This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There are some aces on Wednesday night's slate, but none of them have intriguing matchups, which should make for a variety of selections on the mound. I didn't find arms that have huge upside, more so ones that should be good for about 20 fantasy points. That could be enough with a lot of iffy pitching options.
For those interested, we've started an MLB DFS Slack channel for paid RotoWire subscribers. (There is a season-long one as well.) To join those channels, e-mail [email protected].
PITCHER
Walker Buehler, LAD vs. STL ($10,400): On a slate with Noah Syndergaard ($10,200) and Carlos Carrasco ($9,500) among others, I didn't expect to go with Buehler. Yet, he makes the most sense with at least 23 fantasy points in his last four starts. One of those included going seven innings at Coors Field and he most recently struck out eight in Seattle. That consistency should help against a subpar Cardinals lineup, which has a .321 wOBA against righties since the All-Star break.
GPP Fade: Jack Flaherty, STL at LAD ($10,900): Going against Buehler, Flaherty is surprisingly priced higher as an underdog. He's been great his last few outings, yet going seven innings against the Royals doesn't mean much. The Dodgers have been one of the best against righty arms since the break with a .220 ISO and .351 wOBA.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Lance Lynn, NYY at MIA ($8,000): There are a few ways to go, but it's hard to overlook how bad the Marlins have been in the last month against righties with a 22.6 K% and .104 ISO to go with a league low .262 wOBA. Prior to Lynn's last outing against Toronto, he allowed one run and 12 hits in three starts (16.2 IP).
CATCHER
Alex Avila, ARI vs. LAA ($3,400): There are worse catchers than Avila and he at least has power with nine extra-base hits (5 HR) against righties after last season's .208 ISO and .377 wOBA. That production could come out against Odrisamer Despaigne, who was blasted for five runs and seven hits in his Angels debut and has a career .340 wOBA allowed to lefties.
FIRST BASE
Neil Walker, NYY at MIA ($3,500): Walker is only usable against righty hurlers, which is where 14 of his 17 extra-base hits come from. He's cheap because of inconsistency, but he's shown power and had a .366 wOBA against righties in 2017. Trevor Richards was on a nice run until he allowed 10 hits and five runs to the Braves last start and has now allowed multiple homers in his last two. That's not a good stat when facing the Yankees.
SECOND BASE
Joey Wendle, TB vs. KC ($3,800): Wendle has improved his power with five homers and 11 doubles to go with a .355 BABIP against righties since the beginning of July. Jakob Junis is on a nice run, though it's not resulting in wins and he still has a .344 wOBA allowed to lefty bats over the last two years.
THIRD BASE
Miguel Andujar, NYY at MIA ($5,000): Andujar has picked up his bat with a ridiculous six home runs and six doubles in his last 14 games. That's reason enough to spend up against an iffy Richards, who has worse numbers against righty bats with a .381 wOBA allowed.
SHORTSTOP
Trevor Story, COL vs. SD ($5,300): Story is one of the few Rockies that was hitting well on the road and a return home should help even more. He has 23 extra-base hits (10 HR) at home against righties and that's in line with his career .271 ISO and .367 wOBA in the same situation. Jacob Nix didn't make it a full inning against Arizona last time out and could find himself in more trouble in Colorado.
OUTFIELD
Melky Cabrera, CLE at BOS ($4,300): Cabrera's been a nice addition to Cleveland's lineup and he doesn't cost an extreme amount. He has a .400 BABIP in 37 plate appearances against southpaws, but more relevant had a .179 ISO and .332 wOBA against them last year in a bigger role. Brian Johnson continues to win, but he's given up 12 runs in his last three starts and has subpar career numbers across the board against righties with a .338 wOBA allowed and 4.75 xFIP.
Juan Soto, WAS vs. PHI ($4,100): Soto has cooled off in August, but the power is still there with a .219 ISO and .390 wOBA against righties, which comes from 15 doubles and nine homers. That's worth a shot at his price with a struggling Zach Eflin on the mound. The righty hurler has given up 13 runs in his last four outings and has ugly career numbers against lefties with a 2.38 HR/9 and .369 wOBA allowed.
Austin Jackson, NYM vs. SF ($3,400): This is mainly a value pick, but Jackson still has a solid .475 BABIP and .344 wOBA against righty arms this year. That's good enough against Casey Kelly, who is fighting for a consistent role in the majors. He's not big on strikeouts (career 13.3 K%) and that helps Jackson, who strikes out a bunch (36.5 K% versus righties). Kelly hasn't given up many runs, yet allowed nine hits and only made it 4.1 innings last start.
