DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Wednesday, 4/27/22

Great lineups can go off on any given night, but it's more unpredictable in baseball than any other sport. We feel like we have a good read on some stacks that we like for this slate, too, but let's get started with two young pitchers!

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Pitchers

Joe Ryan FD - P 9200 DK - SP 9600
Opponent - DET (Michael Pineda) Park - MIN
FD - 39.55 DK - 21.14

Joe Ryan is one of the most boring names in baseball, but his game is really coming around. A 2.47 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in the minors earned him this job, and he's pitched just as well at this level. In fact, Joe has a 3.16 ERA and 0.82 WHIP, striking out nearly 30 percent of the batters he faces since debuting last season. He's simply one of the best pitchers at limiting baserunners, and it should be easy to continue against Detroit's disastrous offense. The Motor City Kitties were 24th in OBP, 22nd in OPS, 25th in wOBA, and 28th in K rate last season. Their lineup is just as bad this year, with Ryan entering this matchup as a -190 favorite in a game with a seven-run total.

Ranger Suárez FD - P 7100 DK - SP 7400
Opponent - COL (Ryan Feltner) Park - PHI
FD - 34.83 DK - 18.08

Honestly, this is some of the worst pricing of the season. A lackluster start to the year has dropped Ranger to this price range, but he should be at least $1000 more in this matchup. The Rockies have a decent offense, but they were dead-last in OPS and runs scored on the run last year. That's expected to carry over this season, with Suarez looking in line for a quality start. We say that because Ranger has a 2.67 ERA and 1.08 WHIP since the beginning of last season. Those are some absurd averages, with Suarez entering this matchup as a -225 favorite, with Colorado projected for just 3.5 runs.

Charlie Morton has gotten off to a rough start this season, but he should get going against the Cubs as a monster favorite.

Catcher/First Base

Pete Alonso FD - 1B 3800 DK - 1B 5200
Opponent - STL (Steven Matz) Park - STL
FD - 10.45 DK - 7.81

There are intelligent people in our industry who were recommending Matz this season. That's hard to understand because this lefty has been one of the worst pitchers in baseball for the last few years. Matz has a 5.27 ERA and 1.61 WHIP through the first three weeks of this season, generating a 4.85 ERA and 1.41 WHIP since 2020. That's rough news against a guy like Alonso, with the Mets slugger amassing a .345 OBP, .536 SLG, and .881 OPS for his career. That's some consistent mashing, with Big Pete also getting the platoon advantage from the right side as well.

Jared Walsh FD - 1B 3300 DK - 1B 4700
Opponent - CLE (Zach Plesac) Park - LAA
FD - 11.17 DK - 8.42

We always fill these articles with platoon mashers, and Walsh is undoubtedly one of those guys. Over the last three years, Jared has a .322 AVG, .391 OBP, .592 SLG, and .983 OPS against right-handers. His OPS is actually 400 points against righties than it is against lefties. It always earns him a prominent spot in this lineup, surrounded by sluggers like Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, and Anthony Rendon. Zach Plesac is no scary matchup either, with the righty registering a 4.67 ERA across 143 innings last season. He struggled against the Angels, too, allowing five runs in their one matchup last season.

Second Base

Ozzie Albies FD - 2B 4100 DK - 2B 5100
Opponent - CHC (Mark Leiter Jr.) Park - ATL
FD - 11.1 DK - 8.51

Albies has been one of the best second basemen throughout his career, and he's currently amid a career year. The All-Star has four doubles and six homers through the first three weeks en route to a .571 SLG and .904 OPS. Those are brilliant numbers for Ozzie's sky-high expectations, and we have to use him when he's rolling like this. The matchup with Mark Leiter is the best part of this, with this 31-year-old amassing a 5.86 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across 121 major league innings. Only 7.1 of those came in the last four years, and it's hard to imagine this guy lasting long against this tough Atlanta offense.

Marcus Semien FD - 2B 3100 DK - 2B 4700
Opponent - HOU (Cristian Javier) Park - TEX
FD - 11.19 DK - 8.47

We had Semien in this article last week, and he will remain in it until his price bumps back up to where it should be. The slugging second baseman had 45 homers and 15 steals in a breakout 2021 season and will eventually return to the $5K player we saw in that incredible run. He's showing some flashes of returning to that guy, scoring at least 12 FanDuel points in five of his last 11 games. The matchup against Javier isn't half-bad, too, with Semin having opposite splits. That means he's better against righties, but that doesn't really matter with Javier throwing less than four innings in all three starts this year.

Shortstop

Bo Bichette FD - SS 3200 DK - SS 5200
Opponent - BOS (Michael Wacha) Park - TOR
FD - 13.83 DK - 10.65

We don't talk about season-long formats enough when it comes to DFS. Where players were drafted, and their DFS salaries should correlate for the most part in the first month of the season, but that's not the case with Bo. Bichette was actually a Top-5 pick in most season-long leagues, and he's not even a Top-40 fielder on FanDuel right now in terms of pricing. That's quite the discrepancy, and it means he's due for some positive regression. He's started that recently, entering this matchup amid a seven-game on-base streak. The matchup with Wacha is wonderful, too, with the Red Sox righty providing a 5.11 ERA and 1.45 WHIP between 2018 and 2020.

Willy Adames FD - SS 2900 DK - SS 4600
Opponent - PIT (Bryse Wilson) Park - PIT
FD - 10.92 DK - 8.27

Adames is another guy that's gotten off to a horrible start, but his positive regression has hit like a wall this week. The slugging shortstop has three runs scored, one double, three homers, and eight RBI over the last two games. That tells us that he's seeing the ball well right now, but it's far from surprising since he flirted with a .900 OPS in his 100-some games with the Brewers last year. That earned him the three-hole in this lineup, and that alone makes him tough to fade the way he's swinging the lumber. Facing Bryse Wilson is the icing on the cake, with the Pirates pitching accruing a 5.63 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 128 career innings.

Third Base

Manny Machado FD - 3B 3900 DK - 3B 5900
Opponent - CIN (Vladimir Gutierrez) Park - CIN
FD - 12.76 DK - 9.68

We've had many struggling hitters in the first half of this article, but Manny is certainly not one of those. The former Oriole is averaging 10.2 DraftKings points per game, one of the best rates in baseball. It's clear when you look at his counting numbers, with Machado recording five doubles, three homers, 10 RBI, nine walks, and three steals en route to a .434 OBP and .997 OPS. That success should be easy to duplicate against Vlad Gutierrez, tallying a 4.82 ERA and 1.44 WHIP since the beginning of last season.

Ke'Bryan Hayes FD - 3B 3000 DK - 3B 5200
Opponent - MIL (Aaron Ashby) Park - PIT
FD - 7.79 DK - 6.01

Hayes might be having the breakout season we've been waiting for! Through the first 16 games of this season, Hayes has a .364 AVG, .438 OBP, and .911 OPS. He has yet to go yard yet either, and he's definitely due for some dingers with his power potential. We haven't even discussed that he has 12 career steals in 136 games, making him an excellent bet for a swipe too. Our favorite part of this play is the matchup with Ashby because Hayes has a .412 AVG and .974 OPS against lefties so far this year. Ashby isn't a scary arm either, attaining a 1.76 WHIP in four starts this season.

Outfield

Bryce Harper FD - OF 4000 DK - OF 5800
Opponent - COL (Ryan Feltner) Park - PHI
FD - 14.56 DK - 10.82

I live in Colorado and follow the Rockies closely, and I can tell you that Feltner is no good. This guy made a few appearances last season, accumulating an 11.37 ERA and 2.21 WHIP in his two starts. That's a small sample size of horrific play, but anytime the Rockies call up a pitcher, it's terrible news for the team ERA. His minor league numbers are nothing special either, compiling a 4.15 ERA and 1.41 WHIP between 2019 and 2021. Not much needs to be said about the NL MVP, with Harper providing a .416 OBP, .636 SLG, and 1.052 OPS against righties since 2020. This is one of the best hitters in baseball in one of the best possible matchups. Don't overthink it!

Giancarlo Stanton FD - OF 2900 DK - OF 4900
Opponent - BAL (Tyler Wells) Park - NYY
FD - 12.42 DK - 9.29

Stanton is the greatest power hitter in baseball, regularly leading MLB in exit velocity and hard-hit rate. It shows in his career averages, tallying a .357 OBP, .540 SLG, and .272 ISO. Those are astounding numbers, and he's one of the best bets for a dinger on every slate he's in. That makes him a worthy option against Tyler Wells, with the O's righty accruing a 6.75 ERA and 1.88 WHIP this season. Those are standard for a Baltimore arm, and these Yanks are always in line for a big night when they face this nightmarish pitching staff. Joey Gallo has similar power numbers, and a homer on Monday might be the start of a hot run for one of the streakiest hitters in the game.

Marcell Ozuna FD - OF 3000 DK - OF 3500
Opponent - CHC (Mark Leiter Jr.) Park - ATL
FD - 10.74 DK - 8.14

Ozuna has been in this price range all season, and it makes no sense why. This masher is Top-3 in barrel rate and hard-hit rate this season and has proven himself as one of the best pure hitters in baseball. That alone makes him $1,000 too cheap, and we certainly don't mind that he has a .522 SLG as well. All of that is bad news for a journeyman like Leiter, and these Braves could be one of the best stacks out there behind their massive implied run total. This is simply one of the best values out there.