Cards could go yard in Cincy
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 tonight.
Mark Teixeira (Yankees): With a career .292/.386/.524 slash line against left-handers, the first baseman will be in position to drive in multiple runs when he bats at his hitter-friendly home park against Red Sox southpaw Henry Owens. The left-handed hurler will be making his Major League debut after allowing 56 walks across 122 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season.
:: Fred Zinkie's Daily Picks ::
Alex Rodriguez (Yankees): The slugger will be poised to improve on his lofty lifetime .288/.389/.552 slash line against left-handers when he faces the inexperienced Owens at homer-happy Yankee Stadium. With 24 homers and 61 RBIs across 346 at-bats, Rodriguez has been among the most powerful players in the Junior Circuit this season.
Matt Carpenter (Cardinals): The third baseman may thrive when he puts his career .831 OPS against right-handers (.764 vs. lefties) on the line at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park against righty Anthony DeSclafani (lifetime 1.35 WHIP) and a Reds bullpen that sits 27th in baseball with a 4.18 ERA.
Jason Heyward (Cardinals): The outfielder has produced pronounced lifetime splits, with an .831 OPS against right-handers in comparison to a .667 mark vs. lefties. Heyward has the plate skills to reach base often against DeSclafani (1.34 WHIP in 2015), and he has the speed to swipe his 17th bag of the season against catcher Brayan Pena, who has thwarted six of 49 would-be base stealers in 2015.
Brandon Moss (Cardinals): Having compiled 90 of his 106 career homers against right-handers, the outfielder will be primed to display his power when he faces DeSclafani (career 4.29 ERA) at Cincinnati's homer-happy venue.
Nolan Arenado (Rockies): In his career, the third baseman has fared best when facing left-handers (.865 OPS) and when batting at his hitter-friendly home park (.874 OPS). Arenado has the skills to improve on his impressive 2015 totals (26 homers, 80 RBIs across 388 at-bats) when he hits at home against Mariners southpaw Vidal Nuno, who will be making his first start of the season.
Jose Reyes (Rockies): The shortstop may thrive at his new offense-inducing digs when he brings his balanced lifetime splits into a matchup with Nuno. The switch-hitting Reyes will bat from the right side in this contest. In his career, Nuno has allowed righty hitters to post a .766 OPS (.542 OPS allowed to lefty batters).
Seth Smith (Mariners): As a big leaguer, the outfielder has handled right-handers to the tune of an .832 OPS (.619 vs. lefties). Smith will be poised to drive in multiple runs when he bats at homer-happy Coors Field against righty Jon Gray, who will be making his Major League debut.
Adrian Gonzalez (Dodgers): With an impressive career .300/.376/.532 slash line against right-handers, Gonzalez will be in position to drive in multiple runs when he faces righty Jerome Williams (career 4.56 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) at hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park.
Yasmani Grandal (Dodgers): The catcher has long fared best vs. right-handers, against whom he has produced a career .824 OPS (.738 vs. lefties). Grandal could provide production at a premium position when he faces Williams (6.36 ERA, 1.69 WHIP in 2015) at Philadelphia's offense-inducing park. Of note: Grandal and his teammates will attempt to put balls into play against a Phillies squad that ranks last in the Majors with a .666 defensive efficiency ratio.
Andre Ethier (Dodgers): With notable career splits that include an .888 OPS against right-handers and a .639 mark vs. lefties, Ethier will be primed to produce when he vacates his pitcher-friendly home park and faces Williams at Philadelphia's hitter-friendly venue. The outfielder may be part of a productive lineup, as the Dodgers rank fifth in baseball with a .754 OPS against righties.
Jean Segura (Brewers): With balanced career splits, Segura could reach base often at his hitter-friendly home park when he faces Padres right-hander Andrew Cashner, who has posted a 4.41 ERA on the road (2.30 at home) since the outset of last season. Segura also has the speed to steal his 17th base of the season against Derek Norris, who has allowed more steals than all but one catcher in 2015.
Scooter Gennett (Brewers): The second baseman owns some of the most lopsided splits in baseball, with an .813 OPS against right-handers that greatly exceeds his .296 mark vs. lefties. Gennett has the opportunity to excel at his offense-inducing home park against Cashner (4.13 ERA, 1.32 WHIP in 2015).
Adam Lind (Brewers): With a lifetime .864 OPS against right-handers (.586 vs. lefties), Lind could be the lynchpin in a Brewers stack against Cashner. The first baseman has excelled against right-handers this season to the tune of 16 homers, 54 RBIs and a .297 batting average across 273 at-bats.
Alex Wood (Dodgers): With a season-to-date 3.54 ERA, Wood has been a useful second starter for DraftKings participants on several occasions this season. In his first start since being traded to the Dodgers, the left-hander could spin a gem against a Phillies lineup that ranks 26th in baseball with a .679 OPS. He could also come away with a win if his talented supporting cast can add to Williams' season-long woes.
Jimmy Nelson (Brewers): With a respectable season-to-date 3.76 ERA, the right-hander could be a useful second starter when he faces a Padres lineup that ranks 26th in baseball with a .674 OPS against righties. Nelson may come away with a win if his supporting cast continues Cashner's struggles on the road.
Jake Arrieta (Cubs): Since arriving in Chicago during the 2013 season, the right-hander has posted an ace-like 2.73 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP. Arrieta could continue to hold the opposition in check when he works at pitcher-friendly PNC Park against a Pirates lineup that ranks 17th in the Majors with a .702 OPS vs. righties. If he were to toss a quality effort, he would have a strong chance to pick up a win in a seemingly advantageous matchup with J.A. Happ (career 4.29 ERA, 1.39 WHIP).
All statistics are accurate through the completion of Sunday's games.