Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks for FanDuel, DraftKings, DraftDay and Draftster 9/15/14

Salvador Perez - FD 2400 DK 3500 DD 6500 DFSTR 3000
I only wish the Royals had more viable bats that I could stack against John Danks today. Perez though makes for one of the best catcher options on the day. He's hit lefties better historically even if this year's been a bit of a struggle. Some of it is thanks to his low Babip. I'm inclined to grab him on the cheap in a favorable platoon against a weak arm.

Jason Castro - FD 2500 DK 3500 DD 6650 DFSTR 3000
Castro's biggest issue is the strike out, so I think you can consider playing him against Zach McAllister who' strike out rate is only a bit above seven batters per nine. That's not a terrible number, but rather about average. It's enough for me to take a flyer on Castro at super cheap prices in a hitter's park.

Consider A.J. Ellis

First Basemen

Justin Morneau - FD 3300 DK 4600 DD 9350 DFSTR 7500
The process on Morneau as your top first base play on the day is rather simple. He's facing Roberto Hernandez who has a 5.55 xFIP against lefties this season in the best hitter's park in baseball. Morneau has made his whole season hitting righties in Coors and I don't think today will be any different. Hernandez doesn't strike anyone out and could be in real trouble today.

Edwin Encarnacion - FD 3900 DK 4800 DD 11000 DFSTR 5000
Where the prices are similar this is the only guy who gives me even the slightest pause in considering going away from Morneau. E5 has an .851 OPS against lefties this season and that's with a .234 Babip. He's been good even when running bad. Chen is not pushover, but Camden Yards plays great for righty bats.

Consider Adrian Gonzalez though he's pricey even for Coors

Second Basemen

Ben Zobrist - FD 2800 DK 4300 DD 8350 DFSTR 4200
Very difficult for lefties to strike him out as they put him down on strikes at only a 10% rate this season. His walk rate matches it and he's pumped out an .874 OPS in that split this season. Chris Capuano has reverse splits this season, but has been much worse against righties for his career. The ballpark doesn't help Zobrist but I really like the matchup.

Robinson Cano - FD 3300 DK 4400 DD 10750 DFSTR 7000
Mostly on price thing for him considering the matchup against Shoemaker isn't exactly perfect. tHe latter's had a good season with solid peripherals. But Cano's been about as good as it gets against righty pitching with an OPS over .900 and a 154 wRC+. Again, our system sees this a price play considering the matchup, but for cash games he provides safety considering how successful he is in the platoon.

Consider Brandon Phillips

Shortstops

Hanley Ramirez - FD 3500 DK 4600 DD 10750 DFSTR 10500
Welcome back to Coors. Hanley's coming out of his funk just in time. He has hits in five of his last six games and two of those include four hit affairs. The power hasn't returned but there's no better place for it to make an appearance than in the paper thin air of Denver, Colorado. He's a little expensive on DraftKings, and is on the wrong side of his platoon. But he's been above average against righties this season. Plus it's Coors baby!

Josh Rutledge - FD 2700 DK 3200 DD 7950 DFSTR 4900
If you want to stay in the same ballpark, but spend a lot less, Rutledge could be your guy. It's going to be tough getting away from the Rockies today. Rutledge's issues against righties stem from his strikeout rate. Thankfully Roberto Hernandez is a giver in that department. Not wanting to make hitters feel bad, he simply doesn't strike them out. Having a punt play against a weak pitcher in Coors never hurts.

Consider Didi Gregorius

Third Basemen

Evan Longoria - FD 3500 DK 4700 DD 9800 DFSTR 8100
For his career, Longoria has feasted on lefty pitching. He isn't putting up quite the same numbers this season with an OPS only in the lower .800's in that platoon. But the 136 wRC+ still plays and his struggles against righties have kept his overall price down. I'm all over him against Chris Capuano even in the pitcher's park. The price is too much to ignore considering his successes in this platoon.

Todd Frazier - FD 2900 DK 4500 DD 9600 DFSTR 3200
Travis Wood has been absolutely blasted by righty bats this season. He's allowed an OPS close to .850 to go with a .375 wOBA. You won't see many splits that bad from a guy taking the mound every five days. Frazier is coming cheap and hits lefties better for his career. Wrigley plays up power some and there is a fair amount of upside here.

Consider Kyle Seager and Danny Valencia

Outfielders

Corey Dickerson - FD 3700 DK 4400 DD 9150 DFSTR 3000
Charlie Blackmon - FD 3000 DK 4000 DD 9650 DFSTR 4300
Michael Cuddyer - FD 3200 DK 4500 DD 10950 DFSTR 9500
Like Morneau, I don't think I need to explain this too terribly much. These dudes could run a power train on Roberto Hernandez today. Dickerson's been one of the best hitters in all of baseball against righty pitching this season with a .404 wOBA that ranks really only behind McCutchen and Abreu for dudes with enough plate appearances. Blackmon hasn't been as good, but that's in some parts thanks to a low Hr/FB%. Cuddyer is better against lefties but is about league average righties. And they all get to face Roberto Hernandez in Coors. There's a strong case to just run them as your OF on FanDuel in cash games and it's something I may just do.

Yasiel Puig - FD 3200 DK 4500 DD 11100 DFSTR 4100
Like Hanley, he doesn't seem to be in a complete and total tailspin anymore. Though like Hanley something has happened to the power. And like Hanley, there's no better place to correct a power outage than in Coors. Christian Bergman's been an abomination with a 3.96 K/9 (joke) and 5.11 xFIP. I don't always make this kind of recommendation, but loading up Coors as much as possible is a strong EV play today. You can consider Carl Crawford but I think he's gotten too expensive.

Jacoby Ellsbury - FD 3700 DK 4500 DD 9200 DFSTR 4100
I always seem to play him on the wrong nights, but if you want to go contrarian against Coors then he could find some success against Alex Colome who has a 5.53 xFIP in his limited major league run on the mound.

Consider Alex Gordon and Wil Myers
Give a follow on Twitter @dailyfantasysr and @dougnorrie.

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