This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Tuesday's MLB slate features 15 games and begins at the unconventional time of 5:10 PM Eastern. While it's always tempting to grab the top options on the mound, investing in a pair of middling guys in favorable matchups looks to be the prudent move here, as doing so leaves more money to spend on some potent bats.
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PITCHER
Kenta Maeda, LAD vs. MIA ($43): Maeda's 3.77 ERA may not stand out, but he's got a minuscule 1.06 FIP and 24 strikeouts in 14.1 innings this season. He's got a golden opportunity to keep rolling in those categories in this home matchup against an impotent Marlins lineup that's scoring the fourth-fewest runs per game (3.29) while racking up the 10th-most strikeouts (9.29 per game). It's easy to write Maeda's hot start off as a small-sample fluke, but his upside in this situation rivals that of any pitcher in this slate.
Brandon McCarthy, ATL at CIN ($36): While McCarthy won't blow you away, he's been the epitome of solid. The veteran righty hasn't allowed more than three runs in a start, and he would have worked into the sixth inning in each of his four appearances had a shoulder problem not cut his third outing short after five frames. Atlanta's surprisingly potent offense has helped him garner a 3-0 record, and McCarthy will be heavily favored to rack up another victory against a Reds lineup that's scoring the fewest runs in the league at just 2.90 per game.
CATCHER
Willson Contreras, CHC at CLE ($16): Contreras has been better against lefties (.378 wOBA), but the .352 mark he's racked up against righties thus far in his young career is nothing to sneeze at. The right-hander he's facing here -- Josh Tomlin -- has actually struggled more in righty-on-righty matchups throughout his time in the majors, allowing a .339 wOBA in such situations and just a .320 mark to left-handed hitters. Considering Tomlin's off to an even slower start this season, this is a good time to plug in Contreras.
FIRST BASE
Jose Abreu, CWS vs. SEA ($18): Abreu has been the model of consistency since making his MLB debut in 2014, belting at least 25 home runs and 100 RBI in each of his first four campaigns. He's racked up a .383 wOBA against left-handed pitching along the way and raised that number to .428 last season, so the Cuban first baseman is primed for another strong performance against Seattle starter Marco Gonzales. Gonzales has lasted just 16.2 innings in four starts this season while posting a 5.94 ERA.
SECOND BASE
Enrique Hernandez, LAD vs. MIA ($14): Hernandez's platoon role keeps his price down, which makes him all the more valuable when his team's facing left-handed pitching. He posted a .390 wOBA over 177 plate appearances in that split last season, and Miami's Dillon Peters is easier to exploit than your average southpaw. Peters is allowing a .344 wOBA to right-handed hitters in his brief career and owns a 10.38 ERA in 17.1 road innings.
THIRD BASE
Jose Ramirez, CLE vs. CHC ($21): Ramirez is still riding high off an impressive weekend during which he went yard three times in two games. The switch-hitter was nearly equally effective against righties (.397 wOBA) and lefties (.395 wOBA) last season, so he can handle any pitcher Chicago's bullpen throws at him. As for right-handed starter Tyler Chatwood, his .360 wOBA allowed to batters from the left side last season doesn't bode well for his chances of slowing Ramirez down.
SHORTSTOP
Brandon Crawford, SF vs. WAS ($9): Crawford's price suggests he's just another light-hitting shortstop, but his 48 home runs since the start of the 2015 campaign beg to differ. Don't be surprised to see him build on that total against Washington's Tanner Roark, who surrendered a .356 wOBA to left-handed batters last season, including 15 long balls in 398 at-bats.
OUTFIELD
Stephen Piscotty, OAK at TEX ($13): Piscotty's swinging a hot bat at the moment, having produced six multi-hit outings in the last 10 games. His .370 career wOBA against left-handed pitching suggests Piscotty is positioned to find further success against Cole Hamels at Texas' hitter-friendly Globe Life Park in Arlington. Hamels appears to be far from his prime Philly version, as he's allowing a .363 wOBA to right-handed hitters in the early going after surrendering a .324 mark in last season's disappointing campaign.
Wil Myers, SD at COL ($23): Myers is flying under the radar after hitting the DL with arm nerve irritation earlier this season, but his pair of home runs during a three-game rehab stint in the minors suggest he's ready to hit the ground running now that he's back. Facing lefty Kyle Freeland at Coors Field should help Myers do just that, as Freeland has allowed a .348 wOBA to batters from the right side in his career and the vaunted Colorado venue had a league-high 1.33 park factor last season.
Ender Inciarte, ATL at CIN ($12): The speedy Inciarte continues to provide excellent value relative to his paltry price out of the leadoff spot, especially against right-handed pitching. That success should continue in this matchup with Cincinnati's Tyler Mahle, who has surrendered a .433 wOBA to the 70 left-handed batters he's faced in his career. Owners with a bit more money to spend should also give heavy consideration to fellow Braves outfielders Nick Markakis ($16) and Preston Tucker ($15), both of whom offer more pop from the left side.
