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And then there were two. After the Cubs-Marlins rainout and the Padres' offensive explosion, we head into Friday with only a two-game slate. Not getting too cute with pitching would be my approach. There is really only one clear option, outlined below, so you can always differentiate with bats.
Yu Darvish remains the obvious pitching target. Since we have to play two arms on DraftKings, I'm leaning towards rostering both Darvish and Jack Flaherty. I can see a case for Sixto Sanchez, but he's really looked shakey in his last two outings, and Adrian Morejon just threw last night, so he's likely not going to throw too many innings tonight. Given the use of the bullpens last night, Cardinals/Padres look like the top spots to attack while the Cubs are also intriguing with Sanchez's performance of late.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/2/2020. 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.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Yu Darvish - P, CHC at MIA ($9,000)
Bubba said it pretty perfectly yesterday, so I'm going to allow his words to linger for a bit longer: "Darvish has been a man amongst boys in the majority of his starts this season. He has pitched at least six innings in 11 straight starts and struck out at least seven in nine of those 11 starts. That type of consistency can allow a hiccup or two and still put together a very strong outing. He will face an RHH heavy Marlins lineup and on the season Darvish has allowed RHH to hit .211 with a .230 wOBA and a 39.8% strikeout rate. Give me all the Darvish today." On top of that, Darvish is now $700 cheaper than he was yesterday.
Other Options: Jack Flaherty (STL at SD) $8,400
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Yadier Molina - C, STL at Padres Bullpen Game ($3,600)
Molina is 5-10 with two RBI and two runs scored during the Padres series. Considering the limited options we have today, Molina deserved a long look at your catcher position. He's hitting .342 over his last 10 games and .277 on the season. Plus, he's an experienced veteran who likely won't be shaken by the moment and will be able to adjust to the string of different relievers the Padres use today.
Mitch Moreland 1B, SD vs Jack Flaherty ($4,300)
I know many people are going to flock to Paul Goldschmidt given the matchup; however, I think Moreland could be a sneaky option. Jack Flaherty, who we're considering for tonight because of the limited options, hasn't been himself this season, pitching to a 4.91 ERA. In his final regular-season tune-up, he allowed three runs over five innings against Milwaukee, striking out five and walking four. Two starts before that, Flaherty gave up nine runs in three innings against those same Brewers. Moreland has cooled after his hot start, but he still has a .315 ISO and .938 OPS against right-handed pitchers. With the way the Padres were swinging the bats last night, and how tired the Cardinals bullpen likely is, I'm going to try and get exposure to this offense in my lineups.
Jason Kipnis- 2B, CHC vs Sixto Sanchez (DK $2900)
This is a play based on recent form. Sanchez took the league by storm in his first few starts but really hit a rough patch over his last two, giving up nine earned runs on 12 hits in seven innings. Over that span, he struck out only four and walked six. Even though I wasn't concerned about Anderson as a rookie in his first playoff start, I'm a little concerned about Sanchez, who has already shown chinks in the armor against playoff-caliber teams. Kipnis is in play if we believe the Cubs are able to get to Sanchez as the Nationals and Braves did. The second baseman is hitting .272 with a .343 OBP, .342 wOBA, and 113 wRC+ against right-handed pitching. Those numbers won't set the world on fire, but they give you a solid floor and may be just what you need as you try to pay up for some of the bigger bats on the slate.
Matt Carpenter - 3B, STL at Padres Bullpen Game ($3,900)
I think third base is the perfect spot to pay down on Friday. If David Bote is in the lineup for the Cubs, I would be tempted to slide him into the lineup, but Carpenter is another inexpensive option. He went 1-3 last night with three runs scored. He's had a disappointing season but looked good last night, with some impressive at-bats and solid contact. There's not a long track record of success here for 2020, but you have to save money somewhere on the slate and this is just a gut call for me.
Fernando Tatis Jr. - SS, SD at Jack Flaherty ($5,600)
If I'm paying up any bat on the slate, it's likely Tatis. He's been a star this whole season and then almost single-handedly kept the Padres in the playoffs yesterday by going 3-5 with two HR, five RBI, and two runs scored. He has 19 home runs and a .963 OPS on the season, so we know that he can change the game with one swing. When one of the best players in the league is running a heater like this, it's not something you should be rushing to fade.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Jurickson Profar - OF, SD vs Jack Flaherty ($4,000)
Many people are going to want to play Wil Myers after last night, and I'm totally fine with it. I just may not have the salary to get him into my lineup. Profar was in the value article yesterday and he makes for another good option tonight at a reasonable cost. He went 2-3 last night with a run scored and is 4-7 during the season. He's hitting .371 over his last 10 games with a .920 OPS and has pretty even splits so far this season, so I'm not worried about him facing a right-handed pitcher. As I mentioned before, I think the Padres offense keeps the momentum going tonight with their season on the line.
Dexter Fowler - OF, STL at Padres Bullpen Game ($2,500)
Dylan Carlson is going to be another cheap option on the slate tonight, but Fowler could be an intriguing pivot. He's $600 cheaper than Carlson and has gone 4-10 with two RBI during the series with San Diego, scoring 12 DraftKings points in last night's loss. At this price, there is very little that he needs to provide in order to bring back value, so I'm willing to roll the dice on his recent production and hope he can push double-digits for a third game in a row.
Ian Happ - OF, CHC vs Sixto Sanchez ($4,200)
If I'm worried about Sanchez's performance tonight, then there are some Cubs that I need to get in the lineup. Happ is one of the guys that I'm most confident in. He hasn't quite been the same hitter since he hit himself in the eye with a foul ball, but he had a solid 2020, hitting .262 with 13 HR, a 13% BB%, and an average exit velocity of 91.1 miles per hour. He was in the MVP discussion before the foul ball incident, and it's possible that he's getting his rhythm back since he has a small four-game hitting streak going. Happ went 2-4 with a solo home run during the first game of this series, so I'll slot him into the lineup and hope he keeps it going against a vulnerable pitcher.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Chicago Cubs at Miami Marlins (Sixto Sanchez, RHP)
- St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres (Bullpen Game)
- San Diego Padres vs St. Louis Cardinals (Jack Flaherty, RHP)
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