Happy Hump Day, everyone. It’s time for a little midweek money making on Wednesday’s MLB DFS slate as we crest that hill and eye the upcoming weekend.
As always, we are going to take a look at some upside players that won’t break the bank so you can plug in your studs as necessary. The goal is to find those guys who can produce while unlikely to be rostered on your opponent’s teams. Our pitchers have been solid the last few weeks (and a bargain, too) and we’ll look to continue that theme. Every little bit we save gets us more big guns with the lumber.
***All prices are DraftKings***
Stacks
There are at least two potential stacks that demand attention today if that is your cup of tea. The New York Yankees on the road against the Texas Rangers and Hyeon-jong Yang is a fun one, though not inexpensive. Yang hasn’t pitched horribly this season but is likely to be pushed around for four or five runs before giving way to a mediocre Rangers bullpen. They have pitched to a 4.10 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP thus far.
It is also fair to take a long look at the Washington Nationals against Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs. While Arrieta has been good in Chicago (3 starts, 1.59 ERA), it can be expected that he’ll try to do much with Max Scherzer on the other side. At this stage of his career, the Cubs’ righty isn’t missing a lot of bats and it’s fair to expect an implosion.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are going to pummel Arizona and their third-worst bullpen (5.53 ERA, 1.58 WHIP). That said, stacking Los Angeles is an extremely pricey proposition that might leave you agonizing over whether to leave a roster spot empty, which is never recommended.
Arms
John Means – vs. Tampa Bay ($9,400)
Means has proven himself thus far to be an upper-tier option in DFS and the price tag (while nothing to sneeze at) is still a bit on the low end. 4-0 with a 0.77 ERA and a 0.64 WHIP, and he’s still the fifth most expensive option tonight. Means is working with a 28 percent strikeout rate, so roll him out there against the Rays and their hitters’ 31 percent strikeout rate. Expect a W, seven-plus innings, and double-digit Ks.
Logan Gilbert – vs. Detroit ($4,700)
Yes, this is a huge dice roll. There has actually been talk that the Detroit Tigers stack against Gilbert is a viable one. Not buying it. It was a small sample size, but five strikeouts in four innings of work in his big-league debut isn’t too shabby. Look for Gilbert to cool those jitters and come out a bit more aggressive against an anemic Detroit offense for his first win. Mark it as a W, 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 8 Ks.
Bats
Justin Turner, 3B – vs. Arizona ($5,200)
We said we would go bargain basement with the picks before filling in studs, but it’s important to get Turner’s name out there. After a day off on Tuesday, Turner and his .296/.393/.500 slash line will be a big part of the aforementioned pummeling of the Diamondbacks tonight. While it’s not to be expected that he will clear the fence, it can be expected that he’ll find the alleys more than once. This is my play of the day.
Omar Narvaez, C – at Kansas City ($3,500)
Navarez is a steal at this price and will be hitting against Brad Keller who has been beaten like a drum this season (3-4, 6.75 ERA, 1.86 WHIP). The Brew Crew backstop carries in a .976 OPS and just took Tuesday off; he’ll be itching to get back into the lineup. Note: Take care to check the weather in Kansas City, as there are expected to be some pop-up storms in the Midwest. As of the time of this writing, it looks ok.
Kiké Hernandez, OF – at Toronto ($3,300)
Kike should be sitting atop the Red Sox lineup tonight, and there is a lot to like about any Boston player this evening against Ross Stripling. If the former Dodger can get on base against his old teammate, he’s setting the table for that powerful lineup to get him around. Stripling has consistently lost velocity on his pitches and has made it through five innings just twice on the season. Any Red Sox batters will be a plus-matchup, but for this price, the table setter should be in your lineup.
Dylan Moore, 2B – vs. Detroit ($2,700)
Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal has lost four-straight starts and given up 12 earned runs in 16.2 innings on the bump. But wait, there’s more. He earned a no decision prior to those four, but after he has lost two. So if you’re counting at home, he is 0-6 and carries a 5.73 ERA and 1.58 WHIP into this one.
The Mariners will be desperate to get their rookie starter some run support, and Moore should be large part of the effort. His .168/.270/.353 is abysmal, yes. But in his last nine games, he’s hit .265 and swatted three dingers while driving in eight. Is it coincidence that he has been utilized in numerous DFS lineups of late? Yes. However, if the price is right (and it is), take a shot and save some money for the big boppers.
Stud Finder: Luke Voit, Xander Bogaerts, David Peralta, J.D. Martinez, Max Muncy
It should be noted that everyone and their mother are recommending Juan Soto tonight. I’ll be fading him for now, but he is likely to be in a lot of your opponents lineups.
Best of luck with all of your entries this evening. Make sure you check the weather reports for games in the Midwest, and remember: Always play for the upside.
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