This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
To say this day snuck up on me would be a drastic understatement. It's hard to believe we have a regular season game to discuss because most teams aren't underway until next week. MLB has gifted us with a two-game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs in Tokyo to kickstart the year. That's obviously going to limit us to a single-game slate, but it should be a fun one to dissect.
Pitching
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD vs. CHC ($11,000)
Using any pitcher against the Dodgers is a poor decision, so we will go with Yamamoto. We'd probably ride the Japanese pitcher on a full slate anyway because he was one of the best arms in baseball last season. After struggling in his debut, Yamamoto allowed four runs or fewer in his final 17 starts, posting a 2.53 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 10.4 K/9 rate. Two of those were abbreviated starts against the Cubs, throwing nine scoreless innings while striking out 16 batters! The oddsmakers certainly agree with this play, making Yoshi a -150 favorite in a game with a 7.5-run total.
Top Targets
Teoscar Hernandez, LAD ($8,000)
It would be easy to sit here and recommend studs like Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker and Freddie Freeman, but you guys know those are all solid plays. We'll kick things off with Hernandez, who had a bounceback season in LA last year. He had a career-high 33 homers to go along with 99 RBI and 12 steals. Hitting in the heart of this daunting Dodgers lineup will give him good pitches to hit all season, and we love that since he has the platoon advantage against Imanaga. Teo tallied a .357 OBP, .574 SLG and .931 OPS against southpaws last season.
Ian Happ, CHC ($7,400)
Using any Chicago bats against Yoshi will be tough, but we don't mind Happ at this price. Not only is the switch-hitter projected to hit leadoff, but he's also had his way with right-handers throughout his career. Over the last two seasons, Happ has a .367 OBP and .816 OPS as a left-handed batter. Those are sensational splits from a $7,400 player, and he's worth a shot if you want to stack against Yamamoto.
Will Smith, LAD ($7,000)
Smith has been hitting in the top half of LA's lineup for years, making him one of the best catchers in baseball. That prominent lineup spot is no surprise since Smith averaged 7.5 DraftKings points per game last year. That number skyrockets when he squares off with a southpaw, sporting a .368 OBP, .493 SLG and .861 OPS against lefties over the last three years. It's not like Imanaga has been mowing down bats in spring training, amassing a 5.73 ERA.
Bargain Bats
Tommy Edman, LAD ($6,200)
Let's cap off our Dodgers stack with Edman. This guy was a sneaky pickup by LA at last year's trade deadline, with the utility man playing some of his best baseball over the final month of the year. What we really like about Edman is that he's slaughtered southpaws throughout his career. In fact, Tommy tallied a .412 AVG, .882 SLG and 1.299 OPS against lefties last year. While that was a small sample size, his .811 OPS over the last three years shows it's no fluke.
Matt Shaw, CHC ($3,000)
With a team like LA on this single-game slate, finding a punt play is critical. Shaw is just that because using a $3K player allows you to do anything with your lineup. This rookie is expected to be the Cubs' starting third baseman. He collected 21 homers and 31 steals between Double-A and Triple-A last year. That's backed by a .388 OBP and .916 OPS throughout his minor league career, and we love that he had a .421 OBP in spring training.
