This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
PITCHER
Jhoulys Chacin, ATL vs. NYM ($6,400): Michael Wacha ($8,900) makes for an excellent play as well at Petco Park for those with the money to spend, but Chacin gets the call for those wanting to pair a cost-effective option with one of the aces on the slate. He's off to a solid start and pitched well against the Marlins in his last start before running into some trouble in the sixth inning. He still amassed 15.6 fantasy points in that game and 26.5 in his first trip to the mound versus the Nationals. He draws a Mets squad that is starting to come on a bit with the bat but still ranks in the lower half of the majors with a .242 team average and 63 total runs scored. The Mets have also struck out 138 times, 11th most in the majors, seventh most in the National League. The fact that pitcher-friendly Turner Field serves as the backdrop only helps Chacin's case.
Masahiro Tanaka, NYY vs. TB ($10,800): Tanaka is expensive but with good reason, as both his most recent performance and his opposition seem to point to a handsome return in fantasy points. The Yankees ace totaled 24.2 fantasy points versus the Mariners in his last start, and the Rays could be willing facilitators of a similar performance. They continue to be bottom dwellers in most offensive metrics this season, carrying a .222 team batting average and 144-strikeout tally that ranks them in the bottom 10 in the majors in both categories. In two plus-seasons, Tanaka has a 2.98 ERA at Yankee Stadium.
CATCHER
Josh Phegley, OAK at TOR ($3,200): Phegley has historically thrived off left-handed pitching, posting a career .331 wOBA against southpaws. He's already at it again this year, with a .337 wOBA (in a small sample) following a 2015 season in which he posted a .341 figure versus left-handers. Phegley has swung a hot bat overall during his limited opportunities this season, batting .375. The Blue Jays' J.A. Happ has also yielded a .329 wOBA to right-handed hitters in his nine-plus seasons, and the game will take place in the hitter-friendly confines of Rogers Centre, furthering the appeal of the A's backstop.
FIRST BASE
Adrian Gonzalez, LAD at COL ($5,300): Sometimes an obvious pick is the optimal one, and that's the way Gonzalez shapes up in this matchup. He draws another right-hander in Coors Field after a multi-hit, three-RBI game Friday. He's totaled 11 to 21 fantasy points in his last three games, now batting .364/.419/.561 this season. He has a .427 wOBA versus righties in 52 plate appearances this season, and Tyler Chatwood has surrendered a .347 wOBA to left-handeders over four-plus major league seasons.
SECOND BASE
Jason Kipnis, CLE at DET ($3,800): Kipnis has cooled off after a mid-April multi-game tear in which he totaled double-digit fantasy points in four straight games, but has notched hits in three of his last four games. His recent modest production could also make him under-owned in tournaments, and he draws a matchup that could well help him snap out of recent doldrums. The homer-prone Anibal Sanchez has already yielded three gopher balls in 2016, and a .353 wOBA to left-handed hitters, as well. Meanwhile, Kipnis is mashing righties to the tune of a .414 wOBA and .269 ISO over 32 plate appearances in 2016, following a 2015 campaign in which he punished them with a .389 wOBA.
THIRD BASE
Jake Lamb, ARI vs. PIT ($3,800): Opposing pitcher Juan Nicasio is already surrendering a .343 wOBA to left-handed hitters this season in a 27-batter sample and has given up an even more bloated .361 figure and 30 homers to them over the course of his five-plus major league seasons. He bottomed out in 2015 against lefty batters, yielding a .412 wOBA. Meanwhile, Lamb has a .438 wOBA, .273 ISO and excellent 39.5 percent hard-contact rate against right-handed pitching this season over 50 plate appearances. As a bonus, he takes aim at Nicasio in hitter-friendly Chase Field, solidifying his selection.
SHORTSTOP
Corey Seager, LAD at COL ($4,800): Like Gonzalez, Seager represents another rather obvious but prudent call on the Dodgers, given his matchup and the Coors Field factor. He continued his early career assault on right-handed pitching Friday with a 2-for-3 performance that included a homer and two walks. While he's struggled overall at the plate this season, he now has back-to-back double-digit fantasy point outings, with Friday's effort netting 25 fantasy points. He has his wOBA up against righties to .324 on the season, and his career figure against them stands at a sparkling .387. Tyler Chatwood's troubles versus left-handed hitters were documented in Gonzalez's entry above, setting Seager up for another potentially explosive outing.
OUTFIELD
Gregory Polanco, PIT at ARI ($4,300): We'll go back to the Chase Field factor with Polanco, who has back-to-back 14-point fantasy outings. He sees Rubby De La Rosa next, who's already surrendered a .380 wOBA to left-handed hitters in 2016 and whose career .377 wOBA against southpaws corroborates that his current troubles are not just skewed by a small 30-batter sample. In 59 plate appearances this season versus right-handers, Polanco already has a .392 wOBA, 34.9 percent hard-contact rate and 10 walks. He draws the right matchup Saturday for continued success.
Christian Yelich, MIA at SF ($3,800): Yelich continues to swing a hot bat for the Marlins, hitting a whopping .400 over 66 plate appearances. He'll also be hard-pressed to draw a better matchup than one Jake Peavy, who's been decimated by left-handed hitters with a .606 wOBA this season. While Peavy's career figure of .319 in that category is much better, he has surrendered 137 of 243 career homers to left-handed batters, while Yelich has amassed a .439 wOBA over 57 plate appearances against right-handers this season and a stellar .359 career figure in his three-plus seasons.
David Peralta, ARI vs. PIT ($3,600): Peralta could be veritable DFS lock every time he's up against a right-handed arm, which is the case again Saturday. That pitcher just happens to be the vulnerable Juan Nicasio, whose troubles versus left-handed hitting is legendary. As noted in Lamb's entry, Nicasio has surrendered a career .361 wOBA to lefty batters and has seemingly regressed in 2016. Peralta has posted a .383 wOBA, .211 ISO and 33.9 percent hard-contact rate in 750 career plate appearances against right-handers and already has a .339 wOBA against righties 56 plate appearances this season.
