Betts, Papi can't wait to feast on righties
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 Wednesday.
:: Fred Zinkie's Daily Picks ::
David Ortiz (Red Sox): Ortiz could improve on his lofty lifetime .293/.397/.575 slash line against right-handers when he faces Orioles righty Bud Norris (career 4.39 ERA, 1.40 WHIP). As a big leaguer, Norris has allowed left-handed hitters, such as Ortiz, to post an .811 OPS (.698 OPS allowed to righty batters).
Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox): From a premium lineup spot, the second baseman will maximize his chances to improve on his career .297/.356/.439 slash line at the expense of Norris. Pedroia could be stacked with Ortiz, in hopes that the latter will drive in the former on multiple occasions.
Mookie Betts (Red Sox): Across 508 career plate appearances, Betts has produced an .813 OPS against right-handers that exceeds his .743 mark vs. lefties. The outfielder -- who is hitting .375 in June -- could spark the lineup against Norris (7.57 ERA, 1.64 WHIP in 2015).
Lucas Duda (Mets): Since the outset of the 2014 season, the first baseman has hit 34 homers across 582 at-bats against right-handers, which has contributed to an .875 OPS in those matchups. He could drive in multiple runs on Wednesday, when he heads to hitter-friendly Miller Park to face righty Jimmy Nelson (career 4.54 ERA).
Curtis Granderson (Mets): Having collected 186 of his 246 homers and 118 of his 134 steals against right-handers in his career, Granderson could contribute to DraftKings participants in multiple ways when he faces Nelson at an offense-inducing road venue. Since joining the Mets at the outset of the 2014 season, the outfielder has posted a .768 OPS on the road in comparison to a .669 mark at his pitcher-friendly home park.
Wilmer Flores (Mets): With 10 homers and 32 RBIs across 233 at-bats, the shortstop has been among the most powerful players at his premium position this season. Flores could drive in multiple runs when he faces Nelson (career 1.36 WHIP) at homer-happy Miller Park. Of note: Flores and his teammates will attempt to put balls into play against a Brewers squad that ranks 26th in baseball with a .673 defensive efficiency ratio.
Gerardo Parra (Brewers): Parra has produced pronounced career splits, with a .758 OPS against right-handers in comparison to a .601 mark vs. lefties. He may hit high in the order on Wednesday against Mets righty Bartolo Colon (4.81 ERA in 2015), which would maximize his opportunities to get on base and score runs.
Scooter Gennett (Brewers): The second baseman has produced some of the most lopsided lifetime splits in baseball, with an .813 OPS against right-handers in comparison to a .275 mark vs. lefties. Gennett could be stacked with Parra during a home contest against Colon.
Jake Lamb (D-backs): Lamb -- who was a lifetime .321 hitter in the Minors -- has produced a .735 OPS against right-handers and a .414 mark vs. lefties during his brief Major League career. The third baseman could thrive in the thin air at Coors Field when he faces righty David Hale, who has posted a 5.28 ERA across five starts this season.
Paul Goldschmidt (D-backs): Hitting .356 with 19 homers, 57 RBIs and 12 steals across 303 plate appearances this season, Goldschmidt is quickly becoming the gold standard of fantasy hitters. The first baseman could be the centerpiece of a D-backs stack against Hale (4.78 FIP in 2015) and a Rockies bullpen that ranks last in baseball with a 4.58 ERA.
Nick Hundley (Rockies): In his first season with the Rockies, Hundley has posted a .901 OPS at his offense-inducing home park opposed to a .679 mark on the road. On Wednesday, he could improve on his lifetime .727 OPS against right-handers (.584 vs. lefties) during a home contest against D-backs righty Allen Webster (career 6.28 ERA, 1.55 WHIP).
Ben Paulsen (Rockies): The first baseman could make improvements on his career .314/.365/.547 slash line against right-handers at the expense of Webster, who has notched a 6.55 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP across a pair of 2015 starts. In his career, Webster has allowed lefty hitters such as Paulsen to produce an .860 OPS (.741 OPS allowed to righty batters).
Gerrit Cole (Pirates): Cole has emerged as an ace this season by virtue of a 1.78 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP and 97 strikeouts across 91 innings. He could continue to dominate the competition when he works at his pitcher-friendly home park against a Reds lineup that ranks 18th in baseball with a .708 OPS against right-handers and 22nd with a .668 OPS on the road.
Wandy Rodriguez (Rangers): Having produced a 3.20 ERA this season, Rodriguez has given DraftKings participants a serviceable second starter on several occasions. The left-hander could compile quality innings when he faces an A's lineup that ranks 28th in the Majors with a .646 OPS against southpaws.
Jordan Zimmermann (Nationals): With a career 3.28 ERA, the right-hander could excel when he works at his pitcher-friendly home park against a Braves lineup that ranks last in the Majors with 41 homers. Zimmermann could receive plentiful run support from a Nats lineup that leads the Senior Circuit with 311 runs scored.
Ryan Vogelsong (Giants): On a night with few high-end hurlers on the docket, DraftKings participants can consider Vogelsong as an economical second starter. The right-hander will work at his pitcher-friendly home park, where he has registered a 3.08 ERA since the outset of the 2014 season. He could accumulate a handful of quality innings against a Padres lineup that ranks 25th in the Majors with a .668 OPS against right-handers.
All statistics are accurate through the completion of Monday's games.