This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We are taking a look at a bloated 12-game slate Monday, which means that players will want to pay up for at least one stud pitcher in what will likely be a day filled with variance. Fortunately, the large slate has provided us with no shortage of value plays as far as offense is concerned.
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Pitcher
David Price, BOS vs. TOR ($10,200): Price has bounced back nicely after a rocky start to the month of May, posting 25.9 and 35.8 DraftKings points in his last two outings, respectively. He will face a Blue Jays' offense that has kept a bottom-10 mark against southpaws according to wOBA (.307). It is also worth noting that Toronto has posted the sixth-lowest RAA against the cutter, a pitch Price has thrown more than 30 percent of the time this season.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Caleb Smith, MIA at SD ($8,100): Smith has revealed himself to be a strikeout machine in 2018, as he has logged a staggering 31.7 percent punchout rate over 49.1 innings. This should make Smith a fine play against the Padres, who have fanned nearly 26 percent of the time against southpaws this season while also holding a bottom-10 wOBA (.304).
GPP Fade: Chris Archer, TB at OAK ($9,500): Archer seems out of place among the most expensive pitchers on the slate, as he is currently boasting his lowest strikeout rate (22.8 percent) and highest walk rate (eight percent) since 2014. Add to that a 41.8 percent hard contact rate, and it's tough to see where the upside will come from against the A's, who have notched a top-10 wOBA against right-handed pitchers this season.
Catcher
John Hicks, DET vs. LAA ($3,300): Hicks looks to be a great option to save money at a non-premium position due to the .233 ISO he has logged against southpaws over 30 at-bats this season. Tyler Skaggs has thrown the ball well in 2018 but has still allowed a 1.2 HR/9 rate against right-handed hitters while surrendering a hard contact rate of 39 percent.
First Base
Mitch Moreland, BOS vs. TOR ($4,100): Moreland will draw a favorable matchup against opposing starter Aaron Sanchez, who has walked more left-handed batters than he has struck out in 2018 while surrendering a .392 wOBA over 22 innings. Sanchez's fastball has yielded a -4.1 RAA this season, which should present an opportunity for Moreland, who has notched an 8.2 RAA against the heater over 131 plate appearances.
Second Base
Daniel Descalso, ARI vs. CIN ($3,300): Descalso may be the best offensive value play on the slate Monday, as he will enter the contest having tallied a .202 ISO and a 39.2 percent hard contact rate against right-handed pitchers over 104 at-bats. Meanwhile, Homer Bailey has featured four below average pitches in 2018 while also allowing a .581 slugging percentage to lefty hitters over 29 innings.
Third Base
Eugenio Suarez, CIN at ARI ($4,200): Arizona right-hander Matt Koch has kept a reverse split this season, surrendering a .579 slugging percentage and a .393 wOBA to same-handed hitters while collecting just nine strikeouts over 18.2 innings. Suarez has performed better against lefties but has still made his mark against right-handers, as evidenced by the .229 ISO he has notched in 105 at-bats.
Shortstop
Jurickson Profar, TEX at SEA ($3,600): Profar has shown big power against left-handed pitching in 2018, securing a .302 ISO over 43 at-bats. Marco Gonzales has thrown the ball well but has still allowed a .436 slugging percentage to right-handed hitters, which should give us enough comfort to throw Profar into lineups at such an attractive price.
Outfield
Matt Adams, WAS at BAL ($4,300): It would hardly be surprising to learn that Alex Cobb's days as a pitcher in the Orioles' rotation are numbered due to the 7.32 ERA he has kept over 39.1 innings. While he has struggled against both sides of the platoon, Cobb has been absolutely hammered by lefties, against whom he has allowed a .753 slugging percentage over 15.2 innings. Adams has shown tremendous power against righties in his first season with the Nationals, notching a .378 ISO over 98 at-bats.
Kyle Schwarber, CHC at PIT ($4,200): Opposing starter Chad Kuhl has had a tough time keeping the ball in the park against his opposite hand this season. He will enter the contest against the Cubs having allowed seven long balls to lefties over 26.2 innings. Schwarber has kept his trademark power against right-handers in 2018 (.289 ISO) while also posting a .386 wOBA over 114 at-bats.
Mitch Haniger, SEA vs. TEX ($4,000):Doug Fister has been hit hard by his fellow righties, as he has allowed a .551 slugging percentage over 23 innings. Haniger has tallied a .260 ISO against righties and will take a 42.4 percent fly ball rate into the matchup with Fister, who has gotten ground balls at close to a 49 percent clip.
