MLB Cash Game Picks: 4-10-16

MLB Cash Game Picks is where you will find the ideal players for cash game contests. We tend to focus on high-floor players who produce more times than not. Be sure to check out the cheat sheets for more plays, while these are just a handful of top targets.

Vegas Notes

- Shocker, a game at Coors Field is the best place to nab offense and holds the largest over/under total on the slate at 11 runs. No other over/under total reaches double digits, but the Red Sox and Blue Jays in Toronto is close at 9.5 runs.

- There are four games with over/under run totals of 7 runs or fewer, and another pair at 7.5 push the sub-8 runs over/under totals on today's slate to a half-dozen. A few of those contests have lopsided moneylines, so don't immediately dismiss the players from both teams from cash games usage.

Featured Players

There isn't another team with a moneyline in excess of -200, and Harvey and the Mets blow that out of the water at north of -250 favorites. The Phillies might be the worst team in baseball. Last year, they ranked last in wRC+ (84) and tied for last in wOBA (.297) with a 20.9% strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers. They're bad, and their starting lineup features players who would be fringe bench options on a contender. Harvey's first full season back from Tommy John surgery was unequivocally a success as he mowed down roughly a quarter of the batters he faced by strikeout and suffered none of the control issues some players do in their return with a 4.9% walk rate that ranked tied for eighth lowest among qualified starters. There are some other aces in favorable situations who could give Harvey a run for his money, but there are ample value plays to surround him with on FanDuel -- where he's already only the fourth most expensive arm -- to make him the clear-cut one there. On DraftKings, where you need to use two starting pitchers, trotting out a combo of Dallas Keuchel and Adam Wainwright ($20,300 combined) is a reasonable alternative to using a pairing like Harvey and Joe Ross ($19,700). I have faith in Ross against the Marlins since they don't have the lefties to exploit his platoon split, so I'd advise using the latter duo.

A cleanup hitter at Coors Field? Yes please! The former minor league player of the year's overall numbers against right-handed pitchers are more good than great, but Coors Field is amazing. It's a ballpark with silly right-handed batter park factors of 118 for singles, 119 for doubles/triples, 114 for homers and 133 for runs scored, per StatCorner. An offensive-friendly venue like that bumps a slightly above average hitter like Myers' value up to damn near elite. Facing Chad Bettis won't hurt, either. The righty allowed a .345 wOBA to right-handed batters in 2015, but since 2013, he's yielded a .385 wOBA to them. Furthermore, he's allowed a staggering .390 wOBA and .517 slugging to batters at Coors Field in his career. Myers is an affordable piece of the eye-popping 11 runs over/under total in Colorado, and all the variables line up in his favor.

Carpenter pissed away one matchup against an Atlanta starter who gets pummeled by left-handed batters, but in the world of daily baseball, you need to have a short memory. Carpenter's slow start does nothing to diminish his excellence. He's coming off of a career year in terms of power and tweaked his well above average offensive skill-set to feature that power spike without sacrificing being a great offensive player overall. In 2015, he hit 20 homers with a .249 ISO, .385 OBP, .394 wOBA and 154 in 454 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers. Tonight, he draws giving righty Williams Perez. Perez surrendered a .374 wOBA, .377 OBP and .487 slugging to left-handed batters in his first in the majors last year. The matchup is cushy, Carpenter's salary isn't crippling and by hitting leadoff, he'll get the maximum number of plate appearances available in this game, therefore the maximum number of chances to score points -- obviously.

Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra are all strong plays, but I'd pay all the way up to Blackmon as a result of the catcher for this contest. Derek Norris surrendered the second most stolen bases (84) among all catchers. What a perfect backstop for the player who ranked third in stolen bases (43) in 2015 to pick up a stolen bag -- or bags -- against. Blackmon also owns substantial lefty/righty and home/road splits that both favors facing righties and playing at home. In 681 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers at Coors Field in his career, Blackmon owns a .171 ISO, .395 OBP, .392 wOBA and 134 wRC+. And as a lefty, a matchup with James Shields is downright dreamy. Shields allowed a .380 wOBA, .368 OBP and .522 slugging to lefties last year (file those numbers away for a forthcoming tout in the value plays).

Value Plays

Devin Mesoraco (C - CIN) FD: $2,300, DK: $3,300

Mesoraco's at home tonight, and that means right-handed batter park factors of 111 for homers and 101 for runs. In 132 plate appearances against southpaws at GABP in his career, he's reached the seats a half-dozen times with a .236 ISO, .364 OBP, .361 wOBA and 129 wRC+. Jeff Locke hasn't been exceptionally giving to right-handed batters, but it's not as if a .315 wOBA allowed to righties since 2013 is something to go out of your way to avoid. Also, Mesoraco will provide valuable salary relief on a day where the top pitching option will command a sizable portion of your salary cap at both DraftKings and FanDuel.

Ben Paulsen (1B/OF(DK) - COL) FD: $3,200, DK: $3,300

On FanDuel, you get to pick between either Myers or Paulsen. If you need to save a little salary at FanDuel, spinning down to Paulsen is okay. On DraftKings, though, you can use both. The Rockies have inexplicably used Mark Reynolds against a righty already this year, so double check to make sure Paulsen's in the lineup, but if he is, he provides a ton of bang for your buck. In 218 plate appearances against righties at Coors Field in his career, Paulsen has rattled off a .207 ISO, .362 OBP, .374 wOBA and 122 wRC+. Yeah, as I said, plenty of bang for your buck -- especially at DraftKings.

Kolten Wong (2B - STL) FD: $2,500, DK: $3,800

If you can't quite budget for Ben Zobrist -- and every dollar counts on today's slate with any ace of your choice commanding a hefty investment -- Wong is the guy to spin down to. Sure, he calls an unfavorable lineup spot home, but second base isn't exactly bursting at the seams with big bats in great lineup spots. He recorded multiple hits in last night's contest and was an above average offensive player against righties last year (.335 wOBA and 114 wRC+). Perhaps most importantly, Williams Perez was awful against left-handed batters as a rookie last season. It warrants repeating, he served up a .374 wOBA, .377 OBP and .487 slugging to left-handed batters.

Brad Miller (SS - TB) FD: $2,200, DK: $3,600

Miller's first season with the Rays hasn't gotten of to the start he or his employer would like, but let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. In his career, he owns a .171 ISO, .323 OBP, .326 wOBA and 110 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers. Putting that in perspective, he's basically been a tick better than Wil Myers against righties and calls a hitter-friendly ballpark home in Camden Yards today, too. Baltimore has left-handed batter park factors of 126 for homers and 118 for runs. Due to yesterday's rain out, Saturday's probable starter for the O's -- Mike Wright -- will get the ball today. The second-year starter was pummeled for a .392 wOBA, .386 OBP and .533 slugging by left-handed batters. Shortstop is a great position to punt tonight, and Miller qualifies as a punt at FanDuel and priced just a tick above the punt designation on DraftKings -- but the cheapest shortstop I'd be willing to use there.