All four of the Division Series in the Major League Baseball postseason series are tied 1-1, with a pair of huge Game 3’s from the National League on the slate this Tuesday. The Mets and Padres each stole a game on the road and now both have come home looking to finish their series with back-to-back wins. The main fantasy baseball slate on DraftKings begins at 5:08 p.m. ET, so be sure to get your lineups locked in and ready to roll before the first pitch at Citi Field.
Even though there are only two games on Tuesday’s slate, some nice value plays are available. As you stretch your salary to carry the superstars you want, check out these three low-cost plays who also bring good upside.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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SP Sean Manaea, New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies, $7,700
The Mets give the ball to Manaea for Game 3 against the Phillies Aaron Nola ($8,200) in what should be a good pitching matchup. Manaea went 12-6 in 32 starts for the Mets this season, compiling a 3.47 ERA and 3.83 FIP while averaging just over a strikeout per inning. He allowed two runs in five innings to the Brewers in his postseason debut last week, earning 11.7 fantasy points in that start. He looked sharper than that towards the end of the regular season, earning over 21 fantasy points in seven straight outings before the Brewers got to him in his final start of the regular season. Over those seven starts, Manaea went 3-0 with a 2.81 ERA, 3.56 FIP and 54 strikeouts in 48 innings.
Manaea faced the Phillies on Sept. 21 during that run and picked up a victory with seven strong innings with six strikeouts and 24 fantasy points. The Phillies did knock him around in June, but if he can return to his end-of-season form, the veteran lefty should be a good value play on Tuesday’s slate. Since Nola and Michael King ($8,700) will likely be very chalky, Manaea could end up being a key source of leverage and savings if either of those two starters struggles.
1B Luis Arraez, San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, $3,600
Normally, I try to keep my values under $3,500, but I’m willing to stretch just a little further to highlight Arraez on this slate since he represents such great value at only $3,600. The 1B has been locked in atop the Padres’ lineup since arriving in a trade from Miami back in May. He led the NL with a .314 batting average and had a .323 wOBA. It’s true that he doesn’t offer elite power or speed, which limits his ceiling, but his elite contact rate and consistent production make him a great piece to build around at this salary.
Arraez hardly ever comes up empty since he does such a good job getting on base and scoring runs. He has good upside from the top of the lineup if the Padres offense can keep rolling, and they should be in a good spot to do just that against Walker Buehler ($6,200) and the Dodgers. Buehler allowed lefties like Arraez to post a .380 wOBA against him this season and had a 6.53 road ERA and 7.58 road FIP. If you’re looking to stack the San Diego lineup, playing Arraez out of the leadoff spot is an outstanding place to start. After hitting .340 with 13 runs scored in 22 games in September, Arraez has at least five fantasy points in each of the Padres’ four playoff games.
OF Austin Hays, Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets, $2,300
Hays didn’t play in Game 1 for the Phillies but did come off the bench in Game 2, striking out as a pinch hitter. The reason I like him as a bargain basement play in Game 3 is that he has excellent splits against lefties like Manaea. In his 85 games this season between the Orioles and Phillies, Hays hit .354 against southpaws with a .402 wOBA and .183 ISO.
At this salary barely over the minimum, he offers solid power potential and good upside against Manaea, who he has gone 2-for-3 with a home run against in his previous career meetings. That’s a ridiculously small sample size, but Hays’ salary is low enough that he still makes a good flier and lets you build around Arraez and the Padres if that’s your stack of choice on Tuesday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Relay Throw [$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.
