The Major League Baseball postseason continues this Monday with a pair of Game 2s in the American League. The Guardians and Yankees each won Game 1 at home against the Tigers and Royals, respectively, and will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead before the series shift. The main fantasy baseball slate on DraftKings gets an early start at 4:08 p.m. ET, so be sure to get your lineups locked in and ready to roll before the first pitch in Cleveland.
Even with only four teams in Monday’s player pool, there are some good value plays to consider. As you stretch your salary to carry the superstars you want, check out these three low-cost plays that still bring good upside.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $80K Relay Throw [$20K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DraftKings Network on X @dknetwork.
SP Carlos Rodon, New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals, $7,500
If you’re looking for value on the mound, Rodon is the cheapest of the four starting pitchers but brings significant upside. The veteran lefty has a favorable matchup against the Royals, who slumped into the playoffs, and he also finished the regular season with several strong outings. In his second year with the Yankees, Rodon set a personal best with 16 wins in his 32 starts and compiled a 3.96 ERA and 4.39 FIP. He also had a strong strikeout rate with 195 strikeouts in 175 innings. He finished the season with five consecutive starts with two earned runs or fewer, going 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA, 4.67 FIP, and 34 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings.
Rodon faced the Royals at Yankee Stadium during that successful September and went six strong innings, allowing two runs with nine strikeouts for 23.9 fantasy points. He had over 17 fantasy points in four of his last five starts and even hit 30+ fantasy points in an 11-strikeout gem against the Rangers. Rodon brings a very high ceiling and has been very consistent. He’s also facing the slate’s lightest-hitting lineup- not bad at all for the cheapest scheduled starter.
2B/3B Andy Ibanez, Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Guardians, $2,800
The Tigers truly have shown plenty of grit this season and will need to bounce back again to level their series with the Guardians. Ibanez has been a regular in the lineup against left-handed starting pitchers like former Tiger Matthew Boyd ($7,800) and brings good upside since he usually hits in a premium lineup spot. He batted cleanup in the only postseason game vs. a lefty and led off in the last regular season game vs. a southpaw.
Ibanez hit .292 for the season against left-handed pitching with four homers and a .349 wOBA. He also showed a flair for the dramatic with a key bases-clearing double in the Wild Card series against the Astros. Ibanez is a great way to still get good production from a player under $3,000 and offers flexibility since he can fit at two tricky infield spots.
1B/SS Oswaldo Cabrera, New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals, $2,800
Cabrera is another bargain play with positional flexibility and good upside. He brings a very unusual combination of positions as he moves from his normal SS spot to cover 1B for the injured Anthony Rizzo (fingers). Cabrera went 1-for-4 with a double and five fantasy points in his first postseason game after hitting .247 with eight homers and a .290 wOBA in 109 games this season for the Yankees.
In four of his last five regular season starts, Cabrera had at least one hit, and he scored four runs during that stretch with a walk, a double, and an RBI. The 25-year-old from Venezuela typically hits near the bottom of the Yankees order but still has a good chance to get involved in their run production. On Monday, he’ll face lefty Cole Ragans ($8,300). Cabrera has been a switch-hitter for most of his career, but this season he hit lefty against some lefties and had decent success in those matchups. It’ll be interesting to see which side of the plate he bats from against Ragans, who held righties to a .195 batting average with a .265 wOBA but let lefties hit .276 with a .320 wOBA. Whichever side of the plate he bats on, Cabrera brings nice salary relief and good upside as part of the Yankees’ lineup.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $80K Relay Throw [$20K to 1st]
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
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.
