This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
PITCHER
Lance McCullers Jr., HOU vs. KC ($9,900): McCullers' inability to consistently command the strike zone hampered him in 2016, but he was still able to finish the season with a 30 percent strikeout rate and 3.22 ERA. The Royals could be a perfect fit for the profile of McCullers, as they tallied the lowest walk rate in the league against right-handed pitchers, and hit the ball on the ground at a 47 percent clip.
Gerrit Cole, PIT vs. ATL ($8,100): Cole took a drubbing at the hands of the Red Sox in his 2017 debut, but there is still a lot to like about the 24-year-old in a matchup against the Braves, a team that finished last season as a bottom-5 team against right-handed pitching, according to wOBA. Cole should be able to exploit the heavy ground-ball profile of Atlanta, as he kept the ball on the ground 46 percent of the time last season.
CATCHER
Sandy Leon, BOS at DET ($2,500): Leon smashed left-handed pitchers in 2016, slugging .612 over 67 at-bats. Meanwhile, opposing starter Daniel Norris' strikeout numbers decreased significantly when facing righty hitters, which may have contributed to the 1.4 HR/9 rate he posted over 51 innings.
FIRST BASE
Chris Carter, NYY at BAL ($4,400):Wade Miley had trouble keeping the ball in the yard against right-handers last season, when he allowed 22 homers in 129.2 innings. Carter did damage against both sides of the platoon, but slugged 50 points higher against lefties, while notching a .313 ISO over 134 at-bats. The matchup is made even juicier when you consider Miley's tendency to throw ground balls, as Carter's 49 percent fly-ball rate was tied for the highest mark in the league among qualified hitters.
SECOND BASE
Brian Dozier, MIN at CWS ($4,200): Dozier is another name that needs to be considered whenever a lefty is on the hill, as he notched a .331 ISO against his opposite hand last season. Meanwhile, Jose Quintana logged a 4.26 xFIP against right-handers to go along with a hard contact rate of more than 32 percent.
THIRD BASE
Josh Donaldson, TOR at TB ($4,400):Jake Odorizzi finished 2016 with a reverse split, as righties hit 19 home runs off him in 105.1 innings. Being right-handed may not be Donaldson's only advantage against Odorizzi, as he notched a 6.0 RAA against the changeup, a pitch Odorizzi threw more than 22 percent of the time.
SHORTSTOP
Carlos Correa, HOU vs. KC ($4,700):Nathan Karns has a tendency to lose the strike zone, which could have something to do with the 5.94 ERA he posted away from the pitcher-friendly confines of Safeco Field last season. Correa tallied a .186 ISO and 36 percent hard contact rate against right-handers.
OUTFIELD
Mark Trumbo, BAL vs. NYY ($4,400):CC Sabathia was able to keep his ERA under 4.00 last season, but his xFIP against righties clocked in at 4.34, while his strikeout rate dropped six points (18.6 percent). Trumbo has historically done his best work against lefties, and while he hit just .173 against them last year, he was still able to notch a .212 ISO.
Kris Bryant, CHC at MIL ($5,000): After close to a week of disappointing production, Bryant finally broke through against the Brewers on Saturday, going 3-for-6 with two doubles and three RBI. Zach Davies posted a 46 percent ground-ball rate last season, which should allow Bryant the opportunity to use his extreme fly-ball rate to put one over the fence in the hitter's haven that is Miller Park.
Dexter Fowler, STL vs. CIN ($4,200):Scott Feldman has had successful seasons as a starting pitcher, but his 2017 didn't start off well, as he allowed two homers in just 4.2 innings in his outing against the Phillies on Monday. Fowler stole 13 bases last season, and he should get ample opportunities to swipe against Feldman, who has allowed one stolen base every 6.7 innings since 2013.
