This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The Monday holiday shifted the MLB schedule slightly for several teams, leaving us with a larger-than-normal 10-game slate for Wednesday evening. In contrast to what we saw Tuesday, there is a lack of dominant aces on the mound, but there is a significant depth of serviceable or better arms. That's likely to leave hitter roster rates relatively condensed against the few vulnerable pitchers we have set to take the mound.
Pitchers
Shota Imanaga ($9,500) went through a brief slump in the middle of the summer but has since gotten back on track. Across the last 30 days, he has an elite 20.7 percent K:BB rate and a 0.90 WHIP. His case is further helped by a matchup against the Pirates, who have struck out at a 26.6 percent clip against lefties for the season.
Charlie Morton ($8,200) stands out among the arms in the second tier of pricing. He's had a few clunkers since the All-Star break (outings of -10 and -4.8 DraftKings points), but his skills have been strong in the last month. In that span, he's posted a 27 percent strikeout rate with an 18.3 percent K-BB rate. His 5.68 ERA is mostly based on bad luck, highlighted by a 3.68 SIERA and .359 BABIP against. He also draws the Rockies away from Coors Field.
JP Sears ($7,700) rounds out the group of pitchers I would truly look to target. He has averaged 19.3 DraftKings points across his last 10 starts and draws the Mariners on Wednesday, the most strikeout-prone team in the league.
Marcus Stroman ($6,600) is a decent punt option. He's rebounded across his last several starts to post between 11.1 and 20.4 DraftKings points. Even the low end of that range wouldn't be a disaster given his depressed price. The Rangers still have dangerous bats but haven't been a great lineup for most of the season.
Top Hitters
Ben Lively had a good run this season but that appears to have run out, as he's allowed 1.8 HR/9 and maintained just a 2.5 percent K-BB rate in his last five starts. The Royals' lineup is weak right now, so they aren't a great stack but Bobby Witt ($6,600) and Salvador Perez ($4,900) are always dependable options.
Matt Olson ($5,000) is back to his form from last season, as he's averaged 13.3 DraftKings points with a .775 slugging percentage across his last 10 games.
Value Bats
We highlighted Sears as a potential pitcher to roster, but the Mariners still have some intriguing bats to consider. Justin Turner ($3,100) is a solid option with a lefty on the mound, as he's likely to bat fifth. He's also been decent against southpaws this season, maintaining a .336 wOBA and .179 ISO.
Stacks to Consider
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Francisco Giants (Hayden Birdsong): Corbin Carroll ($5,300), Jake McCarthy ($4,400), Joc Pederson ($4,500)
Birdsong has shown flashes of brilliance in his debut season, but things have unraveled of late and he checks all the boxes we want to stack against. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks have a .366 wOBA as a team across the last 30 days, making this a pretty clear area to target Wednesday.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels (Griffin Canning): Mookie Betts ($6,300), Freddie Freeman ($5,200), Teoscar Hernandez ($5,000)
Griffin Canning has cleaned up his walk rate a bit in the last month, but he's still been homer-prone and will now square off against one of the better lineups in the league. Shohei Ohtani is a dangerous hitter, but he's priced up to $7,000. There are also some value options to consider, with Gavin Lux ($3,7000) and Tommy Edman ($3,200) standing out.
Also Consider: Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (Domingo German)
