This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Wednesday's MLB slate is heavy on early evening action. In fact, while we have 11 games on the DFS docket, the first pitch is at 6:35 p.m. EDT. Also, man, ticket prices are getting low in some ballparks! Try and make it to a game sometime! Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Tyler Anderson, LAA vs. TOR ($9,900): Anderson may have a 4.38 FIP compared to a 2.99 ERA, but he's through 23 starts now and has managed to keep this dance going. Indeed, he has a 2.87 ERA over his last six starts. The Angels and Blue Jays are neck-and-neck offensively, but also locked into finishing in the bottom 10 in runs scored.
David Peterson. NYM vs. OAK ($8,800): Peterson has made 12 starts this season, posting a 3.34 ERA. He's been a bit better on the road this year, but in 2023 he had a 7.47 ERA in away games and a 2.79 ERA at home. The Athletics have the most power of the bad MLB offenses, but they have a .302 OBP as a team and are still in the bottom six in runs scored.
Tyler Phillips, PHI vs. MIA ($7,800): It's only been a handful of starts, but while Phillips has struggled significantly on the road, he has a 2.40 ERA at home. That being said, my primary reason for liking Phillips (especially at this salary) is the fact he's likely to earn a win against a woeful opponent. The Marlins are 29th in runs scored and team OPS.
Top Targets
Hitting 21 home runs in 118 games as a shortstop, which is what Elly De La Cruz ($4,000) has done, is impressive. To also steal 59 bases is incredible. De La Cruz is a switch hitter, but he's really built for facing righties, who he has a .942 OPS against. Kyle Gibson keeps bouncing around the league, probably because he has a career 4.50 ERA. Since 2022, lefties have hit .274 against him as well.
Returning to the lineup after missing a game with a back issue, CJ Abrams (3,400) picked up two doubles and a stolen base Tuesday. This season, he has an .853 OPS on the road. Meanwhile, Dean Kremer has not enjoyed pitching in Baltimore. He has a 5.40 ERA at home, where he has allowed 2.5 homers per nine innings.
Bargain Bats
If nothing else, Giancarlo Stanton ($3,100) still has a lot of power. He's slugged .487 and hit 20 home runs in only 80 games. While he's right handed, he's slugged .527 against righties this season. Davis Martin has a career 4.64 ERA, and this year his fellow right handers have hit .304 against him.
He doesn't have much pop in his bat, but Sal Frelick ($2,500) has hit .264 and stolen 15 bases. Also, he does have a .765 OPS at home, so to the extent he shows power, it's in Milwaukee. Walker Buehler is going to be returning from the IL, but so far this has been a tough campaign for him. In-and-out of action all season, Buehler has a 6.06 FIP through eight starts, and lefties have hit a whopping .346 against him.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers at Brewers (Frankie Montas): Shohei Ohtani ($4,700), Freddie Freeman ($3,700), Gavin Lux ($2,700)
Montas posted a 5.01 ERA in 19 starts with the Reds. He's now made two starts with the Brew Crew and he's managed a 6.00 ERA in those outings. Not ideal for a trade acquisition! Montas has allowed 1.9 homers per nine innings on the road this year, but obviously Milwaukee's ballpark is new to him. In fact, this will be his first start there. He's been quite good against his fellow righties, but lefties have hit .280 against him, and accounted for 12 of the 16 home runs he's allowed this season. This should be an all-lefty stack as a result.
Ohtani has been able to focus fully on hitting, and he's averaged .297 with 37 homers and 33 stolen bases. While he hits lefties reasonably well, he has an 1.100 OPS over the last two seasons against righties. Since returning from time away from the team due to a family matter, Freeman has slugged .481, which is good for him, and good for MLB DFS players. He's had a bit of a tough season (by his standards) against lefties, but his .949 OPS versus righties is plenty encouraging. Lux is the only other lefty who starts regularly for the Dodgers. He started the season a bit slow, but has a .922 OPS over the last three weeks.
Astros at Rays (Zack Littell): Yordan Alvarez ($4,200), Alex Bregman ($3,400), Yainer Diaz ($3,200)
Littell didn't exactly excel as a relief pitcher, hence his career 4.21 FIP, but he's struggled in his first full season as a starter as well. He has a 4.11 ERA and has allowed 1.37 homers per nine innings. Literally, over the last two months he's made all of two starts where he didn't allow a home run. Lefties have hit .278 against Littell, but righties have hit .297, so I have two righties against the right-handed pitcher.
Alvarez is my one lefty, because he's Houston's best power hitter. Also, he has an 1.085 OPS over the last three weeks. Oh, and on top of that he has an 1.156 OPS on the road this season. Bregman has hit a home run in four-straight games. He's also a righty who has consistently hit his fellow righties better than he's hit lefties. Since 2022 he has an .843 OPS versus right-handed pitchers. You don't need a catcher for your FanDuel lineups, but the Astros have used Diaz as a DH, which speaks to his hitting acumen. He has a .301 average on the year, and an 1.023 OPS over the last three weeks. Plus, since 2022 he has an .847 OPS against his fellow righties.
