This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There aren't many day games, leaving us with an 11-game main slate that kicks off at 7:05 pm ET. One thing to monitor will be the weather, as rain is expected to persist on the East Coast for the second consecutive day. That will jeopardize games in Baltimore, Cincinnati, New York and Boston, so be sure to monitor the forecasts for those matchups.
Pitchers
It's not a particularly strong day for pitching, both in terms of the top-end talent and depth. There are some relatively big names at the top of the player pool, but most are either in poor current form or have tough matchups. Kris Bubic ($10,000) isn't reaching the peaks we saw early in the season, but he still has at least 14 DraftKings points in four straight games. More importantly, he draws a Pirates' offense that has been miserable for most of the season.
There isn't a pitcher really worth paying up for otherwise, but Dylan Cease ($9,300) would be my choice. The surface results haven't come, but he does have a 28.3 percent strikeout rate in the last 30 days – the highest mark of any pitcher on the slate. The downside is that the Diamondbacks are a tough matchup.
There are a few interesting options in the middle tiers of the pitcher pool. David Festa ($8,000) has stabilized his performance and has started to pitch deeper into games, notably posting 26.95 and 15.9 DK points in his last two starts. A matchup against the Cubs isn't ideal, but his best start did come in a similarly tough start against the Tigers.
Kumar Rocker ($7,500) has been decent since being recalled, but he draws an Angels' lineup that strikes out at among the highest rates in the league. Brandon Pfaadt ($7,400) has been comparable to Rocker as a mediocre, if unspectacular, option. He has at least seven strikeouts in three straight starts, but the Padres don't strike out much.
It's a broken record as we get to Cade Horton ($6,500). He's been inconsistent but has high upside and also has a positive matchup against the Twins. Horton is the punt option of the day.
Top Hitters
Tomoyuki Sugano has allowed at least one home run in four straight starts, including five combined long balls across his last two outings. The Mets have the firepower in their lineup to take advantage of that form, with Pete Alonso ($5,000) being a good option to build through.
Maikel Garcia ($4,400) probably isn't the first Royals' hitter to come to mind, but he's a play specifically tailored to a matchup against lefty Bailey Falter. Falter has allowed multiple home runs in two of his last four starts and has an ugly 5.06 SIERA for the season.
Value Bats
We have a lot of pitching matchups to take advantage of, but there also hitter-friendly parks to target. Great American Ballpark is one, and Otto Lopez ($3,400) remains cheap despite averaging 10.9 DK points per game in his last 10 starts.
Brandon Walter has had effective moments but has allowed five and seven earned runs in two of his last three starts. David Fry ($2,600) has slotted into the second spot in the lineup against lefties and has also started to flash some power.
Stacks to Consider
Game Stack: Atlanta at Athletics – ATH: Lawrence Butler ($4,500), Brent Rooker ($5,000), Nick Kurtz ($4,700); ATL: Ronald Acuna ($6,200), Matt Olson ($5,200), Austin Riley ($4,200)
As was the case on Tuesday, this is a game to stack due to both the hitting environment and pitching matchups. Bryce Elder is on the mound for Atlanta and has a 1.52 WHIP while allowing 1.97 HR/9 this season. Mitch Spence will be on the other side of the matchup and served up three home runs in his last start. Sutter Health Park has helped offenses all season, which should continue as things continue to warm up.
Boston Red Sox vs. Colorado Rockies (Antonio Senzatela): Jarren Duran ($4,500), Roman Anthony ($4,200), Abraham Toro ($3,200)
There is risk in this for a couple of reasons. The first is the aforementioned rain, but the Red Sox aren't a particularly imposing lineup as currently constructed. Nevertheless, Senzatela has just an 11.0 percent strikeout rate and 1.90 WHIP while allowing 1.46 HR/9. This is a dream matchup for the Red Sox.
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