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MLB DFS: Nolan Arenado tops our list of Wednesday lineup plays

Mike Barner
·4 min read
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The trade deadline was crazy Tuesday. The biggest news was the Padres landing Juan Soto and Josh Bell in a deal with the Nationals. Washington loaded up on prospects in the deal, while also bringing in CJ Abrams and McKenzie Gore. There were plenty of other moves, too, including a surprising trade that saw the Yankees send Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals for Harrison Bader. Among the other moves was the Blue Jays acquiring Whit Merrifield, the Phillies getting Noah Syndergaard and David Robertson, and the Twins adding Tyler Mahle. As things start to settle down for the stretch run, let's discuss some players to consider for the five-game evening slate on Yahoo.

Pitchers

There were some brief rumors that the Angels might entertain offers for Shohei Ohtani ($52), but those ultimately went nowhere. He's on an incredible run right now, recording at least 10 strikeouts in six straight starts. Don't look for him to slow down in a matchup versus the Athletics, who have scored the second-fewest runs in baseball.

The Giants probably aren't looking forward to facing Julio Urias ($51) again. In three previous meetings with the Giants this season, Urias has allowed two runs and posted 19 strikeouts over 18 innings. The Giants aren't the only team that has had their difficulties with Urias, either, given his 2.71 ERA, 3.78 FIP and 0.98 WHIP for the season.

Unlike Ohtani, don't expect many missed bats from Miles Mikolas ($43), who has just a 19.2 percent strikeout rate. However, he's limited hitters to a 35.3 percent hard-hit rate against him, which has propelled him to a 0.99 WHIP. He'll be looking to exploit a Cubs' lineup that surprisingly didn't trade away Willson Contreras at Ian Happ, but still ranks inside the bottom-10 in baseball in runs scored with them.

Top Targets

Alex Cobb ($31) had a rough performance against the Dodgers last time around, allowing four runs and 10 base runners over 5.2 innings. In that game, Freddie Freeman ($25) went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. With his .402 wOBA this season, Cobb could struggle to get Freeman out this time around, as well.

Nolan Arenado ($19) loves hitting against left-handed pitchers. He has a .392 wOBA against them this season, and a .408 wOBA mark versus lefties for his career. Don't be surprised if he exploits a matchup against Justin Steele ($35), who has been anything but dominant when you consider his 1.43 WHIP.

Nolan Arenado #28 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs in the seventh inning of an MLB game at Busch Stadium on August 2, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images)
Consider Nolan Arenado in your MLB DFS lineups. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images)

Bargain Bats

Is it finally Jo Adell ($7) time for the Angels? Mike Trout (back) remains sidelined and Brandon Marsh was traded to the Phillies, so he could see regular playing time. He's yet to make his mark in the majors, but he does have power, making him a viable option against James Kaprielian ($40). The A's right-hander only has a 15.7 percent strikeout rate and has allowed 1.5 HR/9.

Staying with the Angels' matchup against Kaprielian, Taylor Ward ($10) could also be a viable target. His overall numbers have been on the decline lately, but he brings power to the plate with him being on pace to set a new career high with his .465 slugging percentage.

Stacks to Consider

Brewers vs. Tyler Beede ($25), Pirates: Hunter Renfroe ($19), Willy Adames ($16), Kolten Wong ($17)

The trade of Jose Quintana has opened up a spot in the Pirates' starting rotation. It will initially be filled by Beede, who has made all 23 of his appearances this season out of the bullpen. He logged three innings in his last outing against the Phillies, so he might struggle to make it through five innings. This will likely end up being a bullpen game, which could provide a boost for the Brewers' lineup.

Padres vs. Chad Kuhl ($27), Rockies: Manny Machado ($15), Jurickson Profar ($19), Jake Cronenworth ($14)

Kuhl was rumored to be possibly on the move, but the Rockies oddly decided to stand pat at the deadline and not make any trades. He hasn't pitched particularly well, generating a 4.59 ERA and a 4.88 FIP. It's unclear if the Padres' new additions will be in the lineup for this game, but even if they aren't, this could be a matchup to exploit. Profar has been locked in at the plate, hitting 17-for-36 (.472) with four home runs and three doubles over his last nine games.