This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
PITCHER
Wei-Yin Chen, MIA at PHI ($8,500): With the big four on the board, expect Chen to be overlooked. After a shaky start to the year and an abysmal performance against this very Phillies team, Chen rebounded with a 12-strikeout outing against Milwaukee last time out. The Phillies have a 65 wRC+ and 23.7 percent K rate against lefties this season and are using Carlos Ruiz and Tommy Joseph in the four and five spots in the order.
Noah Syndergaard, NYM vs. WAS ($11,400): Priced more than a thousand dollars less than Max Scherzer, Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw, Syndergaard sticks out as the top stud play. Kershaw stands alone as the best pitcher in baseball, but at nearly $14K against an Angels squad that doesn't strikeout much (13.7 percent K rate against lefties) and have a solid wRC+ of 98, I'll pass. The Padres' offense has been the target of many pitchers this season, but against lefties they surprisingly check-in with a competent 96 wRC+ though their K rate sits at 25.1 percent, so Bumgarner is a more debatable play than Kershaw on this particular slate. Syndergaard's season xFIP stands at 2.39 and the Nationals posses a lowly wRC+ of just 85. The Mets are also favored -127 over Scherzer and the Nationals.
CATCHER
Francisco Cervelli, PIT vs. ATL ($2,900): Cervelli has consistently kept a very high BABIP, meaning as long as he doesn't strikeout there's a very good chance he'll get on base. Opposing pitcher Aaron Blair is sporting an 8.4 percent K rate and 13.3 percent walk rate that has lead to an abysmal SIERA of 6.49. Cervelli's sub-$3K price, even without considerable power, makes him a desirable target in this matchup.
FIRST BASE
Byung-ho Park, MIN at DET ($4,100): The matchup between Phil Hughes and Mike Pelfrey figures to give up a lot of runs as predicted by the 9.5 over/under, but Pelfrey has been the worse of the two and thus targeted against slightly more. Park, now batting cleanup, has roasted righties for a 152 wRC+ and .337 ISO this season. The K rate sitting at 33 percent is concerning, but Pelfrey holding just a 12.1 percent rate this season helps dispel much of those fears.
SECOND BASE
Dustin Pedroia, BOS at KC ($3,900):Yordano Ventura has a name with some gravitas, but a 6.02 SIERA and walking more batters than he strikes out paints the abysmal picture for just how bad he's been this season. Hosting the league's best offense will do nothing to remedy his poor season. Pedroia is have a nice comeback this year with an average one point below .300 and a wRC+ sitting at 124.
THIRD BASE
Nick Castellanos, DET vs. MIN ($3,700): Many will point to an inflated BABIP, walk and strikout rates that sit close to his career averages, but with eight home runs and a ground-ball rate 10 percent below his career average shows the 24-year-old has finally come into the himself.
SHORTSTOP
Manny Machado, BAL vs. SEA ($4,800): With shortstop eligibility, would Machado be contemplated as the first overall pick in fantasy drafts if they occurred today? A surprising amount of people would say yes. Machado sits close to the top of the league in most hitting stats, sporting a .435 wOBA, 181 wRC+ and .320 ISO. The opportunity cost with the other options at shortstop makes Machado an even better play than his rather affordable price suggests.
OUTFIELD
J.D. Martinez, DET vs. MIN ($4,000): Martinez has uncovered some of what made him a breakout star last season, as he has a a .574 wOBA, .281 wRC+ and .524 ISO over the last week.
Jose Bautista, TOR vs. TBR ($4,000):Chris Archer lives and dies by his slider and Bautista feasted on the pitch over the last seven years. The average has plummeted to .223, yet the wRC+ still stands at 128 and ISO .223 indicating that he's still providing value at the plate. Outside of an unkindly right hook, the past week has also been kind to Bautista, who is sporting a 194 wRC+ during the period. The home runs are down, but he's hitting the ball hard and they will come.
Miguel Sano, MIN at DET ($4,000): Sano profiles like his teammate Park with good power numbers and a rough strikeout rate. But, just like Park, Pelfrey's paltry K rate eliminates some of the worry as Sano has been quite potent once he gets his bat on the ball, sporting a .338 BABIP that actually sits below his career number and a combined Medium and Hard contact rate of 90.4 percent.
