We have an odd slate in the majors Thursday with mostly day games, including a couple that start at 12:10 PM EST. There are only two night games, so let’s dig into the entire slate and highlight some players with favorable matchups.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/1/2019
Wednesday’s evening slate in DFS will be dominated by elite starting pitching options. While there are some expensive studs who could shine, there are also some lesser-names that could provide value.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/24/2019
With a lot of early start times Wednesday, we don’t have the busiest of slates for the featured evening contests in DFS. Luckily, the starting pitching options are much better than we have seen the last couple of days.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/22/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
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There are 15 games in the majors Wednesday, but only 10 of them will make up the main slate in DFS. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
STARTING PITCHERS
Noah Syndergaard vs. San Francisco Giants
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $9,800
DraftKings = $10,200
Syndergaard has been so good in recent years that his 3.40 ERA and 1.25 WHIP this season are actually a bit disappointing for his standards. His 9.4 K/9 would also be the lowest mark of his career, but he’s shown great control with a 1.9 BB/9 and he’s only allowed six home runs across 100.2 innings. He still has a tremendously high ceiling in DFS and his numbers could actually be a little better based on his 2.68 FIP. The Giants have the second-lowest OPS on the road (.656) in baseball, making Syndergaard someone to build your lineup around.
Lance Lynn vs. Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $7,500
DraftKings = $8,000
Lynn was hit hard in his last outing against the Blue Jays, giving up five runs over 4 innings. However, he had allowed one run across 16.2 innings in his first three appearances with the Yankees. He hasn’t allowed a home run since being traded either. He’s been a good source for strikeouts with a 9.3 K/9 overall this season and an 8.6 K/9 for his career. This is an excellent opportunity to take a chance on Lynn in tournament play since the Marlins have scored the second-fewest runs (474) and have hit the second-fewest home runs (104) in the league.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Paul Goldschmidt vs. Odrisamer Despaigne, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $5,500
Goldschmidt is on fire again as he is 23-for-55 (.418) with four home runs and five doubles during his current 13-game hitting streak. He does have better numbers against left-handed pitching, but his .384 wOBA against righties this year isn’t exactly worrisome. Despaigne has mostly pitched out of the bullpen for the Marlins and Angels and hasn’t performed well, posting a combined 6.29 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. Goldschmidt certainly has a favorable chance to at least extend his hitting streak based on this matchup.
Ji-Man Choi vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $2,500
DraftKings = $3,600
Choi didn’t play Tuesday, so he carries his own eight-game hitting streak into Wednesday’s contest against Junis. Junis has allowed four runs over 16.1 innings in his last three starts, but he’s struggled with consistency throughout the season, resulting in a 4.76 ERA and a 4.99 FIP. He’s had trouble keeping batters inside the park with a 1.8 HR/9 and has allowed a .351 wOBA against lefties, giving Choi some upside at this cheap price.
Others to consider: Eric Hosmer (first base) and Yan Gomes (catcher)
SECOND BASE
Jeff McNeil vs. Casey Kelly, San Francisco Giants
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,700
McNeil has provided the Mets with an injection of offense, batting .326 with a .388 OBP in 27 games since being recalled from the minors. His plate discipline has been encouraging with six walks and 10 strikeouts across 100 plate appearances. He had 14 walks and 19 strikeouts across 143 plate appearances at Triple-A, as well. Casey has mostly pitched in Triple-A for the Giants this year and hasn’t stood out, recording a 4.78 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and a 7.2 K/9.
Neil Walker vs. Trevor Richards, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $2,400
DraftKings = $3,500
The Yankees lineup has turned into a mash unit. They are already without Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, then Didi Gregorius joined them on the DL Tuesday. Walker was already seeing regular playing time in the outfield, but now he’ll fill in at second base with Gleyber Torres moving over to shortstop. Walker has started to thrive with everyday at-bats, hitting .306 with four home runs over his last 23 games.
Others to consider: Javier Baez and Joey Wendle
THIRD BASE
Miguel Andujar vs. Trevor Richards, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $5,000
With all of the Yankees injuries, Andujar has been moved up in their lineup. He’s making a strong case to win the AL Rookie of the Year, batting .297 with 20 home runs and 36 doubles. Not only has he hit for a lot of power, but he only has a 17.1% strikeout rate. Richards has actually had more success against left-handed hitters (.274 wOBA) than he has against righties (.381 wOBA), making Andujar a great option for your entry.
Eduardo Escobar vs. Odrisamer Despaigne, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $4,900
With Despaigne on the mound, the Diamondbacks are likely going to be a popular stack Wednesday. I’m not really high on any of the cheap options at third base, so it might make sense to pay up for the position. Escobar is slightly cheaper than Andujar and he has similar upside with a .375 wOBA against righties.
Others to consider: Jose Ramirez and Yandy Diaz
SHORTSTOP
Gleyber Torres vs. Trevor Richards, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $3,800
Torres struggled mightily after a stint on the DL, but he’s starting to get back on track as he is 8-for-20 during his current five-game hitting streak. Richards allows a lot of baserunners with a 1.44 WHIP and with his struggles against right-handed hitters already detailed, Torres could be another viable option to consider. Of note, Torres is only eligible at shortstop on FanDuel as he is listed at second base on DraftKings.
Willy Adames vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $2,500
DraftKings = $3,800
The Rays are giving Adames a chance to play every day down the stretch and he hasn’t disappointed, batting .356 with four home runs in August. His .386 BABIP during that stretch isn’t sustainable, but he did bat .286 at Triple-A this year. Adames has a higher wOBA against righties (.323) than he does lefties (.263), leaving him as someone to potentially target at shortstop in tournament play.
Others to consider: Trevor Story and Amed Rosario
OUTFIELD
David Peralta vs. Odrisamer Despaigne, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $5,500
Peralta went 3-for-3 with a home run Tuesday and is now batting .384 with eight home runs and seven doubles across his last 25 games. He has a 162 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers overall and while he’s pricey, he could still provide significant production against Despaigne.
Melky Cabrera vs. Brian Johnson, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,300
The Red Sox haven’t been able to solve Cabrera in the first two games of this series as he is 5-for-7 with two home runs and a double. He’s now homered in three-straight contests and five times in his last nine games, overall. He’s become an important part of the Indians outfield and is a great option against Johnson based on his .424 wOBA against lefties.
Mallex Smith vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $4,300
Smith had two more hits Tuesday, marking his fifth multi-hit game in his last six contests. This isn’t some brief hot streak, either, as he is batting .374 with a .455 OBP since July 1. He only has two home runs this season, but he still has considerable upside if he can continue to get on base at such a high rate due to his ability to steal bases.
Others to consider: A.J. Pollock and Jon Jay