This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
PITCHER
Jon Lester, CHC vs. LAD ($10,100): There are a few big-name pitchers on the card, but Lester has, by far, the best matchup. The Dodgers were last in wOBA versus lefties last season and through the first week of this season, they're actually been worse. Incredibly, the Dodgers K-rate versus lefties so far in 2017 is at 30 percent. For those unfamiliar with relative K-rates, 30 percent is outrageous and although it won't stay that high all season, it is certainly indicative of how poorly the Dodgers as a team hit lefties. Lester is not at the level of Sale as a strikeout pitcher, but his matchup is too enticing to pass up.
CATCHER
Yadier Molina, STL vs. WAS ($2,600): Molina is off to a pretty good start this season and if all goes as planned, he should continue that hot start Monday. He faces Tanner Roark, who is a decent pitcher but has had trouble against right-handed hitters. Roark's xFIP against righties last season came in at a hefty 4.85 and Molina is one of a few righties that should be able to take advantage of that.
FIRST BASE
Joey Votto, CIN at PIT ($3,900): Votto is off to a strong start this season and he gets a crack at another righty here, so he should add to his already solid numbers. The Pirates send Tyler Glasnow to the hill, who is new to the scene so we don't have reliable splits on him yet, but this is about Votto. Last season, the Reds' slugger posted a .429 wOBA against righties and he was actually slightly better on the road as well.
SECOND BASE
Robinson Cano, SEA vs. HOU ($3,100): If you stacked the Mariners during the first week of the season, I'll just start with my condolences. Seattle is off to an awful start, but the Mariner lineup is too good to stay down for too long. Charlie Morton was one of many pitchers last week who had their collective number, but historically he's very poor against left-handed hitters and Seattle's lineup is loaded with quality left-handed bats. At the top of that list is Cano, who is off to a slow start along with everyone else, but he's too good to stay down long and should break out sometime soon.
SHORTSTOP
Aledmys Diaz, STL vs. WAS ($3,100): Molina is not the only righty that should feast on Roark. Diaz is primed for another good game as well. He is in the midst of a strange on-off pattern right now where he posts huge numbers every other game, and while that's not a reliable trend, what is reliable is Roark's deficiency against righties and Diaz's ability to hit at a high level against just about anyone.
THIRD BASE
Kyle Seager, SEA vs. HOU ($3,600): As mentioned earlier, the Seattle lineup is off to a slow start and Seager has been part of the problem. Just like Cano, Seager also has a great matchup against Morton. The fact that the Houston righty was somehow efficient against the Mariner lefties last week only works in our favor, as it's only a matter of time before they start to mash him again. Unfortunately, Seager's price isn't showing the same discount that Cano's is, but he still has plenty of value at this price.
OUTFIELD
Charlie Blackmon, COL vs. SD ($4,500): Trevor Cahill was supposed to take the mound for the visiting Padres but landed on the DL on Sunday. His replacement will likely be Jarred Cosart. Blackmon posted the highest wOBA among the Rockies last season against righties. His price is inflated because the Rockies are at home, but in this case, you'll get what you pay for as he produces more at Coors Field than he does on the road.
Carlos Gonzalez, COL vs. SD ($3,900): Colorado doesn't send many lefties to the plate, so there aren't a lot to choose from, but the two lefties who are in the lineup are both great options. Gonzalez posted a .384 wOBA against righties last year, which was good for 37th in baseball, and while Cosart has had a marginally better wOBA against lefties in his career we'll side with the batter and the park here.
Mitch Haniger, SEA vs HOU ($2,000): In case you haven't figured it out yet, I haven't bought into Morton's resurgence quite yet. Baseball has a way of evening out over time, which is why I generally like fading a pitcher who performed well against a team the week prior. But, we know why I don't like Morton here. Why the right-handed Haniger? Oddly enough, all of his production this season has come off righties. In fact, he's one of a couple Mariners off to a good start this season and as long as he stays near the minimum salary, he's worth a look.
