This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Pitcher
Jose Fernandez, MIA vs. CHC ($13,100): Fernandez is at home and on a roll, which essentially sums up the logic behind his selection Sunday. You can spend $1,100 more to land Clayton Kershaw ($14,200), but Fernandez's 6-1 home record, 1.78 home ERA and the .174 opponent average at Marlins Park certainly make a strong case for him. The Cubs are undeniably a potent lineup, but also strike out 22.3 percent of the time against right-handed pitching. Fernandez has 29 whiffs in just 20 June innings and could build handsomely on that number Sunday.
Sonny Gray, OAK at LAA ($5,900): Gray has some risk. He's struggled in a few starts this season, but he's begun to figure some things out lately with quality starts in two of his last three trips to the mound and a 3.28 June ERA that's a big improvement over his 9.61 May ERA. The 26-year-old right-hander has also been the victim of poor run support in two of his June starts. He faces an Angels squad that is 20th in wOBA (.308) against right-handed pitching this season. With a price that's lagging behind recent performances, nabbing Gray could be a cost-savings move that pays off.
Catcher
Josh Phegley, OAK at LAA ($3,100): Phegley should get the call against Angels southpaw Hector Santiago. Phegley owns a .349 wOBA on the road against lefties and a 43.5 percent hard-contact rate overall versus southpaws. Santiago has given up a .338 wOBA and 13 of his 15 homers this season to right-handed hitters, with the former figure rising to a whopping .426 at home. He also yields a 7.41 FIP, 5.38 xFIP and 42.9 percent hard-contact rate to righty bats in his home park, further brightening Phegley's prospects.
First Base
Marwin Gonzalez, HOU at KC ($4,000) The switch-hitting Gonzalez, who homered Saturday, could be in a similarly favorable position Sunday versus the home-prone and faltering Ian Kennedy. The Royals' starter has generated a 7.25 ERA in June, while giving up a whopping 10 homers over just 22.1 innings. He's also yielded a .342 wOBA and 5.86 xFIP to left-handed hitters, surrendering a 38.5 percent hard-contact rate against them at Kauffmann Stadium. Gonzalez has double-digit fantasy points in five of his last 10 games.
Second Base
Daniel Murphy, WAS at MIL ($5,100): Murphy has swung a hot bat all year, touching up righties for a .436 wOBA, .263 ISO and 41.5 percent hard-contact rate. As impressive as those numbers are, the scary thing is some are even better when he faces them on the road, and hitter-friendly Miller Park should only serve to sweeten the pot. Murphy owns a .466 wOBA and .327 ISO against righty arms on the road, while Milwaukee starter Jimmy Nelson has surrendered a .340 wOBA and eight of his 12 homers on the season to left-handed bats. He's also been going downhill fast in June, during which he's generated a 7.50 ERA and given up a .433 wOBA over 18 frames.
Third Base
Danny Valencia, OAK at LAA ($3,800): Valencia gives us another right-handed bat with which to try to exploit the vulnerabilities of Hector Santiago. One of the best lefty mashers in the league, Valencia is sporting a .522 wOBA, .375 ISO and 50 percent hard-contact rate against southpaws over 52 plate appearances, while Santiago's weakness against right-handed hitters are documented in Phegley's entry.
Shortstop
Francisco Lindor, CLE at DET ($3,600): Lindor is fresh off a two-homer afternoon Saturday, and now draws Justin Verlander, who demonstrates a decidedly reverse-splits trend in his pitching. The switch-hitting Lindor has been proficient from both sides of the plate this season and boasts a .359 wOBA against right-handed pitching. He could well choose to attack Verlander from the right side of the plate, as the Tigers veteran has given up nine of his 12 homers on the season to right-handed hitters, along with a 32 percent hard-contact rate.
Outfield
Nomar Mazara, TEX vs. BOS ($3,500): Mazara faces Clay Buchholz, who continues to try to gather himself in what has been a highly difficult season. He's has trouble with hitters of both handedness this season, surrendering a .390 wOBA to left-handed hitters, which rises to .415 when facing them away from Fenway. That's accompanied by a 6.45 road xFIP, along with a whopping 47.1 percent hard-contact rate. Although Mazara has cooled off after a hot start, he's still boasting a .362 wOBA against right-handed pitching and plays in a hitter-friendly environment.
Paulo Orlando, KC vs. HOU ($3,300): Orlando just continues rolling along, with Saturday's two-hit day pushing his average to .361. He's working on a nine-game hitting streak, with multi-hit outings in seven of those contests. Furthermore, he boasts a .368 wOBA against righties that rises to an even more impressive .453 when facing them at Kauffmann Stadium.
Mark Trumbo, BAL vs. TB ($4,500): Trumbo could be a good bet to go yard against Rays starter Drew Smyly, who's given up a .379 wOBA on the road to right-handed hitters, surrendering 13 of his 16 homers to righties, as well. Trumbo has a .318 wOBA and .328 ISO against southpaws, touching them up for seven homers this season. Smyly's propensity for giving up the long ball could pay off handsomely for one of the hottest sluggers in the game.
