This article is part of our FantasyDraft MLB series.
PITCHER
Vince Velasquez, PHI vs. NYM ($17,700): The Mets had little trouble with Clay Buchholz on Tuesday night, but they get an entirely different beast Wednesday. Velasquez is always in danger of blowing up, but he almost always get a bunch of strikeouts, so if he happens to keep the Mets in check, he's in for a big game. Last season, the Mets finished in the bottom-third in wOBA versus righties and the bottom-half in K% versus righties.
Marcus Stroman, TOR vs. MIL ($17,700): Stroman is less likely to give up as many runs as Velasquez, and he's more likely to pick up a win, but the strikeouts are no guarantee. Working in his favor is that the Brewers had the highest K% against right-handed pitching last season, and through the first nine days of this season, Milwaukee has a 32.6 percent K-rate against righties, five percentage points higher than any other team.
INFIELD
Brandon Belt, SF vs. AZ ($7,500):Shelby Miller. Do I have to say more? OK, I will. After a disastrous 2016 season, Miller's 5.06 ERA after one game seems like a flashback to his old form. While his performance in his first start was better than most of his starts last year, it still was pretty awful and there's no reason to think he'll improve anytime soon. With that in mind, it would be wise to target lefties in the Giants' lineup, as Miller really struggles against lefties. Belt is one of a few Giants off to a good start this season and a matchup with Miller should only add to that good start.
Jake Lamb, AZ at SF ($7,200): Opposing Miller is Matt Cain, who really isn't any better than Miller, so if the Giants are the best option, the Diamondbacks are close behind. Cain, like Miller, struggled in his first start of this season after struggling for most of 2016. He is also bad against lefties and Lamb is the best lefty the Diamondbacks have, as he posted a .374 wOBA against righties last season.
Paul Goldschmidt, AZ at SF ($9,000): It wasn't just lefties who took advantage of Cain last season, as his xFIP against righties was 5.11, higher than his figure against lefties. Goldschmidt is a superstar and can hit any pitcher in the league, so when he goes up against someone as vulnerable as Cain, you have to pounce. While Goldschmidt pounded lefties last season, he still did very well against righties, posting a .362 wOBA.
OUTFIELD
Hunter Pence, SF vs. AZ ($7,800): We've covered the shortcomings of Shelby Miller already, so no need to go over that again; just know that you should get as many Giant shares as possible. Pence is in a great spot, as he finished 2016 with a solid .348 wOBA. His price is discounted as well, as he hasn't produced a lot this year, but it just makes it easier to fit him in Wednesday.
Mookie Betts, BOS vs. BAL ($10,800): Betts is off to a slow start this season, and he's overpriced for his production to this point, but considering there aren't any high-priced pitchers, you'll have room to spend up. Betts was battling the flu during the first week of the season, which explains why he played so poorly, but it's only a matter of time before he snaps out of it. He was better against righties than lefties last season and Jimenez posted a higher xFIP versus righties than lefties. Additionally, Jimenez's K% was lower against righties. It's a high-price to pay, but Betts is going to blow up soon.
Giancarlo Stanton, MIA vs. ATL ($9,200): Stanton gets a crack at Jaime Garcia, who struggled against righties last season, posting an xFIP of 3.85. Stanton hit lefties very well in 2016, as he posted a .391 wOBA against southpaws. He has always been a better hitter at home as well, where he has a .393 wOBA.
UTLIITY
Jose Bautista, TOR vs. MIL ($9,300): Outside of Josh Donaldson and Kendrys Morales, the Blue Jays' lineup is really struggling. That could change Wednesday, as Chase Anderson takes the hill for the Brewers. Anderson isn't a horrible pitcher, but he's developed a habit of struggling against righties and Toronto has plenty of righties that can mash. While Donaldson may be out of the lineup for a spell, Bautista is still there, and though he's off to a slow start, it's only a matter of time before he gets back on track.
Nomar Mazara, TEX at LAA ($6,800): Not many players started this season better than Mazara, and though he's hitless in his past two games, he's set to get back on track. Jessie Chavez pitched well in his opening start last week, but that was against a Seattle team that was in the midst of a team-wide slump. Mazara is just one reason that the Texas lineup is off to a good start, but he's probably the most important reason.
