MLB Cash Game Picks: 5-14-15

Cash Game Locks: MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball

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

Cash game pitching is rough tonight, leaving Johnny Cueto as my lone cash game option tonight. The Giants rank close to the league average in team offensive categories, and overall not a threatening matchup for Cueto. He is holding hitters from both sides of the plate to a sub .220 average, with a 23.7% strikeout rate. One thing I look for in my cash game options, is how efficient they are. Cueto ranks fourth this season among qualified starters in pitches per inning, at 13.8. His fly-ball rate is a little high for my liking this season, but he has managed it well, and he is the best option tonight.

Catcher

The Dodgers have become the ultimate cash game team this season. They have yet another favorable matchup tonight against Chad Bettis. In his short career, he has faced 171 total lefties, and is allowing a .367 wOBA. Half of their hits have been for extra bases or home runs. This being said makes the Dodgers lefties an excellent cash game play tonight. Yasmani Grandal has a .421 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season, and hitting .536 in May.

First Base

Adrian Gonzalez is the established play compared to Grandal, and gets the same juicy matchup. He has not slowed up at all, hitting .350 this month. He ranks first out of qualified first basemen in wRC+. He has been without a doubt the most consistent play at first this year. Over the last three seasons, per StatCorner, Dodger Stadium has a 125 park factor for left-handed home runs.

Tim Lincecum has the looks of his old self so far this season, but in a bandbox like Cincinnati, he is due for some regression. With his down velocity, Joey Votto should jump all over this matchup. He is hitting .316 with seven home runs off right-handed pitching. He nearly has a 40% hard-ball rate to go with that, Votto has been dialed in this season.

Second Base

Howie Kendrick does not the splits of the other Dodgers, or Pedroia, but still a favorable matchup. Bettis has allowed a .430 wOBA against right-handed bats in his short career. He has a FIP over five against both sides, an easy target tonight. He is raking, like every other Dodger this season, with a .375 wOBA against right-handed pitching. He hits in a great part of the order, especially in front of Gonzalez.

The Red Sox will face their third lefty in the last four games, and this one is far less skillful than the other two. Roenis Elias has allowed a .327 wOBA to right-handed bats in his two seasons, with a 4.30 FIP. Dustin Pedroia has fantastic numbers against lefties in his career, carrying into this season with a .398 wOBA.

Shortstop

Troy Tulowitzki is the best hitting option tonight, and his price depreciated due to him being away from Coors. We tend to fade Colorado bats outside of Coors, but Tulo has a .373 wOBA when facing lefties on the road in his career. He heads to the other Los Angeles stadium, and Dodger Stadium is a far better place to hit than Anaheim. Over the last three seasons, per StatCorner, L.A. Has a 111 park factor for right-handed home runs.

Third Base

Right-handed bats have hit better off Lincecum this season, with a .270 average, and Todd Frazier is the second part of the Reds' duo I have faith in tonight. Frazier is up to 12 home runs on the year, tied with Bryce Harper. Facing Lincecum should be no problem, he has enjoyed pitching at home with a slipping velocity, and this is a matchup to cause some regression.

We usually like to target Josh Donaldson against lefties in cash games, but a .294 average, with 6 home runs off right-handed pitching says otherwise. He takes on Roberto Hernandez tonight, in Houston, which Donaldson seams to take advantage of favorable park factors. Hernandez has a 4.11 FIP against right-handed hitters in the last three seasons.

Outfield