This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Wednesday has the makings of an exciting night on DraftKings. Not only do we have a couple of star pitchers headlining the slate, but there are also a few lineups that could be primed to score runs in bunches. Let's dive right in and highlight some players to target.
Pitchers
Shane Bieber ($10,400) has been his dominant self out of the gate, pitching at least six innings and allowing three runs or fewer in each of his six starts. He also has a whopping 68 strikeouts over 42.1 innings. Look for him to keep things rolling versus the Royals, who he limited to two runs and recorded 12 strikeouts against over 6.1 innings earlier this season.
Another ace set to take the hill is Yu Darvish ($10,200), who has been a rock atop the Padres' rotation. After allowing four runs in his season debut, he's allowed a total of five runs across 33.1 innings since. He also recorded 43 strikeouts and a 0.75 WHIP during that stretch. He's set up with a favorable matchup against the Pirates, who entered Tuesday with the second-worst OPS in baseball.
Working our way down to a pitcher with a lesser salary, Martin Perez ($6,600) could be someone to consider in tournament play. He's not off to a great start with a 4.70 ERA, but his FIP is much better at 3.59 and he generally does a good job of keeping hitters in the ball park, allowing 1.0 HR/9 for his career. With that being said, the reason to consider him is for his matchup against the Tigers, who enter with the worst OPS in baseball.
Top Targets
Whenever he's facing a left-handed pitcher, Alex Bregman ($4,800) should be considered in DFS. He's torched them throughout his career, posting a .280 ISO and a .417 wOBA. He could do some damage at Yankee Stadium against Jordan Montgomery ($8,600), who has allowed 12 homes runs across 70.2 innings since the start of last season.
Mike Trout ($5,600) is off to a ridiculous start, entering Tuesday with a 252 wRC+. His .410 batting average has been bolstered by a .540 BABIP, and while that number is certainly not sustainable, he has an absurd 19.3 percent barrel rate. Expect him to be a tough out for Ryan Yarbrough ($7,900), who only has a 20.1 percent strikeout rate for his career and has allowed at least five runs in three of his six outings this season.
Bargain Bats
The Twins are expected to start Lewis Thorpe ($4,000) in what should be a favorable matchup against the Rangers. However, he's not exactly off to a great start in the majors, posting a 5.88 ERA and a 4.54 FIP across 49 career innings. The main problem has been his ugly 1.76 WHIP. This could be a good opportunity to take a chance on Adolis Garcia ($3,000), who entered Tuesday with six home runs across his first 84 plate appearances.
Don't be deceived by Robbie Ray's ($7,200) 2.78 ERA across his first four starts. His FIP sits at 4.83 and he's been aided by an abnormally low .237 BABIP allowed. He's still allowed four home runs across 22.2 innings, which is not a new problem area for him given that he's allowed at least 1.4 HR/9 in each of the previous three seasons. If you're looking to exploit his matchup against the A's, then Stephen Piscotty ($2,800) and his career .359 wOBA against left-handed pitchers is someone to put on your radar.
Stacks to Consider
Yankees vs. Luis Garcia ($8,000), Astros: DJ LeMahieu ($5,400), Aaron Judge ($5,200), Giancarlo Stanton ($4,700)
The Yankees' lineup has shown signs of life lately and they're always dangerous when their playing within the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium. This could be a tough spot for Garcia, who only has a 22.3 percent strikeout rate in his young career. Stanton has been locked in at the plate, making him a potentially key player for any Yankees stack. He enters this matchup on a 10-game hitting streak, six of which have been multi-hit performances.
Braves vs. Erick Fedde ($6,800), Nationals: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($5,800), Freddie Freeman ($5,800), Marcell Ozuna ($5,000)
With his career 1.49 WHIP, attacking Fedde could be a wise strategy. Acuna is the top player to build any Braves stack around, entering Tuesday with a lofty .375 ISO. While Freeman and Ozuna are off to slow starts, they have at least combined for 10 home runs. They should bounce back in short order, as well, given that they both had an OPS of at least 1.067 last season.
Twins vs. Hyeon-Jong Yang ($5,000), Rangers: Byron Buxton ($5,700), Nelson Cruz ($5,400), Josh Donaldson ($5,100)
This is a tough spot for Yang, who will be starting in place of Kohei Arihara (finger). He wasn't an overpowering force in the KBO, never finishing a season with a strikeout rate higher than 22.5 percent. This talented right-handed trio could be especially troublesome for him to navigate. Buxton had a ridiculous .248 wRC+ entering play Tuesday and Cruz has a career 154 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. Donaldson has actually been even better with his 157 wRC+ against them.
