This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Pitcher
Yordano Ventura, KC at HOU ($8,200): Not a pick for the faint of heart, Ventura possesses as much upside as anyone on the slate. The Astros have kept up with their whiffing ways from last season, standing at 27.4 K% so far, while Ventura struck out 27.3% in his season debut. He is capable of losing some control and the Astros rank among the most explosive offenses in the league, but FanDuel's extreme scoring bias towards strikeouts helps negate the risk of Houston putting up a gaudy run total on Ventura.
Catcher
Stephen Vogt, OAK vs. LAA ($2,600): FanDuel's pricing algorithm clearly has trouble with Oakland players' as they so often platoon the lineup depending on the handedness of the pitcher. This leaves lefty bats like Vogt, Coghlan and Crisp priced well below where they probably should be. Lefties pounded Shoemaker in his first start of the season for a .723 wOBA while last season Vogt showcased a .353 wOBA against righties (in comparison to a .279 against lefties).
First Base
Adrian Gonzalez, LAD vs. ARI ($3,500): Rubby De La Rosa possesses one of the worst career splits against left-handed batters, allowing a huge .378 wOBA over his career. Gonzalez hit for a .260 wOBA and .230 ISO against righties last season, and comes at a discount in comparison to the top first basemen on the board.
Second Base
Chase Utley, LAD vs. ARI ($2,700): Following up on the Adrian Gonzalez blurb, though Utley is in the twilight of his career he possesses a .367 wOBA and .202 ISO against right-handed pitching. Contrary to last season where he only hit for .274, Utley has started his season well with a .407 wOBA against righties.
Third Base
Maikel Franco, PHI vs. SD ($3,300): Confounding typical splits, Franco as a RHB possesses a wOBA 56 points higher against right-handed pitching (.354 wOBA), while Colin Rea has allowed right-handed batters to hit 54 points higher against him in his short major league career (.364 wOBA).
Shortstop
Alcides Escobar, KC at HOU ($2,300): It's hard to ever fault taking a leadoff hitter at just a couple hundred over the bare minimum. When the team is favored in a game with an 8.5 over/under, all the better. Scott Feldman is a very mediocre pitcher, and has allowed right-handed batter to hit 14 points higher (.333 wOBA) than lefties (.319 wOBA) over the course of his career. The number was even more severe last season, as he allowed a .354 wOBA against righties. Pitching in Houston likely has something to do with this.
Outfield
Coco Crisp, OAK vs. LAA ($2,600): Don't call it a comeback, but in platooning against righties to begin the year, Crisp has managed a .342 wOBA and two stolen bases in 26 plate appearances. He's unlikely to go back to his 30-plus stolen bases from earlier in the decade, but this is a good sign that Crisp could offer meaningful value in daily fantasy this season.
Chris Coghlan, OAK vs. LAA ($2,100): Potentially batting second in the order with a healthy career wOBA of .341 against righties, Coghlan allows cheap access to a very dangerous Athletics stack.
Carlos Gonzalez, COL vs. SF ($4,800): One cannot go through this slate without at least some exposure to the thin-aired offensive machine that is Coors Field and the 11.5 over/under Vegas has assigned it. Jake Peavy's best days as a pitcher are clearly behind him as he hasn't managed an xFIP under 4.00 since 2012 and his status as a flyball pitcher make him a very dangerous play at a mile above sea level. Peavy has allowed a career wOBA against lefties that's 39 points above what he's allowed to righties, while Gonzalez posses a career wOBA of .396 against right-handed pitching and is off to a quick start with a .575 wOBA and .556 ISO so far this season.
