 24 homers and 17 stolen bases. However, while we don't focus on doubles as much as homers, the lefty has a whopping 50 doubles, which is pretty incredible too. Both my stack recommendations have catchers in them, but both are worth rostering. Smith has a .366 OBP with 17 homers, and since 2021 he's posted an .827 OPS at home. Though he only has a .205 average, Muncy has hit 31 homers. Dodger Stadium isn't necessarily ideal for power hitting, but Muncy has slugged .506 at home.
