This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
PITCHER
Max Scherzer, WAS at PHI ($10,300): There really isn't any good reason to fade Scherzer. Yes, his price is high, but it's not Kershaw-high where your hands are tied throughout your lineup. There's also a full slate of games as well, so there are plenty of cheap hitting options to fill out your lineup. If he was facing a different team, perhaps you could justify looking elsewhere, but the Phillies line up perfectly for Scherzer. Last season, the Phillies ranked 29th in wOBA versus righties and their K% was fifth-worst in the league.
CATCHER
Gary Sanchez, NYY at BAL ($3,100): The right-handed Sanchez actually posted a fantastic wOBA versus right-handed pitchers last season. Sanchez started his career on fire in 2016, and while he leveled off toward the end of last season, it's only a matter of time before he gets back on track.
FIRST BASE
Carlos Santana, CLE at AZ ($3,800): A couple years ago, Fan Duel instituted a rule that allowed no more than four players per MLB team per lineup. If not for that rule, I would have eight Indians in my lineup Friday. Shelby Miller was historically bad last season and, believe it or not, he looked worse in spring training this year. Santana is a great fit, as he led the Indians in wOBA versus right-handed pitchers last year.
SECOND BASE
Ryan Schimpf, SD vs. SF ($2,900):Matt Cain, who posted an ERA of 5.64 last season, takes the mound for the Giants as they take on a weak-hitting San Diego team. While Cain was an equal opportunity pitcher versus both lefties and righties last season, Schimpf was certainly better against righties. Schimpf posted the highest wOBA versus righties on the Padres, and as such, he makes for the best play against Cain.
SHORTSTOP
Francisco Lindor, CLE at AZ ($3,700): Lindor is one of the best options to work-in against Miller as he was better from the left side last season. Lindor's wOBA was .033 points higher versus righties last season, too, making him a great options for an Indians stack. He's just one of many that should produce at a high level in this game.
THIRD BASE
Eduardo Nunez, SF at SD ($2,900): This game is full of goodness — for the hitters, anyway. I mentioned Matt Cain and his struggles earlier, but the opposing pitcher (Luis Perdomo) might have been worse than Cain last season. In what has commonly been referred to as a "pitcher's" park at Petco, Perdomo posted a 6.33 ERA. Eduardo Nunez is coming off a very nice season in Minnesota and early returns this year indicate he's for real. At $2,900, he's a great value option.
OUTFIELD
Yasiel Puig, LAD at COL ($3,500): Here's our first crack at Coors Field and a potential solid matchup here for Puig, as Colorado sends a rookie left-handed pitcher to the mound. Filled with left-handed bats, the Dodgers as a whole weren't good against lefties last season, but Puig was one of the few exceptions. Though it was a down year for Puig, he still managed the second highest wOBA versus lefties on the Dodgers. He also has three homers in his first two games in 2017.
A.J. Pollock, AZ vs. CLE ($3,600): Pollock faces right-hander Josh Tomlin, who struggled to get righties out last season. Opposing righties posted a whopping .356 against Tomlin in 2016 and he's facing a Diamondbacks lineup full of right-handed power. Pollock only played 14 games last season, so his splits aren't valid, but for his career, he hits righties about the same as lefties.
Gorkys Hernandez, SF at SD ($2,100): If you are looking for additional value, then Hernandez is your man. Hernandez doesn't have a long history of success in the big leagues, but he's in the leadoff spot against a vulnerable pitcher. In a game that should produce a lot of runs, it sure is nice to have the leadoff hitter come at such a low price. Some picks are based on the hitter, some on the pitcher and others on the situation. When it comes to Hernandez, considering the situation and the opposing pitcher, I'd take just about anybody leading off for the Giants in this game.
