Fantasy baseball lineup advice for Wednesday: Braves' Mahle finding form

ESPN FantasyAug 11, 2026, 04:36 PM ET
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Check out all of our starting pitcher rankings and other lineup selection tools here to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions. All fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

Note: All information is accurate as of the time of publication. For updates, as well as any breaking news that might impact today's MLB slate, be sure to check out the latest fantasy baseball buzz.

Other resources: RP depth chart | 2026 Rankings
ESPN's 2026 Player Rater | Betting notes for Wednesday

STARTING PITCHERS FOR WEDNESDAY

Pitchers are ranked in order of their Forecaster/Daily Notes projected fantasy points (FPTS), using ESPN's standard scoring system (2 points per win, minus-2 per loss, 3 per inning, 1 per K, minus-1 apiece per hit or walk allowed, minus-2 per earned run allowed).

T: The pitcher's handedness. OPP: Opposing team. RST%: The pitcher's roster percentage in ESPN leagues. W%: The individual starting pitcher's win probability using ESPN projections. IP: Projected innings pitched. H+BB: Projected hits plus walks allowed. ER: Projected earned runs allowed. K: Projected strikeouts.

If a team is planning on using an "opener" to start their game, but will rely on a "bulk pitcher" to follow him on the mound after 1-2 innings, the bulk pitcher is listed and indicated with an asterisk.

FPTS	Pitcher	T	Opp	Rst%	W%	IP	H+BB	ER	K
12.7	Zack Wheeler	R	@STL	98.7%	37%	5.3	5.7	1.8	5.8
10.7	Bryce Miller	R	@NYY	52.9%	32%	5.4	6.4	2.3	5.3
10.6	David Peterson	L	@WSH	8.2%	38%	5.6	7.2	2.5	5.7
10.5	Framber Valdez	L	CLE	72.6%	36%	5.9	7.6	2.6	5.8
10.4	Luis Castillo	R	CIN	46.5%	29%	5.3	6.3	2.3	5.3
10.2	Shane Baz	R	@MIN	35.3%	34%	5.8	7.5	2.7	5.4
9.9	Robbie Ray	L	MIL	69.4%	29%	5.3	6.9	2.0	5.0
9.8	Dustin May	R	@SD	19.2%	30%	5.3	6.8	2.1	4.9
9.6	Foster Griffin	L	@DET	77.4%	31%	5.6	6.9	2.7	5.3
9.6	Jose Soriano	R	BOS	82.5%	24%	5.4	7.1	2.2	5.2
9.5	Ranger Suarez	L	@TOR	74.8%	24%	4.8	5.8	1.9	4.8
9.3	Eric Lauer	L	KC	4.9%	32%	5.4	6.6	2.6	4.7
9.2	Merrill Kelly	R	COL	22.3%	37%	5.8	7.7	3.0	5.3
8.6	Adrian Houser	R	HOU	0.5%	28%	5.4	6.8	2.3	4.0
8.5	Janson Junk	R	PIT	1.6%	26%	4.9	6.0	2.1	4.0
8.5	Will Warren	R	SEA	41.7%	23%	5.0	6.7	2.4	5.1
8.3	Zebby Matthews	R	BAL	3.4%	27%	5.3	7.2	2.9	5.4
8.2	Ronel Blanco	R	@SF	1.2%	30%	5.2	7.2	2.5	4.5
8.1	Tyler Mahle	R	NYM	8.2%	31%	5.1	6.9	2.6	4.8
8.0	Rhett Lowder	R	@CWS	2.8%	26%	4.9	6.6	2.4	4.6
7.7	Drew Rasmussen	R	@ATH	93.9%	35%	5.2	6.9	3.2	5.2
7.3	Zac Thornton	L	@ATL	15.2%	17%	4.8	6.1	2.3	4.0
6.9	Kyle Leahy	R	PHI	22.8%	22%	5.2	7.4	2.7	4.5
6.8	Carmen Mlodzinski	R	@MIA	3.5%	20%	4.6	6.4	2.2	4.0
6.5	Daniel Lynch IV	L	@LAD	0.7%	8%	4.0	5.2	1.8	3.8
6.0	Jackson Kent	L	CHC	0.4%	17%	4.6	6.3	2.6	4.1
5.3	George Klassen	R	TEX	0.3%	20%	4.5	6.9	2.7	4.0
5.2	Ryan Feltner	R	@ARI	0.5%	22%	4.9	7.4	2.9	3.9
4.9	Cal Quantrill	R	@LAA	0.8%	20%	4.8	7.0	3.1	3.9
3.1	Jack Perkins	R	TB	1.1%	11%	4.2	6.9	3.5	4.6

Pitchers to stream on Wednesday

There was a time when Tyler Mahle averaged around one strikeout per inning, but then he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023, and it has been a slow road back to his previous levels. However, the veteran is enjoying a renaissance season, one in which he is posting his highest strikeout rate since 2023. A 4.02 xFIP and 4.15 SIERA indicate that he has pitched better than his 4.83 ERA. The Atlanta Braves recognized Mahle's better-than-average skills and acquired him from the San Francisco Giants at the start of the month to fortify their staff for the second half. The right-hander loses the comfort of Oracle Park for home games but gains better run support and a deeper bullpen. Wednesday is likely the first of several streaming recommendations for Mahle down the stretch. This one comes at home against the below-average New York Mets offense and follows two appearances where Mahle totaled 18 strikeouts and just four walks over 11 2/3 innings.
Will Warren has been a steadying influence for the New York Yankees all season. He's a back-end starter, but he has taken the hill every fifth or sixth day and generally gives the club a chance to win (they're 15-8 in the games in which Warren has appeared). On Wednesday, Warren will face the Seattle Mariners in the Bronx, where he'll take on a lineup with the eighth-lowest wOBA versus right-handers.
Luis Castillo has stumbled in his last two starts, the latter of which was his Chicago White Sox debut. He yielded 10 total runs on 19 hits over 11 innings in those appearances, but he faced the Los Angeles Dodgers and revitalized Boston Red Sox, respectively. His second start since being dealt at the deadline is a home affair against the Cincinnati Reds. The visitors are showing signs of breaking out of their season-long malaise, but they still rank as the ninth-least productive offense versus right-handers, fueled by the sixth-highest strikeout rate.

Hitters to stream on Wednesday

Over his 21 games going into Tuesday's action, Chandler Simpson posted a .425/.424/.475 line with 11 steals. The Tampa Bay Rays are in Sacramento, facing the Athletics, one of the worst teams at defending stolen bases. A pair of Simpson's 33 total steals came in Monday night's opener of the series. He's a no-brainer for those needing bags. Jonathan Aranda is in play for his power potential at Sutter Health Park.
George Klassen gave up just one run over four innings in his last start, but he walked four with just three punchouts against the Miami Marlins. Short on healthy starters, the Los Angeles Angels decided to send Klassen to the hill again, this time for a home game against the Texas Rangers. The visitors enjoy a park upgrade against a suspect starter and even weaker bullpen. Joc Pederson, Wyatt Langford, Brandon Nimmo, Evan Carter and Jake Burger all line up for a productive evening in Anaheim.