This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
PITCHER
Sean Manaea, OAK at SEA ($8,400): Manaea has been outstanding over his last several trips to the mound, with a minuscule 0.50 ERA, .164 batting average against and .203 wOBA over his last three starts, and just two earned runs allowed in his last five. He managed a solid 15.3 fantasy points against this same Mariners squad on Aug. 12, and with Seattle now eliminated from wild-card contention, he could be facing a deflated squad looking to finish out the season.
Kevin Gausman, BAL at NYY (8,500): The Orioles come in tied with the Blue Jays for an AL wild-card spot and are relying on Gausman to help them take care of their end of the bargain against the Yankees. History would indicate that the odds are in Baltimore's favor, as the right-hander has dominated the Bronx Bombers this season to the tune of a 2-1 record, 0.80 ERA and .205 batting average against over 33.2 innings. His last two outings against them have generated 33.6 and 30.5 fantasy points, respectively, and the Yankees have a 20.1 percent strikeout rate and mediocre .312 wOBA against right-handed pitching.
CATCHER
Jonathan Lucroy, TEX vs. TB ($4,200): Lucroy draws a favorable matchup in hitter-friendly Globe Life Park against Chase Whitley, who'll be making his first start since his return from Tommy John surgery following four relief appearances. Whitley has given up a .318 wOBA and 33.3 percent hard contact rate to right-handed hitters this year, while Lucroy boasts a .306 batting average, 14 homers, a .365 wOBA and 32.7 percent hard contact rate against right-handed pitching.
FIRST BASE
David Ortiz, BOS vs. TOR ($5,400): The Red Sox are a half-game behind the Indians for the no. 2 seed in the AL playoffs, giving Ortiz's final regular season game at Fenway Park some extra juice. Ortiz will take his hacks against Aaron Sanchez, who despite an excellent season overall, has given up 11 of his 14 homers on the season to left-handed hitters, along with a 32.7 percent hard contact rate. Ortiz has a .318 batting average, 33 homers, .353 ISO and a .439 wOBA against right-handed pitching in his storybook final season, while also tallying a .454 wOBA overall at Fenway Park.
SECOND BASE
Jonathan Schoop, BAL at NYY ($3,600): Schoop had two home runs and five RBI on Friday, netting 29 fantasy points. He now draws a favorable road matchup against Yankees rookie Luis Cessa, who's yielded a .360 wOBA, 3.12 HR/9, 5.45 xFIP, 25 percent HR/FB rate and 32.2 percent hard contact rate to righties at Yankee Stadium. Meanwhile, Schoop has blasted 20 of his 25 homers on the season off righties, while also posting a .326 wOBA.
THIRD BASE
Matt Carpenter, STL vs. PIT ($4,700): Pirates starter Ryan Vogelsong has had considerable difficulties against left-handed hitters, and Carpenter has a .412/.474/.588 line against him over 17 career at-bats. Carpenter also checks in with an excellent .392 wOBA, .263 ISO and massive 49.3 percent hard contact rate at home against right-handed pitching, while Vogelsong has surrendered a .397 wOBA to left-handed hitters. He's also been coming undone over his last five starts, generating an 8.72 ERA and allowing a .417 wOBA in 21.2 innings.
SHORTSTOP
Tim Anderson, CWS vs. MIN ($4,300): Anderson gets a crack at Twins rookie starter Jose Berrios, who's surrendered a massive .440 wOBA, 2.39 HR/9 and 38.5 percent hard contact rate to right-handed hitters, along with a 7.27 xFIP when facing them away from Target Field. Anderson checks in with a .358 wOBA against right-handed pitching at home, along with a 33.3 percent hard contact rate. He's also been wielding a hot bat over his last 10 games, with a .326 batting average and 10.1 fantasy points per game over that span.
OUTFIELD
Jose Bautista, TOR at BOS ($4,600): Bautista could be poised to do some damage against Red Sox starter David Price, who's allowed 22 home runs, including 13 at home, and a 36.5 percent hard-contact rate to right-handed hitters this year. Additionally, Bautista has a solid history against Price, as evidenced by a .345/.426/.724 line over 58 career at-bats, which includes four doubles, six homers and 14 RBI. The veteran slugger also has a .332 wOBA against lefties on the road, including a .372 wOBA over his last 28 games.
Mark Trumbo, BAL at NYY ($4,600): Trumbo's went 4-for-4 and scored 16 fantasy points Saturday, his fourth consecutive game with double-digit fantasy points. He's been hot over his last 10 games as well, hitting .375 with four home runs and an average of 10.9 fantasy points per game. Yankees starter Luis Cessa's problems against righty bats at Yankee Stadium were detailed earlier, while Trumbo comes in with a .392 wOBA, .302 ISO and 37 homers against right-handed pitching, as well as a whopping 48.7 percent hard contact rate over his last 26 games.
Tyler Naquin, CLE at KC ($3,100): Naquin has already homered twice in seven at-bats off Royals starter Ian Kennedy, who has allowed a whopping 32 homers on the season, with half coming at the hands of left-handed batters, who have also made hard contact against him at a 38.7 percent rate at Kauffmann Stadium. Meanwhile, all 14 of Naquin's homers this year have come at the expense of righty arms, and he also boasts a .381 wOBA, .227 ISO, and 40.8 percent hard contact rate versus that handedness, along with a 25 percent HR/FB rate that dovetails nicely with Kennedy's bloated 50 percent fly ball rate allowed to lefty hitters at home.
