Wednesday slates are always one of the best of the week. We typically have every team in action, and games spread throughout the day. That's exactly what we have here, and it should become the norm for the next five months. We're just going to zone in on the main slate, though, so let's dive into our favorite arms.
Pitching
Bryce Elder, ATL vs. MIA ($8,300)
Elder has been a volatile pitcher since his call-up, but the potential for him to break out was always there. He closed last season by recording a quality start in six of his last seven outings while generating a 2.82 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in that span. That's on par with what we've seen from him this year as he has a 1.02 ERA and 1.02 WHIP through three starts. It's hard to fade a guy who's clearly taken his game to another level at this cost, especially since Miami has been one of the worst offenses over recent years. We also don't mind that Elder is a -170 favorite!
Randy Vasquez, SD vs. SEA ($8,000)
Vasquez secured a spot in this rotation with an impressive spring training, and he's carried that form over into the opening month. This Padres pitcher has allowed one run or fewer in all three starts while posting a 1.02 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. He's also recorded at least eight strikeouts in two of those three starts and should keep that stuff rolling against a struggling Seattle lineup. The Mariners rank 27th in wOBA, 26th in K rate and 28th in OPS.
Bonus Play (If Arrighetti starts)
Spencer Arrighetti, HOU vs. COL ($7,000)
The Astros rotation has been rocked by injuries, and they can't keep Arrighetti out of it. This righty has been unstoppable at Triple-A this season, registering a 1.26 ERA and 0.77 WHIP. Most importantly, he's picked up 20 strikeouts across 14.1 innings. That's what we saw two years ago when Arrighetti accumulated a 2.72 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 11.4 K/9 rate across his final 10 starts. Facing Colorado in a home start is a soft landing spot, too, because the Rockies have ranked last in almost every offensive statistic on the road over the last five years. That's why Arrighetti and the Astros are projected to be a -200 favorite!
Top Targets
Ben Rice, NYY ($5,500) vs. Jack Kochanowicz
It's hard to believe we have a catcher performing like this, but Rice is the real deal. He's the everyday cleanup hitter in this daunting Yankees lineup, posting a .508 OBP and 1.253 OPS in what's developing into a career year. Most of his damage has come against righties throughout his career, as he collected an .860 OPS against them last year. That number is flirting with 1.350 this season, and there's no chance a guy like Kochanowicz slows him down. The Angels righty had a 6.81 ERA and 1.75 WHIP across 23 starts last season. Stacking NY is a safe option, with Aaron Judge ($6,500), Cody Bellinger ($4,500), Jazz Chisholm ($3,900) and Trent Grisham ($3,800) all in play.
Christian Walker, HOU ($4,200) vs. Jose Quintana
Walker has been a regular in my articles over the last two weeks because he continues to produce. This slugger was hitless over the last four games before a dinger on Tuesday, but he had a .409 OBP and 1.109 OPS across his previous 10 outings. That tells us that the power stroke is back in full swing, and it's no surprise since he's getting so many good pitches in the heart of this top-scoring Houston lineup. We also love that he has the platoon advantage against the worst pitcher on this slate, and we'll discuss that more in the stacks section!
Bargain Bats
Austin Riley ($3,700) vs. Chris Paddack
I might go down with this Riley train, but I refuse to believe he should be below $4,000. We've seen this guy hover around $5,000 for most of his career, and he's still the everyday cleanup hitter for this scary Atlanta lineup. The early-season struggles are easier to overlook when nothing Riley's consistency throughout his career. He compiled a .277 AVG, .500 SLG and .842 OPS between 2021 and 2025. That's five years of dominance, and we're starting to see Riley come out of his early-season slump. The third baseman has at least 10 DraftKings points in five of his last six outings. We'll discuss the Paddack matchup in the stacks section!
Richie Palacios, TB ($3,500) vs. Sean Burke
This feels like a random recommendation, but Palacios always seems to perform when the Rays match up with a righty. He always hits around sixth or seventh when they face a righty, registering a .476 OBP and .943 OPS against them this year. That might look fluky due to the small sample size, but Palacios posted a .414 OBP and .969 OPS against them last year. He also pairs that on-base ability with some elite speed, swiping 25 steals across 118 games over the last three years. All of that makes him way too cheap against a guy like Burke, who has totaled a 4.87 FIP and 1.41 WHIP since the start of last year.
A Rays stack is one of the best options out there due to their pricing, with Junior Caminero ($5,100), Jonathan Aranda ($4,100) and Cedric Mullins ($2,800) all great pairings with Palacios.
Stacks to Consider
Houston Astros vs. Colorado Rockies (Jose Quintana): Yordan Alvarez ($6,200), Jose Altuve ($5,200), Walker ($4,700), Carlos Correa ($4,500) and Isaac Paredes ($4,200)
It feels unfair to do this again, but we have to. The Astros have been the highest-scoring team in baseball, and they're facing the worst pitching staff. The Rockies ranked last in ERA and WHIP last season, while adding Quintana in the offseason. This journeyman has a 3.97 ERA and 1.37 WHIP since the start of last year, surrendering nine baserunners across four innings in his last start against the Stros.
You could stack this team a million ways because it's the deepest lineup in baseball. Alvarez is playing at an MVP level, averaging more than 12 DraftKings points per game. Altuve has the platoon advantage against Quintana, amassing a .907 OPS against left-handers since 2023. Correa and Paredes are in the same boat, with both guys having an OPS above .800 against southpaws throughout their careers. Don't use all of these guys, but mix and match to accommodate your salary.
Atlanta vs. Miami Marlins (Chris Paddack): Ronald Acuna ($5,400), Drake Baldwin ($4,800), Matt Olson ($4,500) and Riley ($3,700)
There was a period when many fantasy people expected Paddack to develop into an ace, but that's deep in the rearview mirror. Injuries have derailed his career, and he's barely holding onto a rotation spot in Miami. Paddack has a 6.14 ERA and 1.57 WHIP this season while posting a 5.28 ERA and 1.34 WHIP since 2022.
All of that is bad news against an amazing Atlanta lineup, with Acuna running the show at the leadoff spot. He was the leading scorer in DFS two years ago and is one of the only players who truly has 40-40 upside. Baldwin has been one of the best catchers in baseball, accruing a .372 OBP and .915 OPS. Olson has the platoon advantage against Paddack, providing a .363 career OBP, .263 ISO and .887 OPS against right-handers.
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