This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
A manageable eight-game main slate greets players Monday, which begins at 7:05 EDT. The matchup between Bryan Mitchell and Chad Bettis has resulted in an over/under of 11 at Coors Field, leaving us with the task of finding enough cheap plays to fit batters in.
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Pitcher
Carlos Carrasco, CLE at BAL ($11,700) - Carrasco has opened the season with just a 20.6 percent strikeout rate over his first four starts and while his 11.3 percent swinging strike rate is substantially lower than the 13.4 percent rate we saw last season, he has compensated by holding opposing offenses to a hard contact rate under 21 percent. The right-hander will take a 2.60 ERA into the matchup against the Orioles, who have notched the third highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching in 2018.
GPP Fade: Gerrit Cole, HOU vs. LAA ($12,600) - Cole has been incredible to begin the season but a price this hefty doesn't leave much room for upside against the Angels, who boast a top-10 wOBA against right-handed pitching while striking out just 18 percent of the time. While Cole will likely come through the matchup without taking too much damage, The Angels aren't a team to expect big performances against at the moment and there is always a chance that Mike Trout and the boys will show why they have been one of the best offenses in the league during the first calendar month of the year.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Walker Buehler, LAD vs. MIA ($6,200) - Buehler will likely be popular in GPP fields but it's hard to go past the prospect at this price, as he has notched a 2.08 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 13 innings (three starts) with Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. There are things to be wary of when considering Buehler, as he has reached 80 pitches just once in his three outings and struggled out of the bullpen for the Dodgers in 2017, but he will likely be throwing grounders, and the Marlins have notched the highest groundball percentage in the league to begin 2018.
Catcher
Robinson Chirinos, TEX vs. OAK ($2,900) - Chirinos has kept his power despite struggling out of the gate, tallying a .227 ISO against righties over 44 at-bats. Opposing starter Trevor Cahill was brilliant in his first start of the year at home but struggled mightily on the road in time split between the Royals and Padres in 2017, when he registered a 7.07 ERA and allowed a .562 slugging percentage over 49.2 innings. Chirinos is a hitter who will be susceptible to the strikeout pitch against Cahill but the power potential makes him an attractive option in Arlington at this price.
First Base
Wil Myers, SD at COL ($4,700) - Myers missed two weeks earlier this month due to an irritated nerve in his right arm but should be ready to go against Chad Bettis, who has kept just a 7:5 K/BB ratio in 12 innings against righties this year. The 27-year-old owns a 5.16 ERA in 216.1 career innings at Coors Field, while Myers notched a .225 ISO and a 38 percent hard contact rate against same-handed pitchers last season.
Second Base
Brian Dozier, MIN at NYY ($4,500) - Masahiro Tanaka has had problems keeping the ball in the park once again in 2018, having allowed five long balls in 22.1 innings over four starts. Dozier has kept a .230 ISO against righties to go along with his 46 percent flyball rate, which could work to his benefit against an extreme groundball pitcher like Tanaka.
Third Base
Kyle Seager, SEA at CWS ($3,600) - It is still very early in the season but it's worth considering that there may be something fundamentally wrong with Miguel Gonzalez, as he has surrendered a staggering 18 runs (17 earned) over 12.1 innings in three starts this season. We should note that the right-hander allowed a .510 slugging percentage to lefties last year, which may suggest that even a regressed Gonzalez will be a nice matchup for Seager and the .250 ISO he has tallied against his opposite hand in 48 at-bats in 2018.
Shortstop
Didi Gregorius, NYY vs. MIN ($4,900) - The dearth of quality matchups at shortstop has me paying up for Gregorius, who has notched a .444 ISO over 45 at-bats against right-handers this season. That number is almost certainly unsustainable but Gregorius did notch a .228 ISO against righties in 2017, which should make us a bit more comfortable with the price. Jake Odorizzi has been hammered by lefties this season after faring well against them last year but the early struggles may be a sign of the 5.22 xFIP he tallied against southpaws in 2017 rearing its ugly head.
Outfield
David Dahl, COL vs. SD ($2,800) - Opposing starter Bryan Mitchell hasn't been able to find success in the Major Leagues to this point, as evidenced by the 71:61 K/BB ratio and 4.96 ERA he has posted in his 52 games (13 starts). The right-hander has walked more batters than he has struck out this year, which makes him an interesting target for Dahl, who owns a career .507 slugging percentage in seven Minor League seasons. With Carlos Gonzalez landing on the disabled list and Gerardo Parra serving a four-game suspension for the role he played in a brawl last week, Dahl will almost certainly be in the lineup, which should allow us salary flexibility to go along with a nice matchup.
Michael Brantley, CLE at BAL ($3,800) - Brantley has been on fire since returning from the disabled list, posting a .404 wOBA against righties over 33 at-bats. The 30-year-old hasn't been on the field much over the last two seasons as a result of injuries, but his prowess against righties should make him a nice play against Kevin Gausman, who allowed 12 homers in 76.2 innings to lefties last year and has allowed two homers and four doubles in 8.2 innings against opposite-handed hitters in 2018.
Khris Davis, OAK at TEX ($4,600) - Davis notched a .238 ISO against lefties in 2017 and appears to be picking up where he left off, as he owns a .259 ISO against his opposite hand in 27 at-bats this year. Matt Moore threw the ball well in his last start against the Rays on the road but has not fared well in the hitter-friendly confines of Arlington this year, as evidenced by the 13 runs (12 earned) he has allowed in 12.1 innings (three starts).
