This article is part of our FantasyDraft MLB series.
PITCHERDanny Duffy, KC vs. LAA ($17,200): Duffy has stymied the Twins and Astros in road starts this season and now draws an Angels team at home that's struggled in the early going against lefties, mustering a .288 wOBA and striking out at a 21.3 percent clip against that handedness. He was also unbeaten at Kaufmann Stadium last season over 15 starts -- finishing with a 7-0 record and solid 3.57 ERA -- while the Angels have posted a .292 wOBA over 148 road plate appearances this season.
Julio Teheran, ATL vs. SD ($16,500): Teheran has likewise been solid over his first two trips to the mound this year, as he's yet to allow a run over 13 innings. Meanwhile, the Padres have a 24.1 percent K-rate and have generated a .279 wOBA over 245 road plate appearances this season, and they were the worst team in baseball against right-handed pitching in 2016 with a 24.9 percent strikeout rate and .291 wOBA.
INFIELDERS
Freddie Freeman, ATL vs. SD ($9,000): Padres starter Jhoulys Chacin has struggled against left-handed hitters over his first two starts of 2017, surrendering a .385 wOBA over a 27-batter sample. He also yielded a .327 wOBA and 35 percent hard contact rate to lefty bats last season, while Freeman has a .321 batting average, .427 wOBA and 47.4 percent hard contact rate over 31 plate appearances against right-handed pitching this season. His 2016 metrics confirm the early success, as he compiled a .303 batting average, 27 homers, .410 wOBA and 43.3 percent hard contact rate against righties a year ago.
Corey Seager, LAD vs. ARI ($8,100): Seager has a brief but very successful history against D-Backs starter Zack Greinke and is already hitting .350 and boasting a .432 wOBA over 22 plate appearances against right-handed pitching this year. That success is far from a small sample outlier, as Seager had 21 homers, a .334 batting average, .400 wOBA and 39.6 percent hard contact rate against right-handed pitching last season. Greinke gave up a respectable .315 wOBA against lefty bats last season, but he also yielded 14 homers (out of 23 total) to that handedness.
Eugenio Suarez, CIN vs. MIL ($7,200): Brewers starter Tommy Milone has already yielded a .489 wOBA to the 20 right-handed hitters he's faced in 2017, and he surrendered a .362 wOBA, 1.81 HR/9 and 33.9 percent hard contact rate to righty bats last season. Suarez has made a living off southpaws in his career, amassing a .352 wOBA against lefties, and he was even better last season with a .374 wOBA and 37.4 percent hard contact rate versus that handedness.
OUTFIELDER
Nelson Cruz, SEA vs. TEX ($8,700): Cruz, like many of his teammates, has underperformed this season, but he's shown signs of a resurgence recently, hitting safely in three straight games, though he's yet to go deep. Given Cruz's extensive body of work, the long-ball drought isn't likely to last much longer, and Rangers lefty Martin Perez could well be his first victim. Cruz has taken Perez deep twice in previous encounters and Perez has given up a .343 wOBA and 40.6 percent hard contact rate to the first 47 right-handed hitters he's faced this season. That's essentially an extension of last season, when he yielded a .341 wOBA and 16 homers to righty bats. Cruz's success against southpaws is well-established, with the most recent example being the .419 wOBA, .351 ISO and 39.4 percent hard contact rate he tallied versus that handedness last year.
Nick Markakis, ATL vs. SD ($7,200): Padres starter Jhoulys Chacin's struggles against left-handed hitters was documented earlier, and Markakis posted a .341 wOBA, 12 homers and 33.1 percent hard contact rate versus right-handed pitching in 2016. He's picked right up where he left off, generating a .402 wOBA and 41.2 percent hard contact rate in his first 29 plate appearances against righty arms this year.
Gerardo Parra, COL at SF ($5,700): Parra has an extensive and successful history versus Giants starter Johnny Cueto, hitting .368 (14-for-38) with four doubles, two homers, three RBI and three walks. He's also bargain priced and is off to a strong start with four multi-hit games and a .343 batting average over his first 35 at-bats. Parra also has an established track record against righty arms over his eight-plus major league seasons, posting a .326 wOBA and 31.1 percent hard contact rate versus that handedness. Meanwhile, Cueto gave up a 30.1 percent hard contact rate to lefty hitters last season and a 5.12 xFIP to that handedness over a 24-batter sample in the early going of 2017.
UTILITY
Kyle Seager, SEA vs. TEX ($7,800): Seager sees plenty of playing time against southpaws and has thrived against Rangers starter Martin Perez, posting a .400 batting average (12-for-30) with one double, four homers and seven RBI against him over his career. Seager also had 11 homers, a .204 ISO and 34.7 percent hard contact rate against lefties in 2016, along with a .363 wOBA at home.
Kendrys Morales, TOR vs. BAL ($7,200): Morales has fit seamlessly into the Blue Jays' lineup and draws a matchup ripe for more success in Orioles southpaw Wade Miley. Morales posted a .330 batting average, .392 wOBA, .231 ISO and 38.6 percent hard contact rate versus left-handed pitching last season, while Miley yielded a .360 wOBA, 1.53 HR/9, 32.7 percent hard contact rate and 22 homers to right-handed hitters last season.
