MLB Cash Game Picks: 5-7-15

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

Chris Archer is without a doubt the safest cash game play on the board tonight. He faces Texas, who have just a 64 wRC+ against right-handed pitching this season. They also strikeout at a 20% clip. Each of the three pitchers above are at home in their precious pitching parks, big bonus for all three. If you take the two times Archer faced Baltimore this season out of the picture, he would have an ERA of zero through four games. He has been electric this season, he has a 12.6% swinging strike rate, which is up three percent from his last three seasons. That is top ten in the majors. He is the highest price pitcher tonight, but not badly priced for what he can, and most likely do tonight.

I was very high on A.J. Burnett when I heard he was going back to Pittsburgh, and so far he has dominated. He has a 1.45 ERA through five starts this season, the problem is he has zero wins. He would probably be priced higher if those win bonuses ever came into his score. The Reds offense has been up and down so far this season, but they are in the bottom half of the league against right handed pitching, with just an 86 wRC+. Burnett is rocking an impressive 22% strikeout rate, and the Reds strikeout at a 20.4% rate against right-handed pitching. Now only if the Pirates can give Burnett some run support tonight.

Alright, this is not a sexy pick by all means, but Tim Hudson is an option on DraftKings for the SP2 spot. The Giants are a slight favorite tonight, according to Vegas, and Hudson has not had that bad of lines this season. He went into the beast of the belly, in Coors Field, and threw seven innings, allowing just three earned. At this price on DraftKings, he can provide some salary relief to pay up for hitters in the Bronx, and out in Arizona. Miami this season against right-handed pitching have a 90 wRC+.

Catcher

The Astros have faced a ton of lefties over the last ten days, which could be a part of their hot streak. They take on another one tonight, and because Evan Gattis has went yard four times in the last seven days, his price is up. Catcher is not an appealing position tonight, and I am going after the long ball with my two picks. Hector Santiago is a fly ball pitcher, allowing a 50% rate to right-handed bats over his career. The only downside to this matchup is the park factor, but stars can't always align.

The second long ball candidate is Brian McCann, and this time the park factor is very well in favor of the hitter. Yankee Stadium has a 117 park factor for left-handed home runs. Vegas has run total tied for the highest on the night, which it should be in this bandbox. Chris Tillman is a tough pitcher to gauge, he is either on, or really really off. Tillman is struggling with control this season, and lefties are hitting .275 this season.

First Base

Believe it or not, Paul Goldschmidt's price tag actually came down. This is the other high scoring game on the board, and Goldy is in another tier when comparing first basemen tonight. He is hitting .338 against right-handed pitching, with a .206 ISO this season. Not a tough matchup against Despaigne, and I am looking for him to bounce back after a horrible double-header yesterday. The price is high, but Goldy rarely leaves me disappointed.

Mark Texeira has eight home runs against right-handed pitching this season, and re-writing the history of him always having slow starts. Tillman only has a 31% ground ball rate against lefties, meaning everything else is a line drive, or fly ball. Yankee Stadium is not a place to have numbers like those.

Second Base

Anytime Jose Altuve is taking on a lefty, you will see him in the cash game section. He is hitting .459 against lefties this season, he is a machine. The Angels allow 0.81 stolen bases per game, which is 26th in the league. Altuve has ten already this season, and will probably wind up with one tonight. He is the standout play tonight at second base.

If you are in need of value, Jimmy Paredes is your guy. He has cooled off since that week of being bare minimum on DraftKings. He will enjoy hitting in Yankee Stadium tonight, and also the matchup against Nathan Eovaldi is favorable. Eovaldi has done well to limit the damage, but he is a ticking time bomb. FanGraphs has a new tool tracking hit speed percentages. Lefties have a 43% hard-ball rate off Eovaldi this season. Paredes is hitting .340 off right-handed pitching this season, unfortunately he is not second base eligible on DraftKings.

Shortstop

There is not a shortstop over $3,000 on FanDuel, or $4,000 on DraftKings to use tonight. Not a fun night in the shortstop department, but here are some options. Brandon Crawford is the leading fantasy points per game shortstop tonight, and the matchup against Dan Haren is not a bad one to exploit. San Francisco is not a place for home runs, but Haren has allowed five to lefties already this season.

Asdrubal Cabrera has lost his spot up in the top of the lineup, but outside of Elvis Andrus, I don't see any shortstop hitting up in the top of the lineup. Taking this year into consideration, as well as last, Nick Martinez has allowed a .348 wOBA to left-handed bats. When lineups come out, if someone sneaks into the top of the lineup, I would take them into consideration.

Third Base

Manny Machado is quietly having a solid start to the season. He is hitting .280 off right-handed pitching, with five home runs. I am going to pick on Eovaldi tonight, he is giving up a ton of hard hits, and is living dangerously from start-to-start. The park factor, lineup spot, and matchup are all in Machado's favor.

After a monster night with two home runs, I am curious to see Evan Longoria's ownership. On both sites his price tag is very friendly, and not too many options to choose from. Martinez does not miss many bats, and has a career 4.19 FIP agaisnt right-handed bats. He may have turned things around this season, but I like Longoria's odds better than his.

Outfield

My four outfield picks are going to come from the projected highest scoring games of the night. Jacoby Ellsbury seems to be going unnoticed most night, despite hitting .355 with 11 stolen bases this season. He has a 123 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, and is 12-26 this month. I am always a sucker for left-handed bats in Yankee Stadium, regardless if they are home run guys or not. That park factor gives a big boost to players like Ellsbury.

Rubby De La Rosa has pitched well against right-handed bats this season, but it is such a small sample size. Against 416 total right-handed batters, he has allowed a .329 wOBA, with a 1.25 HR/9. Arizona is a very friendly place to hit, which will benefit Matt Kemp. Kemp's numbers over the last three seasons are top notch against right-handed pitching.

Adam Jones has been one of the top hitters in the league this season, he is second in the league in average with five home runs. A matchup against Eovaldi is one of the better options tonight, especially since he has struggled at home so far. He has a 4.33 FIP against right-handed batters, and they have been hitting the ball hard off him this season.

I am looking towards Ender Inciarte for my value in the outfield. This is his only second year in the league, he hit .279 last season against right-handed pitching, and .309 here in 2015. He only has a strikeout rate of 7% this season against right-handed pitching, and has a 11 wRC+. I love cheap guys out of the lead-off spot, a great source for fantasy points.