This article is part of our DFS MLB series.
Wednesday's main slate offers us nine games to work with as there aren't a substantial amount of getaway games. As we've noted the past few slates, be sure to check lineups and starting pitchers before lineups lock with a lot of moving pieces in the final week of the regular season.
Pitchers
It's a top-heavy day for the pitcher pool. Chris Sale ($11,100) leads this tier in a near-must-win scenario for Atlanta against the Mets. He hasn't been quite as dominant as his velocity has dipped in recent starts. Aware of that, the team gave Sale an extra day of rest between starts. Even if that doesn't help, Sale has still been effective enough to reach low to mid-20 DraftKings point performances (has scored 19+ points in eight of his last 10 games). He is a very solid option in cash games particularly.
Dylan Cease ($9,300) went through a down stretch in late August but has since rebounded to shut down the Giants and Astros in consecutive starts. He draws a tough test against the Dodgers but still checks in at a value relative to his skills. Zac Gallen ($9,000) is priced in a similar range and is another boom-bust option. He leads the pitcher pool in strikeout percentage across the last 30 days (30.9 percent) but has paired that with a 10 percent walk rate and 1.7 HR/9. The Giants are also a good matchup.
As was noted in the intro of this section, things get dicey after the
Wednesday's main slate offers us nine games to work with as there aren't a substantial amount of getaway games. As we've noted the past few slates, be sure to check lineups and starting pitchers before lineups lock with a lot of moving pieces in the final week of the regular season.
Pitchers
It's a top-heavy day for the pitcher pool. Chris Sale ($11,100) leads this tier in a near-must-win scenario for Atlanta against the Mets. He hasn't been quite as dominant as his velocity has dipped in recent starts. Aware of that, the team gave Sale an extra day of rest between starts. Even if that doesn't help, Sale has still been effective enough to reach low to mid-20 DraftKings point performances (has scored 19+ points in eight of his last 10 games). He is a very solid option in cash games particularly.
Dylan Cease ($9,300) went through a down stretch in late August but has since rebounded to shut down the Giants and Astros in consecutive starts. He draws a tough test against the Dodgers but still checks in at a value relative to his skills. Zac Gallen ($9,000) is priced in a similar range and is another boom-bust option. He leads the pitcher pool in strikeout percentage across the last 30 days (30.9 percent) but has paired that with a 10 percent walk rate and 1.7 HR/9. The Giants are also a good matchup.
As was noted in the intro of this section, things get dicey after the top options. That brings us to Edward Cabrera ($6,200), who ranks third among the available pitchers with a 26.4 percent strikeout rate in the last month. He has a 3.81 ERA which is matched by a 3.88 SIERA during that time frame. The matchup also works in his favor, as the Twins have a .275 wOBA and 23.8 percent strikeout rate in that same span.
Top Hitters
Xavier Edwards ($4,500) struggled a bit coming off the injured list (IL) in early September and still has had inconsistent results. However, he's locked into the leadoff role for the Marlins and faces an exploitable matchup against Simeon Woods Richardson, who has a 1.67 WHIP and 5.75 ERA in the last 30 days. Also, consider Jesus Sanchez ($3,300) as a value option.
The Cardinals have had some valuable hitting options lately, perhaps just not the names that would be expected. Masyn Winn ($4,500) probably falls somewhere in between but has a .234 ISO and .339 wOBA against lefties and a matchup against Austin Gomber in Coors Field.
Value Bats
Trevor Larnach ($3,000) and Matt Wallner ($4,200) have alternated hitting second in the Twins' lineup, with Larnach getting the nod of late. Make sure you check lineups to see who gets the nod. Cabrera is a decent punt play but certainly has an imperfect skill set. Meanwhile, Larnach has a .339 wOBA and .185 ISO against righties this season.
Stacks to Consider
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox (Richard Fitts): Nathan Lukes ($3,600), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($5,300), Spencer Horwitz ($3,800)
This is the second day in a row the Jays are highlighted in this section. The middle of the lineup is depleted but has at least done enough to make the team a league-average offense of late, but the matchup is the true draw to the Jays. Fitts has good surface stats but has just an 11.1 percent strikeout rate and a 3.2 K-BB ratio. Meanwhile, his 5.57 SIERA is the worst among the pitcher pool by nearly a full run. Best of all, this is a cheap stack, so it fits well for those who want to pay up at pitcher.
Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees (Marcus Stroman): Gunnar Henderson ($6,200), Jordan Westburg ($4,700), Anthony Santander ($5,200)
This is a tricky situation because both teams have very little to gain in the standings, so we could see a watered-down lineup from the Orioles after they clinched a postseason spot. However, with Stroman projected to return to a starting role, this is an exploitable matchup as he has most of the same skill shortcomings as mentioned above for Fitts. I'd check Baltimore's lineup carefully before lock to see who is in the lineup.
As alternatives, consider stacking the Diamondbacks, Marlins or either team playing in Coors Field.
