This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Let's make the most of this Wednesday from an MLB perspective! Especially since there won't be an NBA game thanks to the Celtics sweeping the Pacers. There are seven MLB games starting at 7:20 p.m. EDT or later. Looking for some insight for your DFS lineups? Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Justin Verlander, HOU at SEA ($9,300): Verlander has a 3.60 ERA, but he's had two bad starts among seven starts. When you have only pitched a smattering of times, two tough outings can create an outsized impact. Two of his last three starts have been excellent. Sure, they were against the Tigers and Athletics, but the Mariners are in the bottom five in runs scored, so this matchup is no more imposing.
Alek Manoah, TOR at CWS ($9,200): Manoah is a mystery. He was great two years ago, awful last year, and this season he's made two great starts and two bad ones. What is not a mystery, though, is the White Sox offense. It's terrible! Chicago is comfortably last in runs scored and won't have an OBP over.300 anytime soon, if at all.
Top Targets
Can you improve upon a season wherein you tally 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases while hitting .276? When you are Bobby Witt ($4,200) you can! He's slashed .303/.360/.548 with nine homers, 16 stolen bases, and a whopping six triples. Bailey Ober has a 4.33 ERA, and he's typically had a slight issue with allowing home runs. In his career he has given up 1.38 homers per nine innings.
Over the last two years, Marcell Ozuna ($4,100) has slugged .570. In that time he has an OPS over 1.000 against lefties and at home as well. This game is at home, and MacKenzie Gore is a lefty. Now, Gore has also looked like the pitcher he was envisioned to be when he was a prospect as well, and his 3.04 ERA is good. That's why I am not stacking Atlanta players, but there's still room for Ozuna in your lineup.
Bargain Bats
It seems likely Giancarlo Stanton ($3,400) will finish with a sub-.300 OBP for the third season in a row, but with his usual significant power. Two years ago he hit 31 homers in 110 games, even with a .297 OBP. This season he has 13 homers and has slugged .492. Tyler Anderson may have a 2.52 ERA, but he has a 4.29 FIP so clearly he's been lucky. Indeed, he's struck out a mere 6.16 batters per nine with an 1.91 K/BB rate, so I do think his ERA is going to be on the rise.
When you look at the slash line of Brendan Rodgers ($2,900) this season, and even in past seasons, it pays to remember that he only gets to play half his games at Coors Field. Since 2022 he has an .842 OPS at home, which more that suffices for a second baseman. Logan Allen has allowed 1.74 homers per nine innings this season, which is a concern heading into a start at Coors. On top of that, righties have hit .304 against the southpaw as well.
Stacks to Consider
Guardians at Rockies (Ty Blach): Jose Ramirez ($4,800), Tyler Freeman ($3,600), Gabriel Arias ($2,900)
Let's keep it simple. Blach has a career 5.14 ERA. Since 2022 righties have hit a staggering .355 against him. This game is at Coors Field. I'm stacking three righties from the Guardians.
Ramirez is a switch hitter, but he's slugged .470 against lefties over the last three seasons, and he has an 1.031 OPS in those matchups in 2024. He also has an 1.124 OPS over the last three weeks. Freeman has tallied four homers, 11 doubles, and seven swiped bags in 49 games. The righty is now regularly patrolling center field for Cleveland, giving him an opportunity to really have a breakthrough campaign. Since the Guardians regularly slot several lefties into their lineup, I think Arias, a righty utility player, will be out there Wednesday. In a regular role last year he hit 10 homers and 15 doubles in 122 games, and this season he has an .832 OPS against lefties.
Blue Jays at White Sox (Chris Flexen): Bo Bichette ($3,500), Davis Schneider ($3,400), Kevin Kiermaier ($2,100)
The White Sox have a terrible offense, but the rotation is also quite bad! Flexen is having a better season than last year, but that's because last year he had a 6.86 ERA. This season he has a 5.69 ERA, still doesn't strike anybody out, and has allowed 1.47 home runs per nine innings. I have two righties in this stack, because Flexen has let his fellow righties hit .298 against him over the last three seasons.
Bichette started the season terribly, but over the last three weeks he has an .894 OPS. Also, and oddly, his issues have been almost entirely with southpaws. His .759 OPS against righties on the year is not good, but decidedly better than what he has done against lefties. Last year, Schneider posted an 1.003 OPS in 35 games making his MLB debut. This year he hasn't been up to that level, but he does have six homers and three stolen bases. Additionally, in his career he's been notably better on the road, posting a .937 OPS in away games. Last year, Kiermaier had 14 stolen bases, but also six triples. He had three of the former and two of the latter this season. The centerfielder also had a .751 OPS against righties in 2023.
