This article is part of our FantasyDraft MLB series.
PITCHER
Carlos Carrasco, CLE at TOR ($20,700):Max Scherzer is the highest priced pitcher, but I don't like his matchup at Baltimore, so I'm looking to Carrasco, who's the second-most expensive but has a much better matchup against the punchless Blue Jays. Carrasco has at least seven strikeouts in four of his six starts and a 2.18 ERA, while the Blue Jays continue to struggle without Josh Donaldson and a slumping Jose Bautista. Toronto is in the bottom five in wOBA against righties this season and bottom 10 in K% versus them.
Drew Pomeranz, BOS at MIL ($15,600): Pomeranz is a high-risk, high-reward play. Anytime Pomeranz takes the mound, he's capable of double-digit strikeouts, but he's also shown a tendency to throw a lot of pitches and not making it very deep into games. With that said, he's facing a Milwaukee team that has a 26.3% strikeout rate against lefties, the second-highest in the league. Yes, they are productive against lefties as well, but that's where the risk comes into play.
INFIELD
Jose Ramirez, CLE at TOR ($7,200):Michael Bolsinger will get his first action of the year for the Blue Jays as they face the Indians. Bolsinger has a history of struggling against lefties, so we'll want to target the lefties in the Indians' lineup and luckily, there are plenty to choose from. Ramirez is a switch hitter who is tearing it up from the left side this season, posting a .454 wOBA against right-handed pitching, the 13th-best mark in the majors.
Ryan Zimmerman, WAS at PHI ($9,600): Zimmerman continues to rake at a high rate and a matchup with Ubaldo Jimenez isn't going to slow him down. Jimenez has been rocked in three of his four starts this season and it will be four of five after this one. It's tough to stack Nats because of their prices, but Zimmerman is one guy you should find room for, as his .536 wOBA against righties this season leads the league.
Miguel Sano, MN at CHW ($8,400): Sano is part of the exclusive double-digit club, which is players averaging over 10 fantasy points per game this season. There aren't that many players in this club, and most of them are priced higher than Sano, so until his price goes up significantly, he's going to be a good pick. Factor in the matchup against Mike Pelfrey and it turns into a great matchup. Pelfrey is the type of pitcher that the White Sox simply want to get five innings from each time out, but he's often not capable of even that. Meanwhile, Sano leads the Twins in wOBA against righties.
OUTFIELD
Andrew Benintendi, BOS at MIL ($8,400): Through six starts this season, Wily Peralta has looked better than his 2016 version, but that's not saying much. Peralta's ERA is 4.88 and he's not getting very deep into games. The Red Sox found their bats in Minnesota this past weekend and that momentum should carry through this matchup with Peralta. Meanwhile, Benintendi comes in with a team-high .393 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season.
Adam Jones, BAL vs. WAS ($7,800): Most fantasy players simply ignore the lineup that is facing an elite starter, but if you look closely, there are some good matchups from time to time. After all, even elite pitchers run into trouble, and while I wouldn't recommend it too often, if you can find a matchup like this one, then I'd say pull the trigger. Jones has faced Scherzer 25 times and has 12 hits to show for it, including three home runs. The Baltimore lineup is tough to get through for anyone, and with Manny Machado acting as protection behind Jones in the lineup, he's bound to get some good pitches to hit.
Bryce Harper, WAS at BAL ($10,500): I mentioned earlier that a Nationals stack would be ideal if you can pull it off, but if not, Zimmerman and Harper are my two top choices from their lineup. Harper missed some time this past weekend because of injury, but he picked up where he left off Monday by hitting another home run. While Zimmerman is tops in the league against righties this season, Harper's .493 wOBA against them ranks fifth in the league.
UTLIITY
Yonder Alonso, OAK vs. LAA ($5,600): This is a classic, "buy low" situation with Alonso. He's averaging 8.79 fantasy points per game this season, yet his salary is criminally low. He gets a crack at Alex Meyer, who in three partial seasons in the big leagues has yet to prove he can get anyone out. Throughout his career, lefties have posted a .415 wOBA against Meyer, while Alonso has five home runs and 10 RBI in his past six games.
Albert Almora Jr., CHC at COL ($8,400): We can't completely ignore the game at Coors Field, right? Actually, it wouldn't be the worst idea because the pitching matchup doesn't lend itself to any type of stack, but considering there is a lefty on the hill for the Rockies, it opens up some opportunities on the Cubs side. Of course there is Kris Bryant, but if you are looking for someone off the beaten path, Almora could be your man, as he has the second-highest wOBA against lefties on the team.
