MLB Cash Game Picks: 8-28-15

Pitcher

You probably came into this article ready to see the usual on Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer, although great plays as usual, I am looking cheaper in cash games. There are so many aces on the hill tonight, and Francisco Liriano has a fantastic matchup at a great price tag. With so many aces going, I want to get a slice of the elite offenses tonight. Liriano has the fourth highest strikeout rate among tonight's starters, with the third best swinging strike rate (13.8%). Liriano has been somewhat up and down, but you could make the case for quite a few of these guys this season at times. He draws the Rockies at home, and is a monster favorite. Not only are the Rockies bad on the road, they are one of the worst teams in offense against left-handed pitching. (.289 wOBA, 65 wRC+, 23.4% strikeout rate) I can't justify Kershaw's price with these other arms going tonight.

After struggles in his first few starts, Raisel Iglesias has turned in some excellent lines in the month of August, and he has a matchup to finish off strong. Although he has a much smaller sample size, he has the ninth best swinging strike rate and the fifth best strikeout rate among tonight's starters. Milwaukee ranks 26th in wRC+ against right-handed pitching, and they have a 20.7% strikeout rate. Iglesias has allowed seven earned runs in his last five starts, and his ground-ball rate has been significantly higher during his recent success (59.5%). I like Iglesias more as an SP2 tonight on DraftKings compared to relying on him as your sole pitcher on FanDuel. With him being a slight underdog, and the win being heavily weighted, I will pay up a little more for safety.

Catcher

The Yankees come in as one of the top options on the night against Williams Perez, who has allowed a .375 wOBA to left-handed bats in 13 starts this season. The Yankees do move away from Yankee Stadium, which knocks down their value a tad, but overall, they should feast on Perez. Brian McCann is usually reserved for GPPs, but tonight, I don't mind paying this price for him. Looking through the position, catcher is very unappealing, and even punt options feel very weak. McCann should be hitting fourth or fifth in the lineup, and there is a nice run total for the Yanks this evening. With how bad Perez has been against lefties, it is enough for me to overlook McCann's inconsistency.

First Base

Edwin Encarnacion is pricey, but man has he been on a roll. The Blue Jays get a lefty at the Rogers Centre, and their prices skyrocket. Matt Boyd has a 7.04 ERA through six starts this season with a 5.86 FIP. I imagine those numbers are going to be a little higher after tonight. In the month of August, E5 has a .492 wOBA with a .417 ISO. After a poor start to the season, Encarnacion has a .364 wOBA off lefties, which he was struggling with earlier in the year. The struggles are no more! The biggest obstacle is fitting Encarnacion into lineups, but with select pitching and value plays, it is not that tough.

Second Base

The Nationals have a few guys with nice track records against left-handed pitching, but can they be trusted? No, but Anthony Rendon has looked better over the last 10 games, with a .340 OBP and two homers. Through an injury plagued season, Rendon has a .334 wOBA off left-handed pitching with a 28% line drive rate. Adam Conley has been below average in just a few starts this season, and is allowing a 34% hard hit ball rate to right-handed bats. I would like to invest more into the Nationals tonight, but the offense has been slow for most of the year.

Third Base

My main guy tonight is David Wright, but after playing yesterday, and his injury situation, I am not sure if he will be in the lineup. If he is, roster the man. He has a career .426 wOBA off southpaws and faces rookie Henry Owens. If he is not in the lineup, Danny Valencia is in a good spot. He will get the park factor boost moving to Chase Field, and Chase Anderson has allowed a .324 wOBA to right-handed bats this season. Valencia's numbers above do not tell the story for what he has been doing in 2015. He has been consistent all year, and he has a .375 wOBA off right-handed pitching.

Shortstop

The Mets keep running into inexperienced or weaker pitchers, which may or may not be contributing to the massive offensive explosion occurring before our eyes. Wilmer Flores has gotten in on the action, hitting .298, with three doubles, and three homers in the last 10 games. Flores finds himself hitting fifth or sixth most times against lefties due to the fact he has a .381 wOBA off of them this season. The Mets have another run total of four-plus runs, and why wouldn't they? Look for the Mets to keep it rolling tonight.

Outfield

Paying up for outfielders is tough tonight on both sites, because many of the elite options are priced near the top. Creating a balanced outfield is likely the way to go. Carlos Gomez finally found some offense in Yankee Stadium, and I am looking for him to continue tonight against Kyle Gibson. He has allowed a .330 wOBA to right-handed bats and has an average swinging strike rate. Gomez has not been great this season, but the matchup and track record is what I am looking at here. If you are looking to pay up for an outfielder tonight, Jose Bautista and Nelson Cruz are both the top plays.

Carlos Beltran has been the best Yankees' bat in the last few weeks, with a .436 wOBA in August. Beltran is my favorite out of the Yankees' outfield due to the price and recent play. Jacoby Ellsbury is banged up, and Brett Gardner has been in a slump, but both are priced higher on DraftKings. Beltran's numbers are now on par with the numbers above after his first half slump. Turner Field is definitely a downgrade from Yankee Stadium, but Beltran has hit well on the road this season.

A poor man's Nelson Cruz here. Franklin Gutierrez has mashed left-handed pitching, and has recently shown great form. He has a .443 wOBA in the second half, and most of the damage has happened off southpaws with a .439 wOBA. He is facing John Danks tonight, who has allowed a .366 wOBA to right-handed bats this season. U.S. Cellular has had a 113 park factor for right-handed homers over the last three seasons, and Gutierrez already had a taste of that last night.