This article is part of our FantasyDraft MLB series.
PITCHERS:
Clayton Kershaw, LAD vs. SF ($27,000):-Kershaw is priced through the roof but is the clear-cut ace on Monday's slate. He already scored 27.55 fantasy points against the Giants in his last start and San Francisco checks in with the lowest wOBA in the NL (.265) against southpaws and overall (.277). They also sport the lowest homer total (16) in the NL and Kershaw has a 3-0 record, 1.61 ERA, .141 BAA and .167 wOBA over 22.1 home innings this season.
Luis Severino, NYY vs. TOR ($15,600):- Severino has scored between 28.75 and 34.15 fantasy points in his last three starts, allowing only five earned runs and racking up 27 strikeouts in 22 innings over that span. The Blue Jays check in with the second lowest team wOBA (.280) in the AL and third highest strikeout rate (23.1 percent). They also sport a .278 wOBA and 22.7 percent strikeout rate against right-handers, and Severino boasts a .207 wOBA and .151 BAA in 15 home innings this season.
INFIELD
Anthony Rizzo, CHC vs. PHI ($10,000):-Phillies starter Vince Velasquez has surrendered a .431 wOBA, four homers and a 34.4 percent hard contact rate to the first 53 left-handed hitters he's seen this season. Meanwhile, Rizzo owns a .368 wOBA (including .468 at Wrigley Field), .236 ISO and 33.9 percent hard contact rate against right-handers, and he's also sporting a 55.0 percent line drive rate against right-handed pitching over 30 home plate appearances. The Philadelphia bullpen is generous to lefty bats as well, as they've yielded a .324 wOBA and MLB-high eight homers to that handedness.
Maikel Franco, PHI at CHC ($7,500):- While Franco has undeniably struggled thus far at the plate, peripheral numbers are pointing toward an imminent breakout. The slugger has been on the wrong side of luck with a .203 BABIP that's 68 points lower than his 2016 figure, and he's also starting to make much more solid contact. Franco owns 42.9 percent line drive and hard contact rates over the last week, a sharp jump from the respective 21.1 and 33.3 percent figures he'd generated in the first three weeks of the season. Cubs starter Brett Anderson has also surrendered a .386 wOBA and 6.23 ERA in 8.2 home innings this season, along with a 43.3 percent hard contact rate.
Salvador Perez, KC vs. CWS ($6,600):- White Sox starter Dylan Covey has given up a .521 wOBA and 33.3 percent hard contact rate to the first 31 righty bats he's faced, while Perez owns a .306 average, six homers, a .404 wOBA (including .421 at home) and .355 ISO against right-handed pitching over 64 plate appearances. The Royals backstopper also owns a 39.6 percent hard contact rate versus righties, including 40.7 percent at Kauffman Stadium, and a 56.3 percent hard contact rate in his last 20 plate appearances.
OUTFIELD
Matt Kemp, ATL vs. NYM ($8,400):-Kemp has compiled a .327 average, five homers, .444 wOBA, 175 wRC+ and 42.1 percent hard contact rate over 54 plate appearances versus right-handed pitching, while Mets starter Robert Gsellman has been touched up by the 57 righty bats he's faced for a .424 wOBA and 38.6 percent hard contact rate (including 42.9 percent on the road). The Mets bullpen has been almost equally inept versus right-handed hitters, yielding a .387 wOBA, a 6.66 ERA, 11 homers and 32.6 percent hard contact rate.
Justin Upton, DET vs. CLE ($7,600):- Upton owns a .415 wOBA and .313 ISO against right-handed pitching, with those numbers rising to .420 and .367 when facing them at Comerica Park. He's also made hard contact 48.4 percent of the time versus that handedness and boasts a .439 wOBA and 52.9 percent hard contact overall in his last 30 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Indians starter Trevor Bauer has yielded a .363 wOBA to the 51 righty bats he's faced, and a .333 average to Upton over nine career encounters against him.
Joey Gallo, TEX at HOU ($6,400):- Astros starter Lance McCullers has given up a .372 wOBA and 25.6 percent line drive rate to lefty bats, while Gallo owns a .382 wOBA against righties, including .354 on the road. He's also made hard contact against that handedness at a 54.3 percent clip, and has a 53.3 percent hard contact rate overall in his last 27 plate appearances. Gallo also recently rattled off double-digit fantasy points in five of six games, providing a glimpse at the considerable upside he offers at a bargain price.
UTILITY:
Nick Castellanos, DET vs. CLE ($7,200):-No other hitter has made more hard contact than Castellanos, who sports a 56.7 percent figure in that category, along with an impressive 31.3 percent line drive rate. While his .245 average, three homers and .315 OBP don't quite match up to that type of batted ball profile as of yet, the hits are starting to fall in for the Tigers' third baseman, who is 5-for-12 over his last three games. He's also racked up a .346 wOBA and massive 60.4 percent hard contact rate against right-handed pitching, with those numbers rising to .401 and 74.1 percent in 41 plate appearances against them at Comerica Park.
Cesar Hernandez, PHI at CHC ($6,900):- The switch-hitting Hernandez owns a .376 wOBA and .320 ISO versus southpaws, along with a 33.3 percent hard contact rate against them on the road, while Cubs starter Brett Anderson's struggles at Wrigley Field were detailed earlier. Hernandez can provide fantasy production in a variety of ways as evidenced by his .323/.375/.531 line, numbers that seem worthy of a player with a notably higher salary.
