This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The nature of the MLB season can sometimes make it hard to be enthused to get into some DFS contests day in and day out. However, don't miss out on the opportunities while you have them. Wednesday has nine games starting at 7:05 p.m. ET or later. Here are some recommendations. Get those lineups in!
Pitching
Kevin Gausman, TOR at CLE ($10,800): Gausman doesn't usually allow home runs, and that (plus a 12.07 K/9 rate) is a big reason why he has a 2.78 FIP. Cleveland is in the bottom five in runs scored, and it's not hard to figure that out. The Guardians are comfortably last in home runs.
Max Fried, ATL at PIT ($9,400): Fried returned from a lengthy injury absence and went ahead and pitched six shutout innings wherein he allowed only three hits and zero walks. Looks like he's healthy! Pittsburgh is down in the bottom six in runs scored and is playing out the stretch, and as a lefty pitcher Fried also has that advantage working for him versus a couple key Pittsburgh bats.
Kyle Hendricks, CHC at NYM ($6,600): Hendricks has some start home/road splits, having posted a 5.50 ERA at home and a 2.78 ERA on the road. The Mets are going to finish the year in the bottom half in runs scored, and a big reason for that is hitters like Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor have been worse at home.
Top Targets
Finally having a healthy season Luis Robert ($5,500) has finally been able to put it all together. He's hit .269 with 31 homers and 14 stolen bases, having posted a .914 OPS at home as well. Luis Severino, for now, is in line to start Wednesday. The reason for hesitance is that Severino has a 7.74 ERA and has allowed 2.48 homers per nine innings, so the Yankees could always second guess this decision. For now, though, Robert has a great matchup on his hands.
If you want power, and DFS players usually do, Rafael Devers ($5,200) delivers. He has slugged .513 in his career and has 26 homers in 2023. Fenway Park has always been kind to him, and he has a .903 OPS at home since 2021. Jordan Lyles, meanwhile, has maybe had the worst pitching career of the new millennium. This year he has a 6.24 ERA, and lefties have hit .271 against him.
Bargain Bats
In addition to throwing in 10 homers for good measure, Whit Merrifield ($4,400) has batted .298 and picked up 21 stolen bases. Logan Allen has been solid as a rookie, but he's also posted a 3.95 FIP and has allowed righties to hit .268 against him, so he's not exactly matchup proof.
Though J.P. Crawford ($4,100) hasn't exactly turned into a home run machine, the southpaw has posted an .862 OPS versus righties in 2023. Meanwhile, Yu Darvish has had more issues with lefties than usual, allowing a .264 average in those matchups. What has consistently been the case is Darvish performing worse on the road, where he has a 4.40 ERA as a Padre.
Stacks to Consider
Atlanta at Pirates (Quinn Priester): Matt Olson ($6,300), Ozzie Albies ($5,400), Michael Harris ($4,300)
It is fair to call the beginning of Priester's MLB career a disaster. He's made four starts and has an 8.69 ERA and has allowed 2.29 homers per nine innings. While he's actually held righties below the Mendoza Line, lefties have hit .333 against him, so I have three guys who can hit left handed.
Olson is on the verge of his first 40-homer season, and his performance against righties has been key to that. He's posted an 1.035 OPS in those matchups. Albies has 26 homers, four triples, and eight stolen bases. While he's better against lefties, his .772 OPS against righties is still good. Plus, he has a .918 OPS on the road. Harris has hit .286 with 11 homers and 13 swiped bags in 89 games. He has a clear preference for facing righties, having hit .306 and slugged .530 in those matchups.
Astros at Orioles (Jack Flaherty): Yordan Alvarez ($6,000), Kyle Tucker ($5,500), Alex Bregman ($5,100)
While Flaherty picked up a win in his first start with the Orioles, it hasn't been a good season for the former Cardinal. He has a 4.28 ERA and has walked 4.36 batters per nine innings. On top of that, lefties have hit .310 against Flaherty, making two names in this stack an easy call.
Alvarez's incredible power doesn't require a matchup with a righty, but he does have a .961 OPS against right handers since 2021. Speaking of that power, he's slugged .607 and hit 21 homers this year, but in only 68 games. Tucker is getting on base at a .377 clip and has 20 home runs to go with 24 stolen bases. He's been excelling on the road, where he's put up a .969 OPS. The Astros don't have a third viable southpaw, so I am finishing with Bregman. He's a righty who is much better versus right-handed pitchers. In fact, since 2021 he has an .834 OPS in those matchups, compared to a .693 OPS versus lefties.
