Blue Jays stack could perform well vs. Phillies
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The players listed below could provide difference-making stats for DraftKings participants on Tuesday.
Josh Donaldson (Blue Jays): The third baseman will seek to improve his impressive career .297/.375/.594 slash line against left-handers when he bats at hitter-friendly Rogers Centre against Phillies southpaw Adam Morgan. The rookie lefty has posted a 4.28 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP across his initial five Major League starts.
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Jose Bautista (Blue Jays): Since the outset of the 2010 season, the outfielder has registered a .274/.396/.548 slash line against lefties and a .283/.412/.592 slash line at Rogers Centre. Bautista will be primed to drive in multiple runs when hits at home against the inexperienced Morgan (5.24 FIP).
Russell Martin (Blue Jays): The catcher has long fared best vs. left-handers, against whom he has produced a career .806 OPS (.743 vs. righties). Martin could be part of a productive lineup on Tuesday, as the Blue Jays lead the Majors with an .832 OPS against southpaws. Of note: Martin and his teammates will attempt to put balls into play against a Phillies unit that ranks last in the Majors with a .664 defensive efficiency ratio.
Kevin Pillar (Blue Jays): With a lifetime .710 OPS against left-handers in comparison to a .665 mark vs. righties, the outfielder could be part of a Blue Jays stack -- with Donaldson, Bautista, Martin, first baseman Edwin Encarnacion or outfielder Danny Valencia -- against Morgan. Additionally, Pillar may swipe his 16th base of the year against catcher Carlos Ruiz, who has thwarted 10 of 48 would-be base stealers this season.
Jose Abreu (White Sox): With a lifetime .321/.397/.569 slash line against left-handers, Abreu has proven to wield a potent bat in those matchups. The first baseman could thrive against Red Sox southpaw Wade Miley, who has posted a 4.33 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP this season.
Brandon Moss (Indians): Having compiled 90 of his 106 career homers against right-handers, Moss will be primed to put a ball into the outfield seats when he faces the Royals' extreme fly-ball-inducing righty, Chris Young. In his career, the hurler owns a 1.2 HR/9 rate, despite having played mostly for clubs with pitcher-friendly home parks.
Jason Kipnis (Indians): Hitting .321 with 63 runs across 440 plate appearances, the second baseman has been one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball this season. On Tuesday, Kipnis will seek to improve on his lifetime .813 OPS against right-handers (.663 vs. lefties) at the expense of Young (1.3 HR/9 rate in 2015).
Michael Brantley (Indians): Since the outset of last season, the outfielder has registered a .325/.386/.512 slash line against right-handers. Brantley could rip a round-tripper or drive in multiple runs against Young, who has a 5.50 ERA across his past seven starts.
Neil Walker (Pirates): With a lifetime .800 OPS against right-handers (.660 vs. lefties), the second baseman could produce from a premium position when he tangles with Twins righty Mike Pelfrey (career 4.50 ERA, 1.48 WHIP).
Gregory Polanco (Pirates): The outfielder has produced pronounced lifetime splits, with a .723 OPS against right-handers in comparison to a .449 mark vs. lefties. Polanco may reach base often against Pelfrey (1.47 WHIP in 2015), and he has the speed to swipe his 18th bag of the year against Kurt Suzuki, who has allowed more steals than all but three catchers this season.
Cesar Hernandez (Phillies): Hitting .325 with 11 steals across 131 plate appearances since June 22, the second baseman has been a difference-maker in many recent DraftKings contests. Hernandez will be in position to improve on his lifetime .732 OPS against left-handers (.641 vs. righties) when he faces Blue Jays southpaw Felix Doubront (career 4.77 ERA, 1.48 WHIP).
Chris Davis (Orioles): The first baseman could rip a round-tripper when he puts his lifetime .844 OPS against right-handers (.742 vs. lefties) on the line against Braves righty Julio Teheran (4.49 ERA, 1.37 WHIP in 2015). When playing outside his pitcher-friendly home park this season, Teheran has posted a 6.95 ERA, with 13 homers allowed across 10 outings. Davis could also excel late in the game against a Braves bullpen that ranks 27th in baseball with a 4.12 ERA.
Chris Young (Yankees): Young has posted notable career splits, with an .842 OPS against left-handers that exceeds his .703 mark vs. righties. The outfielder could rip his 12th round-tripper of the season or drive in multiple runs against Rangers southpaw Martin Perez, who has a 4.91 ERA with a 1.91 WHIP across two starts since returning from Tommy John surgery.
Noah Syndergaard (Mets): With a 2.97 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and a 9.4 K/9 rate across his initial 13 Major League starts, the rookie can already be considered as a No. 1 starter in many DraftKings contests. Syndergaard will be in position to spin a gem when he faces a Padres lineup that ranks 27th in the Majors with a .662 OPS vs. righties.
James Shields (Padres): DraftKings participants who do not select Syndergaard may opt for his mound opponent. With a season-to-date 10.2 K/9 rate, Shields has been an asset in many 2015 DraftKings contests. The right-hander could combine a handful of strikeouts with quality frames when he faces a Mets lineup that ranks 26th in baseball with a .669 OPS against righties.
Ubaldo Jimenez (Orioles): Having posted an 18.00 ERA across his past two starts, Jimenez could have a reduced cost in DraftKings contests on Tuesday. The right-hander could fare well in the game vs. a light-hitting Braves lineup that ranks last in the Majors with 59 homers. Jimenez could come away with a win if his supporting cast continues Teheran's season-long struggles on the road.
Jordan Zimmermann (Nationals): Zimmermann will have a tough time coming up with a win against Jose Fernandez on Tuesday, but he could compile several strikeouts and effective innings at pitcher-friendly Marlins Park. Miami ranks 29th in the Majors with a .661 OPS against righties and will be without offensive centerpiece Giancarlo Stanton, who is on the disabled list.