There was a chance that we could’ve had no baseball today, as both the Phillies and the Cubs stared down possible elimination in their respective Game 3 on Wednesday. However, both clubs came through when it mattered, and we’ve now got ourselves a two-game NLDS slate. Hallelujah.
Let’s find some studs and values for your MLB DFS lineups on DraftKings.
Make your DraftKings MLB DFS picks here: MLB $75K Relay Throw [$20K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs, $8,300 – There are three very good starting pitching options on Thursday and they’re all priced within $500 of each other. That makes differentiation tough, but to me, Peralta is the obvious choice. First and foremost, the tilt between the Brewers and the Cubs just feels like its going to be the lower-scoring contest. It’s going to be a cool Autumn evening in Chicago, and the winds will be blowing in from centerfield. That’s not exactly hitting weather. Plus, the Cubs haven’t been producing with the bats throughout the postseason, slashing only .223/.284/.386 as a team. Let’s not down play the merits of Peralta, either. The 29-year-old posted a career-best 2.70 ERA during the regular season, paired with a 28.2% strikeout rate. Milwaukee’s got a little wiggle room in Game 4 and Peralta’s the team’s ace. I expect he’ll work deep into the night and rack up the FPTS.
INFIELD
Stud
William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs, $4,400 – Here’s what you need to know about Contreras, who is 5-for-12 through three NLDS games: The man hits left-handed pitching. For his career, Contreras is batting .304 with a 148 wRC+ within the split. In Game 2, Contreras took Shota Imanaga deep. In Game 1, Contreras doubled off Matthew Boyd ($7,000) — tonight’s starter for Chicago. Contreras has a history with getting hits off of Boyd, too. For their careers in the regular season, the backstop is 5-for-10 with a long ball off the veteran southpaw.
Value
Andrew Vaughn, Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs, $3,900 – What does Vaughn have to do to get his salary above $4,000? Actually, never mind. I’ll gladly keep taking the discount — especially in a matchup with a left-handed starter. In 132 plate appearances against LHPs in 2025, Vaughn slashed .313/.389/.470 with a 142 wRC+. However, if you isolate Vaughn’s time as a member of the Brewers, things get even better. In 72 at-bats versus left-handers following his mid-season trade, Vaughn produced a team-high .473 expected wOBA.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Teoscar Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies, $4,700 – Hernandez has rebounded from an underwhelming regular season so far in the playoffs, hitting .333 with three home runs and an eye-popping .810 slugging percentage. Hernandez is also a certified southpaw killer. Consider that from 2021 to 2024, among qualified hitters, Hernandez’s .303 ISO within the split was the fourth-highest mark in MLB, trailing only Aaron Judge, Albert Pujols and Jorge Soler. Tonight’s lefty is the incredible Cristopher Sanchez ($8,500), yet Hernandez does have some success in previous head-to-head matchups with the Phillies’ ace. The veteran outfielder is 5-for-15 (.333) with two long balls and two doubles.
Value
Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Dodgers, $3,200 – Choosing your discount Phillies outfielder for the evening is a little difficult. On the one had, Marsh has been phenomenal since the All-Star break, batting .302 with a 140 wRC+ in his final 200 plate appearances of the regular season. However, despite a promotion to the five-spot in the team’s batting order, Marsh has struggled in the postseason and he’s never had a hit off Tyler Glasnow ($8,000). On the other hand, Max Kepler ($2,700) was underwhelming all season long, yet is he 3-for-5 with a homer off the Dodgers’ RHP. I’ll go with the larger sample. Give me Marsh.
