This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
The MLB regular season gets underway Wednesday with the Mariners and Athletics playing their first of two games in Tokyo. Oakland enters the season with a seemingly more unsettled lineup, while the Mariners are in the midst of a rebuild, and more clearly defined roles. Multiple entries with stacks from both sides is the obvious path to success in FanDuel's single-game slate, where you'll need an MVP (2x points), an All-Star (1.5x) and three utility options. Neither starting pitcher seems to present poorly, but Oakland's bullpen has an edge over the Mariners, and stacking A's bats is my slight preference.
MVP
Matt Chapman, OAK ($9,000): Khris Davis ($9,500) and his potential for multiple long balls is the obvious choice, but Chapman looks to have a safer floor, while also presenting some upside. He was better against lefties last year than Davis, posting a .352 wOBA and 125 wRC+.
Mitch Haniger, SEA ($8,000): Haniger is in the same mold as Chapman; cheaper and safer than his power-hitting teammate, this time in Edwin Encarnacion ($8,500). Haniger's .219 ISO, .362 wOBA and 135 wRC+ against righties in 2018 speak for themselves. It doesn't hurt his case knowing that Encarnacion is just 3-of-22 in his career against Mike Fiers.
All-Star
Khris Davis, OAK ($9,500): While differentiating from the obvious is the path to victory, it's difficult to keep Davis' bat out of your lineup. Matt Olson ($8,000) is the only real pivot with a similar upside, but his .311 wOBA against lefties makes him a pass. Davis had a .265 ISO against southpaws last year.
Dee Gordon, SEA ($6,000): The obvious answers are to stack Davis/Chapman or Haniger/Encarnacion, but in the interest of trying to provoke a little thought, Gordon is a fair pivot. He's locked in atop the Mariners order, and so long as he reaches base, he'll benefit from Haniger/Encarnacion behind him. He's also a lock to attempt steals when he reaches, and while Fiers holders runners decently, he does allow a 71 percent success rate to base stealers over the last three season. Gordon can't be as woeful as he was a year ago, and is just a season removed from hitting .314 with a .324 wOBA against righties.
Utility
Stephen Piscotty, OAK ($7,000): Oakland's lineup appears a little unsettled, but with a lefty on the mound, it's possible Piscotty could replace Olson as in the team's three-hole. His .337 wOBA against lefties wasn't superb, but a .205 ISO at least gives him some power upside. He's also cheaper and bit more stable than Jurickson Profar ($7,500) and Marcus Semien ($7,500), both of whom likely will hit lower in the order.
Robbie Grossman, OAK ($5,000): Grossman's appeal is far greater if he hits leadoff, where he has in two exhibition games in Japan. He was much better against left-handed pitching in 2018, posting a .390 wOBA and 147 wRC+ (compared to .305/89 against righties). Using him with confidence will require some faith or an early morning lineup check, as he's far less attractive in the bottom third of the order.
Domingo Santana, SEA ($5,500): Thanks to the Mariners' rebuilding efforts, there are a plethora of bargain bats in their lineup, with Jay Bruce ($6,000), Tim Beckham ($5,500) and Ryon Healy ($6,500) appearing to have safe daily roles. The assumption is Santana will hit fifth with Bruce in the three-hole with a righty on the mound, but Santana still profiles with a safer floor thanks to Bruce's swing-and-miss tendency. He posted a .352 wOBA against same-handed arms in a down 2018, but had a .230 ISO, .370 wOBA and 126 wRC+ in 2017.
Ichiro Suzuki, SEA ($4,000): This may be too obvious of a savings play, but there's nothing to lose with Suzuki at the lowest possible price, and seemingly assured of at least a few at-bats. He's undoubtedly going to try to show out in his homecoming, and if he can reach base and come around to score, he's exceeded expectations. If he doesn't, you've got cash to spend elsewhere.
