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If you’re hankering for an age when rotations were clear cut and the next day’s starting pitcher was known well in advance during the postseason, today is not the slate for you. Instead, we bring you Clayton Kershaw as the cream of the crop, but even he was scratched from his start just two days ago due to recurring back issues.
Factor in that the Dodgers’ offense seemingly played the first three innings of Game 3 on rookie mode before promptly being shut down, and you’ve got a whirlwind slate where it’s best to assume you’ll have no idea whose pitching until they’re standing on the mound.
I'll provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 10/15/2020. Be sure to check out all the MLB player news, including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like DraftKings, and other sports. Feel free to follow me on Twitter, @davithius.
FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Clayton Kershaw - ATL vs. LOS ($10,100)
Really, Kershaw is the only arm that I can in good conscience recommend. Of course, fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on his back ailment, and in the case that he is ruled out, slot in whomever the Dodgers tab in his place. With neither the Rays or Astros having A.) announced a starter until a few hours before first pitch, and B.) both clubs sounding as if they’ll deploy their bullpens for much of the contest, the pitching attention focuses on L.A. and Atlanta.
That would also put Braves starter Bryse Wilson in play, but there’s the aforementioned 15-run eruption that the Dodgers delivered a night ago. In 15 career big league appearances, Wilson owns a 5.91 ERA. All of that was essentially a long-winded way of saying: Kershaw is the arm to target. He has struck out 19 batters in 14 postseason IP to this stage and is the only starter who could reliably go deep into an outing.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Austin Barnes - C, LOS vs. ATL ($2,300)
Keeping the price tag down somewhere is imperative with so many sluggers available Thursday, so fantasy managers can consider Barnes, who has been Kershaw’s primary catcher this season. Despite entering Game 3 cold Wednesday, Barnes’ first two playoff appearances this year saw him collect multi-hit performances.
Ozzie Albies - 2B, ATL vs. LOS ($3,800)
After hyping up Albies earlier in the week against Kershaw, we’re going back to the well since they never got to face one another. During the 2019 year, Albies particularly clobbered breaking pitches when batting right-handed (.438 BA), which should particularly be a consideration when facing Kershaw. Factor in that Albies enters play on a four-game hit streak with 15 total bases in that stretch, and his top tier price tag no longer seems so gaudy.
Alex Bregman - 3B, HOU vs. TAM ($3,800)
We’ve reached the stage of the MLB DFS season where I can finally break out phrases such as “his swing looks excellent” as a means of justification for making it into this article. In the case of Bregman, it’s particularly applicable, because despite the fact that he’ll face a who’s who of Rays bullpen arms, his swing has looked better than the three singles that he has collected in the ALCS. With not many other appealing hot corner options, fantasy managers can consider paying up for Bregman’s power-packed bat.
Carlos Correa - SS, HOU vs. TAM ($3,400)
If Bregman’s swing looks good, then Correa’s looks elite. The shortstop spot will be hotly contested, and while you could make a case for any of the four major candidates, Correa’s hot bat and slight price dip below Corey Seager puts him up for higher consideration. With Game 5 bumped to a 2 p.m. PT start, it’ll play right unto Correa’s favor, as all five of his homers this postseason have come during day games.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Randy Arozarena - OF, TAM vs. HOU ($3,700)
Arozarena’s emergence during the postseason has been astounding. Having smashed his fifth home run of the playoffs in Game 4, he is now slashing .442/.489/.907 in his last 43 at-bats, making him a lethal bat to roster no matter whom Houston rolls out on the mound. Despite likely being one of the premier cash plays on the board, there is no format in which Arozarena’s production wouldn’t fit the bill.
Michael Brantley - OF, HOU vs. TAM ($3,200)
In a scenario where managers will have no guess as to who could be pitching for the vast majority of a contest, that actually makes Brantley even more of an appealing selection due to his overall success (.341 BA) this postseason. In albeit very small sample sizes, Brantley has tagged lefties and righties equally, posting a 1.009 OPS against southpaws and a 1.032 OPS against right-handers. A staple of the Houston order, Brantley is also not a likely candidate to be removed from the contest, which gives him a leg up on other similarly-priced players.
Cristian Pache - OF, ATL vs. LOS ($2,400)
Any concerns about Pache’s stage presence was quickly calmed over the past two games where he has filled in quite well in the outfield for the injured Adam Duvall (oblique). After socking an RBI double in Game 2, he promptly responded with a homer in Game 3. His price tag is still his largest draw, but despite his spot in the batting order, he seems poised to keep up his level of production now that he’s on the game’s biggest stage.
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