This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The four-game main slate features one top-tier pitcher along with some value plays, so owners must decide if they want to opt for safety or select two value hurlers and stack high-priced offense.
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PITCHER
Blake Snell, TB at NYY ($10,900): Snell has a tough task but the left-hander is difficult to fade on a small slate, as he has put up at least 25 DraftKings points in four of his last five starts. Snell didn't fare too well during his first trip to Yankee Stadium in April, but prospective owners have no cause to worry about him on the road, where he has logged a 3.02 xFIP and a 32 percent strikeout rate in 45 innings.
GPP Fade: Tyson Ross, SD at ATL ($8,100): The Braves are quickly becoming DFS poison for opposing pitchers. They don't strike out much (20 percent): and they walk at an 8.6 percent clip. Ross appears to be having a renaissance season in 2018 but has still walked nearly nine percent of the batters he has faced and might not be able to use his strikeout pitch to command enough upside in GPPs.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Matt Koch, ARI vs. NYM ($6,200): Koch might seem like a strange recommendation due to his low strikeout rate, but the right-hander is just one start removed from a 30-point DraftKings outing and has yielded a 6.0 RAA with his changeup, a pitch against which the Mets have registered the second-lowest RAA in the league. It is also worth noting that New York has logged a bottom-10 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season.
CATCHER
John Ryan Murphy, ARI vs. NYM ($3,500): Murphy has been lighting left-handed pitchers on fire in 2018, as evidenced by the .354 ISO and .406 wOBA he has tallied more than 48 at-bats. Opposing starter Jason Vargas has been pummeled on the road this season, allowing 18 runs in 15.2 innings.
FIRST BASE
Eric Hosmer, SD at ATL ($4,600): Hosmer is en route to one of his most successful seasons in his first year as a member of the Padres, as he has a .190 ISO and a 40.6 percent hard-contact rate in 66 games. Anibal Sanchez has scratched together a couple decent starts after returning from the disabled list but has still surrendered three homers and seven walks to left-handed hitters in 12.1 innings in 2018.
SECOND BASE
Asdrubal Cabrera, NYM at ARI ($3,700): Those who wish to pivot away from Koch will find a quality bat in Cabrera. The 32-year-old has notched a robust .231 ISO against right-handed pitching this season with a 48 percent hard-contact rate. Meanwhile, Koch owns a 4.40 xFIP and a 43.5 percent hard contact rate against lefty hitters.
THIRD BASE
Johan Camargo, ATL vs. SD ($3,200): Camargo has been one of the best kept offensive secrets in the league this season, as he has notched a .371 wOBA and a 20 percent walk rate against right-handed pitching in 87 at-bats. We mentioned Ross' struggles with free passes earlier, which could help Camargo return more than value at this price.
SHORTSTOP
Nick Ahmed, ARI vs. NYM ($3,600): Ahmed is another name that doesn't jump off the page as a DFS option, but he has swung the bat well against lefties, posting a .271 ISO and .377 wOBA in 70 at-bats. Vargas carries a 1.6 HR/9 rate against righties while allowing a 37 percent hard-contact rate over 22.2 innings.
OUTFIELD
J.D. Martinez, BOS at SEA ($5,500): Martinez has done the majority of his damage against righties, logging a .393 ISO and a .453 wOBA against same-handed pitchers in 191 at-bats. Felix Hernandez's fastball has yielded a -7.6 RAA this season, while Martinez has been one of the best hitters in the league against the heater (20.2 RAA).
Nelson Cruz, SEA vs. BOS ($4,400): Cruz has hit for tremendous power against left-handed pitching this season, logging a .415 ISO in 53 at-bats. David Price has been fairly steady, if not spectacular in 2018 but still owns a 4.17 xFIP against right-handed hitters.
Aaron Hicks, NYY vs. TB ($3,800): Hicks could be useful as a differentiator on offense in GPPs, as he will enter the contest having tallied a .234 ISO and a 43.6 percent hard contact rate against left-handed pitching. As good as Snell has been in 2018, he still owns a 1.2 HR/9 rate and a 32 percent hard-contact rate against righty hitters.
