This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The players featured in this piece will be building blocks that can work in several lineup configurations (cash and GPP). Sunday brings 13 games in Major League Baseball, but only eight of them will make up the main slate on DraftKings.
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PITCHER
Jose Quintana, CHC at MIA ($11,700): After spending the first five seasons of his career with the White Sox, Quintana was traded to the Cubs in July 2017. The move to the National League certainly suited Quintana, who posted a 10.5 K/9 in 84.1 innings with his new team. He also allowed just 7.7 H/9 with the Cubs, a full hit lower than his career marked of 8.7. The Marlins have a thin lineup after they gutted their squad from last year, giving Quintana significant upside Sunday.
GPP Fade: Marcus Stroman, TOR vs. NYY ($8,600): The Yankees outfield is starting to get thin with Aaron Hicks (oblique), Jacoby Ellsbury (oblique), Clint Frazier (concussion) and Billy McKinney (shoulder) all on the DL. That being said, New York still has a potent lineup that includes Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. The Yankees have a lot of right-handed power, which could be troublesome for Stroman, who had a .329 wOBA against righties last year compared to .289 against lefties. Stroman doesn't provide much strikeout upside with a career 7.3 K/9.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Luke Weaver, STL at NYM ($8,000): Weaver was outstanding in spring training, finishing with a 0.55 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 16.1 innings. He had a 10.7 K/9 in 2017 as well, showing he can provide significant value in that department. Batters had a hard time squaring him up in general least season as Weaver allowed just a 25.9% hard-hit percentage. With Weaver's potential, he might not be priced this low for too long.
CATCHER
Evan Gattis, HOU at TEX ($3,800): Sundays can be tough for catchers with so many teams playing a day game after a night game. It's usually one of the thinnest days for the position. That's not a concern with Gattis, though, who is the designated hitter for the Astros. He faces left-handed starter Mike Minor on Sunday and hits lefties well, posting a .341 wOBA against them in 2017 compared to .216 against righties.
FIRST BASE
Editor's Note: This position has been revised to reflect the postponement of the White Sox-Royals game.
Jose Martinez, STL at NYM ($3,900): Martinez is also outfield-eligible on DraftKings, but he's worked his way into being the everyday first baseman for the Cardinals. He's already off to a hot start, hitting 5-for-7 with a home run in his first two games. He dominated left-handed pitchers last year with a staggering .539 wOBA against them. That's not good news for Mets lefty Steven Matz, who takes the hill Sunday.
SECOND BASE
Editor's Note: This position has been revised to reflect the postponement of the White Sox-Royals game.
Brad Miller, TB vs. BOS ($2,900): Miller has hardly been a model contributor in fantasy but typically gets a boost when facing a right-hander (.755 OPS against them, compared to .615 versus lefties), as he will against Boston's Hector Velazquez. Miller is also batting cleanup, which positions him well to pay off on this bargain-bin cost.
THIRD BASE
Alex Bregman, HOU at TEX ($4,400): This is a juicy matchup for Bregman against the lefty Minor. Bregman crushed lefties for a 160 wRC+ last year, ranking 26th in the majors. He's the third-most expensive option at the hot corner Sunday, but he provides excellent upside.
SHORTSTOP
Carlos Correa, HOU at TEX ($4,900): Correa is another Astros hitter who mashes lefties, posting a 187 wRC+ against them in 2017 that was good for the 12th-highest figure in baseball. Minor hasn't made a start in the majors since 2014, appearing in 65 games out of the bullpen for the Royals last season. Although he's starting Sunday, he might not last long based on the potent lineup he'll face.
OUTFIELD
George Springer, HOU at TEX ($5,100): The common theme Sunday is to stack Astros righties against Minor. Springer had a 165 wRC+ against lefties in 2017. His K% against lefties was also just 12.2% compared to 19.6% against righties.
Editor's Note: The following two writeups have been revised to reflect the postponement of the White Sox-Royals game.
Tommy Pham, STL at NYM ($3,500): The 2017 breakout endured issues with his vision during spring training and is 1-for-7 to start the season, but he churned out a .405 wOBA last year against southpaws. He's batting second against Matz, and he's priced near the likes of Jason Heyward and Adam Frazier, giving Pham the potential for a huge return on investment.
Kevin Kiermaier, TB vs. BOS ($3,300): Continue to line up bats facing Boston's Velazquez. Kiermaier is leading off and boasts a .336 career wOBA against righties, compared to .288 against the other handedness.
