Pitching and lineup stacks for Wild Card games
All systems go for all the Game 2s of the 2023 Wild Card series. Should be fun.
Jake McCarthy, Arizona OF – McCarthy was removed from the roster before the start of the series because of an oblique injury. Because of the timing, he can't play in the NLDS if the Diamondbacks’ advance. Jace Peterson has taken McCarthy’s place but isn’t likely to see much playing time.
Luis Arraez, Miami 2B -- Arraez played one game over the final two weeks of the regular season because of an ankle sprain, but he was able to hit leadoff and go 1-for-4 in the Game 1 loss to the Phillies. Assuming he responds well, there’s no reason to think that the NL batting champion won’t be hitting at the top of the lineup again versus Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Gallen vs Peralta is a fun battle, on paper at least. Gallen hasn’t shown much consistency in the second half of the season, but the good has been very good; including two strong starts to end the season against the Yankees and Astros.
Gallen can lead the Diamondbacks to an upset series win if he can outduel Peralta, but the Brewers pitcher has been among the best hurlers since of start of August with a 79/11 K/BB ratio -- 33/1 in September -- over 56.2 innings and just three starts where he’s allowed more than two runs.
With Milwaukee needing the win to stay alive, he’d be the option I’d be rocking with between the two.
Berrios vs. Twins
Berrios makes an awful lot of sense as an option for the Blue Jays to avoid being swept from a second straight Wild Card series. The right-hander will try to beat his former club, and while he did allow four runs in each of his last two starts, he struck out 16 in those outings, with 10 of them coming against the Yankees last Wednesday.
Garrett is the cheapest option on the slate, but I’d be going with Berrios if I’m using any of the cheaper options.
Phillies vs. Marlins (Garrett)
Garrett has been one of the more underrated solid options in 2023, so this has more to do with having trust in the Philadelphia lineup than anything against his ability.
He also has had much more success against left-handers (.600 OPS) than righties (.749), and while that could mean trouble for hitters like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, it could means big nights for right-handed bats Realmuto, Bohm and Rojas. Add Miami just doesn’t appear to be ready for the postseason action and I like the Phillies to close this series out.
Rays vs. Rangers (Eovaldi)
Tampa Bay hasn't scored in their last 27 innings of postseason play, with the last run coming on a Jose Siri homer in the sixth inning of Game 1 of last year’s Wild Card game against the Guardians.
They’re due, right? On top of that, this has been one of the best teams in baseball at home all year, Eovaldi just hasn’t looked like a quality option since returning from injury, and the Texas bullpen has been among the worst over the past month.
Great PrizePicks and Underdog choices for WC series
Playoff baseball! It’s finally here. What a wild ride it’s been. The Wild Card round kicks off Tuesday with the Tampa Bay Rays hosting the Texas Rangers, followed by the Twins vs. Blue Jays. Meanwhile, the Brewers host the Diamondbacks in the National League, and finally, the Phillies will play the Marlins.
The Wild Card round are best-of-3-game series. So, we still have plenty of options on PrizePicks and Underdog and I’ve narrowed down the best picks to make here.
Glasnow has been one of my favorite pitchers for years, and that’s coming from a Yankee fan. He hasn’t made a postseason start at Tropicana since 2020 and had at least 8 strikeouts in 3 of 5 playoff games there that year.
This season, Glasnow has finally been healthy. He’s exceeded this number in 60% of games pitched at home during the regular season. The Rangers have a dangerous lineup, but they are in the bottom half of MLB in strikeouts per game.
Yandy is Tampa’s most consistent hitter and is grossly underappreciated. He has the second-best batting average at home (.363), behind Luis Arraez (.376), and has a 1.015 OPS at Tropicana.
Diaz has been one of MLB’s hottest hitters since the All-Star break, and he will go up against lefty Jordan Montgomery. Yandy has the third-highest batting average (.355) against southpaws, and has surpassed this number in 6 of his last 8 games at the Trop.
The veteran righty went over this number in 61% of his starts this season, but his Ks fall off on the road compared to when he’s at Rogers Centre. The Twins have struck out more than any other team. In two starts vs the Twins, Gausman surpassed 6.5 Ks once.
I trust the team with the most strikeouts at home this season, during day games, and against right-handed pitching will continue into the postseason.
The lefty will take the mound for the Miami Marlins to open their series with the Phillies. He allowed more than 4 hits in over 60% of his starts in 2023. In his lone start at Citizens Bank Park, he allowed 8 hits. His home-road splits suggest fading him when he’s on away, as he’s allowed over a hit an inning on the road.
More on the MLB Playoffs:
At home, Harper is batting .352 with a 1.081 OPS. He has awful numbers in 9 at-bats against Luzardo, but he has success against Miami relievers. Harper has exceeded this number in 8 of his last 12 home games that weren’t stopped short because of injury or ejection.
Last postseason, Harper turned things up and posted historic numbers. I expect him to do the same in 2023 with unfinished business for him and the Phillies.
The Diamondbacks are in trouble, having to start the playoffs with Pfaadt on the mound. If they don’t put many runs on the board, the Brewers will make quick work of them in this series.
The 24-year-old righty allowed more than 4 hits in 13 of 19 appearances during the regular season, and don’t let his improved ERA down the stretch fool you. The Brewers don’t have the deepest or most intimidating lineup, but they’ve been seeing the ball well. They closed out the last month of the season with the 7th-best batting average in MLB.
Pitching and lineup options for start of playoffs
We made it, folks. After a six-month grind to reach the postseason, fantasy managers will be treated to a quartet of intriguing playoff matchups as the AL and NL Wild Card Series get underway on Tuesday afternoon.
There's a batch of light-to-moderate rain passing through Minnesota this afternoon, which might be enough to trigger a late start or in-game delay. There's enough of a gap for the Blue Jays and Twins to get a game in before the heavy precipitation arrives later this evening. Still, this amplifies some of the risk for utilizing both Kevin Gausman and Pablo López.
MLB Wild Card Preview: Expect Surprises
Carlos Correa, Twins SS (plantar fasciitis) -- Correa has been on the shelf since mid-September following a plantar fasciitis flare-up in his left foot, but it sounds like he has a strong chance to be ready.
Jorge Polanco, Twins 2B (ankle) -- Polanco is expected to be ready after dealing with right ankle soreness in the final weekend of the regular season.
Royce Lewis, Twins 3B (hamstring) -- The Twins hope to bring Lewis back in a DH-only type role, but that decision is unlikely to be finalized until some point prior to first pitch.
Byron Buxton, Twins OF (hamstring) -- Buxton is the least likely to return, but he is making progress from a right hamstring strain and could be an option at some point.
Jose Siri, Rays OF (hand) -- Siri has progressed to taking live batting practice and could be an option Tuesday. He’s been out since mid-September with a fractured right hand.
Luke Raley, Rays OF (neck) -- Raley might be ready in time for the opener as he continues to recover from a neck strain that he suffered a couple weeks ago during a pregame collision during batting practice.
Luis Arraez, Marlins 2B (ankle) -- Arraez is expected to return after missing the final seven regular-season game with a left ankle injury. The central issue here is how effective he’ll be at the plate, especially if his ankle isn’t 100 percent. We’re unlikely to have any clarity until we see him in game action, so fantasy managers should proceed cautiously when considering him for Tuesday’s slate.
Trea Turner, Phillies SS (elbow) -- Turner sat out Sunday's regular-season finale with a minor elbow issue and is expected to be good to go.
Minnesota boasts a potent lineup, but they also led the majors in strikeouts, which makes it a tasty matchup for Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman, who led the American League with a whopping 237 strikeouts. If there's an obvious building block, it's Gausman.
Glasnow, López, Wheeler and Burnes also represent strong options Tuesday. The Diamondbacks, who posted a lackluster .672 OPS over the final month of the season, don’t look like a major obstacle for Burnes, who should get plenty of run support from Milwaukee's offense.
Jesús Luzardo, Marlins LHP, at Phillies: $6,800
If there’s a potential vulnerability for the Phillies, it’s that most of their biggest over-the-fence power threats are left-handed -- Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper being the most notable. The Phillies have been among the better teams against southpaws, but Luzardo offers enough strikeout potential to mitigate the risk of an implosion, and hasn't faced Philadelphia since July 9. The 26-year-old southpaw is coming off a 10-strikeout gem in his final regular-season start, and easily represents the most promising low-cost starting pitcher Tuesday.
Brewers vs. Diamondbacks (RHP Brandon Pfaadt)
With Arizona forced to play until virtually the conclusion of the regular season to secure a spot in the postseason, they’re ostensibly forced to hand the ball to Brandon Pfaadt on Tuesday. The 24-year-old right-hander has pitched much better of late, allowing three earned runs or fewer in nine of his final 12 starts.
However, he's also surrendered a staggering 2.06 homers per-nine across 96 innings -- the sixth-worst mark of any pitcher with at least 90 innings. Combined with Milwaukee’s hitter-friendly American Family Field, Pfaadt is the obvious target for fantasy managers to stack against Tuesday.
It’s not hyperbolic to suggest that the Brewers most likely need to do some damage against Pfaadt if they’re going to win the series.
Chris analyzes the matchups and gives his predictions
The regular season is over, and now we turn our eyes to something that can warm even the coldest of hearts: the MLB playoffs. All four Wild Card series – with best-of-3 formats -- begin Tuesday, and while there are clear favorites, there are always surprises. It’s unlikely 2023 will be an exception.
Minnesota Twins vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Minnesota was unchallenged in the second half of the AL Central, and that has as much to do with how atrocious the division was -- if not more so -- than how well the Twins played.
That said, Minnesota has one of the more intriguing lineups, ranking 10th in runs scored and seventh in slugging percentage despite hitting just .243 over their 162 games.
The calling card is their starting pitching. No team had more quality starts (76), and hurlers like Sonny Gray, Pablo Lopez and Kenta Maeda give the Twins quality and quantity in their rotation. The bullpen has more question marks, but arms like Jhoan Duran, Emilio Pagan and Griffin Jax give them a solid core.
Toronto’s strength is also the starting pitching, which is all the more impressive when you consider the disastrous season that Alek Manoah -- a legitimate Cy Young candidate in 2022 -- “achieved” this summer. Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Jose Berrios were all strong options for the Blue Jays in their respective campaigns, and southpaws Yusei Kikuchi and Hyun Jin Ryu gave Toronto solid depth in the backend.
Like Minnesota, the bullpen isn’t as strong as the starting five, but Jordan Romano remains one of the better closers in baseball while set-up arms like Erik Swanson, Yimi Garcia, and Tim Mayza are capable enough to get the ball to Romano in the ninth.
Despite big names in their lineup, the Toronto offense has disappointed. Bo Bichette had a.306/.339/.475 slash line, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, Matt Chapman and Alejandro Kirk didn’t live up to expectations. The talent in the lineup is apparent based on their success in previous seasons, but Toronto was tied for 14th in runs and was carried by their pitching to win the final Wild Card spot.
Prediction: It’s understandable why the Twins are favorites. They have home field advantage, more depth and maybe extra motivation after last year’s quick exit. This should be a good one, but I’ll go Blue Jays in 3.
Few offenses have been better than the Rays’, as they ranked fourth in runs scored (860), on-base percentage (.331) and slugging percentage (.445). Tampa Bay is famous for their platoon splits that frustrate fantasy managers, but Yandy Diaz won the batting title at .330 with a .933 OPS. Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes, Josh Lowe and Harold Ramirez -- just to name a few -- all had quality campaigns.
The Rays’ pitching is pretty darn good, too, even with season-ending injuries to pitchers Shane McClanahan and Drew Rasmussen -- arms that would pitch at the top of many rotations. Zack Eflin was one of the best signings of the winter, while Tyler Glasnow returned from injury to strike out 162 hitters over 120 innings.
As usual, the Rays also have one of the best bullpens -- although the team did lose Jason Adam to injury recently -- with hurlers like Pete Fairbanks, Colin Poche and Robert Stephenson leading a deep group.
The Texas Rangers might have the best middle infield in baseball, with Marcus Semien and Corey Seager putting up star performances and more than living up to their lavish contracts. There’s plenty of offensive depth here beyond those stars, with Adolis Garcia mashing 39 homers, Josh Jung enjoying a strong rookie campaign with 23 round-trippers and a solid .781 OPS, and the recent addition of top prospect Evan Carter to the lineup (.306/.413/.645 in 62 at-bats).
The pitching doesn’t compare to the offensive talent, and starters Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Jon Gray were injured, but Scherzer and Gray could pitch in the postseason if Texas advances past this round.
Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery are no slouches, but the loss of those arms on top of a bullpen that has scuffled mightily over the past month-plus makes this the weakest pitching staff still playing in the American League. If this leads to a pair of 1-0 wins for Texas over the week, I can only apologize.
Prediction: Tampa Bay will get at least two games at home, and no team in the American League was better in their own confines -- 53-28 at Tropicana Field. The Rangers were mediocre on the road (40-41), and the mediocre pitching staff doesn’t inspire confidence. As much as I love the Texas lineup, the home field advantage along with the pitching problems seems too tough to overcome. Rays in 3.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Milwaukee spent 122 days in first place and played .600 baseball in the second half of the season. The Brew Crew led MLB in ERA (3.71) and batting average against (.226), and ranked second in WHIP (1.19). Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta gives the Brewers as good of a postseason rotation as there is, and Milwaukee can also turn to reliable southpaw Wade Miley if/when they’re able to advance to the NLDS.
Devin Williams is more than capable of closing, with 36 saves and a 1.53 ERA over 61 appearances. Uber-talented rookie Abner Uribe and pen mates Joel Payamps, Bryse Wilson and Hoby Milner give the Brewers a great chance of holding leads.
But can Milwaukee score enough in October? The Brewers ranked 17th in runs scored with a paltry .240 average and .385 slugging percentage, among the worst in the National League. William Contreras and Christian Yelich had strong seasons and there are talented young players like Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick in the outfield. Milwaukee will have to pitch its way through the postseason.
The Diamondbacks backed their way into the final playoff spot – losing the final four games of the regular season – but they deserve credit for reaching the postseason just two years after losing 110 games.
It’s a team sport, but Arizona owes much of its success to star rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll and his 25 homers, 54 stolen bases and 5.4 WAR. Arizona has other thumpers as well. Christian Walker had 33 HRs and an .830 OPS, Ketel Marte rebounding from his disappointing 2022 with 25 homers and an .844 OPS and Lourdes Gurriel drove in 82 runs while going deep 24 times in his first year with the D-Backs.
Arizona and Milwaukee match up evenly in terms of the lineup, but pitching is a mismatch. The Diamondbacks will have ace Zac Gallen on regular rest for Game 2 with Merrill Kelly another solid option for Game 3 if necessary, but the rest of the staff leaves a lot to be desired. The deadline addition of Paul Sewald did help solidify the closing role, but the rest of the bullpen has major question marks. There’s a reason Arizona ranked at or near the bottom third in baseball in ERA (4.48), WHIP (1.32) and batting average against (.251).
Prediction: Weird things happen in the postseason, but both NL series seem like mismatches. I can see Gallen perhaps stealing a game for the D-Backs, but the Milwaukee pitching staff is too good to pick against in this one, with all due respect to a very talented young baseball team. Brewers in 2.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Miami Marlins
How they got here: The Phillies never challenged for the division title, but that has more to do with how well Atlanta played than anything Philadelphia “did wrong.” After missing the first month-plus of the season, Bryce Harper was excellent with a .900 OPS while adding 21 homers despite getting just 457 at-bats.
The Phillies have the most complete lineup on the National League side of the Wild Card series. The pitching isn’t bad, either, but does offer a few more question marks.
Zack Wheeler had another solid campaign, and Taijuan Walker, Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez were good enough, even with Aaron Nola having his worst season. The bullpen also is in better shape for October, with the return of Jose Alvarado from injury providing a major boon, and a bounceback season from Craig Kimbrel helping solidify the final innings.
No one projected the Marlins to be a postseason team, and while there’s no denying Miami took advantage of the lack of competitors outside of the “big four” along with some luck, it’s still a fun story.
The Fish went 31-11 in one-run games despite a bullpen ERA of 4.37 that ranked 11th in the National League, but there is talent in the relief corps with arms like Tanner Scott, AJ Puk and deadline-add David Robertson capable of getting the job done.
It’s the starting pitching, however, that gives Miami a shot. Jesus Luzardo and Braxton Garrett showed why they were once considered top prospects, and while Eury Perez struggled to end the year, the 20-year-old also showed immense promise with an arsenal that can give hitters fits in October.
The Marlins ranked fourth in batting average, but that figure is carried by Luis Arraez, who hit .354 after joining Miami in an offseason deal with the Twins. Jake Burger also has been excellent after being acquired in a deadline deal with the White Sox, and Josh Bell was solid in his time with the Marlins after basically being sold to Miami from Cleveland.
All that said, this is easily the worst lineup that will be playing in October, as the Marlins ranked 26th in runs scored this season with just 668.
Prediction: Again, weird things happen in October, but on paper, this is a mismatch. Not only are the Phillies the better roster, but they’re also a team that has postseason experience that reached the World Series just last year. It’s impossible for me to say anything but Phillies in 2, but crazier things have happened.
Best lineup options for final day of regular season
October baseball! Not quite the playoffs yet but it’s the last day of the regular season. No. 162. The marathon ends.
The 12-team MLB playoff field is set. In the National League we have the Braves, Dodgers, Brewers, Phillies, Marlins, and Diamondbacks. In the American League we have the Orioles, Twins, Rangers, Astros, Blue Jays, and the Rays.
There’s still Wild Card seeding to be decided. The games today that can affect Wild Card seeding are the Blue Jays vs. Rays and the Astros vs. Diamondbacks. We have a beautiful 14-game slate of games to choose from with every game scheduled to start at 3 pm ET.
There are plenty of guys who won’t play in Game 162 but we’re here to give you the best foundational building blocks you’ll need to construct your lineups around.
Mother nature got the message today and is allowing immaculate baseball weather across the country.
The starting pitching options on the final day aren’t the sexiest. There are some decent arms taking the mound, but I’m not convinced and more importantly, neither is the Contrarian Edge Optimizer that any of the top arms are worth paying up for.
If we forced to have one of the top priced starters in our lineups, I’d roll with E-Rod. Rodriguez has had an interesting season. He turned down a trade to the Dodgers at the deadline that would have seen him pitch in the playoffs.
Instead, he chose to stay in Detroit. Baffling, but the All-Star is coming off a 7-inning outing in which he didn’t allow a run. Sunday, he faces a Cleveland lineup that has the second-lowest batting average (.232) and the lowest OPS (.665) against lefties this season.
He is 3-0 in his three starts against Cleveland this season. He has thrown 21.2 innings and has allowed just 1 earned run. Just pure dominance over the Guardians lineup.
Reid Detmers vs. OAK: $7,300
The lefty has three straight starts where he has accrued at least 20 fantasy points. His numbers don’t jump off the screen, but he’s been solid over his last 7 outings as he’s posted a 2.41 ERA.
He will face the Oakland Athletics, not a bad opponent if you intend to close out the season on a high note. Oakland is just as bad against lefties as the Guardians are. They are the only team with a lower batting average against lefties in MLB at .230.
Strangely, today is Detmers' first start against the divisional opponent.
Michael King vs. KC: $8,000
You know I had to call on King. As a Yankee fan, he’s been one of the few bright spots in the second half of the season. He’s made seven straight starts after pitching much of his MLB career out of the bullpen and didn't allow more than 1 run in those 7 outings.
He’s posted a miniscule 1.04 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and his strikeout to walk ratio is outstanding at 47:9 KK/BB across 34.1 innings. His strikeout rate is up to 30.6% and a matchup with the Royals own a 23.1% strikeout rate.
Padres @ White Sox (Jose Urena)
Among disappointing teams in 2023, the Padres at the top. They can end their season on a high note against Jose Urena, who has bounced around the league for the last two seasons.
In 9 starts this season he has a 6.04 ERA and has given up a .520 slugging percentage. The Optimizer suggests getting lefties in your lineup like Soto and Choi, probably because lefties have a .602 slugging percentage against him this season.
Chicago is a hitter-friendly park so we can trust the Padres to do damage.
Great stack options for your Saturday lineups
Friday’s game between the Phillies and Mets was rained out, and while they’re scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday, there’s a chance of precipitation throughout the day. There’s also a decent probability of rain occurring during the Angels-Athletics games, so fantasy managers will want to make sure before including anyone in those contests in their respective lineups.
Nico Hoerner -- Knee: Hoerner fouled a ball off his left knee during Friday’s extra-inning loss to the Brewers, and he was diagnosed with a contusion. Testing revealed that there were no fractures, so there’s at least a chance that Hoerner can be back in the lineup for a must-win game against the Brew Crew on Saturday.
Jorge Polanco -- Ankle: Polanco tweaked his right ankle while striking out in the fourth inning against the Rockies. It is the same ankle that the infielder has had multiple surgeries on, but it does sound like his exit was more precautionary than due to serious injury. It is worth pointing out that Minnesota is locked into their playoff positioning, however, so they won’t have any reason to rush Polanco back.
As is usually the case when he’s available, Strider is the most expensive option in the main slate, and it’s easy to understand why with 274 strikeouts and 19 wins in an excellent 2023 season. It is worth pointing out, however, that Strider has not been the same pitcher as he was earlier in the season in September with a 5.64 ERA, and he struggled against the Nationals with four earned runs and “only” four strikeouts on Sunday. The upside beats any arm going -- and there’s some good ones -- but there’s a little more risk involved here than you might think.
Joe Boyle @ LAA: $7,800
It’s not easy for a 6-foot-7, 240-pounder to be sneaky, but Boyle qualifies in this case as one of the lower-priced options for Saturday’s slate. The former Cincinnati prospect has not allowed an earned run in his first two outings over nine innings since receiving his call-up, and he’s whiffed nine in that timeframe against three free passes. He’ll get a chance to take on a Los Angeles lineup that is ever-so-beatable, and while he’ll be playing behind one of the worst teams in baseball -- that’s quite the understatement -- he still has a chance for fantasy success even without a victory.
Twins @ Rockies (Undecided)
We always remind you to check lineups before you submit your lineup, but in games like this where neither team has anything to play for in terms of gain in standings, this is especially true. Having said that, basically just add as many Minnesota hitters as possible against Colorado and whomever they start. You only get two more chances to do this. Take advantage of it. It truly doesn’t matter who Colorado decides to throw. Just do it. You’ll be rewarded in the end.
Yankees @ Royals (Steven Cruz)
The Royals will go with a bullpen day against the Yankees on Saturday with Cruz likely going the first couple of innings before turning things over to one of the worst groups of relievers in baseball. You can add a superstar like Judge to the mix while gaining some (relatively) cheap other options that have a great chance for success in Kansas City. Again, make sure these guys actually play in the penultimate game, but whatever hitters get a chance to hit against Cruz and the KC bullpen are solid fantasy options. Sometimes it’s not that simple. Today is not one of those days.
CC breaks down top MLB PrizePicks and Underdog
It's the final Friday of the regular season, and one of your final chances to take advantage of a full slate of games. Here’s some over/unders to take a look at for Friday’s MLB action.
Means is not a strikeout artist, but he’s been an effective option since rejoining the Baltimore rotation with a 2.60 ERA over those three starts. He’ll also be facing a Boston lineup that offers plenty of chances for swing-and-miss, and Means is likely to work relatively deep as Baltimore is trying to keep his arm strength up. If this was a high total like seven or eight punchouts we’d probably pass, but needing only five strikeouts to hit the over makes this the play.
You could make a compelling argument for both sides of this over/under, and generally that means this is an option that you should stay away from. I’m feeling a little risky on this final Friday of the regular season and will bet on Waldichuk regressing even against a poor Angels’ lineup. The southpaw has gone six innings in three of his last four starts and has a solid ERA of 3.22 in four September chances, but this is still more of a long-term play than one you should be trusting in daily fantasy games. Asking for six innings from Waldichuk in an over/under is too risky a proposition, even against a less-than-spectacular Los Angeles group.
The Cubs were swept by Atlanta this week, but little -- if any -- of that had to do with the play of Bellinger, as he went 6-for-13 in that series in what can only be described as a remarkable turnaround from the struggles he had for the overwhelming majority of the 2022 season. He’ll go up against Colin Rea and the Milwaukee bullpen on Friday in games that mean absolutely nothing to the Brewers and are must-win games for the Cubs if they are to play past the final regular season weekend. Don’t be surprised if Bellinger has a few massive games to try and help Chicago play postseason baseball.
Crawford has somewhat quietly put together an excellent season for the Mariners, and he came up huge for Seattle with a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth to give the M’s a 3-2 victory. He’ll be leading off Friday against Nathan Eovaldi, and the shortstop will look to continue a good run while hitting in front of star outfielder Julio Rodriguez. It’s pretty easy to picture Crawford picking up a couple of knocks in another must-win game for Seattle, and the fact that he’ll hit at the top with Rodriguez and power-hitting backstop Cal Raleigh behind him eans run opportunities are readily apparent as well.
Let’s end the final Friday of the regular season with a fun one featuring a former MVP in Judge and a player that has a great chance to win one in the future in Witt Jr. (not that Judge can’t win another one, either, obviously). Judge will get a chance to square off against one of the worst starters in baseball in Jordan Lyles, while Witt Jr. will take on a lefty in Carlos Rodon. Against left-handers this year the shortstop is hitting .297 with an OPS of .858, so it’s safe to say that both hitters have an opportunity to do a lot of damage Friday in Kansas City. It’s a high total, but it’s always a good idea to bet on talents like Judge and Witt Jr.
Your best pitching and stacks options in MLB slate
It's a fully-loaded 15-game Friday featuring a jam-packed 13-game main slate for DFS purposes, which means there are plenty of intriguing pitchers and lineup stack options for fantasy managers to consider.
New York is our most likely trouble spot with lingering rain showers in the forecast throughout the evening. There’s a chance Phillies-Mets gets an early postponement, but there’s also a chance the two clubs will wait to see if they can get the game in. We’ll see, but this one looks extremely risky.
Chas McCormick, Astros OF (back)
McCormick is day-to-day with a lower back contusion entering Friday’s series opener against the Diamondbacks.
Nolan Schanuel, Angels 1B (knee)
Schanuel has missed a pair of contests with a left knee contusion and should be considered day-to-day heading into Friday’s series opener against the Athletics.
Yandy Díaz, Rays 1B/3B (hamstring)
Díaz has sat out two straight games with right hamstring tightness. With a playoff spot already locked in, there’s no reason for the Rays to take any chances, but he should be ready to return to action at some point this weekend to get ready for the postseason.
Luis Arraez, Marlins 2B (ankle)
Arraez has missed four straight contests since twisting his left ankle last Saturday on the dugout steps at Loan Depot park. He remains day-to-day for the moment, but fantasy managers shouldn’t count on him being ready for Friday’s critical matchup against the Pirates.
Brandon Nimmo, Mets OF (shoulder)
Nimmo will miss the last couple games of the regular season due to an AC joint injury in his right shoulder.
Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals 1B (back)
Goldschmidt has sat out a couple games this week due to back tightness.
With Nathan Eovaldi likely still facing some workload limitations and Joe Ryan in line for a tough matchup in Coors Field’s high-octane offensive environment, Zac Gallen and Dylan Cease are probably the best options for the main slate.
Gallen bounced back from a pair of rough outings by racking up eight strikeouts over six shutout frames against the Yankees in New York. He'll close out an extremely impressive regular season with a tough matchup against the Astros, who are also still fighting to secure a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Cease will lock horns with the Padres in Chicago and is coming off a dominant outing against the Red Sox where he struck out 11 over seven shutout frames.
It's Cease with a slight edge over Gallen as the top option almost solely because of the matchup. Allan Winans would’ve been a sneaky option for fantasy managers, but he’s one of the top-priced starters Friday, thanks mainly to a tasty home matchup against the Nationals.
Nick Martinez, Padres RHP, vs. White Sox: $5,800
Martinez is unlikely to work deep, but he’s pitched brilliantly in the last few weeks. The 33-year-old swingman has a sublime 0.64 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 15/4 K/BB ratio across 14 innings (seven appearances, two starts) in September and finds himself in line for an extremely favorable matchup Friday night against a White Sox’ lineup that has compiled the worst OPS in baseball in September.
There isn’t massive upside, but Martinez should excel into the middle innings in Chicago. I’ll throw out Athletics right-hander Joe Boyle since he’s facing the Angels in his third big league outing. There’s significantly higher strikeout upside, but there’s also significantly more risk, given his limited sample size at the highest level. Still, both Martinez and Boyle make for intriguing low-cost options for fantasy managers.
Braves vs. Nationals (RHP Trevor Williams)
A great over-the-fence power lineup taking on a starting pitcher that has allowed the fourth-most homers in baseball is a prime stacking opportunity. The usual suspects are all in the mix for the Braves while someone like Eddie Rosario makes sense with a favorable platoon matchup.
Giants vs. Dodgers (RHP Lance Lynn)
Lance Lynn has surrendered more round-trippers than any pitcher in baseball. The Giants might be out of the playoff picture, but they have enough left-handed power bats to do some serious damage. It makes a ton of sense for fantasy managers to build around a couple left-handed bats from this lineup.
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