This article is part of our FantasyDraft MLB series.
PITCHER
Clayton Kershaw, LAD at SF ($27,600): Even though he's priced much higher than anyone else, it will be hard to get away from Kershaw on this slate. San Francisco ranks in the bottom-10 in wOBA versus lefties this season, and though the Giants don't strike out all that frequently, for Kershaw, they might make an exception. Kershaw's career numbers against the main hitters in the Giants' lineup are incredible, as they have only a .180 wOBA against Kershaw and they've gone deep just twice in 339 plate appearances.
Wade Miley, BAL vs. TB ($13,600): Even as I type this, I still can't believe that I am recommending Miley, but hear me out. Miley is off to a great start this season, with a 1.89 and 24 strikeouts through three starts. Yes, it is an incredibly small sample size, but prior to a terrible 2016 season he was a good pitcher in spots. Perhaps he figured something out in the offseason. Tampa Bay is no slouch against lefties, as the Rays have the second-best wOBA against them this season, but they also have the second-highest K%.
INFIELD
Salvador Perez, KC at CHW ($6,800):Dylan Covey takes the hill for the White Sox with the hopes that this start goes better than his previous one. Covey was hammered by the Yankees in his most recent outing, which pushed his season ERA to 7.84. Covey is a rookie, so we can't be sure if he's just bad or in the middle of an adjustment period. With that in mind, I don't recommend stacking against him, but one or two Royals should be about right. Salvador Perez has the highest wOBA against righties on the team this season, so he makes perfect sense.
Chris Iannetta, AZ vs. SD ($5,400):Clayton Richard faces the Diamondbacks again after shutting them down last week. As was the case Monday, when Jhoulys Chacin was in a similar spot, it will again be a good spot to target Diamondbacks. The odds of a pitcher like Richard shutting down a good lineup in consecutive starts is not good, along with the fact that this game is in Arizona, which is one of the best hitters' parks in baseball. Iannetta is nowhere near the best hitter in the Diamondbacks' lineup, but he comes very cheap and in limited action, he has the best wOBA against lefties on the team. He also has four hits in nine at-bats against Richard (again, small sample size), but when combined with the other factors mentioned, Iannetta makes for a good low-priced option.
Paul Goldschmidt, AZ vs.SD ($9,600): While Iannetta is your low-end option on the Diamondbacks, Goldschmidt is your high end pick. By his standards, Goldschmidt is off to a slow start this season, yet he's still averaging 9.75 fantasy points per game. His best splits are against lefties at home, posting a .519 wOBA in that situation last year, though he's had more success against righties this season, it's too early to call that a trend.
OUTFIELD
Bryce Harper, WAS at COL ($12,000):German Marquez takes the mound for the Rockies, and much like the case against Dylan Covey, we don't know enough to stack against him, but we can assume that he'll struggle out of the gate. In Marquez's case, he gets the worst of both worlds in that he faces what might be the best lineup in baseball and he's pitching at Coors Field. Bryce Harper got Monday off, which means he'll be raring to go. Harper trails only Freddie Freeman in wOBA against righties this season.
Seth Smith, BAL vs. TB ($7,200): Whenever Clayton Kershaw is in play, you're going to need to find some less expensive options. Enter Smith, who is Baltimore's left-handed specialist, in that he generally leads-off when a righty is on the mound. Erasmo Ramirez takes the hill for the Rays, and while he's pitched okay to this point, it's only a matter of time before he cracks. Smith has a .414 wOBA against righties this season and sits atop a very potent lineup, which more than justifies his price.
Mitch Haniger, SEA at DET ($6,600): One of the biggest surprises of the season, Haniger is showing no signs of slowing down. Through 20 games, Haniger is averaging 11.50 fantasy points per outing, which is among the best in the league, but he's still priced like a platoon player. He will face righty Jordan Zimmerman, who had a solid opening start but has really struggled in his past two outings. Haniger is second on the Mariners with a .442 wOBA against righties this season.
UTLIITY
Taylor Motter, SEA at DET ($6,000): When free-agent acquisition Jean Segura went down early in the season, the Mariners were understandably worried, but Motter has stepped in and the team hasn't missed a beat. If not for Haniger, Motter would likely be grabbing more publicity for his early season play, but no matter, Motter continues to produce. Through 16 games, Motter is averaging 9.06 fantasy points per game, and he leads the team in wOBA against righties this season at .489.
Jay Bruce, NYM vs. ATL ($6,800): Everything is lined up for a big night from Bruce as he faces Julio Teheran. Bruce continues to struggle against lefties, but he's raking against the righties (his wOBA is .469 against righties this season versus .226 against lefties). Meanwhile, Teheran has allowed a .383 wOBA to left-handed hitters this season, as well as a 50 percent fly-ball rate.
