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Slate Details
OwnersBox – Early slate (8 games) – starts at 1:09 p.m. EDT / Late slate (6 games) – starts 6:35 EDT
DK – Early slate (8 games) – starts 1:10 p.m. EDT / Late slate (6 games) – starts 6:35 p.m. EDT
FD – Early slate (6 games) – starts 12:35 EDT / Late slate (6 games) – starts 6:35 p.m. EDT
Weather Impact
No need to worry about the weather, it is going to be beautiful everywhere.
Pitching (Early Slate)
Hitting (Early Slate)
The beauty of DFS is the variability with which you can stack your lineups and that is as true as ever with the early slate. Several directions you can head in but I am going to go with the tried and true options that have rarely let me down.
Peyton Battenfield makes his MLB debut for Cleveland on Wednesday and bully for him he gets to do it against the Bronx Bombers. Don’t get it twisted, this is not some heralded prospect making his long-awaited debut. This is a sinker ball, death-by-a-thousand-arrows pitcher who assuredly won’t make it multiple times through the Yankees order without getting “Batted” around. The usual core of DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Judge, and Anthony Rizzo is a great place to start and Franchy Cordero hit his 3rd HR of the early season last night, making him an interesting value play as well.
If you’re wondering if Rich Hill still has at the ripe age of 43, the answer is a big ol’ nope. Five HRs and 10 runs are the results of Hill’s first two starts in a Pirates uniform and while he did strike out seven in his first start against Cincinnati, he was battered by the White Sox last Friday. Unfortunately for Hill, the Astros’ offense more closely resembles Chicago’s. Alex Bregman started to show signs of life with an HR and a 2B last night. Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker are good plays against anybody, but if he plays, Mauricio Dubón could be a difference-maker on Wednesday. The tough-to-strikeout righty has a career 115 wRC+ against LHP compared to a 63 wRC+ against RHP.
Lastly, you can’t go wrong with a Coors Field matchup between the Cardinals and Rockies. With José Ureña on the mound, the Cardinals’ bats are going to be very popular and for good reason. Urena has a 14.40 ERA, 1 strikeout in five innings and was lit up by the lowly Nationals in his last start at home. Literally, the entire St. Louis lineup is in play so I’m talking Brendan Donovan, Tommy Edman, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and that’s just the top of the lineup.
Jack Flaherty has had a roller coaster of a start to the season, allowing 13 (!) walks through 10 total innings but he has only allowed 4 hits and 2 ERs total as well. The problem is that his stuff won’t play as well in Coors and if he continues to struggle with his control then he could be in for a really rough day. Colorado has scored at least five runs in five consecutive games and I really like the way Ryan McMahon and CJ Cron are swinging the bat.
Hitter Pricing 4-12-23
Pitching (Late Slate)
The late pitching slate is much more intimidating, with an extremely interesting matchup between Hunter Greene and Spencer Strider headlining. I am interested to see how Greene handles the potent Atlanta lineup as he’s been up and down to start the season. I won’t be going there for DFS purposes, but Strider is definitely in play against a Cincinnati lineup that shouldn’t scare anyone. Strider has 9 K’s in each of his first two starts and I think that is the floor for his production tonight. If he can wrangle in the control (3 walks in each start), I’m thinking at least 6 innings and double-digit strikeouts which would be a great foundation for your lineup.
For some reason, I don’t think people appreciate the greatness of Kevin Gausman. His 5.31 PLV in 2022 should’ve clued people in but it doesn’t seem that the general public is getting the message. In 2023, he has just continued to dice people up as he has yet to allow an ER in 12 innings on the road with 14 Ks. On Wednesday, he faces a Detroit lineup that is 2nd-to-last in baseball with a 57 wRC+ and also strikes out at a tough 26.7% clip. You might not be able to fit in many high-profile hitters, but starting your lineups with Strider and Gausman is not a bad way to go.
Clayton Kershaw may not be the perennial Cy Young Award winner that he used to be, but he is still one of the better pitchers in baseball, making it through six innings in each of his first two starts in 2023, both against Arizona. He faces a Giants team that has cranked 20 HRs so far, but features an extremely lefty-heavy lineup. In 2023, San Francisco has a 48 wRC+ and 38.5 K% against LHP compared to a 130 wRC+ and 25.5 K% against RHP. I trust Kershaw here to have a good night at home in Los Angeles.
Hitting (Late Slate)
If we are going to be taking the highest-priced pitchers tonight then we have to find some good value in the bats to pair with them. Texas gets Brad Keller at home and don’t be fooled by his 2.61 ERA. Keller is due for a blow-up and the Rangers have the offense to do it, having scored 27 runs in its last three games. While Marcus Semien is going to cost you a bit, former top prospect Josh Jung has started off the year strong and is starting to showcase the talent Texas has been waiting for. Jonah Heim is another interesting option at C, as the switch-hitter is off to a .276/.300/.517 start in 2023.
I have always liked Eduardo Rodriguez as I genuinely think he is a solid veteran pitcher that would be a good piece in the middle of any rotation. Unfortunately, he has started his season with three consecutive road starts against Tampa Bay, Houston, and now Toronto. The Blue Jays have scored 21 runs in their last two games and their righty-heavy lineup will be a difficult matchup for Rodriguez. George Springer, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. are the big bats, but Matt Chapman has been on a tear of late and shouldn’t be outrageously expensive. Also, check to see if Jordan Luplow made the starting lineup as he mashes lefties.
Lastly, I just can’t get enough of this Baltimore offense man and now they face Ken Waldichuk and his 14.54 ERA. This will be the third consecutive underwhelming Oakland lefty the Orioles have faced so they should be seeing the ball well. Austin Hays, Adley Rutschman, and Ryan Mountcastle form a nice top of the lineup, while you can also plug in Gunnar Henderson, Jorge Mateo, and Cedric Mullins to round out an interesting stack that may not be too popular with some of the other stacks available.