MLB Cash Game Picks 7-19-15

Pitcher

It's pretty hard to believe, but Sale's strikeout rate this season (33.5%) exceeds his already gaudy career mark of 28.5%. However, the problem on the surface comes from a Kansas City team that doesn't strike out that much. Don't let that completely scare you away, as several other quality pitchers have been able to post fine performances against Kansas City in the past month. Make no mistake about it, Sale is the "ace among aces" today, checking in with one of the best moneyline and run total combinations (-160, 7).

Every metric of Arrieta's game has improved over the last two seasons in Chicago, holding a 26.5% strikeout rate with a much lower 2.41 FIP. Has has looked excellent over the past month, and that will likely carry over to a nice matchup against a depleted Atlanta lineup. The other Cub pitchers have been able to dominate the Braves in this series, and Arrieta profiles as the best of that bunch. If you don't quite have enough cap space to snag Sale, Arrieta is a nice fallback option.

Catcher

I was debating Lucroy or John Jaso for this spot, but ultimately Lucroy gets the nod, especially for a cheaper price point on DraftKings. Milwaukee's righty-laden lineup gets a great home matchup against Jeff Locke today, providing some reasonable upside for Lucroy batting 2nd (in front of Braun and Gomez).

First Base

Abreu is the de-facto #1 first baseman today, and he's an easy cash pick for only $3200 on FanDuel. As you can see in the table above, Abreu has been a lefty-masher through his young career, and Kansas City southpaw Danny Duffy owns a .355 wOBA split against right-handed hitters this season. He'll likely run into trouble in the hitter-friendly atmosphere of U.S. Cellular Field.

Second Base

Walker represents a solid, well-priced cash game pick in the midst of a rather uninspiring second base position. The Pirates will continue to enjoy a nice park shift in Milwaukee, matched up against the mediocre pitching of Taylor Jungmann today. Walker is a switch-hitter who profiles much better from the left-side of the plate, and stacking him alongside the extremely cheap Gregory Polanco (featured later in the article) could provide an inexpensive (but potent) 1-2 punch.

Third Base

Aramis had his best game of the season last night, going 3-3 with a HR, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's. This pick is more than just chasing points, as Ramirez has an elite .376 wOBA .259 ISO against left-handed pitchers over the past three seasons. He should be ready to "tee off" on mediocre southpaw Jeff Locke, swinging a confident bat in Milwaukee's hitter-friendly park.

Shortstop

Mets' pitcher Jon Niese has been better in his last few starts, but he still holds a .334 wOBA against right-handed hitters, which ranks in the bottom five among probable hurlers today. Peralta has a pleasant contact/power combination for this Cardinal lineup that's starting to kick it into overdrive. Shortstop is usually a difficult proposition, and today doesn't provide an exception to that rule. If you aren't punting the position, I highly recommend Peralta as one of the highest upside shortstops on the board.

Outfield

Braun completes the Milwaukee trio (alongside Ramirez and Lucroy - also potentially including Gomez for the full stack) against left-hander Jeff Locke. Braun is the best of that bunch, but also (by far) the most expensive. If you have the cap space, target Braun with confidence. Otherwise, be sure to weigh your options on both sites. We all know Braun has massive potential against left-handed pitching, but it depends on how you want to allocate your cap space (pay up for an ace, solidify other positions, etc).

Pence has been on fire recently, and he'll step into a solid righty/lefty matchup against Patrick Corbin today. Corbin is making his third start of the season, still trying to shake off the rust after allowing six earned runs in his first two starts. I don't envy his position at all, as he's facing a red-hot Giants offense in hitter-friendly Chase Field. Pence is one of the best ways to gain some SanFran exposure, especially on FanDuel, where he's massively underpriced. He may be a tad too expensive on DraftKings ... I also like Nelson Cruz at a similar price range of $4,400 on DraftKings and $3,400 on FanDuel.

In my opinion, Gregory Polanco is the best cheap outfielder on the board for both sites. He's minimum salary on FanDuel, where he can be considered an essential cash game fixture for some solid salary cap relief. Pittsburgh's leadoff man has power/speed upside against the mediocre pitching of Taylor Jungmann. While it's unlikely he'll swipe a bag against Jonathan Lucroy, it's still nice to know that he has the ability in his back pocket. Polanco should get enough opportunities to produce in several other categories as well.