This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
DraftKings DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Pitchers
Chris Sale, BOS at OAK ($13,000): Sale has been excellent thus far in Boston, racking up 85 strikeouts over 58.2 innings and scoring between 24.7 and 41 fantasy points over his eight starts. Meanwhile, the A's have struck out at a 23.9 percent clip against southpaws while generating just a .299 wOBA versus that handedness. Sale also sports a .171 BAA in three road starts, while the A's strike out 24.1 percent of the time at home.
Jacob deGrom, NYM vs. LAA ($11,100): The Angels have a .302 wOBA against right-handed pitching and a .275 wOBA (and 22.2 percent strikeout rate) on the road overall. deGrom has averaged 22.5 fantasy points per game over three home starts and has racked up 27 strikeouts over 17.1 innings during that span. One of those performances came in his most recent home start, when he netted 25.3 fantasy points against the Giants, and he's been over 30 on two other occasions already this season as well.
Batters
Catcher:
Brian McCann, HOU vs. CLE ($3,400): Indians starter Trevor Bauer has given up a .405 wOBA to lefty hitters that rises to .460 when facing them on the road. He's also yielding a 2.8 HR/9 and 40.4 percent hard contact to that handedness, while McCann owns a .382 wOBA in May and a .332 wOBA and 36.4 percent hard contact against right-handers at Minute Maid Park.
First Base
Chris Davis, BAL vs. TOR ($4,600) Davis is boasting a .465 wOBA and 56.3 percent hard contact rate over 67 plate appearances in May, a drastic improvement over an opening month where he managed just a .238 average. He's also touched up Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez for a .444 average, two doubles and four homers over 28 career plate appearances, and Sanchez has given up a .322 wOBA and 38.9 percent hard contact to lefty bats. Meanwhile, Davis counters with a .395 wOBA and 43.8 percent hard contact against right-handed pitching, and a .385 wOBA overall at Camden Yards.
Second Base:
Neil Walker, NYM vs. LAA ($3,900): Angels starter Ricky Nolasco has actually pitched fairly well overall, but he's also given up multiple home runs in five of his last six starts. Walker has all four of his homers this season off right-handed pitchers and boasts a .345 average, .431 wOBA and 34.8 percent hard contact rate over his first 65 plate appearances of May. Nolasco has yielded a .394 wOBA in his first three May starts, is giving up a .389 wOBA to right-handed hitters (including .446 on the road) and also yields a 46.7 percent hard contact rate to righty bats away from Angel Stadium.
Third Base:
Anthony Rendon, WAS at ATL ($4,200): Rendon draws a matchup against R.A. Dickey, who's surrendered a .388 wOBA and 2.45 HR/9 to right-handed hitters at home, along with a .382 wOBA and 5.75 xFIP overall in three May starts. The Braves bullpen has also been steamrolled by right-handed bats, giving up a .360 wOBA, 12 homers and a 5.00 ERA. Rendon owns a .337 wOBA against righties away from Nationals Park as well.
Shortstop:
Carlos Correa, HOU vs. CLE ($4,200): Indians starter Trevor Bauer has posted a 6.95 ERA and .364 wOBA over 22 road innings and has also surrendered a .345 wOBA and 34.4 percent hard contact rate to right-handed hitters away from Progressive Field as well. Correa is raking through his first 68 plate appearances in May with a .386 average and .466 wOBA, and owns a .472 wOBA, .333 ISO and 45.7 percent hard contact rate against righties at Minute Maid Park.
Outfield
J.D. Martinez, DET vs. TEX ($4,700): Martinez made his season debut on May 12 and hasn't stopped hitting yet, compiling a .500 average, five homers and 11 RBI over his first 25 plate appearances. He's punished right-handed pitching for a .467 average, .709 wOBA and 61.5 percent hard contact rate over a modest 21-plate appearance sample, while Nick Martinez has yielded a .522 wOBA, 3.38 HR/9 and 29.2 percent line drive rate to right-handed hitters away from Globe Life Park. The favorable matchups don't end when the Rangers starter exits either, as the Texas bullpen surrenders a .333 wOBA to righty bats as well.
Yasmany Tomas, ARI at SD ($4,000): Padres starter Jered Weaver's low 80s fastball has already betrayed him plenty in the early going, as he's given up a .418 wOBA (including .531 at home) and 10 homers to right-handed hitters. He's also surrendering a .460 wOBA overall at Petco Park despite its pitcher-friendly reputation, and Tomas checks in primed to exploit that weakness. He's posting the fifth-highest hard contact rate (55.2 percent) in all of baseball in May, as well as a .404 wOBA and 45.3 percent hard contact rate versus right-handed pitching on the season. He's gone deep in two of the last three games as well, and when Weaver exits, he'll face a Padres bullpen that's already given up 12 homers to right-handed hitters.
Aaron Altherr, PHI at PIT ($4,200): Pirates starter Trevor Williams has been pounded by right-handed hitters, as he's given up a .316 average and .447 wOBA over a 44-batter sample to that handedness. That sets up nicely for Altherr, who has a .328 average, five homers, .447 wOBA, 177 wRC+ and 40.5 percent hard contact rate against right-handed pitching, and who boasts a .514 wOBA and 43.6 percent hard contact over 63 plate appearances in May.
