MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Wednesday (4/13)

Wednesday’s main daily fantasy baseball slate differs between DraftKings and FanDuel. It starts at the same time in the afternoon (12:20 pm ET). However, DraftKings’ main slate includes only seven games and FanDuel’s consists of nine games with the addition of the 3:40 pm ET (Astros at Diamondbacks) and 3:45 pm ET (Padres at Giants) contests.

Check out today’s MLB Grand Slam contest at FanDuel

Wednesday's Starting Pitcher Strategy
The middle tier and bargain bin are sweet for today's main slate, with Nathan Eovaldi and Kyle Hendricks representing excellent value. However, Framber Valdez is a worthy ace on FanDuel. Meanwhile, Max Fried is appealing as a fringe upper-tier arm as well.

Cash Game Recommendations:

Nathan Eovaldi (BOS) at DET
Eovaldi is a lock-button SP1 in cash games on DraftKings. He's also a 1B to Valdez's 1A in cash games on FanDuel. The hard-throwing righty's opening line against the Yankees doesn't immediately jump off the page.

Regardless, according to FanGraphs, he had an elite 38.2 CSW% and 46.2 O-Swing%. As a result, Eovaldi struck out seven batters in five innings. He has a Charmin-soft matchup with punch-out upside against the Tigers. Thus, according to Betting Pros, the Red Sox are -120 favorites, and the game's total is a humdrum 8.5 runs.

Framber Valdez (HOU) at ARI
The Astros are marginally bigger favorites than the Red Sox, sporting a -150 moneyline. Valdez's matchup is nearly as favorable as Eovaldi's, albeit without as much strikeout upside. Although, Valdez was brilliant in his first start, holding the top-heavy Angels scoreless on two hits, one walk, and six strikeouts in 6.2 innings.

The 28-year-old southpaw's curve was in a special form in the opener.

I love the discount for using Eovaldi on FanDuel. Still, I feel a greater sense of safety with a higher floor from Valdez. Therefore, you can't go wrong with either as your FanDuel cash game starter.

GPP Recommendations:

Kyle Hendricks (CHC) at PIT
Hendricks stumbled to a career-worst 4.77 ERA in 2021. However, the righty made a case in his first start that last year was a blip on the radar instead of a sign he's falling off a cliff. The finesse righty held the Brewers to one run on five hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings.

Predictably, Hendricks' changeup was a money pitch. When he's going right, the changeup is tying up opposing hitters. In 2021, he had only a 13.8 SwStr% on the pitch. However, he had a robust 39.4 SwStr% on 33 changeups in his 2022 debut. Unfortunately, there's always a risk to using Hendricks. If the veteran righty's changeup isn't sharp, his low-velocity heater doesn't give him wiggle room. Still, I'm content using him at his steal of a salary on DraftKings in all game types and as a GPP pivot from Eovaldi on FanDuel.

Max Fried (ATL) vs. WSH
Obviously, Fried allowing five runs on eight hits and one walk in just 5.2 innings against the Reds in his first 2022 start was suboptimal. However, my biggest takeaway was his uptick in velocity on his fastball, slider, and curve. According to FanGraphs, the 28-year-old southpaw's fastball was up 1.3 mph, the slider was up two miles per hour, and the curve was up 0.5 mph. So, I'm chalking up his underwhelming start against the Reds as a hiccup.

Further, the matchup is run of the mill with the potential to be better if lefty-killer Nelson Cruz is out of Washington's lineup again after surprisingly getting scratched without an explanation last night. Finally, the Braves are commanding -210 favorites after demolishing the Nationals last night.

Top Lineup Stacks

• Road (Target Field)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9.0 Runs/LAD -164

The Dodgers came out of the gates sluggish last night and finished with the quietest seven-run showing imaginable. Their lineup is an endless nightmare for opposing pitchers. Perhaps my favorite part about today's mid-tier pitching selections is the ease they allow us to squeeze a Dodgers stack in and add non-punts to the other hitter lineup spots. This is a no-brainer stack in cash games worth stacking in GPPs as well, despite my expectation they'll be chalky.

• Road (PNC Park)
• Value: High
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: GPP
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8.5 Runs/CHC -130

A nifty way to offset a chalky Dodgers stack is meshing a non-chalky stack with them. The Cubs should qualify as a low-rostered stack. Chicago's lineup isn't filled with household names. Nonetheless, as you can see on their FanGraphs leaderboard against righties since 2019, they're an above-average group with pop.

• Road (Citizens Bank Park)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: High
• Game Type: GPP
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8.5 Runs/NYM +105

The Mets are another contrarian stack you can mesh with the Dodgers. Last year, Aaron Nola's ERA estimators were all markedly better than his 4.63 ERA. Unfortunately, a 1.30 HR/9 and 66.8 LOB% undermined his sparkling walk and strikeout rates. In his first start in 2022, Nola struck out seven batters with zero walks, four hits allowed, and one hit batter in six innings. The underlying marks against the A's were great. However, he served up a pair of untimely homers, resulting in four earned runs. At this point, I need to see Nola pitch to his ERA estimators before giving him a pass for being on the wrong side of variance and luck.

• Mookie Betts is cold as ice so far. Still, his track record is too long and decorated to worry about a slow start. Sitting atop a Dodgers' lineup that I expect to smash Chris Paddack, Betts is an excellent pick in all game types, but especially GPPs, if his slow start throws people off his scent.
• Freddie Freeman is nestled directly behind Betts in the lineup. Since 2019, the sweet-swinging lefty has roughed up right-handed pitchers for a .427 OBP, .264 ISO, and 160 wRC+ in 1,229 plate appearances.
• Seiya Suzuki has already endeared himself to Cubs fans. He had a two-homer game yesterday, bringing his total to three in 17 plate appearances. Suzuki has also had a discerning eye, walking in 23.5% of his plate appearances, fueling a .529 OBP.
• Since there's ample salary-cap space left after locking in my top pitching plays today, let's add Franmil Reyes as a fourth stud. The hulking slugger has hit 22 homers with a .225 ISO in 440 plate appearances against lefties in his career. Franimal's power is tailor-made for Great American "Small" Park.

• Switch-hitting Ian Happ is a bargain on FanDuel and comically underpriced on DraftKings. Happ's .263 ISO against righties since 2019 alone is worth his bargain salary before accounting for above-average OBP and wRC+.
• I'm primarily interested in Jeff McNeil on DraftKings. McNeil is quickly putting a down year in 2021 behind him. Before last year's 93 wRC+, McNeil had a 140 wRC+ through his first 1,024 big-league plate appearances. So far this year, he has had a 193 wRC+ in 21 plate appearances.
• Nick Madrigal is a usable stacking option on DraftKings. However, he's in this space for his salary on FanDuel, that's only $100 above the minimum. Frankly, he's a lineup-order-driven punt, slotting second for the Cubbies against righties.

Wednesday's Hitter Strategy
Today's hitter strategy is all about loading up on the Dodgers. I suggest fully stacking them in all game types. You can use chalky value plays around the Dodgers stack in cash games. In GPPs, it makes sense to use contrarian swerves around a chalky Dodgers stack.

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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.