For the final time this season, Major League Baseball has four games on the slate for this Wednesday as all four Division Series continue with potential series clinchers. The Mariners and Blue Jays are each up 2-1 in their series headed into Game 4 on the road, while in the National League, the Brewers are up 2-0 on the road in Chicago and the Dodgers are up 2-0 at home in the nightcap. The slates will get smaller from here on out, so let’s enjoy the eight teams in the player pool, which provides plenty of strong DFS fantasy baseball options who are worth a look at all different points on Wednesday’s salary spectrum. Let’s dive in for a quick rundown of some of the top spots I think you can find value in my MLB DFS picks for this four-game slate.
The weather looks clear, for the most part, this Wednesday, with winds blowing out in Los Angeles and Detroit but in at Wrigley Field. The two AL games each have an over/under of 8.5 runs, while the Brewers-Cubs matchup has the lowest total with an over/under of just 6.5 runs on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st].
PITCHERS
Value
Jameson Taillon, Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers, $7,700: With Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($9,000) and Cam Schlittler ($8,700) as strong plays at the top of this slate, the chalk will probably be to rely on the big-name, big-salary pitchers and find a few value bats. If you’re looking for a different path, though, one spot to get some leverage could be to roll with Taillon at Wrigley.
In the Wild Card Series against the Padres, Taillon spun four scoreless frames, allowing just two hits with four strikeouts on his way to 15.8 fantasy points. He finished the regular season on a nice roll with two earned runs or fewer in each of his last seven appearances dating back to late June, since he was on and off the injured list a few times.
In those seven starts, he is 4-2 with a 1.85 ERA and 3.32 FIP with 28 strikeouts in 39 innings. He may not be primed to go deep into the game, especially since the Cubs are in a win-or-go-home situation, but he’s been efficient enough to still be a value option.
INFIELD
Stud
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees, $5,100: Guerrero has absolutely smashed the Yankees in this series with multiple hits, a home run and at least 22 fantasy points in each of the three games. He didn’t finish the season especially hot, but he has gone nuclear in the playoffs, and he looks ready to carry the Blue Jays into the next round.
He’s in a tough matchup against Schlittler, but he went 4-for-5 against the rookie in their regular-season meetings, so he has had some success against him in the past.
Value
J.P. Crawford, Seattle Mariners at Detroit Tigers, $3,000: Crawford is an affordable play with good upside as the Mariners look to move on to face the Blue Jays or the Yankees in the next round. Crawford went 2-for-2 with a home run in Game 3 of the series and posted 23 fantasy points. He finished the season with a nice September, hitting .295 with three homers and a .358 wOBA over his last 24 games.
He and the Mariners’ lefties will be on the strong side of the splits against righty Casey Mize ($7,500), who has let lefties hit .268 against him this year with a .313 wOBA. The Tigers could go away from Mize in a hurry if things so south, but Crawford has shown he can produce in any matchup and isn’t a platoon-only play. He’s 3-for-9 in the series and a solid way to save salary and still get upside.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Teoscar Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies, $4,700: The Dodgers are looking to finish out their sweep of the Phillies, and they’ll be at home in a favorable matchup against Aaron Nola ($7,200), who struggled all year but flashed a high ceiling in September after returning from the IL. Hernandez has been one of the hottest hitters this postseason, going 7-for-17 (.412) in his four postseason games with a double, three homers and a .595 wOBA.
He has homered in the past off Nola while going 3-for-14, and he hit 16 of his 25 homers this year at home and 19 of those homers off righties. The splits all tilt in his favor in addition to his current form, making him a great piece to build around, especially since he won’t break the bank with his salary under $5,000.
Value
Kike Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies, $3,100: Another Hernandez who is a great option in today’s MLB DFS picks is Enrique ‘Kike’ Hernandez, who can either fit in the OF or a 3B spot. Not only is the veteran a proven playoff performer, but he has also gone 4-for-11 against Nola in his career, with three of those hits being home runs.
Hernandez is 5-for-16 (.313) with two doubles in these playoffs and is a .280 hitter with 15 homers and a .366 wOBA in his 90 career postseason games. He warmed up for the postseason by hitting .308 with a .399 wOBA over his last eight games of the regular season and has continued his momentum into the postseason.
You can use both the Hernandez options side-by-side in your outfield or blend them with more high-priced options, since both come at very reasonable salaries this Wednesday.
