MLB Cash Game Picks: 5-20-15

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

Tyson Ross
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opponent	Park Factors	FIP	K%	GB%	Vegas Team Run Total & Line
$8,900	$9,000	Cubs	Basic 94 - HR 96	3.40	26.3	63	3 -137

After two slates filled with team's aces, we head into a slate with not much to offer at staring pitcher. Tyson Ross has the best strikeout upside matchup tonight. The Cubs strikeout at a 25.8% rate. Ross has the best strikeout rate among the starting pitchers going tonight. He is a slight favorite, and pitching at home, where he has a 2.72 career ERA. He will need to keep the Cubs' lefties in check, which has been a problem this season. The Padres should provide run support for Ross since they face an average lefty.

Jake Odorizzi
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opponent	Park Factors	FIP	K%	GB%	Vegas Team Run Total & Line
$8,800	$8,500	Braves	Basic 99 - HR 99	2.48	20.9	39.5	3.5 -129

Jake Odorizzi's flyball rate is a little troublesome, but against a mediocre Braves' offense, he should have no trouble. He is also a favorite, according to Vegas, and has the best ERA coming into tonight among the field. Atlanta has a 96 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers, over the last two weeks it is just an 87 wRC+. Their offense is starting to become what everyone thought it would be, which is bad.

Catcher

Russell Martin
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs RHP 2012-2015	ISO vs RHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs RHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$3,700	$4,400	Jered Weaver - R	.337	.170	114	5	4.5

Jered Weaver has a 4.23 FIP against right-handed bats this season, and his velocity is one of a little leaguer's. Russell Martin has enjoyed hitting in the Rogers Centre, hitting .389 with four home runs. He hits fifth behind the big bats, and you should have money to splash around tonight with the lower tier pitching. Jays' bats are in a great spot yet again, and they should feast on Weaver's diminished speed.

Derek Norris
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs LHP 2012-2015	ISO vs LHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs LHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$3,000	$3,600	Tsuyoshia Wada - L	.382	.194	147	2	3.5

Anytime Derek Norris takes on a lefty, he becomes an excellent cash game play. He will likely slide into the two spot against the lefty, as he has all season. Tsuyoshia Wada has allowed a .348 wOBA to right-handed bats over the last three seasons, and carries a 1.14 HR/9. Park factor is the only thing against Norris tonight, but what a price for one of the best matchups among catchers.

First Base

Eric Hosmer
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs RHP 2012-2015	ISO vs RHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs RHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$4,100	$4,900	Jason Marquis - R	.336	.157	112	4	4.5

Both of my first basemen are coming from the same game, and their matchups are nearly identical. Jason Marquis has allowed a 1.81 HR/9 over the last three seasons to left-handed bats to go with a .378 wOBA. Eric Hosmer has been excellent this season, hitting .360 off right-handed pitchers, and driving in runs at a great pace. He has a .279 ISO this season against right-handed pitchers, and he hits in front of a couple great on-base hitters.

Joey Votto
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs RHP 2012-2015	ISO vs RHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs RHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$3,600	$4,600	Jeremy Guthrie - R	.413	.193	164	3	3.5

Jeremy Guthrie has allowed a .378 wOBA over the last three seasons, to go with a 1.65 HR/9 against lefties. Joey Votto is the perfect guy to take advantage of those numbers. He has seven home runs this year, all off right-handed pitching. Votto is hitting tremendously better on the road, at .333, compared to .227 at home. Guthrie rarely has a game where he is unscathed by a lefty.

Second Base

Jimmy Paredes
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs LHP 2012-2015	ISO vs LHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs LHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$3,200	$4,400	Roenis Elias - L	.215	.78	29	3	4.5

The numbers above are not representative of what Jimmy Paredes has done this season. He is a switch-hitter, so if Roenis Elias gets the boot, he easily switches to his stronger side. He is 5-for-13 off lefties this season, and is sitting at a cool .346 average on the season. He has a great matchup against Elias, who has allowed a .330 wOBA to right-handed bats in the last three seasons. He has allowed four home runs to 78 batters faced this year.

Dustin Pedroia
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs RHP 2012-2015	ISO vs RHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs RHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$2,700	$4,200	Phil Klein - R	.326	.112	103	2	5

The Red Sox offense is in a good spot, but it is hard to rely on them in cash games right now. Dustin Pedroia has a .310 average off right-handed pitching so far, and is only striking out at a 10% clip. Average numbers over the last three seasons, but to his credit, he was playing through wrist/hand injuries. He has a .353 wOBA, and a 123 wRC+ this year. He is a safe bet for some points, and a good way to get some exposure without going heavy on the Red Sox.

Shortstop

Troy Tulowitzki
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs RHP 2012-2015	ISO vs RHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs RHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$4,400	$4,500	Severino Gonzalez - R	.391	.216	134	3	5.5

The price for Troy Tulowitzki at home is very good tonight. The Rockies take on Severino Gonzalez, who has shown nothing to be in the bigs. He is the best hitting shortstop in the league, and you can easily pay up for him tonight. The Rockies will face one of the weaker Phillies' pitcher, and as long as the weather clears, they all should be used.

Alcides Escobar
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs RHP 2012-2015	ISO vs RHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs RHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$2,800	$4,300	Jason Marquis - R	.288	.84	79	1	4.5

The Royals should hit the over on the team total fairly easy tonight, and I like the Kansas City table-setter Alcides Escobar. He has a 106 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, while hitting .291. He does not strikeout, only a 9% rate this season. Right-handed bats are hitting .362 with seven home runs off Marquis this season, so a favorable matchup for all here in Kansas City.

Third Base

Josh Donaldson
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs RHP 2012-2015	ISO vs RHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs RHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$3,700	$4,600	Jered Weaver - R	.336	.157	116	1	4.5

Josh Donaldson is lights out when playing at home this season, hitting .405 with a .338 ISO. He is now leading off with Devon Travis out, and is crushing the baseball no matter who is on the mound. Weaver is a flyball pitcher, and the batted ball statistics do not favor him. He struggles on the road, and especially with keeping the ball in the park, allowing seven home runs to right-handed bats this season.

Josh Harrison
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs RHP 2012-2015	ISO vs RHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs RHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$3,100	$4,400	Mike Pelfrey - R	.324	.152	107	7	4.5

There has been movement from Josh Harrison in the last week or so, hitting .538, with five doubles and a home run. The lineup move down to seventh hurts his fantasy value, but he has upped his game. Mike Pelfrey gets absolutely crushed by right-handed bats (.316 average this season, and a .337 average over the last three years). Despite batting seventh, his matchup is great, and he has been red hot.

Outfield

Nelson Cruz
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs LHP 2012-2015	ISO vs LHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs LHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$4,500	$5,500	Wei-Yin Chen - L	.421	.271	170	4	3.5

A couple of lefties throwing in Baltimore tonight means you will see Nelson Cruz in a ton of cash game lineups. His numbers over the last few seasons speak for themselves, while he is continuing to mash lefties in 2015. He is hitting .591 with six home runs. He is in a great hitter's park, although it does not matter with Cruz's power. I will gladly pay up for him, and you should be able to with lower priced pitching tonight.

Adam Jones
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs LHP 2012-2015	ISO vs LHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs LHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$3,500	$4,400	Roenis Elias - L	.367	.207	133	4	4.5

Adam Jones is $1,000 cheaper than Cruz, but you get similar numbers against lefties, at a lesser price. He is hitting .444 off lefties this season, and a matchup .444 ISO. Great price for him tonight, because of the price tag he becomes one of my favorite plays, close to a must have in your lineups type of player. Elias is a your up and down average lefty, and Orioles should put up some runs.

Charlie Blackmon
FanDuel Salary	DraftKings Salary	Opp Pitcher & Handedness	wOBA vs RHP 2012-2015	ISO vs RHP 2012-2015	wRC+ vs RHP 2012-2015	Batting Order	Vegas Team Run Total
$3,900	$4,600	Severino Gonzalez - R	.351	.160	106	1	5.5

Not a lot of plays coming from this game so far, which is unusual for a game in Colorado, but weather looks spotty again. Gonzalez has not had much success in a small sample size in the bigs. He has hardly gotten any lefties out that he has faced, allowing eight hits in 15 at-bats. Charlie Blackmon is a player who uses Coors to his advantage and gets a juicy matchup tonight against a pitcher who allows a ton of fly balls.

---