This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
PITCHER:
Jaime Garcia, ATL at SDP ($7,700): Before surprisingly taking some lumps against the Giants his last time out, Garcia had scored between 30 and 49 fantasy points in five of his previous six starts, turning in quality starts in all five of those outings in the process. The veteran southpaw also put up a solid 29 fantasy points in his one previous start against the Padres this season on April 17, and San Diego, while showing some considerable improvement in recent weeks against left-handers, has still whiffed at a 32.6 percent clip against them at home over the last month, the highest rate in the majors during that span. Garcia has also been a better pitcher on the road – where he's compiled .296 wOBA, .222 BAA and 0.75 HR/9 – and will have the advantage of spacious Petco Park on Thursday.
CATCHER:
Manny Pina, MIL at CIN ($2,300): Pina's price is especially appealing against Reds starter Homer Bailey, who was pounded in his first start of the season. Bailey has also surrendered 66 homers to right-handed bats over his 10-plus major-league seasons, while Pina owns a .358 wOBA and 21.7 percent line drive rate against right-handed pitching on the road, and sports a .332 wOBA, 22.4 percent line drive rate and 36.7 percent hard contact rate over 67 June plate appearances overall.
FIRST BASE:
Kendrys Morales, TOR vs. BAL ($3,400): Matt Adams ($3,400) is an equally appealing pivot against Padres rookie Dinelson Lamet, but Morales has an excellent matchup in his own right against Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez. The switch-hitting Morales has pounded righties at Rogers Centre for a .366 wOBA, .263 ISO and 25.3 percent line drive rate, and he owns a 38.0 percent hard contact rate versus that handedness overall. Jimenez has had his issues against both sides of the plate, but he's been particularly victimized by lefty bats to the tune of a .435 wOBA, 3.67 HR/9 and 5.24 xFIP, as well as a 35.4 percent hard contact rate when facing them on the road. He's also yielded a .333 average, two doubles and two homers over 22 plate appearances to Morales, while the Baltimore bullpen has given up four homers, a 31.9 percent hard contact rate and a .326 wOBA to left-handed hitters on the road in the last month.
SECOND BASE:
Josh Harrison, PIT vs. TAM ($3,000): A matchup against Rays fireballer Chris Archer might scare many off the Pirates on Thursday, but the reality is the Rays' ace has been fairly hittable this season. Some of Archer's key metrics have risen in each month thus far, with the 4.32 ERA and .313 wOBA he's surrendered in four June starts both representing monthly highs. Even more concerning is the fact that he's allowed a 24.2 percent line drive rate and 48.5 percent hard contact rate during that stretch, while Harrison checks in with a .344 wOBA against right-handed pitching, as well as a .381 wOBA, .212 ISO, 28.4 percent line drive rate and 38.6 percent hard contact rate in 104 June plate appearances.
THIRD BASE:
Matt Davidson, CWS vs. NYY ($2,700): A current 1-for-20 slump has brought Davidson's price down a few hundred dollars, but he's still putting solid wood on the ball and has been a bit on the unlucky side with a .143 BABIP during that stretch. He draws a matchup Thursday that could help snap him out of his doldrums, considering that Yankees starter Luis Cessa has surrendered a .407 wOBA, three homers and a 50.0 percent HR/FB rate to right-handed bats over a modest 31-batter sample. Davidson has hit 13 of his 18 homers on the season off righties, with seven of those coming at Guaranteed Rate Field. He also owns a .353 wOBA and .329 ISO against right-handed pitching overall, along with a 36.8 percent HR/FB rate and 44.4 percent hard contact when facing that handedness at home.
SHORTSTOP:
Didi GregoriusNYY at CWS ($3,100): Gregorius makes for a very viable value play on the other side of the Yankees-White Sox matchup, considering that Chicago starter James Shields has surrendered four homers (three at Guaranteed Rate Field), a .404 wOBA and 7.96 xFIP to left-handed hitters, as well as a 20.0 percent line drive rate and 40.0 percent hard contact rate when facing them at home. Those numbers are just a microcosm of Shields' deep-seeded struggles against that handedness, which has blasted 156 round trippers off him in his 11-plus major-league seasons. Gregorius has hit eight of his nine homers this season off righties, and he owns a .392 wOBA versus that handedness on the road. The White Sox bullpen has also struggled against lefty bats at home in the last month, giving up a 7.41 ERA, five homers, a .379 wOBA and 34.7 percent hard contact rate over an 81-batter sample.
OUTFIELD:
Nick Markakis, ATL at SDP ($3,300): Markakis is one of several Braves lefty bats in play against Padres starter Dinelson Lamet, who's shown some drastically unfavorable splits versus lefty bats in his young career. The rookie gives up a .466 wOBA (including .559 at home over a 28-batter sample), a 3.86 HR/9 and a 5.06 xFIP to left-handed hitters, as well as a 47.6 percent hard contact rate when facing them at Petco Park. Markakis owns a .353 wOBA in June, as well as a .412 wOBA, 21.1 percent line drive rate and 41.1 percent hard contact rate against right-handed pitching on the road.
Adam Duvall, CIN vs. MIL ($3,400): Duvall has a pair of homers in his last two games and is raking in June overall, as evidenced by his .394 wOBA and .279 ISO over the 96 plate appearances he's seen during the month. He also boasts a .348 wOBA and .254 ISO against right-handed pitching on the season, while Jimmy Nelson has given up a .334 wOBA to right-handed hitters on the road. The Brewers bullpen has notably given up six homers and a 4.18 ERA to righty bats on the road during the last month as well.
Keon Broxton, MIL at CIN ($2,900):Homer Bailey's issues against right-handed hitters were detailed earlier, while Broxton checks in with a .354 wOBA, .253 ISO and 26.4 percent line drive rate against right-handed pitching outside of Miller Park. He's been knocking the cover off the ball in recent weeks as well, posting a .369 wOBA, .325 ISO and 33.3 percent hard contact rate in his 90 plate appearances in June.
