MLB

FanDuel Pitching Primer: Wednesday 6/29/22

Josh Shepardson  —  @BChad50 Jun 29th, 2022
Hunter Greene can flash his strikeout upside tonight in a matchup with the Cubs. Which other pitchers make sense for Wednesday's main slate?

Pitchers lay the foundation for daily fantasy baseball teams. So it's not coincidental they have the highest salaries in FanDuel contests. Of course, it's possible to overcome a bad outing from a starter, but it's markedly easier to cash in contests with a good or excellent start.

Simply nailing your pitcher can cover up for a miss or two among your hitter selections. Thankfully, pitchers are less volatile to project than their hitting counterparts. First, pitcher skills such as walk rate and strikeout rate help separate the genuinely talented pitchers from their lesser peers. In addition, park factors and the offensive strength of the opponent are integral considerations for picking your FanDuel pitchers.

Weighing the importance of a pitcher's skill, park factors, opponent, and accounting for their salary is the game within the game on FanDuel. This piece is your home for my favorite pitcher picks for FanDuel's main slate every day. So, let's get to today's top hurlers.

High-Salaried Play

Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels

Vs. Chicago White Sox
FanDuel Salary: $10,500

Shohei Ohtani is the top pitcher in all game types tonight.

The do-it-all superstar is having an excellent season from the bump. According to FanGraphs, out of 97 starters with at least 60 innings pitched this year, Ohtani is 21st in ERA (2.90). However, he's second in xFIP (2.70) and SIERA (2.67) and third in strikeout rate (33.0 percent). Ohtani has elite underlying stats and a mouthwatering strikeout rate.

He also has a fabulous matchup tonight as the Chicago White Sox are tied for 24th in wRC+ (87). The betting info is what FanDuel gamers love to see. The Los Angeles Angels are -188, and the game's total is a non-threatening 7.5 runs, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

High-Salaried GPP Pick

Kyle Wright, Atlanta Braves

At Philadelphia Phillies
FanDuel Salary: $10,400

Kyle Wright is another betting favorite tonight. The Atlanta Braves are -142. Sadly, the game's total is more worrisome at 8.5 runs.

Still, the Philadelphia Phillies are a good matchup. Sure, they're tied for 16th in wRC+ (96) against righties, but they're much less potent without Bryce Harper's thunderous stick in the lineup.

Wright is a talented pitcher with merit for using beyond the matchup. The 26-year-old righty is breaking out this year. Wright took a bit to develop, but he has the pedigree as the fifth pick in the 2017 MLB Draft.

In 14 starts spanning 85 innings, he's had a 3.18 ERA, 3.39 expected ERA (xERA), 3.22 xFIP, 1.16 WHIP, and 26.6 percent strikeout rate. Wright has struck out at least five batters in 11 starts, allowing three or fewer runs 11 times, too. Further, Wright has had nine quality starts.

Wright's high ceiling makes him an attractive swerve off the likely more popular Ohtani in GPPs.

GPP Dart

Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds

At Chicago Cubs
FanDuel Salary: $9,100

Don't be fooled by Hunter Greene's 5.66 ERA. The rookie righty hasn't been that bad.

He's been burned by homers, allowing 2.57 homers per nine innings. His 4.11 xERA, 4.11 xFIP, and 3.77 SIERA paint a more encouraging picture of his work to date.

Greene's strikeout ability is the primary reason to love him in GPPs. The rookie's 28.9 percent strikeout rate is the ninth-highest mark among starters who have at least 60 innings this season. Fortunately, the Chicago Cubs enhance his strikeout potential. The Cubs are tied for the 11th-highest strikeout rate (22.8 percent) against righties in 2022.

It's reasonable to chase strikeouts with Greene while freeing up valuable cap space spinning down to him from Ohtani or Wright. Gamers are encouraged to take a shot or two on this electrifying rookie righty in GPPs.


Joshua Shepardson is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Joshua Shepardson also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username bchad50. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.