This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Wednesday features a split schedule between day and night games, but our focus will be on the slate kicking off at 7:10 pm ET. It's a relatively light day of pitching, which will likely push a lot of lineups toward paying up at the position. Great American Ball Park disappointed from an offensive perspective Tuesday, but it's once again a great place to look for offense, as is the Yankees-Royals matchup.
Pitching
Sonny Gray ($10,000) is the top-priced pitcher on the slate and is one of only two pitchers available with a strikeout rate above 30 percent. He also gets a good matchup against the Pirates. Across the last 30 days, Pittsburgh has struck out at the second-highest rate (26.1 percent) and has just a collective .302 wOBA.
There are several good pitchers in the $8,800-$9,600 price range. Bryce Miller ($9,000) has the lowest strikeout rate of the group, but I'd still side with him Wednesday thanks to the solid pitching environment at Safeco Field and that he gets to pitch against the White Sox. Miller has had some inconsistencies, but he should be able to deliver in this start.
Moving into the mid-range of pricing, Cristopher Sanchez ($8,000) stands out. He's also been inconsistent but has averaged 15.5 DraftKings points for the season. The matchup is a mixed bag, as the Red Sox have struck out at a league-high 28.7 percent strikeout rate against lefties. Fenway Park is the drawback, as it's generally a positive environment for runs.
David Peterson ($6,500) is a solid punt option to consider. The Marlins are dreadful against southpaws (.099 ISO, 68 wRC+). The strikeout upside isn't necessarily there either from the pitcher skill or matchup perspective, but Peterson doesn't need a massive game to pay off his price point.
Top Hitters
With some more expensive pitching options standing out as the best options, we'll try to highlight some cheaper hitters to make the budget work. That leads to Logan O'Hoppe ($3,900) as a potential play. The Angels are devoid of many enticing bats, but Slade Cecconi is one of the worst starters on the slate from a skills – particularly hard contact and homer – perspective. The Angels aren't a good enough lineup to get excited about stacking, but finding a player or two from the lineup is viable.
We don't have much of a sample on Cody Poteet this season, but his track record in the majors leaves plenty to be desired. He's allowed 1.6 HR/9 across 74.1 innings and has allowed a 10 percent barrel rate. There are plenty of Royals hitters to pick from, with Bobby Witt ($6,300) and Vinnie Pasquantino ($4,700) as two of the better options.
Value Bats
Mitch Garver ($3,400) got off to a dreadful start to the season, but his bat has come alive over the last week or so. Since the start of June, he's recorded four extra-base hits across eight games. Jonathan Cannon is unproven at the major-league level, so getting some cheaper pieces to the Seattle offense is a decent option overall.
Masyn Winn ($3,800) is somewhere in between a value and a top bat, but no matter what he's classified as, he's a good play Wednesday. He's taken over the leadoff role for St. Louis, and he's been a very good hitter against left-handed pitching this season (.229 ISO, .354 wOBA) in 76 plate appearances. He's underpriced and draws an unimposing matchup against Bailey Falter.
Stacks to Consider
New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals (Daniel Lynch): Anthony Volpe ($4,700), Juan Soto ($6,200), Aaron Judge ($6,600)
This is the obvious stack of the day, as the Royals are rolling out an uninspiring pitching combination of Dan Altavilla and Daniel Lynch. Lynch is expected to work the majority of innings. He's had a miserable start to this season, but even expanding the sample to his career numbers in the majors is awful (9.8 percent K-BB%, 1.4 HR/9, 4.75 SIERA). That's paired with the Yankees having one of the most explosive lineups in the league, plus this game takes place in the hitter-friendly Kauffman Stadium.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Angels (Jose Soriano): Corbin Carroll ($4,500), Ketel Marte ($5,100), Joc Pederson ($4,400)
This is a far less confident play than the Yankees, but there aren't many matchups combined with quality lineups that stand out as stacking options. The Diamondbacks have been a league-average lineup across the last month but have picked things up in the last few weeks. Carroll, in particular, has started to show signs of life and has taken back the leadoff hitter spot. Meanwhile, Soriano wouldn't necessarily jump off the page as a player to stack against, but he has a high walk rate (9.7 percent) combined with a hard-hit rate (45.1 percent).
