This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Wednesday's All Day MLB slate features all 30 teams and begins at 1:05 PM Eastern. There are plenty of pedestrian pitchers in action, so multiple offenses are primed for strong performances. Find out which members of those units are best positioned to find success along with the rest of the day's top value plays below.
PITCHER
John Lackey, CHC vs. CIN ($6,900): Lackey may not have the best peripherals, but the veteran righty knows how to keep his team ahead and earn his fantasy owners the extra four points. He enters this one on a five-game winning streak for the defending champs, and has a great chance to extend that streak with the offense likely to provide plenty of runs against opposing starter Homer Bailey. Cincinnati also ranks a pedestrian 20th in scoring on the road while Lackey still induces plenty of whiffs with a 20.0 percent strikeout rate. At only $6,900, just matching his 16.3 fantasy point average from the five game winning streak would be enough to make Lackey a strong value pick.
Eduardo Rodriguez, BOS vs. STL ($7,300): Rodriguez's best performances tend to come in pairs, as his four starts over 20.0 fantasy points prior to last time out have come in two back-to-back sets. Continuing that trend should be easy against the Cardinals, who rank a paltry 27th in runs scored against southpaws. Between likely support from Boston's surging offense and his sky-high 26.2 percent strikeout rate, Rodriguez can also contribute plenty of value besides just keeping St. Louis off the board.
CATCHER
Alex Avila, CHC vs. CIN ($3,800): Avila has pummeled right-handed pitching this season to the tune of a .386 wOBA. He's getting regular at-bats with Willson Contreras (hamstring) sidelined, but remains reasonably priced due to his recent status as a part-time player. Bailey comes in with an 8.31 ERA and 2.03 WHIP while getting burned for at least eight earned runs three times in just 10 starts.
FIRST BASE
Carlos Santana, CLE at MIN ($3,800): The switch-hitting Santana has been far more effective from the left side, producing a .348 wOBA against right-handed pitching compared to a mere .305 mark facing lefties. Twins starter Kyle Gibson is the perfect opponent for him in this situation, as the righty has surrendered a .381 wOBA to left-handed batters while posting a 6.02 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 20 starts. Target Field's third-ranked 1.14 park factor also works in Santana's favor.
SECOND BASE
Jonathan Schoop, BAL at SEA ($4,100): The Orioles will likely need to score plenty of runs to win with Ubaldo Jimenez on the mound, but piling up offense shouldn't be difficult against lefty Marco Gonzales. Felix Hernandez's (biceps) fill-in has allowed 11 earned runs in 11.2 innings for an 8.49 ERA. Schoop in particular is likely to thrive in this matchup given his .388 wOBA against southpaws.
THIRD BASE
Cory Spangenberg, SD vs. PHI ($4,600): The red-hot Spangenberg has notched seven hits in his past three games and is primed for another strong performance against Phillies rookie Nick Pivetta. Pivetta comes in with a 6.09 ERA overall, and that number balloons to 7.47 in 47 road innings. Given his .357 wOBA against righties, Spangenberg will likely raise those marks even further.
SHORTSTOP
Marwin Gonzalez, HOU vs. ARI ($4,400): The switch-hitting Gonzalez has a clear preference for batting from the left side, as shown by his .421 wOBA against righties. He'll be facing another right-hander here in Arizona's Taijuan Walker, whose 3.76 ERA is starting to catch up to his 4.39 xFIP after three consecutive outings with at least three earned runs allowed in six or fewer innings. Fatigue could also be setting in for the 25-year-old pitcher, as he has only surpassed 135 innings once at any level and already sits at 110 this year.
OUTFIELD
Marcell Ozuna, MIA vs. SF ($4,600): Giants starter Matt Cain has been an equal opportunity victim this season, allowing a wOBA over .350 to batters from both sides en route to his unimpressive 5.22 ERA and 1.68 WHIP. That makes him a perfect opponent for Ozuna to exploit, as the bulk of the outfielder's success has come in righty on righty matchups. Ozuna has hit 24 of his 27 home runs against right-handers while mustering a .390 wOBA in that split.
Ben Gamel, SEA vs. BAL ($2,900): Gamel has cooled down a bit following his 16-game hitting streak, but this matchup with Jimenez is the perfect opportunity for the affordable outfielder to get back on track. Jimenez has surrendered a monstrous .403 wOBA to left-handed hitters over a sizable 242 at-bat sample while Gamel has managed a solid .292/.352/.409 line against righties.
Carlos Gonzalez, COL vs. ATL ($4,100): Gonzalez remains significantly cheaper than most of his teammates despite playing much better of late, as the veteran outfielder has notched three multi-hit performances during his five-game hitting streak. Maintaining that success should be easy at home against struggling right-hander Mike Foltynewicz, who has been burned for 11 earned runs in just 6.2 innings over his past two road starts. Foltynewicz has also allowed a .367 wOBA to left-handed batters while Coors Field's league-leading 1.31 park factor gives hitters a massive advantage in general.
