This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
PITCHER
Jon Niese, PIT vs. MIL ($6,800): Niese is one of two bargain pitchers getting the call on the seven-game evening slate, as he faces a Brewers lineup that's largely struggled this season. Milwaukee checks in 21st in the league with a .225 team batting average, while also recording the sixth-highest number of strikeouts (99) with the third-highest strikeout rate (27.2 percent). The 29-year-old has managed a solid 2.92 ERA against the Brewers over 24.2 innings over the last three seasons, and gets to face them away from hitter-friendly Miller Park. Milwaukee's projected lineup against lefties is also nothing to write home about, and spark plug Scooter Gennett usually takes a seat against southpaws, further dampening the overall offense.
Tom Koehler, MIA vs. ATL ($6,400): Kohler is never a pitcher you get particularly excited about rostering in DFS, but he has his spots every season where he can provide a solid return at a significant savings. A home tilt in pitcher-friendly Marlins Park against a Braves team that finally secured its first win Friday night certainly shapes up as one of those opportunities. Koehler pitched well in his first start of the season against a dangerous Nationals lineup, giving up a pair of earned runs and striking out six in just over six innings. Meanwhile, despite their Friday victory, the Braves remain about as impotent an offense as there is in baseball, managing a .201 batting average, 23.6 percent strikeout rate and a paltry three homers. Koehler was also solid at Marlins Park last season, generating a 3.29 ERA over 90.1 innings and holding hitters to a .239 average overall.
CATCHER
Francisco Cervelli, PIT vs. MIL ($3,200): Taylor Jungmann has faced 18 right-handed hitters this sason and has been touched up by them to the tune of a .471 batting average and whopping .605 wOBA. They've also been putting the screws to the ball against him, as he's surrendered a bloated 57 percent hard contact rate to righties over that span. Eight of the 11 homers he yielded last season were to right-handed hitters, and Cervelli tallied an impressive .332 wOBA against right-handers in 2015. He's been even better against them so far this year, posting a .366 wOBA, 18.4 percent walk rate and 30.8 percent hard contact rate over 38 plate appearances. He's also tallied double-digit fantasy point totals in four of his first eight games.
FIRST BASE
Mark Trumbo, BAL at TEX ($3,700): Trumbo has gotten his Orioles tenure off to a blazing start, posting a .400 batting average with five homers and 11 RBI, scoring double-digit fantasy points in four of his last five outings. He exploded for two homers Friday, which netted 34 fantasy points. Trumbo has decimated right-handed pitching over his first 29 plate appearances, posting a .426 wOBA. He's also tallied an even more impressive .604 wOBA and jaw-dropping 320 wRC+ on the road and will get to face one of the most home-run friendly pitchers in the league in Globe Life Park. Colby Lewis continued to be highly generous with the long ball in 2015, surrendering 26 homers, with half of them yielded to right-handed hitters.
SECOND BASE
Josh Harrison, PIT vs. MIL ($3,600): Harrison is the second call against Taylor Jungmann, who has struggled mightily against right-handers so far this season. Harrison has been relatively quiet, but he has reached base safely in six of his last seven games and has generated double-digit fantasy points in two straight, totals that have been boosted by his three stolen bases over that span. He's surrounded by ample talent in the lineup and makes for a likely under-owned option in the potent Pirates batting order.
THIRD BASE
Daniel Murphy, WAS at PHI ($4,200): Murphy provides great tournament upside and faces the inexperienced Aaron Nola, who's been effective against lefties in the early going this season, but who surrendered a .359 wOBA against them over a 125-hitter sample size in 2015. Meanwhile, Murphy has already started his customary mashing of right-handed pitching this season, tallying a .519 wOBA, two homers and a whopping 46.7 percent hard contact rate in 27 plate appearances. However, his recent success is far from an outlier, as Murphy blasted righties to the tune of a .342 wOBA and .193 ISO in 2015, with 13 of his 14 homers coming against them as well.
SHORTSTOP
Corey Seager, LAD vs. SF ($3,500): Seager draws the highly capable Johnny Cueto, but his ability to excel against right-handed pitching nevertheless puts him under consideration on a modest evening slate. He's managed a .344 wOBA over his first 33 plate appearances against righties this season, which is an extension of the success he enjoyed in the latter half of last year. Seager generated an almost identical .345 wOBA against righties over 66 trips to the batter's box during that span, while also posting a solid 38.7 percent hard contact rate versus that handedness of pitchers in his brief career. Meanwhile, Cueto has gotten off on the wrong foot against left-handed hitters in 2016, allowing a .376 wOBA.
OUTFIELD
Matt Kemp, SD vs. ARI ($4,200): Kemp enjoyed a solid season against right-handed pitching last season, managing a .317 wOBA and .170 ISO, along with 17 homers. His career numbers in those categories bear out his proficiency, as he's amassed stellar .343 and .191 figures, respectively, against righties. Shelby Miller's season has also gotten off to a dreadful start in general, and he's yielded a .508 wOBA, five homers and 38.9 percent hard contact rate over a 24-batter sample size.
David Peralta, ARI at SD ($3,500): Peralta seems like an automatic call at one of the outfield spots every time he's up against a righty, which will be the case again Saturday against Andrew Cashner. Peralta has followed up his .397 wOBA, 16 homers and 36 percent hard contact rate versus righties last season with a .387 wOBA over 35 plate appearances against that handedness this year. He's still searching for his first homer against a right-hander this season, but it could come against Cashner, who surrendered a .387 wOBA, 35.8 percent hard contact rate and 14 homers (out of 19 total) in 2015 to lefties.
Nomar Mazara, TEX vs. BAL ($3,300): Mazara is one of several rookies that's made the DFS world sit up and take notice in the early going. Shin-Soo Choo's calf strain has opened the door for the exciting youngster in the first few weeks of the season, and he draws an appealing matchup in a hitter's park against Yovani Gallardo. Although the sample size is naturally small on the first-year player, Mazara has already mashed righties to the tune of a .471 batting average, .493 wOBA, 235 ISO and whopping 231 wRC+ in 19 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Gallardo surrendered a .334 wOBA and nine homers to lefties last season, and a .319 wOBA over his career to hitters of that handedness.
