Welcome into the Wednesday edition of the FanDuel lineup and picks column! We’re back to the split slates as we have a five game and seven game today.
Before we get into the massive split slate that makes up Wednesday, let’s take a look at how we did yesterday. The hitters all showed up except for Paul DeJong and I was left wondering how much higher the lineup could have climbed had I played Scott Kingery instead. Still, it’s hard to complain too much when the lineup puts up a score of 203. 5. That’s a big number but it was a high scoring slate. It should have easily made you money yesterday and it’s another example of why you need to follow me on Twitter. A couple of tweaks pushed that lineup over the top and they didn’t happen until the middle of the day.
Starting Pitcher, High End Spend
Early
James Paxton, $8,400
.303(10 for 33), 16.7 strikeout rate
There’s advanced stats that speak against both McCullers and Mariners starter James Paxton. Both aren’t in the best matchup possible, and the Twins have been pretty good against the curveball so far this season. Frankly, the pitching options are very poor on the early slate. Adam Wainwright, Danny Duffy, A.J. Cole, and James Shields are just some of the options. About the only case you could try to make would be Kyle Gibson and that’s just because the Astros offense has been quiet. It’s not a chance I would take. Pick between McCullers and Paxton and move on. I’m siding with Paxton based off the fact the Kansas City offense is worse than the Twins. Paxton has more talent than he’s shown so far and today could be the day he shows off. I won’t put too much stock into his last start considering he had to fend off a bald eagle before the game even started.
Main
Marco Estrada, $8,100
.169(33 for 169), 25.8 strikeout rate
The Early slate doesn’t have a lot of mid-tier options and the Main slate isn’t exactly overflowing with great options at the high-end. Tanaka, Price, and Lester are all in tough spots so we’ll side with Marco Estrada. Last night Aaron Sanchez took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Baltimore has not been able to hit right handed pitching so far this season and is striking out at a ridiculous pace.This is a bit scary because the Orioles always possess the power to knock around any starting pitcher. If you’re risk averse, this slate might not be for you.
Mid-Range
Early
None
Main
Alex Wood, $8,800
.207(6 for 29), 20.0 strikeout rate
Oakland hasn’t hit lefties well to start the season and Wood is in a pretty decent spot. He’s got the stuff to dominate any lineup and the A’s have an ISO under 1.00, an OPS under .700, and a batting average of .259. They’re striking out a little over 22 percent of the time. It’s also worth noting that Oakland hasn’t even hit double digits in runs vs. lefty pitching. Wood might just wind up being the chalk tonight and I think Estrada is definitely worth it as an alternative.
Value
Early
None
Main
Jarlin Garcia, $5,800
N/A
If you’re really feeling froggy tonight, you could play Garcia and load up on offense. Why would you want to play this lefty against the Mets? In 57 plate appearances, the Mets are striking out over 35 percent of the time, hitting just .231, have an OPS of .587 and a wOBA of .254. Those numbers are awful and Garcia could be the ultimate punt play at the pitching spot. Be fully warned that he could completely blow up and sink any lineup he’s in.