MLB Cash Game Picks : 8-9-15

Pitcher

After witnessing what Stephen Strasburg did to the Rockies last night, I have complete confidence in paying up for Max Scherzer, not that my confidence was lacking. Colorado's offense struggles on the road, and they have a 22% strikeout rate in the last two weeks. Scherzer is second in the league in FIP, and has the third best swinging strike rate. Washington are heavy favorites, more than any of the other teams going today, just adding to the safety of the Scherzer play. Scherzer is not a must play, due to the other options going today, but he certainly headlines the aces.

I was back and forth between Corey Kluber and Chris Archer for this spot, as both are excellent plays today. I just like Kluber's price tag a little but more to allow the extra bat in the lineup. Kluber has been better off at home this season, with a 2.99 ERA, compared to the 4.16 ERA on the road. Kluber has not exactly been the reliant cash game option from 2014, despite having similar numbers. He has been rather unlucky, and has also given up a few very costly home runs. The Twins rank 23rd in wRC+ against right-handed pitching, with a 20.8% strikeout rate.

Finding an SP2 on DraftKings to allow some pricier bats could be an issue today, but Danny Duffy looks like the ultimate value play. He is sitting at $5,600, coming off a nice start against the Detroit Tigers. He is a solid favorite, and the White Sox are awful against left-handed pitching, ranking 29th in wRC+, and 10th in K%. If you go this route, a lot of the plays here will fit right in. I will also bold a few deeper value plays.

Catcher

Kyle Schwarber has been unreal since coming up to the major leagues, and now we have seen the price come up. Over 101 plate appearances, he has a slashing line of .352/.463/.625. He puts even more of a jolt into this Cubs' offense, who were slumping of late. Things have changed, and outside of Schwarber they offer some nice targets against Jake Peavy. The right-hander has allowed a .321 wOBA since 2012 to lefties, with a 4.35 FIP. Yan Gomes is a value bat to target against home run prone, Phil Hughes. He is bare minimum on both sites.

First Base

Three homers in the last two games, yeah I would say Victor Martinez is out of his slump. Now he gets to face a rookie left-hander, and V-Mart has just been mashing from the right side. This pick has some complications, as he is only eligible on FanDuel for catcher, so he makes for a very solid play there. He is first base eligible on DraftKings, where he is my top play. He has a .388 wOBA off lefties this season, so his issues have not been from the right side. On FanDuel I am taking a look at Ryan Zimmerman for my cash game lineups. He gets the lefty, and is a nice value play.

Second Base

Robinson Cano has come out of the gates strong in the second half, with a .460 wOBA. He is striking out less, and walking more, which is a good sign. With Colby Lewis' struggles against left-handed bats, it is easy to take a few of these Seattle bats today. Lewis has allowed a career .358 wOBA to lefties, while Cano sits as the Mariners top option. Looking for value, I will be taking a close to bare minimum Scooter Gennett.

Third Base

The slump-buster picks have continued, as Matt Carpenter busted out over the last two weeks. He has six homers in the last ten games, and is hitting over .350 in that span as well. Jimmy Nelson has allowed a career .347 wOBA. Miller Park also gives him a nice boost, as we saw last night, with a 138 park factor for lefty homers in the last three seasons. Aramis Ramirez is a deep value play on both sites, facing the lefty, Alex Wood.

Shortstop

Shortstop has been a position to pay down at over the last few days, mainly due to the lack of options, as well as some nice value plays. Jung-Ho Kang is a nice value play on DraftKings, while he is appropriately priced on FanDuel. Either way he gets the lefty, Wood, who has allowed a .343 wOBA to right-handed bats this season. Wood also has a 7.7% swinging strike rate, which is a few points down from his career norm. This is somewhat contributing to his mediocre season.

Outfield

There are quite a few top outfield options to choose from today, J.D. Martinez, Nelson Cruz, and Michael Brantley are all honorable mentions. I am highlighting Andrew McCutchen to feast on Wood's average season so far in 2015. He has a .389 wOBA off lefties this season, with a 28% line drive rate. PNC isn't always a park we search for offense in, but Cutch usually gets a pass with the upside he brings to the table.

Looking for some cheaper power in the outfield? David Peralta has you covered. He has a .233 ISO off right-handed pitching, to go with his .372 wOBA this season. Anthony DeSclafani has allowed a .341 wOBA to lefties, with a FIP over five. Chase Field has had a 109 park factor for left-handed homers in the last three seasons. You can also add his teammate, the lead off man, Ender Inciarte into the mix. Usually when one is mentioned, the other can be used as well.

Rajai Davis had a nice night against the lefty last night, racking up a solo shot. The Tigers have a very nice team total to target, and Davis a solid value option to get some exposure to it. He has a great track record against lefties, with a career .350 wOBA, and has some upside with speed and power as well. He fits well into any style of lineup today, and is a nice salary relief play.