This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Wednesday's MLB slate features 14 games beginning at 12:35 PM Eastern time. With plenty of appealing hitters primed to exploit platoon advantages here, the suggested pitching options are cheaper, matchup-based plays. Using those guys should help maximize the money available to grab sluggers while still getting solid production on the mound.
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PITCHER
Andrew Cashner, BAL vs. KC ($34): Cashner's been victimized by some bad luck, as his 2.09 HR/9 allowed this season can be blamed on a career-worst 17.6 HR/FB. Those numbers figure to drop closer to his respective career marks of 0.92 and 10.8 percent, but a 21.4 percent strikeout rate that's his best since a 26.5 percent output in 2012 is more sustainable. Those added strikeouts coupled with a favorable matchup against a Royals team that's scoring the third-fewest runs per game in the league (3.71) make Cashner a strong value pick at just $34.
Trevor Williams, PIT at CWS ($40): Chicago's offense hasn't been much better than that of the division rival Royals, currently ranking fifth-worst at 3.91 runs per game. The White Sox are also second to last in home scoring at just 3.19 runs per contest at Guaranteed Rate Field. Williams may not bring gaudy strikeout upside, but he has a terrific floor in this favorable matchup after pitching into the sixth inning in each of his first seven starts while allowing two or fewer runs in six of those and three runs in the other. Locking him in at $40 offers plenty of lineup flexibility, allowing owners to hunt for upside elsewhere.
CATCHER
Willson Contreras, CHC vs. MIA ($12): Contreras has batted first, fourth and fifth in Chicago's lineup at different points recently, but all three of those spots put him in position to be a productive fantasy performer. The soon-to-be 26-year-old catcher posted a .386 wOBA when facing left-handed pitching last season, so he's primed for a strong performance against Marlins southpaw Wei-Yin Chen. Chen lasted just four innings while allowing four runs in his first road outing of the season this past Friday.
FIRST BASE
Joey Votto, CIN vs. NYM ($20): Votto's woken up after a slow start at the plate, and a locked-in Votto is about as dangerous as any hitter in baseball. The left-handed slugger gets a nearly ideal matchup here to boot, drawing struggling Mets starter Zack Wheeler, who allowed a .364 wOBA to left-handed hitters last season and is performing at a similar level against them in 2018. Votto's faced much tougher righties in amassing his .420 career wOBA in that split, so he should be well worth paying up for.
SECOND BASE
Scooter Gennett, CIN vs. NYM ($13): Whether you're looking to stack against Wheeler or simply prefer a cheaper alternative to Votto, Gennett is a strong choice in this favorable matchup. The affordable second baseman usually bats in the clean-up spot for the Reds, and he earned that prestigious lineup placement with a .388 wOBA against right-handed pitching last season.
THIRD BASE
Jeimer Candelario, DET at TEX ($17): The switch-hitting Candelario has shown significantly better proficiency batting from the left side in his young career, as he has a .355 career wOBA against right-handed pitching compared to a .316 mark facing lefties and all seven of his career home runs have come against righties. That divide has been even greater this season, with a .399 to .272 wOBA split. The 24-year-old slugger is thus unlikely to get a much better opportunity to add to his home run total all season than this matchup with Bartolo Colon at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Colon has given up seven dingers in his last 19.2 innings of work while the Texas-based venue was the league's ninth-most homer-friendly stadium with a 1.13 home run park factor in 2017. The ballpark also ranked second in overall park factor at 1.22.
SHORTSTOP
Jean Segura, SEA at TOR ($17): Blue Jays starter Jaime Garcia allowed a .333 wOBA to right-handed hitters last season, and he's sitting at .383 through 100 such batters faced this year. Look for Segura -- who posted a .353 wOBA against lefties in 2017 -- to take advantage of this favorable matchup. Seattle's two-hole hitter is also a threat to add value with his legs, as he's on pace for a sixth consecutive campaign with 20-plus steals.
OUTFIELD
Justin Upton, LAA at COL ($20): Upton represents a nice value over his teammates Mike Trout ($29) and Andrelton Simmons ($22). While he costs less, Upton's just as likely as either of those guys to capitalize on Coors Field's hitter-friendly conditions (league-high 1.33 park factor last season) with southpaw Kyle Freeland on the mound for the hosts. Upton's .472 wOBA in 125 at-bats against left-handed pitching last season compared favorably to both Trout's (.387) and Simmons' (.306) marks.
Giancarlo Stanton, NYY vs. BOS ($18): The Yankees are still hoping for more from Stanton, but it's hard to complain about his results against lefties. After posting a .480 wOBA against them in 127 at-bats last year, Stanton's off to an even better start with a .549 mark through 27 such at-bats in pinstripes. The struggling David Price has surrendered a .342 wOBA to batters from the right side this season, so expect Stanton to give the home crowd plenty to cheer about.
Trey Mancini, BAL vs. KC ($18): Mancini rounds out the trifecta of outfielders looking to capitalize on vulnerable left-handed pitching. His career wOBA in that split is .352, but Mancini appears to have taken the next step in his age-26 campaign with a .409 wOBA through 35 such at-bats. Look for him to keep rolling against Kansas City's Erik Skoglund, who has surrendered a .395 wOBA to the 179 right-handed batters he's faced in his young career.
