This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Welcome to my Daily Plays article for Tuesday September 8, 2015. There are a few aces to choose from, most notably Clayton Kershaw, so let's find some hitters with affordable price tags to be able to afford those high-priced pitchers. Let's get onto the picks.
Pitcher
Raisel Iglesias, $8,400 - Clayton Kershaw has been absolutely dominant lately, but for those that do not want to pay the hefty price tag for him, Iglesias offers similar strikeout potential at a fraction of the cost. Iglesias has also been dominant lately, with double-digit strikeouts in each of his last three starts. He has completed seven innings in his last four starts, and has a 2.78 ERA since the All-Star break. He has also pitched better at home in 2015, and faces a Pirates team that has been struggling on offense lately. Iglesias has big time strikeout upside, at a very affordable price tag, making him an excellent value play on FanDuel.
Aaron Nola, $6,100 - Nola is a talented young pitcher with a great matchup, and has a good chance at earning a win at home against the lowly Braves. Nola has pitched pretty well in his brief major league career so far, especially at home, where he has a 2.74 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 23 innings. The Braves lineup is very weak outside of Freddie Freeman, so Nola should be able to pitch six or seven innings. The Braves have not announced a starting pitcher for Tuesday yet, so the Phillies should be able to provide Nola with some run support against whomever spot starts for the Braves. Nola won't strike out a ton of batters, but has a nice matchup at a great price.
Catcher
J.P. Arencibia, $2,700 - Arencibia has found new life in Tampa Bay, and offers big time power at the catcher position. Arencibia has three home runs in his past five games, as well as two doubles and nine runs batted in. He was very productive against left-handed pitching in 2014, with a .537 slugging percentage (compared to .287 versus right-handed pitching). He faces the left-handed Matt Boyd, who has really struggled in his brief career (8.36 ERA), so he has a good chance of hitting another home run on Tuesday night.
First Base
Eric Hosmer, $3,000 - Hosmer's price tag on FanDuel has decreased to a very affordable level, and he has a prime matchup at home against Kyle Gibson. Gibson has really struggled on the road lately, allowing 21 earned runs in his past four starts away from home. Hosmer has been very good against right-handed pitching in 2015, with a .396 OBP and .524 slugging percentage. He has also hit for more power at home, with nine of his fourteen home runs coming at Kauffman Stadium. Fire up Hosmer at first base, an excellent choice at his current price tag.
Second Base
Brock Holt, $2,600 - Holt is not a power hitter, but he gets on base, scores runs, and can steal an occasional base. There are not very many attractive options at second base, but Holt offers a safe and solid choice at a very cheap price. Holt has a .353 OBP, 30 extra-base hits, and eight stolen bases. He usually bats second in the potent Red Sox lineup, and has a decent matchup at home in hitter-friendly Fenway Park. The Red Sox face R.A. Dickey in what is projected to be high-scoring game, so get Holt in your lineup, a great cheap option at a thin position.
Third Base
Evan Longoria, $3,000 - Longoria, like most of the Rays, has been much more productive against left-handed pitching in 2015. Longoria has also been red-hot at the plate, with five home runs in his last seven games, including one on Monday. He is batting .348 against southpaws in 2015, with a very impressive .974 OPS. The Rays could have a big night against Matt Boyd and his 8.36 ERA, so make sure to get some Rays in your lineup, especially Longoria.
Shortstop
Troy Tulowitzki, $3,500 - There are a few cheap options at shortstop, such as Brandon Crawford and Jean Segura, but Tulowitzki is worth paying paying up for on Tuesday night. The Blue Jays have absolutely crushed left-handed pitching in 2015, and they face Henry Owens and his 5.87 ERA in Fenway Park. Tulowitzki is simply too cheap to ignore at his current price tag, and has big time power for a shortstop. He is also batting .354 against left-handed pitching in 2015, with a .552 slugging percentage. He offers exposure to the heart of the Blue Jays lineup, without paying a hefty price tag, making him an excellent choice at a weak position.
Outfield
David Peralta, $3,300 - Peralta is another hitter with a depressed price tag that has a great matchup on Tuesday night. Peralta bats clean up for the Diamondbacks when they face right-handed pitchers, and they face either Ryan Vogelsong or Tim Hudson (still undecided as of Monday night) at home in hitter-friendly Chase Field. Both pitchers struggle with left-handed hitters, so look for Peralta to have a big night at the plate. Peralta is batting .332 and slugging .561 at home, and has big time upside batting clean up. All fourteen of his home runs have come against right-handed pitching as well. Lock in Peralta in the outfield, a great play at his current price tag.
Alex Gordon, $2,800 - Gordon has recently returned from injury, and his price tag on FanDuel is worth exploiting before it goes up. Gordon has had two multi-hit games in his four starts since returning to the Royals lineup, including two doubles and three runs batted in. Like Hosmer above, he has a nice matchup against right-handed Kyle Gibson, and is primed for a big night. Gordon has a .404 OBP versus right-handed pitching in 2105, including 17 extra-base hits in just 168 at-bats. He is ready for a breakout game, so take advantage of his current salary and get Gordon in your lineup.
Ryan Raburn, $2,600 - Raburn hit two home runs off of Chris Sale on Monday, and has crushed left-handed pitching in 2015. He faces Carlos Rodon, another left-handed pitcher, so will look to keep up his hot hitting on Tuesday night. Raburn is batting .311 versus left-handed pitching, with seven home runs in 135 at-bats. He also has 16 doubles against southpaws. Rodon has allowed four home runs in his past three starts, and has struggled at times in his rookie year. Raburn bats in the middle of the Indians lineup when they face left-handed pitchers, making him a strong choice in the outfield with multi-home run upside.
