This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The players featured in this piece will be building blocks that can work in several lineup configurations (cash and GPP). Sunday's main slate on DraftKings brings plenty of great starting pitching options with Blake Snell, Aaron Nola and J.A. Happ all scheduled to take the mound.
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STARTING PITCHER
J.A. Happ, NYY vs. BAL ($10,200): With the way Happ is pitching, he may very well be starting the AL Wild Card game for the Yankees. Since joining the team, Happ has a 2.39 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and an 8.4 K/9 across nine starts. Home runs have been a problem for him this year, but he's been able to limit the damage due to a 1.13 WHIP overall. This will be his fifth start of the season against the Orioles after he held them to five runs – four earned – over 24 innings in the first four outings. Considering the Orioles' struggles to score runs against just about everyone this year, Happ could provide excellent value once again.
GPP Fade: Kyle Hendricks, CHC at CWS ($9,200): Hendricks is a model of consistency. He enters Sunday with a 3.58 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP and has never finished with an ERA above 3.96 or a WHIP above 1.19 for his career. The one negative to his game is a lack of strikeouts as he has a 7.6 K/9 this season and a 7.7 K/9 for his career. This isn't exactly a terrible matchup, but Hendricks' limited strikeout upside doesn't make him an appealing option at this price.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Brad Keller, KC at DET ($7,400): Keller is trying to make a case to stick in the Royals starting rotation next year, posting a 2.40 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP across his last seven starts. Opponents recorded a .307 BABIP against him during that stretch, so it's not like his improved performance has been a result of some good fortune. The Tigers have the sixth-fewest runs scored in baseball this season, so this might be a matchup to exploit by taking a chance on Keller in tournament play.
CATCHER
Yadier Molina, STL vs. SF ($4,000): Molina slugged his 19th home run of the season Saturday, topping his total of 18 from last year in 63 fewer plate appearances. While he doesn't walk much, he also only has a 13.5 percent strikeout rate. He'll face Andrew Suarez, who has allowed a .356 wOBA to right-handed hitters and has allowed a .363 wOBA on the road.
FIRST BASE
Ryan Zimmerman, WAS vs. NYM ($4,400): Zimmerman was excellent for the Nationals last year, but a lot of his success was due to the fact that he was actually healthy. He's battled injury issues throughout his career and had played in 115 games or fewer in each of the previous three seasons. Injuries have limited him to 81 games in 2018, but he's been productive when he's been on the field. Steven Matz will start for the Mets, which is great news for Zimmerman considering he has a 199 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers.
SECOND BASE
Jeff McNeil, NYM at WAS ($4,100): McNeil may be playing his way into an everyday role for the Mets in 2019. He's hitting .328 with a .382 OBP over 215 plate appearances and has even flashed some speed with five steals. Erick Fedde will start this game for the Nationals, and he's had significant problems keeping runners off-base, allowing a 1.44 WHIP over nine starts.
THIRD BASE
Adrian Beltre, TEX vs. SEA ($4,300): The injury bug bit Beltre again this year, limiting him to 113 games. Although the Rangers have nothing left to play for, Beltre has turned things on down the stretch by batting .314 with six home runs and six doubles over his last 14 games entering Saturday. He has a .377 wOBA against lefties in his career, making him a viable option against Wade LeBlanc in this contest.
SHORTSTOP
Jurickson Profar, TEX vs. SEA ($4,500): Once one of the top prospects in the Rangers' system, Profar had never logged more than 324 plate appearances in the majors heading into this season. Playing time hasn't been an issue this year, though, and he's proven he can provide value, batting .256 with 18 home runs, 35 doubles and 10 steals entering Saturday. He's also been a much better hitter at home, posting a .378 wOBA there compared to just a .305 wOBA on the road.
OUTFIELD
Michael Conforto, NYM at WAS ($4,800): Not much has gone right for the Mets this season, but Conforto has been one of their best power bats with 27 home runs. Eight of those homers have come in September, and he only needs one more to set a new career high. With Fedde's struggle to keep runners off-base already detailed, Conforto is another Met worth considering for your lineup.
Marcell Ozuna, STL vs. SF ($4,200): Ozuna has come back down to Earth this year with a .324 wOBA after posting a .388 wOBA last year. He's struggled to the tune of a .314 wOBA against right-handed pitchers, but he's rebounded to hit .297 with 12 homers in the second half. He's someone to target against Suarez based on his .368 wOBA against righty sticks.
Marwin Gonzalez, HOU vs. LAA ($3,800): Gonzalez hit over .300 for the first time in his career last year, but he was aided by a .343 BABIP. His BABIP this year was .305 entering Saturday, which is much more in line with his career mark of .310. His batting average has dropped to .251 as a result, but he did enter Saturday on a seven-game hitting streak. Tyler Skaggs will start this game for the Angels, and he hasn't exactly been at his best lately, allowing 17 runs across 9.2 innings in his last three starts.
