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Happy Wednesday, Rotoballers! After a massive Wild Card showdown between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox saw the Fenway faithful advance to the Division Series, it's the National League's turn to take center stage. The St. Louis Cardinals travel to Los Angeles to face a Dodgers team whose 106 wins were the most by any Wild Card team (National or American League) since the second Wild Card was introduced in the 2012 season.
My best guess for this game is either a Dodgers blowout or a tense, shaky, low-scoring, how-did-they-pull-that-off Cardinals win. So for this article, I'm rolling with a heavy Los Angeles lineup and getting as many Dodgers' bats in there as possible. The lineup decision to watch will be at first base. With Max Muncy out, Albert Pujols, Cody Bellinger, and Matt Beaty all have a chance to get the starting nod. I've gone with Bellinger in this layout, but Pujols and Beaty are cheaper plays, so you can quickly pivot to them when the starting lineups are announced.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/6/2021. 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.
DraftKings DFS Captain Selection
Gavin Lux - OF, LAD vs. Adam Wainwright ($7,500)
The 2021 campaign was up and down for Gavin Lux, but the up came at the end of the season, and that's why he slots in as my DraftKings Captain. Since returning to the big leagues for good on Sep. 10, Lux is slashing .360/.467/.500 with four extra-base hits, 10 runs, nine RBI, and a stolen base. Plus, his price tag as my Captain allows me to load up on some of the more expensive players on the board.
DraftKings DFS Utility Selections
Max Scherzer - RHP, LAD vs. Adam Wainwright ($11,400)
If I believe the Dodgers advance to the Division Series, it'll be on the arm of Max Scherzer. Since joining the West Coast team, Scherzer has pumped a 1.98 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 33.6 percent strikeout rate through 11 starts. While he's shown a propensity for a blow-up performance now and then (10 Earned Runs allowed in his last two starts), I am rolling with the three-time Cy Young Award winner as he looks to schedule a rematch with the San Francisco Giants in the Divisional Series.
Trea Turner - 2B, LAD vs. Adam Wainwright ($9,800)
Before I slotted Lux in as my Captain, I had Trea Turner in that spot. Unfortunately, his cost affected my overall lineup too much, so I demoted him to a regular Utility slot. The National League batting Champion heads into this tilt with a phenomenal prior 10 games in his belt. Over the season's final week and a half, Turner exploded for a 1.500 OPS along with 13 runs, four doubles, six home runs, 15 RBI, and two steals. He's possibly the hottest hitter in the game right now, and I'm not sure you can get away from him tonight unless you are aiming for a contrarian-type lineup.
Tyler O'Neill - OF, STL at Max Scherzer ($9,400)
I just said Trea Turner might be the hottest hitter in baseball at the moment. The "might" comes because Tyler O'Neill had a second half to remember. Over his final 70 games, O'Neill sported a .296/.368/.573 slash line to bolster his 19 homers, 51 RBI, and eight steals. He's bracketed by Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado in the Cardinals lineup, and I expect him to have a couple of fantasy-point-accruing moments in the contest.
Cody Bellinger - OF, LAD vs. Adam Wainright ($6,200)
As I mentioned in the intro, this spot is reserved for Cody Bellinger, Albert Pujols ($5,400), or Matt Beaty ($4,400) because Max Muncy is on the injury shelf. Bellinger may have the best shot at starting because he's the only one to have made a start in the last week, but Dave Roberts could easily switch things up. In all likelihood, any of the three could be pinch-hit for if they come up in a clutch moment, but being a part of the Dodgers lineup is usually a good thing for a player's fantasy outlook.
Yadier Molina - C, STL at Max Scherzer ($4,600)
If Matt Beaty ($4,400) starts, it will open up $1,800 to improve this final slot. However, as things stand, I'll have Yadier Molina as the last piece to my Showdown puzzle on Wednesday. He's not the hitter he once was, but if veterans Molina and Adam Wainwright beating the star-riddled Dodgers isn't a Hollywood story on a silver platter, I'm not sure what is. He's going to be in the lineup regardless of the opposition, and it's helpful to have a cheap, bankable option who will get at least four plate appearances on your roster.
