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What a strange weekend it was without baseball. The scheduling continues to boggle many minds, but at least the playoffs will be back on our screens tonight and give us more opportunities to win playing daily fantasy. It's only a two-game slate to kick off the Division Series round, but there will be some fireworks with the four teams and their history this season.
The Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics kick things off out West as the have a showdown to determine the actual sheriff of the AL West. Chris Bassitt will lead the A's against the resurgent Lance McCullers Jr and the Astros. Then, the New York Yankees look to show the Tampa Bay Rays, who is the best team in the AL East with Gerrit Cole and Blake Snell facing off in a presumed pitcher's duel. All four teams have dangerous lineups, and there will be some nerve-wracking moments navigating the starting pitchers this evening.
I'll provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 10/5/2020. Be sure to check out all the MLB player news, including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like DraftKings, and other sports.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Chris Bassitt - OAK vs. HOU ($8,700)
As tough as it is to pass on Gerrit Cole to anchor the Monday slate, the savings of Chris Bassitt are too tempting to gloss over. Bassitt can go just as deep into the game as Cole, and, despite not having as much strikeout upside, he faces a friendlier offense to start the ALDS. The Houston Astros are the least strikeout-prone team on the slate, but they also rank last on today's contest with a .303 weighted On-Base Average and a .171 ISO on the year. Bassitt has proven that he can handle the Stros multiple times this year. In three starts versus Houston, the righty threw 17 innings with a 2.65 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, nine strikeouts, two quality starts, and one win. The 31-year-old is playing some great baseball at the moment and has gone at least six innings in each of his last five starts. He's 4-0 with five quality starts in those previous five outings, and has produced at least 43 points for the fantasy managers that put him in their lineups. It's tough to pass over Cole and Snell, but they could get knocked around. Bassitt is in great form and faces the weakest offense on the slate to begin the Division Series.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Ji-Man Choi - 1B, TAM vs. NYY ($2,600)
It does feel kind of silly to recommend a batter going against Gerrit Cole right now, but you've got to make room in your lineup for the higher-priced stars somehow. Choi has the platoon advantage against Cole and is projected to hit fourth in the Tampa Bay lineup, and will be in a fair amount of lineups at his $2,600 salary. 35 of his 38 career home runs in the majors have been off right-handed pitchers, and his .835 OPS versus them is significantly higher than the .546 OPS versus lefties. The first baseman is not the right guy to play in cash games, but if daily players are looking at a contrarian angle, Choi is the choice.
DJ LeMahieu - 2B, NYY @ TAM ($4,000)
It's rather tricky to get away from the New York Yankees tonight, and it's incredibly hard to get away from the right-handed bats. LeMahieu has been one of the best hitters on the planet over the last two seasons and led all of baseball with a .364 batting average this season while also leading the American League with a .421 OBP and a 1.011 OPS. The former-Colorado Rockie has crushed lefties since Sept. 1 to the tune of a .464 weighted on-base average, and that will be handy when facing off against Blake Snell tonight. The 32-year-old has scored nine points in each of his last four games, and during that streak, is 9-for-18 with five runs, two doubles, and five RBI. LeMahieu is pricey but could win a contest by himself on any given evening.
Tommy La Stella - 3B, OAK vs. HOU ($3,100)
La Stella is on a 10-game on-base streak and seems like a safe option for his price on Monday against the Houston Astros. He is projected to leadoff for the Athletics today and should have a good chance at crossing home plate for a run or two on Monday. Since coming over to the A's from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline, La Stella is slashing .289/.369/.423 with 16 runs, 11 RBI, nine extra-base hits, and one home run. In the Wild Card round, the 29-year-old went 3-for-11 with three runs and a walk while averaging 7.2 fantasy points per game.
Carlos Correa - SS, HOU @ OAK ($3,200)
Is Correa finally heating up? After a dismal regular season that saw him hit five home runs with 25 RBI and a .383 slugging percentage, he finally showed up in the Wild Card round against the Minnesota Twins with a game-winning home run. The shortstop has been pretty hot over his last five games, going 7-for-16 with five runs, two home runs, two RBI, and two walks. He's also scored 21.7 fantasy points in two of his last three games. It could be nothing, but, in a short slate, jumping on a hot bat can lead to a big win.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
George Springer - OF, HOU @ OAK ($4,100)
There aren't a lot of guys playing better baseball than Springer at the moment. Everything seems to be pointing towards this being his final postseason with the Astros, and, if that is the case, he is ending his time in the Lone Star state in spectacular fashion. Since Sept. 1, Springer is slashing .316/.380/.653 with 22 runs, nine home runs, 15 RBI, and nine walks to 17 strikeouts. The 31-year-old has provided FanDuel players with at least 12 points in 13 of his last 25 games and has exploded for more than 20 points in six of his previous 25. He has tremendous upside and is well worth the price tag on Monday.
Clint Frazier - OF, NYY @ TAM ($3,400)
Blake Snell is an excellent pitcher, and there is a big chance that he comes out and makes recommending any Yankee bat look extremely foolish. However, the Yankees may have the highest offensive ceiling on the American League side of the bracket, and they seem to feed off the rest of the lineup once the floodgates open. Frazier smacked lefties around in September with a .348/.423/.696 slash line, but has seen his salary dip due to a seven-game slump. Check the lineups before slotting Frazier into your contests. Brett Gardner had a couple of good games in the Wild Card round and could take Frazier's spot in the lineup despite it causing a lefty on lefty matchup with Snell.
Aaron Hicks - OF, NYY @ TAM ($3,100)
Speaking of New York Yankees outfielders, Aaron Hicks has been on fire in the last two weeks. The 31-year-old has eclipsed the 12-point mark in eight of his previous 12 games but has also exploded for 21.7, 34.9, and 28.4 points in three games. In the two-game series versus the Cleveland Indians, Hicks went 1-for-8 with a triple, four runs, and three walks. He sits right behind the heart of the Yankees lineup and should have a couple of RBI opportunities if the bats can get to Blake Snell.
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