We've made it to the playoffs, and that means a lot of short slates. Tomorrow is no exception with only four teams in action. Never fear, however, we're still here to guide you to a cashing lineup.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/5/17. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. Let's get to it, shall we?
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @DanMarcus3.
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DFS Starting Pitcher to Consider
Chris Sale @ HOU (DK- $11,700, FD- $11,200)
Sale last pitched in a game on September 26, meaning he will be on well more than the routine 5 days of rest. For some pitchers that’s good, while for others it throws them off their game. Sale firmly falls into the former category, as in his career when he pitches on 6+ days of rest he has allowed opponents to post just a .292 slugging percentage and .557 OPS. Sale did close the season on a rocky note by his standards, but he should be expected to shake that off for Game 1 against the Astros.
DFS Infielders to Consider
Evan Gattis - C, vs. BOS (DK - $3,300, FD - $2,800)
In this very small slate, catcher is unsurprisingly a wasteland. Gary Sanchez is obvious as far as a top choice but DK makes it incredibly difficult to work him into your lineup. Splits make it difficult to make a case for both Christian Vazquez and Yan Gomes, which leaves the pair of Astros’ catchers. Price isn’t a differentiator as Brian McCann and Evan Gattis are equal cost on DK and Gattis is $100 more expensive on FanDuel. Given that, I’ll take the positive platoon split and roll the dice with Gattis against Chris Sale.
Mitch Moreland - 1B, @ HOU (DK - $3,300, FD - $2,800)
Justin Verlander has been extraordinary since joining the Astros, but he has shown some vulnerability to left-handed hitters throughout the season. In addition, Moreland posted a solid .214 ISO against right-handed pitchers this season with his numbers not suffering much on the road. On top of that, the head-to-head matchup with Verlander has also been largely kind to Moreland as he has gone 10-for-29 with a .552 slugging percentage and .958 OPS against Verlander in his career.
Jose Altuve - 2B, vs. BOS (DK - $4,600, FD - $3,800)
Jose Altuve is the only Astro I would go out of my way to play against Sale and that is due to his tremendous consistency. Not surprisingly, he has also shown the ability to handle Chris Sale posting a .981 OPS against him in 21 career at-bats.
Todd Frazier - 3B, @ CLE (DK - $3,300, FD - $2,800)
The Yankees’ hitters rightfully have a reputation as being a better hitting team at home, but Todd Frazier hasn’t gone along with that trend. During his time with the Yankees, Frazier hit of seven of his 11 home runs on the road. Lefties have generally had the better of Trevor Bauer on the season, so Frazier doesn’t have that going for him. Even so, he is priced down and has proven capable of producing on the road.
Didi Gregorius - SS, @ CLE (DK - $4,700, FD - $2,800)
Unlike Frazier, Gregorius has both the matchup against Trevor Bauer in his favor as well as his own splits. Bauer has allowed 1.76 HR/9 when facing left-handed hitters at home this season. Gregorius fits the bill in both regards tomorrow. Meanwhile, Gregorius has been superior both on the road and against right-handed pitching this season, making him a bargain on FD and a nice option to pay up for on DK.
DFS Outfielders to Consider
Jay Bruce - OF, vs. NYY (DK - $4,200, FD - $2,900)
Bruce has had an exceptional season that he has not gotten enough credit for. He ranks 27th overall among qualified hitters in slugging percentage against right-handed pitching and posted a 131 wRC+. Though he showed drastic splits in home vs. away numbers in his season long numbers, after joining Cleveland, Bruce had four home runs at home and four on the road.
Brett Gardner - OF, @ CLE (DK - $4,300, FD - $3,100)
Gardner fits into Bauer’s weak spot of lefties in Cleveland and he has also made the most of his opportunities against right-handed pitching, mashing 19 of is 21 home runs against them on the season.
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