It was a looooooong 162 game regular season, but here we are, in the playoffs. It’s an interesting mix of teams, too. While the American League Wild Card standings turned out pretty predictably, we’ve got the Diamondbacks and the Marlins representing the NL. Needless to say, anything can and will happen over the next five weeks.
Let’s dive into the first slate of the of the postseason.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Postseason Opener [$50K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Miami Marlins, $8,600 – There are reasons to avoid Wheeler on Tuesday. The RHP pitched to an underwhelming 4.13 ERA at Citizens Bank Park in 2023, surrendering more than twice as many home runs per nine (1.31) as he did when he was on the road (0.61). However, on the whole, Wheeler was just as dominant this season as he’s been the last half-decade. The veteran finished up with a 26.9% strikeout rate and a 3.15 FIP across 192.0 innings of work, leading all qualified pitchers in fWAR by a pretty significant margin (5.9). Simply put, Wheeler is one of the best pitchers in baseball and the fact he’s only the fourth-most expensive option on a four-game slate is truly odd. Take advantage of the discount.
Value
Corbin Burnes, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, $8,000 – It’s a similar story for Burnes, who struggled pitching at home during the regular season and is weirdly inexpensive on Tuesday. The former Cy Young award winner re-found his form following the All-Star break, registering a 2.71 ERA and a 28.6% strikeout rate over his final 14 outings. Burnes also held opponents to a .187 average and a .294 slugging percentage across that span of time. The man that couldn’t strike anyone out in April? He’s long gone. Look for Burnes to exploit a Diamondbacks’ lineup that posted the second-lowest wOBA (.299) and the lowest ISO (.129) in the National League during the month of September.
INFIELD
Stud
Yandy Diaz, Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers, $5,400 – Diaz actually gets two incredible matchups on Tuesday. First, he’ll draw the left-handed Jordan Montgomery ($7,100). Among all qualified hitters, Diaz ranks first in both wOBA (.460) and wRC+ (204) against lefties in 2023. Heck, he’s slashing .355/.432/.669 in his 139 plate appearances within the split. Then, after Montgomery leaves, Diaz will be left to feast on a Rangers bullpen that posted an ugly 5.17 ERA in September. It’s a win-win.
Stud
Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Miami Marlins, $4,300 – Bohm is simply a different hitter when opposed by an LHP. While righties held the former third-overall pick to a .114 ISO and a 91 wRC+ in 2023, Bohm slashed .303/.335/.594 with a .290 ISO in his 167 plate appearances versus southpaws. That includes five long balls off lefties dating back to August 1. Jesus Luzardo ($6,800) isn’t your average left-hander, yet he has been at his worst away from LoanDepot Park this season, sporting a 4.48 ERA.
Value
Edouard Julien, Minnesota Twins vs. Toronto Blue Jays, $3,900 – There’s a little risk in utilizing Julien. Not only is he facing Kevin Gausman ($9,800), but the Twins have been aggressive with their platoons all season long, and there’s no guarantee that Julien finishes this contest. Still, he’s less than $4K and likely to bat leadoff on Tuesday. He’s also in possession of a .223 ISO and a 151 wRC+ against RHPs in his rookie campaign. The kid can hit and that translates into a high ceiling at a cheap price.
Value
Brandon Belt, Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins, $3,900 – Belt dealt with some back issues down the stretch, yet he finished the regular season strong with three home runs in his final five games. Strikeouts were a problem in 2023 — something Pablo Lopez ($9,100) can certainly exploit — but Belt was a phenomenal platoon bat for Toronto, posting a .259 ISO and a 146 wRC+ in his 365 plate appearances against RHPs. He’s inexpensive pop.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Nick Castellanos, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Miami Marlins, $4,700 – There’s a couple things to know about Castellanos. Firstly, he loves facing left-handed pitching. The veteran is a career .304 hitter within the split and Castellanos registered a .930 OPS versus LHPs in 2023. Secondly, he loves hitting at Citizens Bank Park, where Castellanos hit 18 of his 29 home runs this season. So, it’ll probably not come as a shock for you all to find out that in the 93 plate appearances Castellanos had against southpaws in Philadelphia, he slashed .395/.430/.733 with a 208 wRC+. Small sample, but a stunning one.
Value
Harold Ramirez, Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers, $3,700 – Ramirez is one of the best platoon bats no one talks about. The outfielder hit .387 with a 173 wRC+ against left-handed pitching in 2023 and, for his whole career, is hitting .323 within the split. If that wasn’t enough, Ramirez has just been hitting everything he’s seen since the beginning of August, slashing .367/.389/.504 with a 150 wRC+ versus LHPs and RHPs in that span of time.
Value
Garrett Mitchell, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, $3,500 – Mitchell missed a majority of the year due to a shoulder injury, but the former top prospect was able to return for the final week of the regular season. Has he completely shaken off the rust? An unremarkable rehab stint at Triple-A says no. Still, in theory, Mitchell brings a nice combination of power and speed, and he’s a left-handed bat to throw at Brandon Pfaadt ($5,300), who surrendered 2.22 home runs per nine to LHBs at the MLB level. Arizona was the lone Wild Card team unable to set up their rotation for the playoffs. It’s an easy stacking opportunity.
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 customer (my username is theglt13) 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.
