This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Value pitchers are a bit scarce on Monday's slate but players should be able to find plenty of low-cost offensive options in order to make a cohesive lineup. Those who want to focus on GPPs will find high upside plays on both sides of the ball, which should allow for some creativity in roster construction.
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Pitcher
Carlos Carrasco CLE at DET ($12,200) - Carrasco will take the mound fresh off his complete-game performance against the Brewers, in which he struck out 14 batters while allowing just two runs. The 31-year-old has walked just 11 batters in 52.1 innings this season while the Tigers sport the lowest walk rate in the league against right-handed pitching (6.7 percent). It is also worth noting that Detroit has notched the third lowest RAA in the league against the slider, a pitch Carrasco throws nearly 24 percent of the time.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Tyler Anderson, COL at SD ($7,500) - Anderson has struck out 40 batters in 38.1 innings this season on the strength of a 13.6 percent swinging strike rate. This should bear fruit against the Padres, who strike out 25 percent of the time against left-handed pitching and hold a bottom-10 wOBA against southpaws (.302).
GPP Fade: Sean Manaea, OAK at BOS ($9,600) - Manaea has hit a rough patch of late, as he has allowed eight runs in 11.2 innings over his last two starts and struck out just eight batters over that span. The left-hander owns a 22 percent strikeout rate to go along with a 35 percent hard contact rate this season. The Red Sox have actually struggled with lefties to this point in the season but their lineup contains enough quality right-handed bats to make this a dangerous matchup.
Catcher
Chris Iannetta, COL at SD ($3,400) - Opposing starter Joey Lucchesi has had a decent run in his first Major League season but has walked 12 right-handed batters in just 34 innings while allowing a .435 slugging percentage over that span. Iannetta has yet to find much tangible success against lefties in a limited sample this season but could rise to the level of the .409 wOBA he achieved last year soon enough, as he has logged a 42 percent hard contact rate against southpaws while tallying an 8:6 K/BB ratio over 39 at-bats.
First Base
C.J. Cron, TB at KC ($3,600) - Cron has hit left-handed pitching hard this season, as evidenced by the .238 ISO and .452 wOBA he has tallied over 42 at-bats. Eric Skoglund has posted a 6.34 ERA in his 32.2 frames this season while allowing a hard contact rate of close to 50 percent against both sides of the platoon, which could make the Tampa Bay offense a good place to look for cheap right-handed power.
Second Base
Scooter Gennett, CIN at SF ($4,000) - San Francisco hurler Chris Stratton has tallied an 18:14 K/BB ratio against left-handed hitters while keeping a 38 percent hard contact rate in 24.1 innings. This should play into the strengths of Gennett, who has struck out just 17 percent of the time against right-handed pitching in 2018 while keeping a wOBA of .386 over 115 at-bats.
Third Base
Kyle Seager, SEA at MIN ($4,000) - Seager has shown tremendous power against his opposite hand this season, logging a .245 ISO against right-handers in 98 at-bats. Meanwhile, opposing starter Jake Odorizzi has allowed a .535 slugging percentage and a 35 percent hard contact rate against left-handed hitters in 18.1 innings.
Shortstop
Alcides Escobar, KC vs. TB ($3,000) - Most DFS players wouldn't think of Escobar as a power option but those interested in saving money may want to take a second look, as he has logged a .206 ISO and a .402 wOBA against southpaws over 34 at-bats. Ryan Yarbrough has been stingy against righties this year but still holds a 4.85 xFIP against them over 21.1 innings making Escobar an intriguing dart throw that can help players fit more expensive options in their lineups.
Outfield
Michael Brantley, CLE at DET ($4,200) - Brantley has been fantastic since returning from the disabled list, logging a .307 ISO and a .460 wOBA against right-handed pitching over 75 at-bats. This should set him up for success in a matchup against Mike Fiers, who has been crushed by left-handed hitters to the tune of a .621 slugging percentage in 13.1 innings.
Lorenzo Cain, MIL at ARI ($3,900) - Cain has always shown good power against lefties but has taken it to another level in 2018, when he has notched a .343 ISO against his opposite hand over 35 at-bats. Opposing starter Patrick Corbin has allowed six homers in 40.2 innings against right-handed hitters this year and may not be able to use the strikeout to his advantage, as Cain has fanned just four times against southpaws.
Andrew McCutchen, SF vs. CIN ($3,800) - Sal Romano had his best start of the season last week against the Mets but has struggled overall this season, striking out just 14.4 percent of batters faced while allowing seven homers in 42.1 innings. McCutchen has yet to hit for power against righties but has kept a .349 wOBA and a 47.6 percent hard contact rate against same-handed pitching over 82 at-bats.
