This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Pitcher
Rob Whalen, ATL at ARI ($6,500): The rookie righty is strictly a tournament play but one that could provide a sneaky-good return against a D-backs squad that whiffs at a 22.9 percent clip against right-handed pitching. The strikeout rate is higher at Chase Field overall, where it bumps up to 23.4 percent. Whalen has actually produced 30 or more fantasy points in three of his first four major league starts and recorded 23 Ks over his first 22 major league frames so there's some upside here, albeit with a good amount of risk as well.
Catcher
Jason Castro, HOU at PIT ($2,600): Castro provides a substantial amount of upside at a very cost-effective price, as evidenced by the fact that he's scored 18.4 to 41.4 fantasy points in four of his last eight games. He can do a little bit of everything, even legging out a pair of triples and stealing two bases this season. Castro's enjoyed success against righties as well with a .338 wOBA that rises to .349 when facing them outside of Minute Maid Park, along with a 46.6 percent hard contact rate. Pirates starter Ivan Nova has been susceptible to lefty bats, giving up a .362 wOBA and 39.8 percent hard contact rate to them on the season between his Yankee and Pirate tenures.
First Base
Justin Morneau, CWS vs. PHI ($2,700): Morneau makes for a cheap source of offense against Phillies rookie Jake Thompson, who has been unable to solve left-handed hitters to date in his young career. Lefty bats have touched up Thompson to the tune of a .480 wOBA over a very small sample on the road and a .383 figure overall, along with a 5.45 xFIP and 44.4 percent hard contact rate. Morneau had battered righty arms throughout his long career and this season is no exception, as he's tallying a .346 wOBA against that handedness over 84 at-bats while also producing double-digit fantasy points in three of his last six games.
Second Base
Devon Travis, TOR vs. LAA ($3,300): Travis has really come on at the plate with a .337 average, .368 wOBA and 33.3 percent hard contact rate over his last 19 games. He's also battered southpaws to the tune of a .373 wOBA, along with a 33.3 percent hard contact rate when facing them at Rogers Centre. Angels lefty Tyler Skaggs has yielded a .366 wOBA to right-handed hitters on the road along with all three of his homers. He's also been going downhill fast over his last three starts (two of which have been on the road), surrendering 15 earned runs on 25 hits and six walks over 13.2 innings, numbers that have led to a bloated 9.88 ERA and .450 wOBA.
Third Base
Pedro Alvarez, BAL vs. WAS ($3,300): Alvarez has been wielding a red-hot bat in August, posting a .326 average, .468 wOBA, .442 ISO and 45.7 percent hard contact rate along with six homers over his last 13 games. He's also crushed right-handed pitching to the tune of a .366 wOBA, .280 ISO and 39.7 percent hard contact rate while smashing 18 of his 19 homers on the season against them as well. Nationals starter Reynaldo Lopez has actually been tough on lefty hitters to date over his young career, but Alvarez's bat and recent tear render him a high-upside tournament play.
Maikel Franco, PHI at CWS ($3,100): Franco is another cost-conscious slugger that can be deployed for tournaments, as he sports a .366 wOBA and .252 ISO against lefties, along with a 47.6 percent hard contact rate against them on the road. White Sox starter Carlos Rodon makes for a nice target, considering the .361 wOBA and 16 homers he's given up to right-handed hitters this season.
Shortstop
Jhonny Peralta, STL vs. NYM ($3,000): Peralta has started to heat up at the plate recently during what has been his first extended action of an injury-marred season, with a .322 average and .350 wOBA over his last 16 games. He's also tallied a .340 wOBA and .227 ISO against southpaws at home, while Mets lefty Jon Niese has yielded a .371 wOBA to righty bats that goes up to .433 when facing them outside of Citi Field. He's also given up 21 of his whopping 25 homers on the season to right-handed hitters, along with a 34 percent hard contact rate when facing them on the road.
Outfield
Cameron Maybin, DET at MIN ($3,000): Maybin and his multi-category upside are back from the DL, but his price hasn't yet shot back up to his pre-injury levels. He offers the possibility of double-digit fantasy points in any given game and has a .335 wOBA against right-handed pitching. Twins starter Kyle Gibson has given up a .322 wOBA to righty bats at Target Field while Minnesota also checks in with the second-lowest success rate in shutting down steal attempts (18.92 percent) in all of baseball, giving the speedy Maybin another boost.
Billy Hamilton, CIN vs. TEX ($3,100): Speaking of stolen-base upside we have Hamilton, who has double-digit fantasy points in four of his last five contests. He also boasts a .340 wOBA against southpaws at Great American Ballpark and a .318 average and .365 wOBA overall in his last 19 games. Rangers starter Derek Holland has given up a .363 wOBA to right-handed hitters on the road along with a 5.80 xFIP. Texas has also been weak in mowing down baserunners, shutting down only 21 of 86 steal attempts (24.42 percent), which ranks them sixth-worst in the AL.
Nick Markakis, ATL at ARI ($3,000): Both the Braves and Markakis have quietly been surging at the plate and D-backs starter Archie Bradley has been extremely vulnerable to lefty bats this season. He's yielded a .414 wOBA to that handedness overall and a .424 figure when facing them at Chase Field, along with a 43.6 percent hard contact rate. He's also been hit hard over his last three starts, giving up a 9.00 ERA, .349 average, .392 wOBA and 22 runs (18 earned) over 18 innings. Markakis has a .359 wOBA against right-handed pitching on the road and a .303 average, .353 wOBA and four homers over his last 20 games. He's been even hotter over the last week, during which he's posted double-digit fantasy points in four of six contests.
