This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Pitcher
Alex Wood, LAD at SD ($11,700): Wood possesses three significantly above-average offerings in 2017. This includes his fastball, a pitch that the Padres have registered the lowest RAA in the league against. San Diego strikes out more than a quarter of the time against left-handed pitching while holding a .283 wOBA.
Jacob Faria, TB at BAL ($8,300):Jacob deGrom may be the next best option, but Faria represents a nice secondary pick for those who don't want to spend up for full chalk. The rookie has tallied a 13 percent strikeout rate this season while surrendering the free pass just five percent of the time. The Orioles strike out 23 percent of the time against righties, and hold a -8.8 RAA against the slider, a pitch Faria throws at a 25 percent clip.
Catcher
Mike Zunino, SEA at LAA ($3,500):Parker Bridwell's 2.95 ERA is misleading, as a look under the hood reveals a 41 percent hard contact rate and a 5.13 xFIP against right-handed hitters. Zunino's strikeout potential may make him hard to trust at times, but he carries a .221 ISO and a 39 percent hard contact rate versus same-handed pitching, which could place him right in the middle of the storm if the 26-year-old's peripherals come to the forefront.
First Base
Miguel Cabrera, DET vs. CLE ($3,900):Josh Tomlin throws his cutter about as often as his four-seam fastball, and both pitches have shown similar levels of ineffectiveness (-6.8 and -7.2 RAA, respectively). Cabrera should be able to take advantage of the former, as he has registered a 3.6 RAA against the cutter. He has also logged a 47 percent hard contact rate against right-handed pitching.
Second Base
Enrique Hernandez, LAD at SD ($3,700): The price suggests that the secret is out regarding Hernandez and southpaws, but he still may be worth the roster spot, as he has tallied an absurd .435 ISO against southpaws over 69 at-bats. Meanwhile, opposing starter Clayton Richard has allowed a .507 slugging percentage and 35 percent hard contact rate against opposite-handed hitters in 74 innings.
Third Base
Jose Ramirez, CLE at DET ($5,100): Ramirez is in full breakout mode, having logged a .415 wOBA and a .271 ISO against right-handed pitching over 181 at-bats. Anibal Sanchez may be a pitcher to stack against when facing a high-powered offense. While his surface stats tell us to pick righties (.671 slugging), his peripherals reveal a pitcher who is sitting on a powder keg in regards to left-handed hitting (5.59 xFIP).
Shortstop
Xander Bogaerts, BOS at TOR ($4,400): Opposing starter Marco Estrada has traditionally had a harder time with same-handed hitters. This trend has continued in 2017, as evidenced by his .490 slugging percentage allowed over 49.2 innings. Bogaerts has kept a reverse split of his own, registering a .358 wOBA and a 34 percent hard contact rate against righty pitchers.
Outfield
Eric Thames, MIL vs. MIA ($3,900): Thames has been struggling mightily of late, but he may be worth dusting off in the matchup against Edinson Volquez, as Volquez features a heavy groundball rate, while Thames hits the ball in the air at a 42 percent clip. It is also worth noting that Volquez's fastball has registered a -5.8 RAA this season, while Thames has notched a 5.0 RAA against the pitch.
Jay Bruce, NYM vs. PHI ($4,500):Ben Lively has logged a swinging strike rate of less than 7.0 percent this season. This will make it harder for the rookie to dodge a powerhouse like Bruce, who has tallied a .315 ISO and 45 percent hard contact rate against righties over 203 at-bats.
Corey Dickerson, TB at BAL ($4,900):Chris Tillman has walked more left-handed batters than he has struck out this season, which has translated to a 6.95 xFIP over 18 innings. Dickerson has registered a .400 wOBA against righties to go along with a .262 ISO.
