This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Wednesday's 8:10 PM ET evening slate is a modest one, with just three games on tap. Despite the meager selection, there's value to be found if you know where to look.
PITCHER
Dallas Keuchel, HOU vs. LAA ($9,900): Keuchel has taken advantage of Minute Maid Park's pitcher-friendly conditions with 54 runs allowed in 223.1 innings at home for a 2.18 ERA since the start of the 2015 campaign. He has limited opponents to just one run over 14 innings in his first two home appearances of 2017, and is 2-0 with an 0.86 ERA and 0.62 WHIP overall. With a strikeout rate over 20.0 percent in each of the previous two seasons, Keuchel has all-around ability necessary to turn in a gem against an Angels team that's scoring just 3.57 runs per game.
Jason Vargas, KC vs. SF ($5,300): Vargas has hit the ground running in his return from Tommy John Surgery, with a 2-0 record, 0.66 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 14 strikeouts in 13 innings. Despite all that success, he remains priced at just $5,300. That affordability makes Vargas the top discount option against a Giants team that has surrendered the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing pitchers.
CATCHER
Brian McCann, HOU vs. LAA ($3,500): Angels right-hander J.C. Ramirez struggled to the tune of five runs allowed over five innings in his first career start last time out, and has racked up a 5.28 career ERA in 136.1 innings while serving mostly as a reliever. McCann's in the midst of his third consecutive campaign with a wOBA of .325 or above against righties, and his .233 isolated power shows that he carries more upside than the typical $3,500 catcher in this favorable matchup.
FIRST BASE
Edwin Encarnacion, CLE at MIN ($4,400): Encarnacion's Cleveland tenure is off to a slow start, but he has a golden opportunity to turn things around here with southpaw Aldaberto Mejia on the mound for Minnesota. Even with his early struggles, the veteran slugger has managed a .348 wOBA against lefties, and that number figures to trend up given his career .377 mark. Mejia has already surrendered six extra-base hits through 9.0 career innings of work, so Encarnacion doesn't lack upside here after launching at least 34 homers in each of the past five campaigns.
SECOND BASE
Danny Espinosa, LAA at HOU ($2,900): Espinosa has already smacked three long balls while driving in 13 runs, and his power is unlikely to dry up considering the second baseman's coming off a 24-homer campaign. While this isn't the most favorable of hitting environments, Keuchel did surrender 18 home runs and a .331 wOBA to right-handed hitters last season. Those looking to maximize upside without spending big at the second base position should plug in the switch-hitter and hope he gets ahold of one from the right side.
THIRD BASE
Alex Bregman, HOU vs. LAA ($4,100): Bregman's preference towards facing righties makes him an ideal choice for this game given Ramirez's splits. Los Angeles' fill-in starter has surrendered a .352 career wOBA to fellow righties while holding hitters from the opposite side of the plate to a more respectable .308 mark. Expect the second pick in the 2015 draft to build on his .339 career wOBA against righties here while offering a high ceiling thanks to his mix of speed and power.
SHORTSTOP
Jorge Polanco, MIN vs. CLE ($3,300): Polanco's hot start had him batting third in the lineup Tuesday, and an extended stay in the heart of the order would certainly be good news for a hitter with just five RBI despite a .292/.352/.417 line through 13 games. The 23-year-old shortstop's modest price undersells his production a bit, making him a solid value play with the slow-starting Trevor Bauer (8.44 ERA) on the mound for the Indians. While the switch-hitting Polanco has found more success facing lefties, his .317 career wOBA against righties is serviceable.
OUTFIELD
Lorenzo Cain, KC vs. SF ($3,600): Giants ace Madison Bumgarner's never an easy opponent to face, but Cain's proficiency against left-handers makes him worth a look even here. Cain's .359 wOBA in that split this season looks impressive until you realize he finished over the .400 mark in each of the previous two campaigns. In addition to his contributions at the plate, the speedy outfielder's 74 steals since the start of the 2014 campaign give him a strong possibility of pleasantly surprising owners with a stolen base or two on any given night.
Chris Marrero, SF at KC ($2,100): If you're looking for a dirt-cheap option to maximize spending elsewhere, Marrero's your man. Jarrett Parker's (clavicle) replacement in left field hit 23 homers at the Triple-A level last year, and has already gone deep against left-handed pitching this season. The left-handed Vargas has allowed a .323 career wOBA to right-handed hitters, so Marrero's in good position to contribute while costing owners next to nothing.
Hunter Pence, SF at KC ($4,100): Those with more money to spend or looking to stack righties against Vargas should give Pence a look. The veteran outfielder's .446 wOBA against southpaws likely won't last, though his .415 mark in 2013 shows that he's capable of sustaining elite production in this split over an extended period. Pence has finished with at least a .340 mark in all but one season since, and hitting third in the batting order allows him to get the most counting stats out of that success.
