Yahoo DFS Baseball: Wednesday Picks

Yahoo DFS Baseball: Wednesday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.

Wednesday has the potential to be a packed day in baseball with every team in action and two scheduled doubleheaders. That leaves us with a bevy of options to choose from on Yahoo, so let's dive in and discuss some players to target when building your lineup.

Pitchers

Chris Paddack ($45) was shelled in his last start against the Dodgers, giving up six runs across three innings. Before that outing, he had allowed eight runs across 22.2 innings over his first four starts, so don't panic over one bad performance. This is an excellent opportunity for him to have a bounce back outing against the Rangers, who have the fourth-worst OPS (.651) in baseball.

Another pitcher who could take advantage of a cushy matchup is Aaron Civale ($43), who will take the mound against the Pirates. They've been even worse than the Rangers with their .614 OPS representing the worst mark in the majors. Civale has logged at least six innings in each of his first four starts and has managed to produce a 1.12 WHIP despite batters recording a .319 BABIP against him. He did a good job of keeping hitters inside the ballpark coming up through the minors and he's carried that over into the big leagues, allowing a total of seven home runs across 82.2 innings

Top Targets

It's been rare in recent years to see the Astros struggle offensively, but they've done just that this year with their .710 OPS ranking as the eighth-lowest mark in baseball. Still, they have an opportunity to be productive in this matchup against Ryan Castellani ($27) at Coors Field. He was hit hard at Triple-A last year, recording an 8.25 FIP and allowing 2.9 HR/9 across 10 starts. This might be an ideal situation to deploy Alex Bregman ($23), who is 10-for-26 (.385) with a home run and three doubles during his current eight-game hitting streak.

It's not difficult to make a case for adding Mike Trout ($25) in DFS, regardless of who is opposing him. Despite being a bit unlucky this season with a .265 BABIP that is way below his career .347 BABIP, Trout still has a .418 wOBA and a .392 ISO. He has an excellent opportunity to keep things rolling against Johnny Cueto ($28), who has a 4.72 FIP and has only recorded a 17.9 percent strikeout rate across five starts.

Bargain Bats

The Braves have been hit hard by injuries this season. Not only is their starting rotation severely depleted, but their lineup is currently missing Ronald Acuna Jr. (wrist), Ozzie Albies (wrist) and Nick Markakis (not injury related). That has left Adam Duvall ($11) to receive regular playing time and he's responded with four home runs and a .344 wOBA. He could prove to be a cheap source of production at this salary against Eric Fedde ($25), who has a 1.56 WHIP for his career.

Evan Longoria ($10) isn't close to the hitter that was he was during his heyday with the Rays. Still, he's someone to consider when a lefty is on the mound based on his 125 wRC+ against them last season. He'll look to continue that trend against Patrick Sandoval ($31), who has followed up his 4.59 FIP from last season with a 4.71 FIP across his first three starts of 2020.

Stacks to Consider

Twins vs. Brett Anderson ($26), Brewers: Nelson Cruz ($26), Byron Buxton ($14), Jorge Polanco ($13)

Anderson finished with a respectable 3.89 ERA for the A's last year, but his 4.57 FIP, 1.31 WHIP and 12.1 percent strikeout rate paint the picture of anything but a dominant pitcher. His tenure with the Brewers is off to a rocky start with him posting a 1.64 WHIP across his first three outings. With an underwhelming lefty on the mound, Cruz and Buxton are two prime targets on the Twins. Cruz carries tremendous power upside into this matchup and Buxton is appealing based on his .384 wOBA against left-handed pitchers last season.

Nationals vs. Kyle Wright ($25), Braves: Juan Soto ($28), Trea Turner ($20), Eric Thames ($9)

The Braves' patchwork starting rotation rolls on Wednesday with Wright, who has allowed 12 runs across 15 innings. He's not recording many strikeouts and he has a whopping 2.20 WHIP, so look for the Nationals to be productive in this contest. Soto's salary will do a number on your budget, but he's red hot right now, posting a 1.438 OPS across 13 games. Turner is also firing on all cylinders since he is 16-for-40 (.400) with three home runs, two doubles and a triple over his last nine contests.

Dodgers vs. Taijuan Walker ($27), Mariners: Mookie Betts ($26), Corey Seager ($20), Cody Bellinger ($14)

The Dodgers entered the season with one of the most impressive lineups in baseball and haven't disappointed by posting a .783 OPS that ranks fifth-highest in the league. Betts has been a great acquisition and has helped to make up for Bellinger's early struggles. Seager has been able to cash in on being healthy, posting what would be a career-high 164 wRC+. That could all spell trouble for Walker, who has underwhelmed with a career 4.21 FIP and 21.3 percent strikeout rate.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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