This is one of the most unique slates of the season. If you look at the pitching pool, you'll notice good options across the board. Guys like Roki Sasaki, Christian Scott, Michael King, Slade Cecconi and Jake Bennett all look like good values, but none of them made the cut for us. What's interesting is that many of the high-end pitchers are in tough spots, so it looks like the type of slate where you want to pay up for bats and save on the arms. With that in mind, let's look at our two favorite pitchers for this Wednesday slate!
Try our DraftKings MLB Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
Pitching
Mackenzie Gore, TEX vs. LAA ($8,300)
It's not exciting to use Gore after a recent slide, but this is a great spot for a bounce-back start. We say that because the Angels rank 20th in wOBA while possessing the worst K rate in baseball. That should help Gore return to the studly southpaw we know and love, with Gore totaling a 4.31 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 9.8 K/9 rate this year. Those are average numbers, but we love that Gore struck out seven batters across six one-run innings en route to 22 DraftKings points in his only matchup with LA earlier this season. He's also been a different pitcher at home, tallying a 2.49 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 10.2 K/9 rate.
Connor Prielipp, MIN vs. CLE ($6,900)
It was shocking to see just how affordable Prielipp was on this slate. Minnesota chose to skip him in his last start due to some bizarre scheduling, but he had one of the best starts of his career before that. Prielipp scored a season-high 25 DK points while striking out 10 Rockies. The most impactful variable for Prielipp has been his form at home, maintaining a 3.99 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 10.1 K/9 rate in Minnesota. That's really enticing against a Cleveland team that's missing Jose Ramirez, with the Guardians ranked 27th in runs scored, 29th in OPS and 28th in xwOBA. In his one start against them, Prielipp allowed one run across five innings while striking out six batters.
Top Targets
Freddie Freeman, LAD (vs. Ryan Feltner) $6,200
Fantasy managers were worried about Freeman after a slow start to the season, but anyone who's been watching baseball knew he'd get going eventually. This perennial All-Star is back to his typical absurd averages, accruing a .380 OBP and .877 OPS. Most of that damage has happened recently, with Freeman amassing a .406 OBP and .947 OPS since May 1. It's also a .483 OBP and 1.103 OPS over the last two weeks, so we certainly don't want to fade him against the worst pitching staff in baseball. We'll discuss that more in the stacks section! Freeman has some incredible BvP numbers against Feltner, posting a .579 OBP and 1.222 OPS in 14 at-bats opposing him.
Mickey Moniak, COL (vs. Roki Sasaki) $4,900
Many people might not realize it, but Moniak has been a stud since signing with the Rockies last season. He has a .272 AVG and .858 OPS since joining Colorado last year, while posting a .934 OPS this season. Moniak has been even better against right-handers, registering a .299 AVG and 1.011 OPS against them. We love that against a struggling Sasaki, sporting a 10.06 ERA and 1.88 WHIP across his last four starts. Sasaki is an interesting option since he's the biggest favorite on this slate, but you can stack Colorado against him with his recent struggles. Hunter Goodman ($5,400), Jake McCarthy ($4,100) and TJ Rumfield ($3,900) are the best pairings with Moniak.
Bargain Bats
Jackson Merrill, SD (vs. Jose Cabrera) $4,200
Merrill's .217 AVG is far from impressive, but he's still on pace for nearly 20 homers and 35 steals. That's quite the profile from a DFS standpoint, and we love that he has the platoon advantage against an unproven righty. Merrill has a .272 AVG and .802 OPS against right-handers over the last three years, while Cabrera has a 4.73 ERA and 1.58 WHIP through three career starts. We don't mind a San Diego stack, with Fernando Tatis ($4,900), Manny Machado ($4,400) and Gavin Sheets ($3,700) in play.
A.J. Ewing, NYM (vs. Stephen Kolek) $3,900
How often can you find a leadoff hitter below $4K? That's just what we have with Ewing, providing a .378 OBP and .916 OPS across his last 12 outings. That doesn't even include a career performance on Tuesday, where he went 4-for-4 en route to a career-high 40 DK points. That sort of form makes him an easy option against Kolek, with the Royals righty totaling a 29.45 ERA and 4.09 WHIP across his last two starts. Yes, those are real numbers. If you want to stack the Mets, Juan Soto ($6,000) and Carson Benge ($4,000) have been hot recently, while both guys have the platoon advantage against Kolek.
Stack to Consider
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies (Ryan Feltner): Shohei Ohtani ($6,700), Freeman ($6,200), Max Muncy ($5,200), Mookie Betts ($5,000) and Kyle Tucker ($4,700)
With so many cheap pitchers to consider, only one stack stood out. It's the most obvious one on the slate because we have the best lineup facing the worst pitching staff. Let's start there because the Rockies rank last in ERA, WHIP and xwOBA. Feltner might actually be their best pitcher, but a 5.06 career ERA and 1.40 WHIP show the ineptitude of this staff. He's also struggled against this dominant Dodgers lineup throughout his career, compiling a 6.19 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in eight starts against them. It's usually difficult to stack LA, but it should be easier now that there are so many cheap pitchers to consider.
Ohtani is the obvious option at the top of this stack, leading the league in DK points since his signing. Muncy has killed righties through his career, collecting a .389 OBP and .889 OPS against them over the last three years. Betts has been heating up, posting a .366 OBP and .929 OPS over his last 22 outings. Tucker has struggled in his debut season with the Dodgers, but he still has a .384 OBP and .867 OPS against right-handers since 2023.
