This article is part of our FantasyDraft MLB series.
PITCHER
Luke Weaver, STL at SF ($17,600): With only a handful of starts under his belt, Weaver is anything but a safe pick, but considering he's fanned 10 guys in each of his past two starts, I'll take my chances. He has been solid over his past four outings, recording 29 strikeouts in 21 innings while allowing just four runs. The matchup works as well, as the Giants enter with the lowest wOBA against righties in the majors.
Ervin Santana, MN vs. KC ($21,300): Santana is not the most exciting pitcher because he'll rarely post double-digit strikeouts, but he's been one of the more reliable guys out there this season. He has recorded between six and nine strikeouts in each of his past seven starts, and he's allowed more than three runs just once in that span. If this matchup against the Royals were a few weeks ago, I wouldn't be as eager to use Santana, but considering the way the Royals have hit over the past couple weeks, this matchup works perfectly. Add in that the Twins' bats have been so hot lately that a win is nearly a lock and you have the makings of a productive outing.
INFIELD
Kris Bryant, CHC vs. ATL ($9,600): The Braves are sending out Max Fried to the hill for this game, and considering he's running into a red hot Cubs lineup, he won't last long. Whenever you have situations like this, with a reliable lineup against an inexperienced pitcher, the best course of action is to just find as much value as you can. With that in mind, I'm favoring Bryant over Anthony Rizzo because Bryant comes in $800 cheaper and leads the team with a .417 wOBA against left-handed pitching this season.
Marwin Gonzalez, HOU vs. NYM ($6,600): There are several good stacks on this slate, and in order to maximize your potential upside, finding some lower-priced guys will be key. Gonzalez wasn't always priced this low, as he started the season quite well, but a mid-season slump has him priced with the dregs of the league. This is where we take advantage, as even with the prolonged slump, he still has a .394 wOBA against righties.
Josh Donaldson, TOR at BAL ($9,600): Like most Orioles pitchers this season, Chris Tillman has gone through a lot of ups and downs, with enough of the latter that his ERA now sits at 7.91. It's hard to imagine that there aren't any better options than Tillman, but it is what it is. While the Blue Jays have underperformed this season, Donaldson still has a .383 wOBA against righties.
OUTFIELD
Albert Almora, CHC vs. ATL ($6,900): Stacking the Cubs against Fried is a given, but I mentioned trying to find value earlier and Almora is one of the few guys on the Cubs who can be had for a reasonable price. There's more to this pick than his salary, as he enters with a .406 wOBA against lefties this season, which is second on the Cubs. Looking further up the salary scale, Rizzo and Javier Baez are both strong options as well.
Lonnie Chisenhall, CLE at DET ($7,200): The Indians have a similar situation to the Cubs, as they are facing a young pitcher who hasn't had much success early in his career. In this case, it's Chad Bell who takes the hill for the Tigers, a guy who has an ERA over 5.00 in the minors this season. There's little doubt that the Indians will score plenty of runs, but as with the Cubs, the trick will be maximizing value. Chisenhall fits the bill as his salary is still low from being on the DL and he leads the team with a .439 wOBA against lefties this year.
Austin Jackson, CLE at DET ($8,400): As mentioned, the Indians are one of the top stacks on this slate. With that in mind, it's important to find middle-tier guys like Jackson who can be had for less. Jackson comes in at a reasonable price and carries plenty of upside as his wOBA against lefties this season is second-best on the Indians. Higher up the salary scale, Edwin Encarnacion makes for a nice upside play as well.
UTILITY
Giancarlo Stanton, MIA vs. PHI ($10,800): In a slate full of great stacking options, Stanton stands out as a great one-off. He's not a lock on every slate due to his price, but the matchup works against Phillies starter Jake Thompson, who has allowed 28 runners in his three starts this season and now has a 5.40 ERA. There's always the possibility that pitchers will pitch around Stanton, but it doesn't matter how he scores his points, three walks and a couple runs is just as good as a solo home run.
Justin Upton, LAA at TEX ($9,300): Upton has moved from a dead situation in Detroit to a very lively one in Los Angeles. He sits in the heart of an order with Mike Trout in front of him and suddenly hot Albert Pujols behind him. It's a great spot to be in and it's a great spot to be against lefty Martin Perez on Sunday. Perez has actually looked decent over his past few starts, but Upton has a .476 wOBA against lefties this season, which is fourth-best in the majors.
