This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
As is often the case, Wednesday offers up a split schedule of games, with five games set to kick off at 1:10 pm ET and seven at 7:07 pm ET. We'll cover the latter in this article, and it features a lot of big-name pitchers to work with. There are also some interesting offensive environments to work with, most notably Kauffman Stadium, Coors Field, Truist Park and Dodger Stadium.
Pitchers
There are a lot of elite pitchers to work with, as six pitchers with ace-like skills and price tags take the mound. That group spans in price from $8,500 to $10,300. Starting from the top, Tarik Skubal ($10,100) stands out thanks to his matchup against the Mariners. Seattle has struck out at the highest rate in the league all season (27.5 percent) and gets one of the pitcher-friendliest parks in Safeco Field.
We can also flip to the other side of that matchup to George Kirby ($8,800). He doesn't have the strikeout upside of the other arms in the tier, but he still benefits from the park in a strong matchup.
The problem with the pitcher pool is that things fall off rapidly after the elite tier. Erick Fedde ($7,700) is something of a bridge between the elite and punt options. He should have some strikeout upside squaring off against the Rays – Tampa Bay strikes out at a 24.4 percent clip – and win potential.
The punt option is Paul Blackburn ($6,500). He excelled in his first start with the Mets. Pitching at Coors Field isn't ideal, but the price is right to take a chance.
Top Hitters
Vladimir Guerrero (5,200) has demolished the ball for the better part of the last two months, and he's crushed lefties generally this season. He's maintained a .324 ISO and .460 wOBA for the season, and Trevor Rogers has the highest SIERA of all pitchers on the mound for the main slate.
Kauffman Stadium isn't great for home runs, but it does promote run scoring. That makes the leadoff hitters from both teams appealing options. Michael Massey ($4,000) looks to be the choice for the Royals of late, and his price fits well for those who want to pay up at pitcher.
Value Bats
It's pretty surprising to see Gavin Lux's ($3,300) price hasn't risen in recent weeks. He's not only hit well (9.4 DraftKings points per game in his last 10 contests) but also risen in the lineup to hit fifth of late – immediately behind the team's biggest hitters.
Neither the home park nor pitcher matchup is particularly appealing for Parker Meadows ($2,500), but he's hit well since being activated from the injured list. His price is depressed currently but has the chance to rise quickly.
Stacks to Consider
Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays (Bowden Francis): Colton Cowser ($4,300), Anthony Santander ($5,400), Gunnar Henderson ($6,300)
Francis has primarily pitched out of the bullpen in the majors this season but is poised to start Wednesday. Regardless of when he's pitched, he's been hit hard – giving up an 11.1 percent barrel rate and 5.43 xERA. Of course, the Orioles are a lineup that is plenty capable of taking advantage. It's pricy to roster all the top bats, but Cowser has taken over as the team's leadoff hitter and has averaged 9.8 DraftKings points across his last 10 games.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (Gavin Stone): Kyle Schwarber ($5,600), Trea Turner ($5,800), Bryce Harper ($5,700)
The offenses on both sides of this game are appealing. Stone isn't imposing overall with an 18.5 percent strikeout rate for the season, and he's allowed a lot of traffic on the basepaths of late. Across his last five starts, he's allowed at least nine baserunners four times and has allowed at least one home run in each. The Phillies have the lineup to take advantage of the situation, but it might be difficult to roster the top end of the order given the price and the state of the pitcher pool.
