This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We've got some 30-odd games left for every MLB team, from the playoff locks to those already eliminated from postseason contention. Wednesday brings us eight games on the slate for DFS purposes. The first pitch is at 7:05 p.m. EDT. Time to get to those DFS recommendations!
Pitching
Jack Flaherty, LAD vs. SEA ($10,900): Flaherty's first start with the Dodgers was excellent, but his last two have been a bit more middling. Perfectly fine, but he's allowed two homers in each outing. Even the last few seasons while he struggled with command and control, Flaherty wasn't home prone. This feels fluky. The Mariners are in the bottom five in runs scored, so I'm thinking the former Tiger will get on track.
Tobias Myers, MIL at STL ($7,800): The Brewers are cruising toward the NL Central title (and I'm guessing first-round elimination, but that's for a future conversation), and Myers has played a surprisingly big role in that. Milwaukee's rookie righty has a 2.80 ERA on the season, and an 1.53 ERA over his last six starts. The Cardinals have the best batting average of any team in the bottom 10 in runs scored, but obviously they are still down in the mix there. That's because they are also in the bottom 10 in walks and extra-base hits. Lots of empty singles in St. Louis.
Top Targets
With three more doubles and one more stolen base, Jose Ramirez ($4,300) will have 30 homers, 30 doubles, and 30 stolen bases once again. He may be a switch hitter, but he has an 1.106 OPS versus southpaws. Nestor Cortes is such a southpaw. Usually, he's decidedly better at home, but over his last six home starts he has a 5.40 ERA.
Though his two hits Tuesday were singles, Vladimir Guerrero ($3,800) still improved his slash line to .318/.390/.552. He also has an 1.164 OPS over the last three weeks. Nick Martinez has a career 4.63 FIP. Also, he's spent most of his career pitching out of the bullpen, the last refuge of the failed starter even in the best of circumstances.
Over the last three weeks, Cody Bellinger ($3,200) has an .846 OPS. On the season he's hit .276 with 13 homers and seven stolen bases across 96 games. Kenta Maeda is back in the rotation for the Tigers due to a lack of options. He has a 9.59 ERA on the road in his first season with the squad, and lefties have hit .281 against him.
Bargain Bats
He's only played in 69 games, but Josh Lowe ($3,100) has 15 homers and 17 stolen bases. The lefty also has an .832 OPS on the road. Lowe can take advantage of all the space in Oakland's ballpark, and also pitcher Mitch Spence. He has a 4.64 ERA, and lefties have hit .267 against him.
Power isn't the name of the game for Brice Turang ($3,000), but he has four triples and a whopping 37 stolen bases. He's batted .266 against righties, but he also has an .797 OPS on the road. Kyle Gibson has a 4.73 ERA at home, and on top of that lefties have long hit him well. Since 2022, southpaws have hit .273 against the veteran hurler.
It's a smidge disappointing Anthony Volpe ($3,000) has made fewer strides than expected in his sophomore campaign. He has 22 stolen bases, but he only has 11 home runs after hitting over 20 as a rookie. On the other hand, he does have seven triples and 24 doubles, both besting his rookie numbers already. Joey Cantillo is in like to start for the Guardians, and in his three MLB outings he's posted a 7.15 FIP.
Stack to Consider
Royals vs. Angels (Johnny Cueto): Bobby Witt ($4,700), Vinnie Pasquantino ($3,400), Michael Massey ($2,900)
Cueto is expected to make his way back up from Triple-A to start for the Angels on Wednesday. It will be his first MLB start this season. He's dedicated enough to keep his career going he has spent all year in the minors, but when a 38-year-old in pitching in Triple-A, it's not a good sign. Well, he did have a 7.01 FIP with the Marlins in 2023, and has finished only one season with a FIP below 4.00 since 2016. This is the presumption, but even if the Angels zag and don't go with Cueto, as long as a lefty isn't starting for the Angels, I like this stack.
Like Ramirez, Witt could have a 30/30/30 season, but he's also going to win the AL batting title. He has an 1.039 OPS versus his fellow righties, and also an 1.174 OPS at home. Did you realize how productive Pasquantino has been? He has 95 RBI! The lefty has an .804 OPS against right-handed pitchers in his career as well. Massey has a .928 OPS over the last three weeks. Notably, he also has an .858 OPS at home this season.
