This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Nine games are on our main slate Wednesday evening, and we're seemingly void of aces on the mound.
Pitchers
Robbie Ray,SEA at OAK ($9,600): Ray has decimated the A's to date, striking out 28 across 18.2 innings, allowing 15 hits and five runs. His form isn't ideal, allowing nine runs over his last 10 innings, but we'll trust the matchup and the slightly discounted price.
Dustin May, LAD vs. ARI ($8,700): May continues to lack the innings upside we want, but he's coming off of a hitless outing against the Giants, and gets a light hitting Diamondbacks' side that sports a 96 wRC+. This looks like a spot where he'll get ample run support, and hopefully give us five clean-fish innings in route to a win.
Matt Manning, DET at BAL ($5,700): Manning has been quite the roller coaster, mixing in 30 DKP outings with negative ones. It's anyone's guess what we'll get out of him here; the Orioles 99 wRC+ is nearly average, and the 22.2 percent strikeout rate isn't robust. He's too erratic for a cash play, but he's also far too cheap to ignore in GPPs given the potential.
Top Targets
Rangers' starter Dane Dunning is having a real problem keeping balls in the yard of late, allowing at least one homer in six straight starts, lasting six innings only once in that stretch. So if fading Aaron Judge ($6,400), I'm jumping all over Mike Trout ($6,200), who is 5-for-12 with two homers off of Dunning.
Carlos Correa ($5,400) is enjoying a nice late season surge, which includes eight hits over his last three games. He's raised his stats against lefties as well, currently sporting a .397 wOBA, 165 wRC+ and .246 ISO entering a very favorable spot against Daniel Lynch.
Finally, I'd love to find a way to stack Padres against Miles Mikolas, who has allowed seven runs in his last two starts and 14 in his last five. But to do so will require using at least one of Manny Machado ($5,900) and/or Juan Soto ($5,800), who are super pricey. If you can make it work, more power to you, but if not, trying to slot at least one is prudent.
Bargain Bats
I'd expect Dodger bats to be popular against Madison Bumgarner, but they are also pricey. Perhaps the exception is Justin Turner ($4,700), who is riding an eight-game hitting streak where he's collected a total of 14 knocks.
The Rangers have had some nice success against lefties throughout the year, though some of their regulars have fallen off, or regressed to the mean as the season has gotten late. But there's still plenty of appeal in this lineup against Tucker Davidson, who has allowed 11 runs in his last 8.1 innings. Nathaniel Lowe ($4,200) has a .407 wOBA and 171 wRC+ against southpaws on the year and is hitting third. But we could seek even more value in Josh Jung ($2,200) out of the five-hole. It's a small sample, just 21 plate appearances, and he's whiffing at an astronomical 42.9 percent clip, but Jung also has a .401 wOBA, .381 ISO and 166 wRC+ against lefties. At this price, if he zero's out, we're not too hurt, and if he connects, that's a big return.
Stack to Consider
Giants vs. Rockies (German Marquez): Mike Yastrzemski ($4,200), Brandon Crawford ($3,800), LaMonte Wade ($3,500)
This is for GPPs only, as it's the Giants and we don't want to go too crazy. But this potentially gives some top of the order lefties in Coors Field against a pitcher in Marquez who has struggled mightily, allowing a .397 wOBA and .908 in this spot. There's absolutely the chance fails miserably, but they are all cheap, and this trio is a combined 18-for-53 (.340) off of Marquez, with all three possessing a homer. There's seemingly a chance this goes off as well. Be sure to confirm they are all in the lineup, and weather is stable.
