This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
PITCHER
Noah Syndergaard, NYM at PHI ($12,100): Syndergaard has been an absolute monster to begin 2016, striking out 21 batters while walking just two in 13 innings over two starts. He has undergone a major change in his pitch profile early on, having thrown his slider 23.6 percent of the time after almost never throwing it last year. This has yielded nice results, with the pitch clocking in at nearly three runs above average.
Chase Anderson, MIL at MIN ($7,700): The Twins will likely give us strikeouts no matter which hand the ball comes from, but they have struggled against righties in particular, notching a 25 percent whiff rate over 378 plate appearances. Anderson could have a nice matchup on his hands, as Minnesota has seen negative run values against the two pitches that are most prevalent in his arsenal (the curveball and changeup).
Note: There is a chance of rain in Minnesota. Ground-ball pitcher Tanner Roark could make for an even cheaper replacement if that game is called, as the Marlins have have the fourth-lowest fly ball percentage to begin 2016.
CATCHER
Geovany Soto, LAA at CHW ($2,800): Soto held a .474 slugging percentage (.228 ISO) against lefties over 57 at-bats in 2015, and he is off to a similarly fast start this year. It's a bit surprising that he doesn't just start against all southpaws, but the Angels are probably more interested in seeing what Carlos Perez can do than in giving Soto significant time. Carlos Rodon is a potentially special pitcher who looks very average when facing righties, which could make this a nice value pick in a hitter's environment.
If Soto is not in the lineup, we can look to the other dugout for Dioner Navarro ($3,500) against Hector Santiago. He notched a .250 ISO against southpaws last year, and appears to be the primary catching option against left-handed pitching.
FIRST BASE
Brandon Belt, SF vs. ARI ($3,900): It's a shame that we will miss out on a Rubby De La Rosa start, but Archie Bradley could yield some nice results. Bradley was off to a promising start in 2015 before taking a liner to the face in late April, but his peripherals tell us he was likely due for regression anyway, as he posted a 14 percent walk rate and .177 BABIP in three starts prior to the incident. Bradley's penchant for free passes could get him in trouble against a patient hitter like Belt, who has begun 2016 with a walk rate better than 17 percent and a .276 ISO against right-handed pitching.
SECOND BASE
Brett Lawrie, CWS vs. LAA ($3,900): Lawrie has disappointed those who thought he was going to be a star, but he has shown the ability to hit lefties well, as he notched a .354 wOBA (.191 ISO) against southpaws last season. Some of Santiago's numbers are a bit wonky early in 2016, but one thing that has stayed true is his trouble with the long ball, already allowing three homers to right-handed hitters this season after yielding a 1.7 HR/9 rate in 2015.
THIRD BASE
Nolan Arenado, COL at CIN ($4,700): One of the things that fueled Arenado's breakout last season was his tremendous power against right-handers, tallying a .318 ISO against them over 481 at-bats. Dan Straily, who has thrown just 25 innings in the major leagues over the last two seasons, will replace Alfredo Simon for the assignment. Straily has had home run problems against righties in the past, notching a 1.96 HR/9 rate over 23 frames in 2014.
SHORTSTOP
Brandon Crawford, SF vs. ARI ($3,500): Crawford is the second Brandon on the Giants who seems underpriced headed into the main slate. The 27-year-old notched a .220 ISO against righties in 133 games last year, and has tallied a 35 percent hard contact rate against them in 2016.
OUTFIELD
Adam Duvall, CIN vs. COL, ($3,600): Duvall notched a .235 ISO over six minor league seasons, and owns a .260 ISO against right-handers in 100 major league at-bats. Jordan Lyles has been stingy when it comes to allowing homers, but his below-average strikeout rate combined with his 14 percent walk rate against southpaws led to an ERA over 5.00 last year.
Brandon Moss, CHC at STL ($3,200):John Lackey had problems with lefties during his career-best season in 2015, as he owned an xFIP approaching 5.00 against them in 94.1 innings. Moss could be in for a treat against a ground-ball pitcher like Lackey, as he held the fifth-highest fly ball percentage in the league (47.1 percent) last season.
David Peralta, ARI at SF ($3,300): Peralta has begun to lose time due to his early struggles against left-handed pitching, but he has performed fairly well against righties, notching a .308 batting average and .179 ISO over 39 at-bats. He will look to get back to mashing in a matchup with Jake Peavy, who held an xFIP of 4.73 against lefties last year.
Other Options: Avisail Garcia, CWS vs. LAA ($3,500) Jay Bruce, CIN vs. COL ($4,200) Angel Pagan, SF vs. ARI ($3,400)
