This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
It's an interesting day for DFS on Wednesday, as the action starts with a very early two-game slate at 12:35 p.m. EDT. There's also an early-only slate starting at 3:37 p.m. EDT that has three games. The main slate starts as usual at 7:05 p.m. EDT with a much healthier nine games to choose from.
Pitching
In cash games, Blake Snell ($11,800) will be a popular choice despite his price tag. Snell has been absolutely dominant at home with a 2.28 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP since 2017. He comes into the game in a good rhythm as well, scoring at least 42 fantasy points in each of his last four starts. Toronto is an excellent matchup for Snell, as their team .277 wOBA against left-handed pitching is the third-lowest mark in baseball. Their 25.7 percent strikeout rate to that handedness is also the 10th-highest mark in baseball.
The best mid-priced option for the main slate is probably Pablo Lopez ($7,600). He'll be at home facing the Giants, a great matchup for any right-handed pitcher. They have a team .285 wOBA against right-handed pitching, the third-lowest mark in baseball, and strike out 24.3 percent of the time, the 10th-highest mark in baseball against RHP. In his short career (120 IP) Lopez has been markedly better pitching at home with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP to support that ERA.
If loading up on Colorado/Arizona bats is the strategy in GPPs, John Means ($6,500) should be on the radar. The matchup with Detroit is a good one, as they strike out 26.0 percent of the time against left-handed pitching. Meanwhile Means has been good this season with a 2.96 ERA and has scored 36, 37 and 40 fantasy points in three of his eight starts this season.
Key Values/Chalk
Tim Locastro ($2,500) should be a chalky pick tonight as a cheap way to get a bat playing in Coors. He's been hot at the plate since being called up and has the power/speed combo fantasy owners love (eight home runs, eight stolen bases at Triple-A). Over 86.1 innings pitching in Coors, Jeff Hoffman has given up 14 home runs en route to a 7.51 ERA.
Trevor Story ($4,600) and Javier Baez ($4,100) are both in play at shortstop facing lefties if the money works out. The lean here though is Story, who checks multiple boxes when it comes to his matchup tonight. He'll be at home, where he had a .527 wOBA against left-handed pitching last season, and he has hit well against Robbie Ray. In a limited sample Story has gone 5-for-20 off Ray with two home runs and four walks.
Again, if the money works out Nolan Arenado ($4,900), Eduardo Escobar ($4,600) and Kris Bryant ($4,300) are all great options. However, spending up on Story probably means money will have to be saved elsewhere, especially if you're also using a higher-priced pitcher. David Bote ($2,400) is extremely cheap, is hitting well and has had success against lefties (.343 wOBA in 96 PAs) in a small sample. He comes into this game extremely hot at the plate, going 10-for-19 with two home runs and two doubles over his last seven games.
Hanser Alberto ($2,700) has caught fire as of late, and most of the damage he's doing has been against left-handed pitching. He'll get that matchup tonight against Ryan Carpenter, who isn't a big prospect and has gotten crushed at the big-league level. Alberto comes into this contest with a .424 wOBA against southpaws this season, albeit in only 58 plate appearances.
James McCann ($2,700) seems very cheap tonight considering he's hitting .350 this season and is facing Glenn Sparkman to start the game. While McCann is better against southpaws, his .378 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season is nothing to be ashamed of. At 27, Sparkman isn't a prospect and will likely throw a handful of innings before handing the ball over to a second-tier Royals bullpen.
Stacks
Phillies vs. Genesis Cabrera (Cardinals)
Bryce Harper (OF - $4,300), Rhys Hoskins (C/1B - $4,400), Andrew McCutchen (OF - $3,800), J.T. Realmuto (C/1B - $3,400)
There are some obvious stacks tonight, especially with a game in Coors and a lot of No. 4/5 starting pitchers taking the mound. One of the less obvious stacks tonight will be the Phillies who face a rookie in Cabrera. Not surprisingly, the kid is tied for the lowest salary among pitchers tonight and had a lot of trouble with the long ball at Triple-A this season. He allowed 11 home runs in 39.2 innings at Memphis, leading to a 6.35 ERA. There is strikeout potential with Cabrera, but there's a good chance Philadelphia tees off on him for multiple home runs.
Orioles vs. Carpenter (Tigers)
Alberto, Trey Mancini (OF - $3,800), Renato Nunez (3B - $3,500), Keon Broxton (OF - $2,300), Jonathan Villar (SS - $3,300)
Obviously only four hitters from the Orioles can be used with Broxton being the wild card among the group. Carpenter is an easy player to pick on, as he's allowed 32 earned runs in 36.1 innings as a member of the Tigers. Nunez comes into this game as one of the hottest hitters in baseball with a 1.389 OPS over the last week (.390 wOBA against lefties this season) while Mancini brings a .411 wOBA against lefties in this contest.
