This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have baseball all day Wednesday, which is great for the viewing experience but less so for the size of slates on the day. There are two comparable slates, with one kicking off at 12:05 pm ET and the other 6:40 pm ET. Despite having one fewer matchup (five total), we'll focus on the latter for the purpose of this article.
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Pitchers
The top of the pitcher market offers a choice between stability and upside in Max Fried ($9,800) and Jesus Luzardo ($8,500). Neither matchup against the Blue Jays and Red Sox, respectively, is very forgiving, but the Red Sox strike out at one of the highest clips in the league against left-handed pitching. We'll use that as a tiebreaker for Luzardo.
It's hard to believe that Patrick Corbin ($7,500) has re-emerged as a reliably fantasy contributor, but that has been the case as he has scored at least 14 DK points in six of his last eight starts. There's not much upside in his profile due to lack of strikeouts, but he should be a reliable source of points at a reasonable price as he heads into a matchup against the Athletics.
There are a couple of interesting punt plays to consider, but JP Sears ($6,300) stands out above the rest. He'll draw a Rangers' lineup that has 75 wRC+ and .275 wOBA against southpaws this season.
Top Hitters
Slade Cecconi will probably be a relatively popular pick to roster among the pitchers in the pool, but he's given up multiple home runs in three of his 11 starts this season (1.56 HR/9). Given that, it makes sense to get some Baltimore hitters into lineups, and Gunnar Henderson ($4,500) is a decent option.
In small slates, picks can contradict each other, and that's what we have with the Rangers and A's. Sears is a good punt play due to the matchup, but he has also allowed a 1.86 HR/9 this season. Adolis Garcia ($3,800) is somewhere between a top hitter and a value, but he should be considered by those who prefer to pay up at pitching.
Value Bats
The Guardians are a decent stacking option against Zach Eflin and should be considered, but Angel Martinez ($3,400) is a great value regardless of the rest of the lineup. He is hitting second in the order and has averaged 12.1 DK points across his last 10 starts.
Taj Bradley has struggled with the long ball at home this season, serving up 1.32 HR/9. The White Sox aren't necessarily on the stacking radar, but the team has shown signs of life at the plate and Luis Robert ($3,500) in particular has gotten hot since the All-Star break.
Stack to Consider
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White Sox (Jonathan Cannon): Chandler Simpson ($4,500), Yandy Diaz ($4,700), Jonathan Aranda ($4,500)
With the exception of Eflin, Cannon has the lowest strikeout rate among the starters on the slate and that's paired with a 7.9 percent walk rate and 1.29 HR/9. The Rays are a well above-average lineup at home and check in at relatively reasonable prices to fill out the rest of the roster.
