This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
PITCHER
Jose Quintana, CHW vs. BOS ($8,100): Despite being in first place in the AL East and respected as a good offense, the Red Sox are sporting a 64 wRC+ and 25.4 percent K rate against left-handed pitchers this season. The sample size is small, with just 126 plate appearances, and they were fairly middle of the road against lefties last season. Quintana has taken very few missteps this year, sitting with a 3.26 SIERA, a number very sustainable based on his numbers in past seasons, and he has seen a very nice uptick in his K rate to 26.5 percent.
Matt Harvey, NYM vs. ATL ($10,300): April wasn't very kind for Harvey, as he finished with a 4.76 ERA and paltry 16.9 percent K rate (his career mark is 25.9). However, he did finish on somewhat of a high note, getting wins in each of his last two starts when he had a 2.89 FIP, 24.5 percent K rate and saw his fastball hit 97 MPH. Blood clots in spring training led to some missed preparatory starts, and it seems to have affected his sharpness early in the season. The last two starts indicate a return of the good Harvey whose first three seasons in the majors all came with an ERA under 3.00 and a K rate over 26 percetn. The good Harvey is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and he gets to face the worst offense in baseball in the Atlanta Braves.
CATCHER
Geovany Soto, LAA at MIL ($3,200): Pitching for Milwaukee, 31-year-old rookie Junior Guerra. Perusing through his minor league stats, he's been okay, but was rocked in his short stint in a major league bullpen last year. They aren't remotely sustainable, but Soto is rocking a .438 wOBA, 198 wRC+ and .286 ISO this season, including a home run Monday night.
FIRST BASE
Brandon Belt, SFG at CIN ($4,800):Jon Moscot has a 6.25 SIERA, and he's walking more guys than he's striking out. Thanks in large part to a walk rate that's the fourth-highest in baseball, Belt has a .431 OBP, .401 wOBA and 153 wRC+ (all of which rank in the top 25 in the majors). Belt isn't a home-run hitter, which understandably limits his upside in the eyes of many, but one cannot overlook the prolific season he's putting together. In his short, less than stellar career, Moscot has allowed a .359 wOBA to lefties (and .300 against righties).
Edwin Encarnacion, TOR vs. TEX ($3,800): This has been less than a banner year for Encarnacion, but his struggles have come mostly against right-handed pitchers. Against lefties, he has a .351 wOBA and 127 wRC+. With so many runs projected in Toronto, a sub-$4K price simply seems too low.
SECOND BASE
Rougned Odor, TEX at TOR ($3,700): The leadoff spot in a game with a nine-run over/under is inherently valuable. Odor brings an above average .327 wOBA, while Marco Estrada, despite a pretty ERA, brings in both an xFIP and SIERA over 4.00. Names like Jean Segura, Neil Walker and Daniel Murphy all have some appeal, but none of them are in games with as many projected runs projected or come at a price under $4K.
THIRD BASE
Josh Donaldson, TOR vs. TEX ($6,500): When do you fade JD against a lefty? The question may not be completely rhetorical, but in the case of a game with a nine-run over/under against Martin Perez, the answer is not today. This season alone, Donaldson has a .609 wOBA, 317 wRC+ and .591 ISO against lefties.
SHORTSTOP
Brandon Crawford, SFG at CIN ($4,100): Though probably more well known for his defensive skills, it shouldn't be overlooked that Crawford hit 21 home runs last season while playing in a park not ideal for homers. In the first five games of the year, Crawford had two home runs and a .482 wOBA, but he failed to hit another and posted just a .245 wOBA for the rest of the month. But things are slowly turning around, as he hit a home run Monday night and now faces a pitcher who struggles against lefties.
OUTFIELD
Michael Conforto, NYM vs. ATL ($3,700): I honestly don't remember the last time I didn't roll with Conforto against a right-handed pitcher on DraftKings. How his price has remained suppressed is nonsense. He's rocking a .432 wOBA and 172 wRC+ while batting third for one of the more prolific offenses in the league. Matt Wisler has a SIERA well over 4.00 and has been crushed by lefties this season to the tune of a .361 wOBA.
Nomar Mazara, TEX at TOR ($3,400): A member of the Mazara fan club since his call-up, the rookie has done nothing to dissuade my consistent interest. He's sporting a .375 wOBA, 140 wRC+ and hit another home run Monday night.
Jose Bautista, TOR vs. TEX ($4,200): The low prices on Joey Bats and Encarnacion seem a tad inexplicable to me when they are at home, with a huge number of runs projected, against a sub-par lefty. Bautista's numbers aren't even down this year, as he has a .374 wOBA, 145 wRC+ and .264 ISO, all of which are at or above his career averages.
