This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have another near-full slate of games, though there are a few early matchups and a couple more kicking off at 6:40 that aren't included on the main slate. There are a number of mid-tier pitchers taking the mound, which makes it a bit difficult to differentiate hitters on the slate.
Pitching
Nestor Cortes' ($10,300) is the only pitcher with a five-figure price, which isn't a surprise given his incredible run to begin the season. He's run hot but does have legitimate skills to at least partially back his results. Even so, the combination of his price and a tough matchup on the road against the Twins has me hesitant to pay up.
I'm also willing to shift away from Cortes due to other options on the slate such as Aaron Nola ($9,400) and Tony Gonsolin ($9,200). Nola has the best skills of pitchers taking the hill Wednesday but takes on a Milwaukee offense that can be dangerous despite a recent cold spell. Gonsolin has a tough matchup as well against a White Sox lineup that is fifth in the league in wOBA and isn't particularly strikeout prone.
Corey Kluber ($8,400) is my choice among the mid-priced tier. He's allowed two or fewer earned runs in eight of his 10 starts this season, and he has reached 20 DK points in three of his last five starts. He takes on a St. Louis offense that is good on paper but has been slightly below average in actual results.
Finally, there are a few lower-priced pitchers that are viable on the slate: Marcus Stroman ($6,900) at Baltimore, Dane Dunning ($6,700) at Cleveland and Ian Anderson ($6,400) against Oakland. Despite getting crushed in his last outing, Stroman is my favorite of the group. He's posted at least 16 DK points in four of his last five starts, topping 20 DK points on two additional occasions. He takes on a Baltimore offense that is among the worst in the league in terms of wOBA and strikeout rate.
Top Hitters
The Angels are a sneaky team to target Wednesday. Nathan Eovaldi has pitched well of late, but he has allowed multiple home runs in four of his 10 starts. The primary issue is that the Angels' lineup has the potential to be very shorthanded after Mike Trout exited Tuesday's game with a groin injury -- adding to several other players on the injured list. Still, I like Jared Walsh ($3,900) as a player to build around, and his price is very palatable.
Randy Arozarena ($4,700) has taken over the leadoff role in Tampa Bay with southpaws on the mound, and he will square off against the inexperienced Packy Naughton Wednesday. Aside from the matchup, Arozarena has overcome a slow April and is averaging 8.8 DK points across the last 10 games.
Austin Riley ($5,700) has demolished left-handed pitching this season to the tune of a .487 wOBA. Even given the small sample caveat, that's an incredibly impressive mark. Jared Koenig is set to make his major-league Wednesday, and while he's fared well in Triple-A, it's a fair bet to expect Atlanta to take advantage.
Value Hitters
In addition to his success on the surface level, Bryson Stott ($2,400) has recorded four hard-hit balls in his last four starts. He's still hitting towards the bottom of the order, but Milwaukee is a good spot for left-handed power.
Ezequiel Duran ($2,000) earned a promotion from Double-A Frisco but hasn't looked overwhelmed early in his big-league career. Like Stott, he hasn't hit in an ideal spot in the lineup, but he slugged .582 at Frisco so there's a lot of pop in his bat.
Luis Urias ($3,400) is a bit pricy to be listed here, but he merits some conversation. He returned to the Brewers' lineup Tuesday and led off after missing two games due to a thumb injury. That matchup against Nola isn't ideal, but there are worse ways to fill out a roster.
Stacks to Consider
San Francisco Giants vs. Antonio Senzatela: Tommy La Stella ($4,900), Mike Yastrzemski ($4,600), Wilmer Flores ($5,100), Joc Pederson ($5,600)
Senzatela has had a miserable start to the season, as he enters Wednesday's start with a 5.40 ERA. However, his profile doesn't necessarily make him the target of stacks, as he has just a 4.8 percent walk rate and he's allowed 0.8 HR/9. Nevertheless, he doesn't strike anyone out (8.5 K%) and owns a 5.12 SIERA, which is indicative of his skill level. The top of the Giants' order is priced up, but it still shouldn't be difficult to build around them.
Atlanta vs. Jared Koenig: Ronald Acuna ($6,200), Dansby Swanson ($5,200), Austin Riley ($5,700), Ozzie Albies ($4,800)
Atlanta will take on Koenig in his big-league debut. Atlanta doesn't have strong overall numbers against southpaws this season, but this group should compose four of the team's first five hitters and each has substantial success against lefties during the career. Price, ballpark and popularity will all cut against Atlanta in tournament contests, but they stick out as an obvious team to target.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Packy Naughton/Johan Oviedo: Randy Arozarena ($4,700), Manuel Margot ($4,100), Harold Ramirez ($2,400), Yandy Diaz ($4,000)
The Rays are projected to take on a pair of inexperienced pitchers Wednesday. Naughton in particular has had success early this season, but he is a contact-heavy pitcher and is projected to lose effectiveness by the likes of The Bat, Steamer and other widely available projection systems. Meanwhile, the Rays aren't extremely cheap to stack, but they do offer savings in comparison to both Atlanta and San Francisco. Make sure to pay attention to the order before utilizing this, because as we all know the Rays like to shift players to different roles regularly.
