DraftKings picks: Hanley, Seager, Salazar
Welcome to DraftKings fantasy baseball, the Official Daily Fantasy Game of Major League Baseball. The players listed below could provide difference-making stats for DraftKings participants today.
Xander Bogaerts (Red Sox): Because Bogaerts has produced a career .765 OPS against southpaws (.623 vs. right-handers), he could be a cost-effective shortstop option for DraftKings participants when he bats at home against Rangers lefty Wandy Rodriguez (career 1.33 WHIP).
Hanley Ramirez (Red Sox): The outfielder could improve on his impressive career .308/.390/.531 slash line against lefties at the expense of Rodriguez (career 4.05 ERA). Ramirez is one of many right-handed hitters in the Red Sox lineup, and Rodriguez in his career has allowed righty hitters to post a .751 OPS (.699 OPS allowed to lefty batters).
:: Fred Zinkie's Daily Picks ::
Kyle Seager (Mariners): The third baseman could show his power, when he hits at cozy Camden Yards against Orioles righty Chris Tillman. Seager has registered a lifetime .799 OPS against right-handers (.670 vs. lefties), and Tillman has posted a career 1.3 HR/9 rate.
Seth Smith (Mariners): Because he has compiled a lifetime .837 OPS against right-handed hurlers (.606 vs. lefties), Smith could fare well against Tillman (career 1.31 WHIP). Like Seager, the outfielder could benefit from vacating his spacious home park for a hitter-friendly venue.
Edwin Encarnacion (Blue Jays): The first baseman could improve on his impressive lifetime .261/.338/.480 slash line against right-handers when he meets up with Angels righty Matt Shoemaker at homer-happy Rogers Centre. Shoemaker has compiled a career 1.3 HR/9 rate, and he has produced a 5.63 ERA this season.
Jose Bautista (Blue Jays): Since the outset of his breakout 2010 season, Bautista has accumulated a .945 OPS against right-handers and a 1.003 mark at his hitter-friendly home park. The outfielder could rip a round-tripper when he faces the struggling Shoemaker, who has allowed 11 homers across seven starts this season.
Mike Trout (Angels): The outfielder could improve on his lifetime .312/.395/.562 slash line against right-handers when he gets away from his spacious home park and plies his trade at the cozy confines of Rogers Centre. Trout will face fly-ball-prone righty R.A. Dickey, who has allowed 44 homers across 39 starts at his home park since joining the Blue Jays before the outset of the 2013 season.
Matt Joyce (Angels): Because he is hitting .148 with one homer in 108 at-bats, Joyce could be an inexpensive outfield option for DraftKings participants when he meets up with the homer-prone Dickey. With a career .798 OPS against right-handers (.576 vs. lefties), Joyce could smack a homer at Rogers Centre.
Carlos Gonzalez (Rockies): The usually excellent outfielder could have a reduced DraftKings cost because he is hitting .203 with four homers in 123 at-bats. With a lifetime .908 OPS against right-handers (.765 vs. lefties) and a 1.006 OPS at Coors Field (.747 on the road), Gonzalez could be in position to succeed against righty Jerome Williams (career 1.36 WHIP).
Maikel Franco (Phillies): DraftKings participants could look to make a splash with the recently promoted third baseman, who entered the season as the Philadelphia's No. 3 prospect, according to MLB.com. The right-handed-hitting Franco could display his extra-base power at hitter-friendly Coors Field against De La Rosa, who in his career has allowed righty hitters to compile a .798 OPS (.626 OPS allowed to lefty batters).
Odubel Herrera (Phillies): Hitting .281 with a .709 OPS against lefties this season, the rookie could score multiple runs from a spot near the top of the lineup when he faces De La Rosa (6.56 ERA in 2015). DraftKings participants could choose to stack some of their lineup with right-handed Philadelphia batters (such as Ruiz and Franco) in an effort to save room for high-priced stars from other teams.
David Price (Tigers): The ace left-hander may be the most desirable hurler on the docket, as he could compile a handful of strikeouts against an Astros lineup that leads the American League with 362 whiffs. Price could also come away with a win in a seemingly advantageous matchup against righty Scott Feldman (career 4.50 ERA).
Mat Latos (Marlins): By allowing 16 earned runs across his past seven starts, Latos has largely bounced back from a poor initial 2015 outing. The right-hander -- who has produced a 3.42 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP as a big leaguer -- could accumulate quality innings, when he faces a D-backs lineup that contains several key sluggers who have traditionally fared best against lefties.
Danny Salazar (Indians): Having compiled 52 K's across 37 2/3 innings this season and 237 whiffs in 199 2/3 career frames, Salazar is capable of producing the difference-making numbers that lead DraftKings squads to victory. The right-hander could combine a handful of strikeouts with a win if he can limit a White Sox lineup that ranks last in the American League with 135 runs scored.
Odrisamer Despaigne (Padres): The right-hander has posted a non-glamorous career ERA of 4.15, with most of his best work coming at home. In 71 1/3 innings at pitcher-friendly Petco Park, Despaigne has recorded a 2.90 ERA and a .202 opponents' average. So despite an underwhelming lifetime K/9 rate of 5.5, the righty could notch several whiffs against a Cubs lineup that leads the Majors with 377 K's.
All statistics are accurate through the completion of Tuesday's games.