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Wow. Baseball doesn't get much more exciting than what went down in Game 4. After a bunch of lead changes, six home runs, and a final play that will live in baseball lore forever, the Rays went home the winner and the series is now tied 2-2. Clayton Kershaw returns to the mound for the Dodgers coming off his spectacular outing in Game 1, and he's looking to continue shedding his "struggles-in-the-playoffs" label in a pivotal Game 5. The Rays will send out their ace in Tyler Glasnow, who has given up 14 earned runs in the playoffs after posting a solid regular season.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/25/20. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. Be sure also to check out all the Vegas Odds for today's slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @davithius.
DFS Captain/MVP/STAR Selections
Randy Arozarena ($8,500 FD, $9,200 DK, $13,800 DK CPT)
Randy will have one of the highest rostership percentages at the Captain/MVP/Star slots after he sent another moonshot out to become the record-holder for most home runs in one postseason. He also scored the walk-off game-winning run on an absolutely wild final play that included two Dodgers errors and Arozerena stumbling to the ground before diving to touch home plate. His matchup against the southpaw Kershaw is unenviable, but you simply have to strongly consider a player who is hitting .377/.449/.841 with nine homers, three doubles, one triple, 12 RBI, and 18 runs in the playoffs alone.
Mookie Betts ($9,500 FD, $9,800 DK, $14,700 DK CPT)
Betts going 0-for-5 last night makes me like him even more as a Captain/MVP/Star for tonight's slate as that should just help keep his rostership at a respectable level. He's hitting .323/.385/.677 with a .354 ISO and .438 wOBA against RHP this year. Those ISO and wOBA numbers are off-the-charts, and Glasnow has struggled in the playoffs as he has allowed 14 earned runs and five homers over just 17 and 2/3 innings. He has also struggled with his control as he has 15 walks this postseason. I expect the patient and powerful Betts to take advantage in this spot tonight.
Clayton Kershaw (N/A FD, $11,600 DK, $17,400 DK CPT)
This is one of the few times we can feel somewhat-confident in starting a pitcher on a Showdown slate. He's the most expensive player on the board and you'll have to find a ton of value hitters in order to get him in the Captain slot, but he may be worth the risk with his form and the positive matchup. He had a letdown start against the Braves (6.5 DK points) but has otherwise been dominating with 45.6, 19.9, and 29.7 DK points in the playoffs. In Game 1 against the Rays, Kershaw went six innings and allowed just two hits and one earned run while striking out eight. He gave up a solo homer to Kevin Kiermaier, but he looked great against a lineup that held a very-high 28.5% K% against LHP in 2020 (the highest rate in the MLB). The Rays are projected for just 3.6 runs and Kershaw has another great chance to build on his recent playoff success.
DFS Utility Selections
Corey Seager ($8,500 FD, $9,600 DK, $14,400 DK CPT)
Seager's Game 4 was overshadowed by how insane the game turned out to be, but he did go 4-for-5 with a solo homer, two RBI, and three runs scored. He now has five home runs in his last seven games and seven total bombs in the playoffs alone. He's seeing the ball so well that he's impossible to ignore, and he should be strongly considered for your multiplier spots as well. He'll have the platoon-advantage over Glasnow, who has struggled with walks and homers in the postseason. Seager is a no-brainer play for me tonight.
Will Smith ($6,000 FD, $8,200 DK)
Smith hasn't been the same hitter in the playoffs as he was during the regular season, but he has had at least a hit in eight of his last 10 games and has swatted two homers in that span as well. He hit for a 1.040 OPS, .350 ISO, and a .427 wOBA against RHP this year. If you're looking for an inexpensive hitter who's a threat to take advantage of Glasnow's recent struggles with the longball, look no further than Smith tonight.
Mike Brosseau ($4,500 FD, $5,800 DK)
We'll continue with the value plays with Mike Brosseau, who should be in the starting lineup against the lefty Kershaw. He hit .333/.383/.738 with a .405 ISO and a .455 wOBA against LHP this season. Kershaw is not your ordinary left-hander, but those are incredible splits and they make him well-worth the cheap dart-throw if you're taking a "stars-and-scrubs" approach today. He's absolutely at risk of getting pinch-hit for in the later innings, but he'll likely get at least two at-bats off of Kershaw.
Max Muncy ($7,000 FD, $9,000 DK)
Muncy is more of a FanDuel pick today, due to how the sites have him priced. He wasn't good during the regular season (.193/.331/.389) but he has picked it up in the playoffs. He hasn't posted a zero fantasy point day in his last 10 games and he has five hits, five RBI, and two runs scored over the first four games of the World Series. He hits pretty equally against both sides of the plate and though Glasnow is a great pitcher, he's shown so terrible form in the playoffs and has been prone to walks and homers. Muncy will be happy to oblige hitting out of the cleanup spot for a Dodgers team that has a 4.5-run implied total.
Yandy Diaz ($5,500 FD, $5,000 DK)
This one is pretty simple. Diaz should be hitting leadoff against the LHP Kershaw and he's priced very affordably, meaning he has a great chance to provide value tonight. Kershaw is a beast, obviously, but Diaz holds a great 1.35 BB/K ratio and a .369 wOBA on the season, so he's capable of doing some damage here. He also posted a .976 OPS against LHP last season, though his splits have reversed in this abbreviated 2020 season. He's a solid value selection on tonight's slate.
RotoBaller Sample DFS Lineups
Sample FanDuel Lineup
Sample DraftKings Lineup
Please note that these are sample lineups designed only to show how you might use the above lineup picks in your own lineup. You should always check the weather and lineups before they lock to ensure players you are choosing are playing tonight.
