This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Pitchers
Matt Shoemaker, $7,900, Ian Kennedy, $7,800 - It's tough to pay up and trust Chris Sale at this point given his recent history, Johnny Cueto is adjusting to the American League and Gio Gonzalez is on the road. That brings is to the mid-priced options. For the first time all season, I'm torn between two mid-priced pitchers and don't have a strong lean either way. Shoemaker has been fantastic lately, scoring 16, 14 and 20 fantasy points over his last three starts. The matchup against the White Sox isn't as friendly as it was pre-All Star break but it also isn't the worst either. It's worth noting that over those last three starts, Shoemaker has a 27:6 K:BB rate. The only downside here is that he's going up against Sale, a tough opponent to expect a win against. Now onto Kennedy. He's another pitcher who has picked up his game lately with four straight starts of at least 10 fantasy points and has struck out over a batter per inning in his last two seasons at home. Kennedy gets the Reds, a team that hasn't scored over four runs in any of their last nine games and is coming off a three-game series in Arizona where they scored a total of seven runs. Both Kennedy and Shoemaker are viable options this week considering their price points.
Catcher
Matt Wieters, $2,600 - There's always the chance he won't be in the lineup after playing three straight games but the hope here is that he'll be the DH tonight. Wieters has a .870 OPS over the last 14 days and has always been a much better power hitter from the right side of the plate. He has a .838 OPS vs. left-handed pitching this season and has three home runs in only 45 at-bats. The matchup for him tonight is against Vidal Nuno who gave up a whopping 21 home runs last season to right-handed batters.
First Base
Ryan Zimmerman, $2,700 - There's a good possibility that Zimmerman was paying hurt earlier this season and that was the reason for his lack of production. Ever since coming off the DL he's looked like the player of old and has been on fire. In six of his last seven games he has scored at least three fantasy points and has hit southpaws (like Brett Anderson) much better than right-handed pitchers.
Second Base
Chase Utley, $2,300 - About two months ago there was little chance that Utley would ever be mentioned in this column at any point in 2015. Yet, here he is. He could be another case of a player not quite washed up and is finally healthy after being sidelined for most of the season. Utley has gone 4-for-10 with three doubles in his last three games since coming off the DL and gets Rubby De La Rosa tonight. For the second straight season left-handed batters are hitting .305 against De La Rosa and they've hit a whopping 17 home runs against him this season. While he's not cheap, teammate Ryan Howard ($3500) is worth a look as well.
Third Base
Jake Lamb, $2,500 - There's not a lot of recent evidence to push Lamb here but the matchup against Aaron Harang at home is appealing. In his brief career in the big league, Lamb has always hit righties better and while it's a small sample he has a 1.000 OPS over the last two weeks. Harang has been suspect to lefties over the last two seasons and his road ERA has been worse than at home as well. Ender Inciarte ($2800) is in play too.
Shortstop
Alcides Escobar, $2,300 - While you don't have to worry about Escobar going yard twice in a game, he has shown the ability to establish a nice floor lately. He's scored 2.5, 3.5, 2.25 and 3 points over his last four games. Over the last two seasons Escobar has hit southpaws better and gets an inexperienced one tonight in Matt Boyd, at home.
Outfield
Mark Trumbo, $2,400 - Count me as a person who hasn't counted out Trumbo yet for DFS or season-long leagues. He's still getting at-bats and considering the Mariners dealt for him it's likely they give him every opportunity to produce for the rest of the season. Trumbo has positive results in his last eight games and still a killer against left-handed pitching. Don't go this route in cash games but in GPPs or tourneys he's very much in play.
Scott Van Slyke, $2,800 - He's always been a lefty killer, there's no questioning that. His OPS the last two seasons against "those pitchers" has recorded him a .968 and a 1.045 mark showing his dominance. At home this season he has a .931 OPS mark helping the stars align for a nice fantasy day even more.
Justin Upton, $3,100 - There's a lot working in favor of Upton Monday night and he's a good staple in any DFS game. He's working on a hot streak averaging over four fantasy points in his last six games. Upton has crushed lefties the past two seasons with an OPS over .980 and has always hit better at home for his career. While Upton is the safe play with a nice floor, the upside/GPP play here against a lefty is Derek Norris ($2400).
