This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
PITCHER
Jeff Samardzija, SF at PIT ($8,900): The Pirates have had success against right-handed pitchers this season, but they could have a tough matchup against an extreme ground ball pitcher like Samardzija, as they have the third-lowest fly ball rate in the league. The Shark has had a bit of an up-and-down month but is coming off a complete-game performance in his last outing against the Rays.
Joe Ross, WAS at LAD ($8,800): Ross has been a solid member of the rotation behind the two big money assets, tallying a 3.13 ERA and 7.6 percent walk rate over 77.2 innings. The Dodgers are still a bottom-10 team against right-handers and hit the ball in the air just 32 percent of the time, which could be an issue against Ross's ground ball tendencies.
CATCHER
Matt Wieters, BAL vs. SD ($3,800): Opposing starter Erik Johnson has allowed 18 home runs in 57.1 innings at the big league level over the last two seasons. Ouch. Meanwhile, Wieters has done all of his damage versus righties this year, notching a .193 ISO and .296 batting average over 135 at-bats.
FIRST BASE
Mitch Moreland ($4,200):Dan Straily's splits place him squarely in the firing line whenever he is facing a lefty, as he has walked 14 percent of the southpaws he has seen, contributing to a 5.64 xFIP over 42.1 innings. Moreland hits enough grounders to have an edge on Straily's fly ball profile, and he holds a .213 ISO against right-handed pitching.
SECOND BASE
Brian Dozier, MIN vs. PHI ($4,300):Adam Morgan is another arm we need to look to exploit as often as possible due to the fact that he has allowed 10 home runs to opposite-handed hitters in just 42 innings. Dozier has had a tough season overall, but he boasts a .410 wOBA and a .209 ISO against southpaws over 24 games.
THIRD BASE
Todd Frazier, CWS at BOS ($3,700): Frazier is having a profoundly weird season, which is especially evident against lefties, as he is hitting just .158, but has logged a .316 ISO in 38 at-bats. Frazier shouldn't have much to fear from Eduardo Rodriguez, as he holds a breathtaking 6.41 xFIP against right-handed hitters and has surrendered six homers in just 17.1 frames.
SHORTSTOP
Eduardo Nunez, MIN vs. PHI ($4,300): We will set our sights towards Morgan again with another lefty masher. Nunez caries a .340 ISO against southpaws this season and will bring his 50 percent ground ball rate against Morgan's fly ball rate of more than 42 percent.
OUTFIELD
Odubel Herrera, PHI at MIN ($4,100):Kyle Gibson hasn't fared very well since returning from an absence of nearly two months because of a shoulder injury, giving up eight earned runs in 12 innings across two starts. Gibson's low strikeout and high walk rates allow for plenty of opportunities for opposing hitters, resulting in a wOBA approaching .400 against left-handed batters. Herrera is sporting a .381 wOBA against righties this year to go along with a hard contact rate over 31 percent.
Mark Trumbo, BAL vs. SD ($4,200): Reverse splits can sometimes be irritating, as we are told to look for platoon advantages, but Trumbo's .917 OPS against right-handed hurlers fits perfectly against the perpetually struggling Johnson. The once-promising prospect has allowed an .841 slugging percentage against righties in 10 innings.
Seth Smith, SEA at DET ($3,100): It may surprise some to learn that predictive metrics forecast a grim fate for Michael Fulmer against lefties, as evidenced by his 5.14 xFIP over 24.2 innings. Fulmer's strikeout rate almost splits in half against his opposite hand (from 29 percent to 15.5 percent) while his walk rate balloons to 11.7 percent. Smith holds a robust .386 on-base percentage against right-handed pitching, as well as a hard contact rate of almost 35 percent.
Other options: Nomar Mazara, CIN at TEX ($3,700); Melky Cabrera, CWS at BOS ($4,000); Angel Pagan, SF at PIT ($3,600)
