Happy Wednesday, Rotoballers! Last night, the Braves bombed their way to an early advantage and swiped Game 1, and home field, from the Astros. Framber Valdez never looked comfortable (just like the ALCS Game 1) and was pulled early. Meanwhile, Charlie Morton was in total control, but a lousy bounce caused a broken fibula, and now he will miss the rest of the series.
For Game 2, Atlanta will send Max Fried to the mound looking to double their lead in the series, and Houston will give the starting nod to Jose Urquidy. I would give the advantage to Fried with his two good starts and one bad this postseason, but the Astros pummeled left-handed in the regular season. Both teams had to reach reasonably deep into their bullpens in Game 1, and it will be interesting to see how the chess match continues into the second game of the series.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/27/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It's also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, find me on Twitter and ask away.
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DraftKings DFS Captain Options
Yordan Alvarez ($13,800)
For our Captain picks, we'll be choosing between the ALCS and NLCS MVPs. The Astros didn't do much damage in Game 1, but Yordan Alvarez continued to produce the goods. He's riding a seven-game hit streak, and during that stretch, he's slashing .500/.533/.885 with three doubles, two triples, a home run, six RBI, and eight runs. As Yordan goes, Houston goes, and they'll need him to come through again if they want to level the series.
Eddie Rosario ($9,000)
Sometimes a player only gets hot for a strange series-determined set amount of games. That rule will not apply to Eddie Rosario as he picked up the World Series right where he left the NLCS. Last night, the lefty went 2-for-5 with a run and a double AND made a spectacular defensive play to halt a Houston late-inning rally. He's shown how easily he can explode, and he should be hitting in the leadoff role with righty Jose Urquidy on the mound.
Other Options: Max Fried ($16,200), Kyle Tucker ($14,400), Yuli Gurriel ($11,700)
DraftKings DFS Utility Selections
Kyle Tucker ($9,600)
If you've watched (or listened) to any of the ALCS or World Series commentary, you know Kyle Tucker likes to swing at the first pitch, and he led the AL in hitting since May 1. As those are just notes in an otherwise breakout year, it is coming to fruition in the postseason. In eight of his last nine games, Tucker has a hit with three multi-hit efforts and seven extra-base hits. The Astros 4-5-6 hitters are doing more damage than their 1-2-3 guys, and Alvarez and Tucker are the engines driving this offense. If you can grab them both against Max Fried,
Ozzie Albies ($9,000)
First off, thanks for the free taco, Ozzie! Second, he was a do-it-all man for the Braves in the early going of Game 1. His final line was only 2-for-5 with a run and a stolen base, but he really affected the game's outcome. As a switch-hitter, he has bizarre splits because he has a lower OPS against righties than lefties, but 20 of his home runs in the regular season came against right-handed pitching. I think Albies will be a low-rostered, high-ceiling play, and it'll be up to how many other big bats you want in the lineup.
Michael Brantley ($6,600)
Sometimes Michael Brantley will get in this zone where it feels like he can't do anything except record a base hit. In Game 1, he went 3-for-5 with a double for 11 fantasy points. He's not going to win you a contest, but his price tag fits so well into so many builds. Even with the southpaw Max Fried on the mound, Brantley is in play. He's recorded three multi-hit games in his last four, and he's been a steadying presence in the order as Jose Altuve's and Alex Bregman's struggles continue.
Other Options: Jose Urquidy ($10,400), Austin Riley ($8,000), Yuli Gurriel ($7,800), Joc Pederson ($7,000), Travis d"Arnaud ($6,400)