This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Wednesday night isn't always business in MLB, but this week, we have an abundance of options on the DFS front. There are 10 games taking place at 7:05 p.m. ET or later. Here are a few recommendations for your DFS lineups to try and help you with your decision making in the middle of the week.
Pitching
Corbin Burnes, MIL vs. BAL ($10,200): Burnes' first couple starts were tough, but since then, he's looked more like the Cy Young-winning version of himself. Over his last 10 outings he has a 2.83 ERA and has struck out a batter per inning, which is still lower than his career 11.32 strikeouts per nine innings. The Orioles are good offensively, but this is a tough Wednesday night for pitchers, so I am betting on talent.
Dean Kremer, BAL at MIL ($7,800): It's undeniable that Kremer allows a lot of contact, but he's still managed to put up a 2.55 ERA over his last six starts, which included games against the likes of Atlanta, Texas, and Tampa. Milwaukee is not on that level offensively, and is in fact in the bottom five in runs scored.
Jaime Barria, LAA vs. CHC ($7,000): Barria has mostly pitched out of the bullpen, but often in bulk innings, as he has racked up 34.0 innings already, and he has an 1.59 ERA in that time. Recently, Barria has made two starts, and he's gone five innings both times while only allowing a single run across the two outings. The Cubs are in the bottom 10 in runs scored, so if Barria goes five innings again, he could be a real DFS value.
Top Targets
Though Mookie Betts ($5,800) has weirdly struggled on the road in 2023, over the last three seasons he has an .817 OPS away from Dodger Stadium. Plus, in that same time frame he has a .932 OPS versus left-handed pitchers. Well, Brandon Williamson is a lefty, and through his first four MLB starts he has a 5.16 ERA. I don't think Betts being in Cincy is a reason for any concern.
With a youth moment in effect in Cincinnati, it seems that Jonathan India ($5,400) is going to get a chance to focus on hitting at the DH spot. He has a .363 OBP with six homers and 12 stolen bases, and in his career he's posted an .817 OPS at home as well. We're used to the Dodgers having depth upon depth, but right now they are still rolling Noah Syndergaard out on the mound. Unfortunately, his arm injury left him no longer a high-strikeout pitcher, and he has a 6.54 ERA through 11 starts.
Bargain Bats
Ketel Marte ($4,900) is hitting .271, and he's also picked up nine homers and six stolen bases, not to mention four triples. While he's a switch hitter, since 2021 Marte has a.961 OPS versus lefties. Patrick Corbin has a 4.92 ERA, which represents significant progress for the southpaw. However, righties have still hit .306 against him.
Things have laid themselves out nicely for Joc Pederson ($4,100). He returns from injury for a series at Coors Field, a nice place to be for a guy who has slugged .489 against righties since 2021. Meanwhile, Connor Seabold has allowed 1.86 home runs per nine innings in his career, and that's with this being his first season with the Rockies. Some of that came from his time in Boston.
Stacks to Consider
Rangers vs. Cardinals (Jack Flaherty): Corey Seager ($5,900), Nathaniel Lowe ($4,700), Ezequiel Duran ($2,900)
Flaherty has put together a couple good starts in a row, but he still has a 4.55 ERA, and he's still walked 12.6 percent of the batters he's faced. Also, lefties are hitting .293 against the right hander, so with two lefties to include in my Rangers stack, I'm going in that direction.
Yes, injuries mean the sample size is less robust than most hitters, but Seager has still slashed .336/.389/.586. His OPS is also 40-percent higher at home since joining the Rangers. Yes, 40 percent. Last year Lowe was actually better against his fellow lefties (though his .817 OPS versus righties was still good), but this year he's posted an .855 OPS against right-handed pitchers. He doesn't have great power, but since joining the Rangers three seasons ago he's hit .283 with a .358 OBP. Texas has baseball's top offense because of the known stars, but also because of some young players breaking through. That includes Duran, who has slashed .322/.374/.531 with seven homers and three stolen bases. So far in his career he has an .871 OPS at home for good measure.
Yankees vs. White Sox (Lance Lynn): Anthony Rizzo ($4,900), Anthony Volpe ($3,800), Jake Bauers ($2,400)
Lynn was teed off on last season, but this year he's being batted around even worse. He has a 6.25 ERA and has allowed 2.00 home runs per nine innings. The primary culprit is his performance against lefties. Southpaws have hit .357 against Lynn, so I have two of them in this stack.
Rizzo has consistently hit his fellow lefties better than he hit righties, but Yankee Stadium balanced it all out. He has an .874 OPS at home since 2021, including a .503 slugging percentage. Volpe has been much more valuable to fantasy folks than the actual Yankees. His slash line is alarming, but somehow he still has nine homers and 14 stolen bases. Plus, for what it's worth, he's been better versus righties and at home. Bauers has suddenly found himself in a regular role against righties. That'll happen when you post a .940 OPS versus right handers, and do recall Lynn's .357 average allowed to lefties.
Angels vs. Cubs (Jameson Taillon): Shohei Ohtani ($6,100), Hunter Renfroe ($3,600), Mickey Moniak ($3,400)
Has Taillon been unlucky? Sure, as he has a 4.11 FIP compared to his 7.05 ERA. That being said, a 4.11 FIP is not good, and his career 3.78 FIP is not remarkable either. Once again, I have two lefties in this stack. Righties have hit .276 versus Taillon, but lefties have lit him up to the tune of a .313 average.
Ohtani has slashed .276/.352/.552 with 16 homers and seven stolen bases. He's dipped against lefties this year, but he still has a .942 OPS against right-handed pitchers. Renfoe has hit at least 26 homers in at all five of his full seasons, and he has 11 homers this year. While he's in his first season as an Angel, he has an 1.051 OPS at home. Once a first-overall pick, Moniak seems likely to draw into lineups against righties these days. In limited action, almost exclusively against righties, he has slashed .308/.321/.654 with four homers and two swiped bags.
