It’s playoff time! Major League Baseball starts October with the first slate of postseason action which features four games this Tuesday. The main fantasy baseball slate on DraftKings includes all four games and begins at 2:32 p.m. ET.
The first two games are from the American League as the Tigers face the Astros and the Royals roll into Baltimore to face the Orioles. Later, the focus shifts to the National League where the Mets and Braves head to Milwaukee and San Diego, respectively. After Monday’s thrilling doubleheader that saw both teams secure postseason spots, they’ll begin their postseason journey with no days off.
With eight playoff teams in the player pool, plenty of options make sense as you build your lineup for Tuesday. If you’re running short on salary, check out these three bargains that still bring upside.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Postseason Opener [$50K to 1st]
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SP Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers vs. New York Mets, $7,900
The Brewers will give the ball to Peralta to start their series with the Mets. The 28-year-old righty has made at least 30 starts in each of the last two seasons and anchored the Brew Crew rotation. This season, he went 11-9 with a 3.68 ERA, 4.16 FIP, and 10.36 K/9, averaging 17.5 fantasy points per start. He finished the season with an impressive run of eight straight starts with three earned runs or fewer while posting a 2.34 ERA, 4.35 FIP, and 41 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings.
Peralta faced the Mets on Opening Day of the Regular Season all the way back on March 29 and allowed just one hit and one run in six innings with eight strikeouts. He’ll look to start his postseason the same way with a strong performance. He’ll be making his third playoff start and has a 3.46 ERA. 3.97 FIP and 11.77 K/9 in his past four postseason games. He has high strikeout upside and brings good value under $8,000 on Tuesday.
1B Donovan Solano, San Diego Padres vs. Atlanta Braves, $2,400
After losing Chris Sale (back) to injury on Monday, the Braves will have to call someone up to start Game 1 of the postseason. While they haven’t announced who it will be, the Padres will likely have the best matchup of all the starting lineups on Tuesday. Solano is an affordable way to get exposure to the San Diego lineup and get solid production at an inexpensive salary.
Solano hit .286 his season with a career-high eight home runs and a .333 wOBA. He went 4-for-5 with 25 fantasy points on Saturday and went a solid 14-for-50 (.280) over his last 16 games with a .350 wOBA and 41.7% hard-hit rate. He’s a great low-cost option at 1B if you opt to chase stars at other positions.
2B/OF Mauricio Dubon, Houston Astros vs. Detroit Tigers, $2,500
Dubon brings nice positional versatility and a hot bat into the postseason. Whether he fits better into your lineup construction at 2B or OF, he makes sense as a cheap play even in a tough matchup with Tarik Skubal ($9,600).
Dubon hit .338 (22-for-65) with three doubles and a .327 wOBA in September. While he doesn’t bring elite power or speed, he has been able to regularly get on base and score runs while hitting from the bottom of the order and serving as a second leadoff man in front of the big bats when the order flips. In his 14 career postseason games, Dubon is 8-for-25 (.320) with three runs scored. While Austin Slater ($2,500) will likely be a chalkier play if he hits leadoff for the Orioles, I prefer Dubon based on his much better recent form.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Postseason Opener [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
