Welcome to the Tuesday edition of the MLB Fanduel Cash Game Article. Tonight we have a full 15 game slate. As always, please make sure you check the weather and the team lineups as they are released. Let’s go ahead and take a look at my favorite cash game options for tonight on FanDuel.
Pitcher
Corey Kluber CLE: $11,700 vs. COL
It’s a coin flip at the top between using Corey Kluber and Chris Sale in your cash game lineup. I’m giving the ever so slight edge to Kluber since he has been the best starting pitcher in all of baseball over the past month and he is a facing an opponent who rarely sees him. In his last 10 starts, Kluber has had a meniscal 1.71 FIP and a ridiculous 13.68 K/9, which involves striking out at least 10 batters in nine of those last 10 starts.
Chris Sale BOS $11,400 @ TB
As I mentioned, it’s incredibly difficult differentiating between Kluber and Sale tonight. I imagine the deciding factor for most people tonight will be whether or not the extra $300 by using Sale improves one your bats in your lineup. Sale has an excellent matchup tonight against the Rays who only middle of the pack in wRC+, but have the fourth-highest K% against opposing left-handed pitchers.
Catcher
Tyler Flowers $2,500 vs. PHI
In order to fit either Kluber or Sale into your lineup, you’re either going to have to go value at catcher or just completely punt the position. My favorite value option for tonight’s slate is Tyler Flowers. Flowers has put himself together a very solid season and has been hitting both right-handed and left-handed pitchers well. Against righties he currently has a 0.366 wOBA and a 0.172 ISO and those numbers are even better in his home ballpark. Tonight he has an excellent matchup against Zach Eflin, who has been awful this season against hitters from both sides of the plate.
Robinson Chirinos TEX $2,100 @ NYM/ Martin Maldonado LAA $2,000 vs. BAL
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Sometimes it is necessary to completely punt at the catcher position if you are wanting to use a top dollar arm along and some better quality bats in the rest of the your lineup. A couple of punt options to consider tonight are Robinson Chirinos and Martin Maldonado. Chirinos actually has some pop as seen by his excellent 0.280 ISO against right-handed pitchers this season. I think Chris Flexen’s numbers will positively regress at some point, but at the moment he is really struggling to make the jump straight from Double-A to the MLB level. I much prefer Chirinos to Maldonado, but if for some reason Chirinos is out tonight, you can just plug in Maldonado who has a great matchup against Jeremy Hellickson.
First Base
Freddie Freeman ATL: $3,900 vs. PHI
It may be tough to squeeze in Freddie Freeman at this salary tonight, but I highly suggest it if you can. I already mentioned that Eflin has really struggled this season and Freddie Freeman is one of the best hitters in all of baseball against opposing right-handed pitchers. Another added bonus is that this game will be played at SunTrust Park, which is an extremely friendly park for left-handed hitters. I’m calling it right now, Freeman homers tonight.
Jesus Aguilar MIL: $2,300 @ MIN
If you want to go the value route at first base tonight, consider using Jesus Aguilar. Aguilar has been excellent against opposing left-handed pitchers this season with a 0.386 wOBA and a 0.214 ISO. Adalberto Mejia has not been too great this season and has been way worse at Target Field, which has actually been a very hitter friendly park in 2017.
Second Base
Jose Altuve HOU: $4,200 @ CHW
Jose Altuve is another top dollar option who definitely worth the cost if you can somehow fit him in. One of my favorite things to do in the second half of the season is to pick on the White Sox. The White Sox have completely scrapped every decent to mediocre piece from their bullpen and are now left with a heaping pile of garbage. This means that once opposing teams knock out their mediocre starting pitchers, the fun will definitely not stop when they’re going against such a terrible bullpen.
Scooter Gennett : $2,400 vs. SD
It’s really going to be difficult to say no to Altuve in cash games, but we do have a pretty solid value option if we do decide to do so. Scooter Gennett has had a couple of legendary performances this season, including a four home run game when he was minimum salary. He has been more than a one hit wonder with great numbers against right-handed pitchers this season. Against righties, he has a 0.407 wOBA and a 0.284 ISO. Tonight he has a solid matchup against Luis Perdomo, who has really struggled against opposing right-handed hitters this season.
Third Base
Jake Lamb $3,600 vs. LAD
Third base is a really hard tough position to decide which direction we should go. There are plenty of options at the top who we can use, but I don’t believe any of them are in as good as spots as Altuve at second base or Freeman at first base. Even here at $3,600, it may be hard to justify using Jake Lamb. All of the Diamondback hitters love hitting at home and Lamb is no different. In 173 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers at Chase Field, Lamb has a 0.397 wOBA and a 0.288 ISO. Kenta Maeda’s numbers look solid from a 10,000 foot view. However, when we dive deeper into the numbers, Maeda isn’t too great outside of his pitcher friendly home ballpark. Outside of Dodger Stadium, Maeda has allowed a 0.354 wOBA to lefties opposed to only a 0.254 to lefties at home. Chase Field is one of the more hitter friendly parks in all of baseball, so I could see Maeda struggling some tonight.
Luis Valbuena LAA: $2,100 vs. BAL
I really don’t like writing about Luis Valbuena if I don’t have to, but I think tonight may be a good night to punt at third base. Valbuena does not hit for a high average, but he still has somewhat decent pop in his bat. Tonight he has a decent matchup against Jeremy Hellickson, who has struggled with the long ball against left-handed hitters allowing a 1.71 HR/9.
Shortstop
Marwin Gonzalez HOU: $3,300 @ CHW
Marwin Gonzalez is another Astros’ hitter who we can use to pick on the White Sox tonight. Gonzalez is better against right-handed pitchers than he is against lefties, but he still has solid numbers against lefties with a 0.341 wOBA and a 0.232 wOBA. I touched on how bad the White Sox bullpen is now, but I didn’t mention how bad Derek Holland has been this season. Holland has allowed a 0.397 wOBA and a whopping 2.36 HR/9 to opposing right-handed hitters.
Jordy Mercer ARI: $2,100 vs. DET
On the cheap end of the spectrum at shortstop, consider using Jordy Mercer. He hasn’t been great by any means this season against left-handed pitchers, but for his career he has a 0.355 wOBA against lefties. Occasionally he will hit near the top of the order against lefties and if that happens against Matt Boyd, shortstop may be a good spot to go cheap tonight.
Outfielders
Andrew McCutchen PIT: $3,900 vs. DET
At the top end of the salary spectrum, Andrew McCutchen is one of my favorite options tonight. McCutchen has been outstanding against opposing left-handed pitchers this season with a ridiculous 0.488 wOBA and a absurd 0.442 ISO.
Billy Hamilton CIN: $3,000 vs SD/ Ender Inciarte ATL: $2,900 vs. PHI/ Nick Williams PHI: $2,800 @ ATL
If you’re looking for an outfielder near the $3,000 mark, consider any of Billy Hamilton, Ender Inciarte, or Nick Williams. I already mentioned how Perdomo and Elfrin can really be attacked and Julio Teheran has really struggled at home this season.
Albert Alora CHC: $2,000 @ SF
If you’re looking for an option at minimum salary tonight, consider using Albert Almora. Almora has been excellent against opposing left-handed pitchers this season, with a 0.399 wOBA and a 0.176 ISO
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