MLB Cash Game Picks: 4-13-15

Cash Game Locks

Cash games typically reward high floor rosters. You don't need to score 60 points on FanDuel or 160 on DraftKings to win money. Instead, you should aim for a nice base of around 40 and 120 points, respectively. Our MLB Cash Game Picks will highlight the top pick and a value pick at each position for both platforms.

Pitcher

Jon Lester pitched with a pitch count in the opener, but he should have no problem reaching 100 pitches tonight. He's coming off one of his best seasons in the majors. In 2014, he ranked ninth in FIP, 12th in strikeout percentage and 11th in K-BB% (19.4%) among qualified starters. His 9.9% swinging strike rate, according to FanGraphs, was his highest mark since 2010 and fueled his increase in punch outs. With a low betting total and serving as a betting favorite, I like Lester in cash games today, especially on DraftKings.

The 2014 season was a tale of two halves for Scott Kazmir. He was outstanding in the first half before fading down the stretch. The lefty spun a gem in his first start of the year, and his PITCHf/x data over at Brooks Baseball looks good. There are some new faces in the Astros lineup, but the story remains the same. They feature big power and high strikeout rates. Last year, they totaled a 23.3% strikeout rate against southpaws as a team, the fourth highest mark in the league. Kazmir has bat missing stuff and is a steal at DraftKings and a strong pick at FanDuel.

Andrew Cashner got roughed up by the Dodgers in his debut this year, but there are no red flags in his PITCHf/x data. Chalk the messy first start up to nothing more than an off night. Vegas is doing just that as he's the biggest betting favorite tonight. Pitching at home helps result in a low betting total. Cashner totaled only an 18.4% strikeout rate last year but rarely walked batters (5.7% walk rate). His low strikeout rate caps his ceiling, but his ability to pound the zone and coax worm burners at a high rate results in a high floor. He's my preferred cash games pitcher at FanDuel as just the eighth most expensive pitcher. He's also a good pick in DraftKings cash games despite being the second priciest arm.

Catcher

I'm not using Russell Martin at DraftKings, where he's the most expensive catcher. I am, however, using him at FanDuel where he is very cheap. A slow start has resulted in a drop in the order, which is unfortunate, but 21 plate appearances don't erase his production from recent seasons. There are only three night games with betting totals of eight or higher, and the Blue Jays hosting the Rays is one of them. The right-handed hitting Martin will take cuts with park factors of 118 for doubles/triples, 123 for homers and 104 for runs, according to StatCorner.

Stephen Vogt has done the opposite of Martin, moving up in the order and slotting sixth on Sunday. His since 2012 numbers above are weighted down by a hitless 25 plate appearances in his debut back in 2012. Last year was his first real extended run in the majors, and he totaled a 119 wRC+ and .337 wOBA versus right-handed batters. He raked against righties in the minors, and I believe his numbers last year are more indicative of the big league hitter he really is against right-handed pitchers. Attack one of the worst starting pitchers on the slate tonight, Scott Feldman.

First Base

Anthony Rizzo is one of my favorite hitters today and priced to use at DraftKings and FanDuel. He crushes righties, and Mike Leake isn't an imposing one. In fact, Leake is a mess against left-handed batters. The Reds starter reached the majors in 2010 and owns a .338 wOBA allowed to the 1,831 lefties he's faced. It hasn't exactly gotten better in recent years. Since 2012, he's allowed a .337 wOBA to left-handed batters.

Rizzo is a better play at DraftKings than Albert Pujols -- who is the most expensive first baseman -- but Pujols is my absolute favorite hitter at FanDuel, and it's not even close. He's only the seventh most expensive first baseman. Pujols isn't peak years good against southpaws, but his ISO is north of .200 since 2012, and he remains an above average hitter against them. Facing Ross Detwiler is the big draw, though. Detwiler has allowed a .345 wOBA to right-handed batters since 2012. He got crushed by the A's in his first start and will likely get knocked around by the Angels tonight in a game with the highest betting total.

The cheaper cash games alternative to Pujols and Rizzo at DraftKings is Freddie Freeman. Freeman is cheaper than both at FanDuel, too, but I'm not veering from Pujols on there. The Braves first baseman is a line drive hitting machine ranking atop the heap among qualified hitters since 2012 in line drive rate (27.7% line drive), according to FanGraphs. Mat Latos couldn't even complete a single inning in his first start. Freeman and Braves hitters will be popular picks tonight as a result of the pummeling they laid on Latos in the opener, but Freeman is the only one I'm targeting in cash games.

Second Base

Since 2012, Robinson Cano owns the fourth highest wRC+ among all qualified hitters. He absolutely, positively rakes against righties. When a batter at a position thin on offensive talent hits like a first baseman, you need to be on high alert. Cano is tied for the most expensive price at second base on FanDuel but a great play. He's a steal on DraftKings, though, as the fifth most expensive option. He gets a reprieve from hitting at Safeco Field tonight with a trip to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers. As a left-handed batter, he'll enjoy a park factor of 124 for homers, and even the 96 park factor for runs marks an uptick from hitting at home.

Howie Kendrick is one of the best hitters at the keystone position when facing a southpaw. Since 2012, he ranks tied for fifth in wRC+ against lefties among qualified second basemen. He moves into the top five after dismissing Devon Travis' qualified seven plate appearances. As a cleanup hitter, Kendrick gets bonus points for usage when comparing his lineup slot to the majority of second basemen.

Shortstop

Jose Reyes is the best offensive shortstop playing in the late slate. The Blue Jays' leadoff hitter is in a great position to score fantasy points in a game with a betting total of eight runs. Furthermore, the Blue Jays are the betting favorite in that game. He ranks third among qualified shortstops in wRC+ against righties since 2012 and second in wOBA. There aren't many good offensive options at shortstop, and Reyes is one of the few.

A revamped Rays offense features Asdrubal Cabrera as their three-hole hitter. Withhold jokes about the current state of the Rays offense, and reap the rewards of his lineup slot. The switch-hitting Cabrera is in the ideal batter's box for facing R.A. Dickey. The knuckleballer has allowed a .314 wOBA to lefties since 2012 compared to a .294 wOBA allowed to righties. He's on the other side of the betting total of eight, and he makes for a much cheaper alternative to Reyes for gamers looking to spend heavily elsewhere on their rosters.

Third Base

Like Cano, Kyle Seager is a left-handed batter who will get a pick-me-up ditching Safeco Field for Dodger Stadium tonight. The number-five hitter for the Mariners hits behind a pair of hitters, Cano and Nelson Cruz, who get on base at a regular clip. That's obviously helpful from a run production potential standpoint. On his own hitting merit, Seager is plenty good enough for usage. The left-handed swinging third baseman ranks fourth among qualified hitters at the position in wRC+ and wOBA since 2012. Brandon McCarthy isn't a pitcher who ties up lefties, either. Since 2012, the right-handed pitcher has allowed a .327 wOBA to lefties. Use him comfortably and affordably at both DraftKings and FanDuel.

David Freese is another right-handed batter who is licking his chops facing Detwiler tonight. He's hit cleanup in both of the Angels games against southpaws this year. His offensive skills have diminished in recent years, but he remains a nightmare for lefties. Freese's injuries have prevented him from accumulating enough plate appearances to be a qualified hitters since 2012, but among third basemen who have eclipsed a minimum of 350 plate appearances in that time frame, he ranks seventh in wRC+ against lefties.

Outfield

Was there any doubt Mike Trout would be the top outfielder? He's a little pricey for usage at DraftKings -- unless you're stacking in GPPs -- but he's a strong play even as the most expensive outfielder on FanDuel. Trout can hammer even the best pitchers in the league, and Detwiler is a far cry from the best. He hits for power, has well above average speed and hitting second for the favored team in the game with the highest betting total of the night are all further reasons to use Trout on cash games rosters.

Yes, Jose Bautista looks better against lefties. He terrorizes righties, too, ranking 12th among qualified hitters in wRC+ and tied for eighth in ISO among qualified hitters facing right-handed pitchers since 2012. Review the park factors for right-handed batters noted above in Martin's write-up. Not mentioned in his write-up is that Odorizzi is an extreme flyball pitcher. Last year, Odorizzi allowed a 48.7% flyball rate. Flyballs hit by Bautista have a tendency to go a long way.

The switch-hitting Dexter Fowler will be hitting left-handed tonight. He'll also be doing so from the leadoff spot. That means Fowler and Rizzo immediately greet Leake as left-handed batters. As I mentioned previously, Leake is awful against lefties. The toolsy outfielder will hit with a doubles/triples park factor of 111. Since his power is typically of the doubles and triples variety, that park factor is especially helpful. Sign me up for using him at a cheap-ish price on DraftKings and a bargain price at FanDuel.