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We're rolling along with the week and we head into Wednesday's DraftKings MLB slate with four games on tap. The NL will be playing the second game of their series while the AL teams are playing in game three of their series. We have a couple of appealing starting pitchers to target to go along with a few offenses that look particularly stack-able on today's slate - let's get to it.
I'll be going through some of the best plays at each position on DraftKings with a GPP/tournament lineup build in mind. That's not to say that these players won't work in cash-game lineups, but we're looking to provide high-upside plays for the most part (it's more fun that way, anyway). As a reminder, it is best practice to stack 3-5 hitters from the same team for DFS purposes, so try to envision how the games will play out and build your lineups from there. Utilizing unique lineup combinations (i.e the nine, one, two, and three hitters) is another great way to differentiate.
In this article, I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the DraftKings main slate on 10/7/2020. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel and other sports too. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me on Twitter @kringstad19
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Clayton Kershaw - SP, LAD vs SD ($9,600)
You can go right ahead and fade "Playoff Kershaw" at your own risk. He is clearly the cream of the crop on today's slate and he's coming off his best outing of the season. He went eight innings and allowed just three hits while striking out 13 batters in a shutout over the Brewers in the NL Wild Card round. He received an extra day of rest and should be ready to rock for game two against the Padres, who he racked up 23.3 DK points against earlier this season (6 and 1/3 IP, 5H, 3ER, 9K). Kershaw holds incredible numbers, featuring a 2.16 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 3.05 FIP, 28.1% K%, 3.6% BB%, and a 53% GB%. The Padres boast a great lineup with a lot of young, exciting players, but they aren't battle-tested and haven't faced a pitcher even close to Kershaw's caliber in the playoffs yet. Notably, the Padres have struggled against southpaws lately. Since the beginning of September they have a 25.6% K% (12th in the MLB), .224 AVG (22nd), .300 OBP (22nd), .368 SLG (22nd), .143 ISO (20th), .292 wOBA (22nd) against LHP. The Padres don't have an implied total yet, but you can be sure that it will be one of the lowest on the board. Again, fade the best pitcher on the slate at your own peril.
Ian Anderson - SP, ATL vs MIA ($8,200)
The hotshot rookie will be making just his seventh big league start on Wednesday, but man has he been impressive. Anderson had at least 20 DK points in 6-of-7 starts, and at least 15 DK points in all of them. He pitched a six-inning, nine strikeout shutout gem for 33.1 DK points in his last start against the Reds in the NL Wild Card round. He holds a 1.95 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 2.54 FIP, and a slate-high 29.7% K% on the season. He also keeps the ball on the ground (52.5% GB%) with a top-tier changeup that he throws 30.8% of the time and is allowing a minuscule .104 AVG against. His elite numbers come with a small price, though, as he does have a worrying 10.1% BB% for the season. The Marlins are easily the weakest lineup on today's slate and Vegas agrees as they have a slate-low 3.5-run implied total. They have the 10th-highest strikeout rate (25.1%) and ranked dead-last in ISO (.120) against RHP this season.
Other options: Jesus Luzardo (OAK vs HOU) $7,500, Pablo Lopez (MIA vs ATL) $6,900 <----- contrarian GPP option if you're not stacking Braves
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Alex Bregman - 3B, HOU vs OAK ($4,100)
Bregman's salary is lower than it should be for a player of his caliber, and he'll have a chance to prove it against the explosive-yet-vulnerable southpaw Jesus Luzardo on Wednesday afternoon. He had a down year for his high standards, but he still managed to put up a .209 ISO, .357 wOBA, and a .350 OBP. He has always hit much better against LHP and that didn't change this year, as his .319/.411/.574 slash line against LHP makes his .214/.331/.408 line against RHP look silly. Luzardo holds exploitable 1.6 HR/9 and 22% HR/FB rates and if the 'Stros are going to do some damage today, you can bet Bregman will be involved.
Ji-Man Choi - 1B, TB vs NYY ($3,100)
Choi should be back in the lineup hitting out of the cleanup spot after sitting against the lefty in game two. The Yankees will send out RHP Masahiro Tanaka on Wednesday. Tanaka is a decent pitcher as he holds a 3.56 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 4.42 FIP, and a slate-leading 14% SwStr%. The reason we're wanting to attack here is his slate-high 1.7 HR/9 and inflated 39% FB%, and the fact that he has had a few consecutive shaky starts coming into this outing. Tanaka can be hit and the righty-masher Choi (.783 OPS vs RHP this year) is happy to oblige, for a very affordable price.
Jon Berti - 2B/OF, MIA vs ATL ($2,400)
You have more freedom to get a little weird on smaller slates like this, and using Berti in an Ian Anderson lineup would certainly be a way to be unique. He'll hit near the top of the order for the Marlins and though his .258 AVG is uninspiring, he has a very-high .388 OBP and 15.4% BB%. That, combined with going 9-for-11 on stolen base chances this year, makes Berti a very attractive option at his dirt-cheap salary on today's slate.
Other options: Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD vs LAD) $4,700, Freddie Freeman (ATL vs MIA) $5,000, Jesus Aguilar (MIA vs ATL) $2,900
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Marcell Ozuna - OF, ATL vs MIA ($4,700)
It has been a while since Ozuna hasn't been mashing. He has put up at least 16 DK points in four of his last six games played, and he just had a two-homer 42 DK point outing on 9/22. He should slot in at third in the order for a team that's projecting to score a slate-high 5.1 runs. Ozuna will face Marlins starter Pablo Lopez, who has been solid but not unbeatable this year (3.61 ERA, 3.09 FIP). Ozuna holds a .298 ISO, .425 wOBA, 1.067 OPS, and a 46.2% hard-hit rate. I'm betting on Ozuna to win a few battles at the plate today.
Giancarlo Stanton - OF, NYY vs TB ($4,400)
Stanton has now homered in four straight games after his 32 DK point, two-homer barrage in game two against the Rays. His salary has actually dropped in consecutive games, so there's still time to pounce on his amazing form. Charlie Morton is no slouch and he's coming off an eight-strikeout outing, but he holds slate-worst metrics with a 4.74 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 24.8% LD%, and .276 AVG against.
Josh Reddick - OF, HOU vs OAK ($2,000)Reddick is on the bench. Look at Kyle Tucker ($3,700) hitting out of the sixth spot.
This is simply a salary-saver play. Getting Reddick at the DraftKings minimum is a great value as the Astros should be among the top teams to stack up today against Jesus Luzardo. The veteran should hit in the eighth or ninth spot, making him a good wraparound piece to use with the heavy-hitters at the top of the lineup.
Other options: Matt Joyce (MIA vs ATL) $2,200, Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL vs MIA) $5,400, Mark Canha (OAK vs HOU) $4,000
DraftKings DFS Stacks
The Braves have the top implied total on the board at 5.1 runs and they're my favorite lineup to stack up today against the (relatively) middling Pablo Lopez. The Yankees can be stacked against Morton, but they're easily the most expensive stack and most of their hitters won't have the platoon advantage. The Astros and Rays look great as potentially lesser-rostered stacks as they're facing vulnerable pitchers with a penchant for giving up the longball.
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Good luck in your DFS contests and make sure to give me a follow on Twitter @kringstad19!
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