Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, lineup advice for Wednesday’s MLB games

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What you need to know for Wednesday’s MLB Games

By Todd Zola

Wednesday’s slate features 13 tilts with all but one a matinee affair. The day begins at 12:35 p.m. ET in Cincinnati, with the last first pitch of the day scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET in Kansas City. With many of the staff aces on the hill for their second start, streaming options are thin, but there are a few options.

• David Peterson pitched well in his 2023 debut, but he fell to the Marlins despite allowing just one run in five frames, fanning five. On Wednesday, he’s on the road in American Family Field, but he draws what appears to be a beatable lineup including Mike Brosseau, Luke Voit, Joey Wiemer, Owen Miller and Victor Caratini. Sure, they’ll all enjoy the platoon edge, but historically, Peterson doesn’t sport extreme splits and the opposing lineup isn’t exactly Harvey’s Wallbangers. Peterson is available in 82% of ESPN leagues.

• After walking an uncharacteristic four in his Red Sox debut, Corey Kluber draws the Pittsburgh Pirates as Boston closes out a six-game homestand to begin the season. Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds pose a challenge at the top of the Pirates lineup, but the veteran righty should be able to navigate through the rest. Kluber is rostered in only 17.4% of ESPN leagues.

• Eduardo Rodriguez, Hunter Gaddis, Kyle Muller, Chris Flexen, Kyle Gibson, Zack Greinke, Mitch Keller and Patrick Corbin all have rostership levels of no more than 12%, but the matchup isn’t ideal. Of the group, flip a coin between Gaddis and Muller. They square off with Muller being the better pitcher, but he faces a better Guardians lineup while Gaddis is a lesser hurler dealing with a less potent Athletics lineup. However, of the duo, Gaddis is better suited for a GPP DFS option.

• The mostly right-handed Tampa bay lineup is in a great spot with southpaw Patrick Corbin toeing the slab for the Nationals. Corbin lasted only three frames in his initial start as the Braves tagged him for seven hits and four runs, though only two were earned. Corbin punched out only three while issuing three free passes. Isaac Paredes (13.2%), Manuel Margot (5.5%) and Harold Ramirez (1.8%) are the targets to add, especially if you need a fill-in with the Diamondbacks, Rockies, Dodgers and Padres enjoying a rare Wednesday off day.

• Stolen bases continue to be the main early headline with the Orioles (11) and Guardians (8) leading the pack through Monday’s action. The Red Sox (10) and White Sox (7) have surrendered the most in the same time frame. Players to pick up for possible steals are the Pirates’ Jo Hwan Bae (2.4%) against Boston, the Giants’ Thairo Estrada (43.1%) against the White Sox, the Orioles’ Jorge Mateo (13.9%) against the Rangers and the Guardians’ Myles Straw (3.1%) against Oakland.

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Starting pitcher rankings for Wednesday