This article is part of our FantasyDraft MLB series.
PITCHER
Chris Sale, BOS at MIN ($24,600): Sale isn't going to be a great pick every single game, but he's provided great returns this season. The Twins have been surprisingly competitive this year, but even with the good start, they've struggled with lefties. Minnesota is a bottom-10 team in wOBA against lefties, and while they don't strike out at a high rate against southpaws, Sale is an entirely different beast, coming in with five consecutive starts with at least 10 strikeouts.
Brandon McCarthy, LAD at SD ($18,300): We've got some big names on the pitching slate, but nothing looks all that appealing, so I'll simply go with McCarthy, who has the best matchup. He enters with a 3.10 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 29 innings, and he'll face off against a Padres lineup that has the highest K% in the league against right-handed pitching.
INFIELD
Chris Owings, AZ at COL ($9,000): Owings was scratched from the lineup with an illness Saturday, but if he's ready to go Sunday, he's one of the better selections on the board. He and the rest of the Diamondbacks will get a crack at Tyler Chatwood, who has allowed at least four earned runs in five of his six starts this season. And while the sample size is small, Owings has six hits in 12 career at-bats against Chatwood.
Ryan Zimmerman, WAS at PHI ($9,300): Zimmerman is in the midst of an incredible stretch of hitting over the past couple weeks. While many of the Nationals left their bats in Colorado, Zimmerman has now reached double-digit fantasy points in 11 consecutive games. He will now face Jeremy Hellickson, who's pitching pretty well this season, but Zimmerman's .524 wOBA against righties is the second-highest mark in the league.
Andrelton Simmons, LAA vs. HOU ($6,000): Simmons hasn't scored many fantasy points lately, but a matchup with Mike Fiers might be just what he needs to kickstart his season. Fiers leads the league in home runs allowed this season, giving up 12 in 25.1 innings. Simmons has a fairly high fly-ball rate and some decent power, which could come in handy Sunday.
OUTFIELD
Charlie Blackmon, COL vs. AZ ($10,400):Taijuan Walker will take the mound against the Rockies, and while Walker is no punching bag, he has been vulnerable against lefties this season. That works out perfectly for Blackmon, who leads the Rockies in wOBA against right-handed pitching. Walker has been good enough this season to avoid the stack, but I would try to find room for Blackmon or another lefty in the Rockies' lineup.
Lorenzo Cain, KC vs. CLE ($7,600):Mike Clevinger takes the mound for the first time this season and this looks like the perfect spot to ease into the season, as the Royals have been awful at the plate. With that said, Clevinger was pretty bad last season in 53 innings, particularly against righties. With Salvador Perez likely out of the lineup due to an injury suffered Saturday, Cain becomes the top righty in the lineup. Cain has yet to really turn it on this season, but he's more than capable of getting to a guy like Clevinger.
Melky Cabrera, CHW vs. BAL ($8,800): The slate is filled with a lot of question marks, as many of the pitchers who appear to be vulnerable are so because of their inexperience. In other words, there aren't many situations with reliable options to attack. In situations like these, we have to expand our horizons a bit and find angles that we generally would not rely on alone. In this case, Cabrera's career numbers against Chris Tillman are impressive, as he has 11 hits in 27 career at-bats, and he has hits in eight of his past nine games.
UTLIITY
Mike Trout, LAA vs. HOU ($10,000): Trout was a surprise scratch from the lineup Saturday with a hamstring issue, but if he's ready to go Sunday, then he's probably the best play on the board. Trout's .488 wOBA against righties this season is the seventh-highest in the league, while Mike Fiers' struggles were detailed earlier, lining up well for the Angels superstar.
Travis Shaw, MIL at PIT ($7,200): The Brewers lineup as a whole has slowed considerably over the past week, but Shaw is one who keeps on producing. He has 11 hits in his past seven starts, and he'll look to extend his solid play Sunday against righty Tyler Glasnow, who has really struggled this year.
