This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
I find it hard to trust any of the big-ticket assets in the pitching department Monday, which has left me going for two lower-cost plays in order to target games in Arizona and Atlanta. Those feeling ambitious may want to grab for Gerrit Cole ($12,800) but may struggle to maximize value as a result of the selection.
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Pitcher
David Price, BOS vs. PHI ($8,600): Price has had an up-and-down season in 2018 but still holds a 24 percent strikeout rate and a 10.4 RAA with his fastball in 114.1 innings. Meanwhile, the Phillies are a bottom-12 offense away from Citizens Bank Park and own the third-highest strikeout rate in the league (25.7 percent).
Cheap GPP Consideration: Derek Holland, SF at SD ($7,600): Holland's 24.1 percent strikeout rate appears to be a bit more than smoke and mirrors, as it comes on the strength of a career-best 10.7 percent swinging strike rate. This should come in handy against the Padres, who have struck out a quarter of the time against lefties while holding a wOBA of .298.
GPP Fade: James Paxton, SEA vs. HOU ($9,600): Prospective owners should always be cautious when a pitcher is coming off the disabled list but there's another reason to be wary of Paxton, who has logged an ERA of 4.63 in his last 44.2 innings (eight starts). The Astros could continue this trend, as they have tallied the fourth highest wOBA in the league against left-handed pitching (.338).
Catcher
Tyler Flowers, ATL vs. MIA ($3,400): Flowers has crushed the ball against left-handed pitching in 2018, tallying a .263 ISO with more walks (14) than strikeouts (10) in 38 at-bats. The sample size may be small but we should take every opportunity we can to exploit Wei-Yin Chen, who has allowed a staggering 38 runs (nine homers) in 32.2 innings away from Marlins Park this year, resulting in a 10.47 ERA over that span.
First Base
Paul Goldschmidt, ARI vs. TEX ($4,700): Goldschmidt has done tremendous damage against his opposite hand this season, as evidenced by the .316 ISO and the .439 wOBA he has notched in 114 at-bats. He has achieved a 21.3 RAA against the fastball overall. This is all good news for his matchup against Martin Perez, as he has surrendered a .609 slugging percentage to righties in 31.2 innings, while his heater has registered a -8.4 RAA.
Second Base
Jedd Gyorko, STL vs. COL ($3,800): Gyorko is another right-handed bat who has feasted on lefty pitching in 2018, tallying a .267 ISO and a .427 wOBA in 60 at-bats. Opposing starter Tyler Anderson has thrown the ball well for the Rockies this season but has registered a -4.4 RAA with his fastball in 121 innings.
Third Base
Evan Longoria, SF at SD ($3,900): DFS players will likely be glad that Longoria is off the disabled list and able to face pitchers like Eric Lauer, who has surrendered a .475 slugging percentage and a 42 percent hard contact rate against righty batters in 64.1 innings. Longoria has done his best work against lefty hurlers and now owns a .278 ISO against them in 90 at-bats.
Shortstop
Jurickson Profar, TEX at ARI ($4,200): Profar is showing surprising power against lefties this year, having kept a .215 ISO in 93 at-bats. Robbie Ray may be a strikeout machine but he has struggled mightily at home in 2018, having allowed a .664 slugging percentage. This has contributed to an 8.06 ERA in 25.2 frames.
Outfield
Khris Davis, OAK vs. TOR ($5,000): Davis has been a nightmare for same-handed pitchers, as we can see from the .314 ISO and .380 wOBA he has logged in 280 at-bats. Marco Estrada has kept a reverse split of his own, having allowed a .528 slugging percentage in 51 innings against righty batters. We may also be able to take advantage of the fact that Estrada has not taken the mound for a major league start in over a month due to a hip injury.
Jake Cave, MIN vs. CLE ($3,300): Players who want a value option in the outfield should look to Cave, who appears to be seeing steady playing time due to Eduardo Escobar being traded to the D-Backs. Cave has tallied a .200 ISO and a .347 wOBA in 80 at-bats against right-handed pitching. Shane Bieber has shown flashes of promise in his rookie campaign but has been torched by left-handed hitters to the tune of a .648 slugging percentage in 21 innings.
Charlie Blackmon, COL at STL ($4,800): There is always a lot made of home and road splits for Rockies' hitters but Blackmon has actually shown a bit more raw power away from Coors Field this season, logging a .224 ISO in 205 at-bats. He will face another pitcher coming off the disabled list in Carlos Martinez. Martinez has thrown the ball well this season but an elevated walk rate combined with a below average strikeout rate has contributed to a 5.53 xFIP against left-handed hitters in 56.2 innings.
