About a quarter of the MLB season is left. Wednesday features eight games starting at 6:35 p.m. EDT or later. To help you sort out your MLB DFS options, I have some recommendations to consider as you make your choices. Good luck!
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Pitching
David Peterson, NYM vs. ATL ($9,000): Making pitcher selections wasn't easy for Wednesday…other than Peterson. This one was a lock. He has a 2.33 ERA at home this year, and a 2.76 ERA at home since 2023. None of MLB's absolute worst offenses are in action Wednesday. Minnesota has fallen below Atlanta in terms of quality, but Minnesota faces Cam Schlittler. Thus, Peterson is the easy choice.
Drew Rasmussen, TAM at ATH ($7,800): Rasmussen has stayed healthy this season while delivering on a per-start basis like he always has. Through 23 outings – the second-most of his career – the righty has a 2.66 ERA. Rasmussen also hasn't allowed a run over his last two starts, totaling 11.1 innings. My only concern is that the Athletics are above average in terms of runs scored, and the team's temporary home in Sacramento has been good for offenses. Given the options though, I still felt better about Rasmussen than anyone other than Peterson.
Top Targets
While the Cubs' two lefty stars are both cold, given the options I'll still roster Kyle Tucker ($3,800). He has 18 homers and 24 stolen bases, plus four triples for good measure. Also, unlike Pete Crow-Armstrong, he's been better on the road than at home, as he has an .897 OPS in away games. Meanwhile, righty Kevin Gausman has a 4.26 ERA at home, where he also has an 1.7 HR/rate rate.
In lieu of his usual steadiness, Freddie Freeman ($3,400) has been streaky. Fortunately for him, and people making DFS decisions, Freeman is on a hot run right now. Over the last three weeks he has a .998 OPS. Even with the ups and downs, and also an injury issue or two, Freeman has an .889 OPS versus righties, and an .845 OPS on the road. Kyle Hendricks is a righty with a 6.02 K/9 rate and a fastball that has averaged 86.3 miles per hour. Yeah, that's not likely to work against Freeman, one of the best pure hitters in the league when healthy.
Bargain Bats
Toronto's best lefty hitter, Addison Barger ($3,000), has slugged .528 at home, and also .545 against righties. Cubs rookie Cade Horton has been excellent against righties and at home. Of course, he isn't at home Wednesday, and Barger is not right-handed. Horton has a 5.19 ERA on the road, and lefties have hit .272 against him.
The Marlins are overloaded with lefties, but a righty was what I was looking for, and so Otto Lopez ($2,900) is the guy. He has double-digit homers and stolen bases, and he is decidedly better against his fellow righties. That's what I needed, because Gavin Williams has an issue with righties while largely mowing down lefties. This year, lefties have hit a mere .186 against Williams, while righties have hit .286.
Stacks to Consider
New York Mets vs. Atlanta (Carlos Carrasco): Pete Alonso ($3,600), Francisco Lindor ($3,300), Cedric Mullins ($2,800)
You know things haven't gone your way in a season when you're turning to Carrasco to round out your rotation. He's 38 and made 10 starts at Triple-A this year! Since 2021 he has a 5.40 ERA, including multiple seasons with an ERA over 6.00 with these very Mets. Lefties hit him well, which is not surprising, but righties have also hit .306 against him since 2023. Really, it's hard to go wrong when facing Carrasco.
Alonso has six home runs in August already. He's also teed off against righties this year, as he has a .912 OPS in those matchups. Yes, Lindor has been cold. He still has 21 home runs and 18 stolen bases on the season. The shortstop also has a .785 OPS versus righties and an .849 OPS at home. Most of his issues have been on the road. Mullins recently hit his first home run as a Met. He now has 16 homers and 16 swiped bags on the campaign. He's a lefty, and lefties have hit .302 against Carrasco this season. I think he can have another good day for his new club.
Tampa Bay Rays at Athletics (J.T. Ginn): Brandon Lowe ($3,000), Chandler Simpson ($2,900), Josh Lowe ($2,900)
There's a reason why Ginn has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen, and also why he even pitched down in Triple-A for a bit. He has a 5.54 ERA and 2.8 HR/9 rate at home. Additionally, lefties have hit .308 against Ginn in his career. Thus, I'm stacking three left-handed Rays. Simple enough, right?
Brandon Lowe has been healthier than usual, which is to say he's only missed a handful of games, and that relative haleness has helped him produce. The second baseman has 23 home runs through only 98 games. He's slugged .556 against righties for good measure, which bodes well against Ginn. Simpson doesn't have power. What he has is remarkable speed. The rookie has hit .298 and stolen 33 bases in only 71 games. Though he does indeed lack for pop, he has a .761 OPS on the road. I mean, he's Juan Pierre-esque, but he could hit a double or a triple if the park allows for it. It's been a bit all-or-nothing for Josh Lowe, so his slash line does not impress. He does have seven homers, 15 doubles, and 11 stolen bases in 74 games, though. That's encouraging for DFS purposes, especially with a game against Ginn in the offing.
