This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Welcome to my Daily Plays article for Tuesday June 2, 2015. Now that the season is two months underway, we have a nice base of statistics to consider when constructing daily lineups. Monday provided some great baseball action, and Tuesday has a full slate of games on the schedule, so let's get on to the picks.
Pitcher
Noah Syndergaard, $8,300 - Syndergaard has improved in each outing since being called up, and has a nice matchup versus the struggling Padres. Syndergaard did not allow a run, and struck out six Phillies in his last start, and has gone deeper in each game that he has pitched. Through four starts, he sports a 2.55 ERA and nearly a strikeout per inning, and faces the heavily right-handed lineup of the Padres in pitcher friendly Petco Park. Syndergaard makes an excellent value play at pitcher, and has nice upside for his price.
Kyle Hendricks, $6,700 - For those looking to save some salary at pitcher, Hendricks provides a nice value option at an attractive price. Hendricks had a rough April, but settled in nicely in May with a 2.81 ERA in five starts. Although he is pitching on the road, he has a very nice matchup against the Marlins, who are loaded with right-handed bats. They also strike out often, as fellow Cub Jason Hammel struck out eleven Marlins on Monday night. Facing Brad Hand, he also has a very good shot at earning the all important win, so fire up Hendricks as a top value play at pitcher.
Catcher
Yasmani Grandal, $3,300 - Grandal usually catches Zack Greinke, but make sure he is in the lineup since the Dodgers and Rockies play a double header on Tuesday. Grandal has feasted off of right-handed pitching, especially on the road, and has the best matchup of the day facing minor leaguer David Hale in Coors Field. Grandal is batting .327 on the road, and all 20 of his RBI have come versus right handed pitching, making him the top overall play at catcher.
First Base
Freddie Freeman, $3,200 - Adrian Gonzalez will be very popular at first base, and makes an excellent choice, but for those looking for a value play look no further than Freeman. Freeman has homered in three of his past four games, and has an excellent matchup facing Josh Collmenter in Chase Field. Freeman is not only hot, but he loves facing right-handed pitching, evidenced by his .297 batting average and .507 slugging percentage. Look for Freeman to keep his hot hitting going, making him a nice value play at an attractive price.
Second Base
Kolten Wong, $3,300 - Wong has been on fire lately, and is facing a minor league pitcher named Tyler Cravy. Wong had a huge May, batting .318 with five home runs in the month. He also loves facing right-handed pitching, as he sports a .316 batting average and .500 slugging percentage against them. With both speed and power, Wong has tremendous upside at a difficult position to fill, and makes a strong play at second base on Tuesday night.
Third Base
Pablo Sandoval, $2,300 - Sandoval has been struggling lately, but has had a few days to rest and is back home in Fenway Park. Sandoval is very inexpensive, and makes an interesting play due to his depressed salary. Batting .305 versus right-handed pitching, as well as .333 at home, he is in a nice spot to produce versus the mediocre Mike Pelfrey. For those looking for more power at third base, consider Kris Bryant, $4,500, who has found his power stroke lately and faces left-hander Brad Hand.
Shortstop
Starlin Castro, $2,600 - Similar to Bryant above, Castro is also in a nice spot versus the left-handed Brad Hand. Castro homered on Monday night, and bats in the heart of the Cubs lineup. Without many attractive options at shortstop on Tuesday, Castro makes a nice value play with home run and stolen base potential. He is also batting .400 versus left-handed pitching so far in 2015, making him an excellent play at a nice price tag.
Outfield
Joc Pederson, $4,000 - Pederson has to be mentioned as one of the top overall plays, and is having an incredible rookie campaign so far in 2015. Pederson hit nine home runs in May alone, and homered in his first game in June on Monday. He is leading off for the Dodgers, who have the highest total of the night in Coors Field, and not including him in your lineup is very risky as he will be a very popular choice in the outfield. With 12 home runs and a .580 slugging percentage versus right-handed pitching, he not only has a great matchup but tremendous upside.
Jorge Soler, $2,700 - Andre Ethier, $3,100, is worth mentioning for similar reasons as Pederson above. For those looking for an outfielder priced under $3K with power, Soler is your guy. Soler was moved to the cleanup spot on Monday, and has a juicy matchup versus Brad Hand. Soler has raw power, and is batting a respectable .296 versus left-handed pitching. He has multi-home run potential, making him an excellent value play in the outfield.
Austin Jackson, $2,300 - Jackson is very cheap and loves to face left-handed pitching. Jackson is batting .280 versus left-handers, including both of his home runs. He has a strong matchup versus the aging C.C. Sabathia, and should bat atop the Mariners lineup on Tuesday. He is also a much better hitter at home, evidenced by his .268 batting average at Safeco Field (.192 on the road). At near-minimum salary, Jackson is a nice option for those in need of a cheap option in the outfield.
