Chad Pinder Playing At Less Than 100 Percent

Oakland Athletics utilityman Chad Pinder (hamstring) delivered the go-ahead knock in Game 3 of the wild-card series versus Chicago on Thursday, but he revealed after the contest that he is playing below 100 percent due to persistent right hamstring issues. Pinder was activated off of the injured list last Sunday and delivered a two-hit performance... Read More

Jacob Nottingham Draws Start For Game 2, Omar Narvaez Sits

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jacob Nottingham will join the starting lineup for Game 2 of Thursday’s wild-card series versus Los Angeles and left-hander Clayton Kershaw. Correspondingly, Omar Narvaez will head to the bench, but will presumably be available to pinch-hit for later in the contest. In an extremely small sample size, Nottingham demolished southpaws in 2020... Read More

NBA DFS Cheat Sheet & Expert Lineups for October 2nd

With the NBA Finals presenting single-game slates for the rest of the postseason, we will be focusing our attention on the best plays and Showdown strategies. Whether you play on FanDuel or DraftKings, there are some appealing contests available for showdown/single-game, and my goal will be to give you how I would rank each play... Read More

Ryan Braun Not Among Starting Nine For Game 2 Thursday

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Ryan Braun (back) is being held out of Game 2’s starting lineup Thursday in the wild-card series versus the Dodgers and left-hander Clayton Kershaw. Braun was deemed day-to-day after exiting early Wednesday with back stiffness, with his absence confirmed by the presence of Ryon Healy at the DH slot Thursday with... Read More

Austin Barnes Enters Starting Lineup For Game 2 Thursday

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes will draw the start behind the plate for Game 2 of Thursday’s wild-card series versus Milwaukee and right-hander Brandon Woodruff. Barnes caught nine of Clayton Kershaw’s 10 starts this season, helping the southpaw post a 1.86 ERA while holding the opposition to a .586 OPS. Will Smith will remain... Read More

Christian Yelich Returns To No. 2 Slot For Game 2 Thursday

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich is back in the second slot in the batting order for Game 2 of Thursday’s wild-card series versus the Dodgers and left-hander Clayton Kershaw. Yelich hit leadoff Wednesday, but with a southpaw on the hill, Avisail Garcia will open the game in the top spot. Yelich displayed reverse splits during... Read More

Jurickson Profar Not In Starting Lineup For Game 2

San Diego Padres second baseman/outfielder Jurickson Profar will begin Game 2 of Thursday’s wild-card series versus St. Louis on the bench. With Tommy Pham back in the outfield mix, and Jake Cronenworth holding down the keystone, manager Jayce Tingler decided to keep Profar on the bench as an opportunity to “pick and choose his spot... Read More

Garrett Crochet Leaves Game 3 With Forearm Tightness

Chicago White Sox left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet (forearm) was pulled from Game 3 of Thursday’s wild-card series versus Oakland after just nine pitches due to forearm tightness. Crochet struck out both batters that he faced, giving him a combined 6 ⅔ scoreless innings this season with 10 strikeouts. The nature of forearm tightness is never... Read More

Eloy Jimenez Departs Game 3 Early With Foot Injury

Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez (foot) returned to the club’s starting lineup for Game 3 against Oakland on Thursday, but after giving it a go for two at-bats -- including a double -- he was lifted due to persistent foot soreness. James McCann entered the lineup as the designated hitter in his place. Jimenez... Read More

Dylan Carlson Remains In Cleanup Slot For Game 2 Thursday

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson collected a pair of hits in his first career playoff game Wednesday, leading to him retaining the cleanup spot in the order for Game 2 on Thursday during the wild-card series versus San Diego and right-hander Zach Davies. Carlson’s DFS price tag should lend to considerable roster potential, especially... Read More

Mitch Moreland Returns To DH Spot For Game 2 Thursday

San Diego Padres first baseman/designated hitter Mitch Moreland will take over DH duties for Game 2 of Thursday’s wild-card series versus the Cardinals and right-hander Adam Wainwright. While Moreland delivered an .894 OPS during the regular season overall, he had just a .609 mark in 20 contests after being acquired by the Padres at the... Read More

Ryon Healy, Tyrone Taylor Enter Starting Lineup For Game 2

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/designated hitter Ryon Healy and outfielder Tyrone Taylor are stepping into the starting nine for Game 2 of Thursday’s wild-card series versus the Dodgers and left-hander Clayton Kershaw. Healy has not started since Aug. 5, having played in just four games during the regular season while spending most of the year at the... Read More

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (10/1/20): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

After a historic eight-game day of postseason baseball Wednesday, we get to run it all back roughly 10 hours later with an equally epic five-game slate that features at least one club in each having its collective backs to the wall. With that in mind, if clubs deploy unconventional methods that make it seem like... Read More

Joc Pederson Presents Upside Thursday

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder/designated hitter Joc Pederson is not among the starting nine for Game 1 of Wednesday’s wild-card series versus Milwaukee. That’s primarily due to the fact that Pederson has become strictly a platoon option for LA this season, but fortunately his platoon opportunity should come Thursday when the Brewers send righty Brandon Woodruff... Read More

Adam Wainwright Aims To Send Cardinals To NLDS On Thursday

St. Louis Cardinals right-handed pitcher Adam Wainwright will be tasked with starting Game 2 of Thursday’s wild-card series versus San Diego. He will take the ball at Petco Park for the seventh time (sixth start) in his career, looking for his first win at the yard since 2013. As has been the case for many... Read More

Yu Darvish Seeks Continued Wrigley Field Success In Game 2

Chicago Cubs right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish will get the ball for Game 2 of Thursday’s wild-card series versus Miami, needing a win to keep his club alive in the postseason. He made nine starts at Wrigley Field during the regular season and struck out fewer than seven batters just once; during September, he averaged nine... Read More

Luis Castillo Should Benefit From Game 2’s Early Start Time

Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitcher Luis Castillo will be tasked with keeping his club alive in the postseason for Game 2 on Thursday against Atlanta. While he has amassed a 4.12 ERA across seven starts on the road this year, the shadows that descended upon Truist Park may play the biggest factor. With Atlanta striking out... Read More

Clayton Kershaw Aims To Shake Postseason Bugaboo Thursday

Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw is set to start Game 2 of the club’s wild-card series versus Milwaukee on Thursday. Whether it’s an elimination game for the Dodgers, or an attempt to send the club to the NLDS, Kershaw will be looking to flip the narrative around his postseason performance. His 2.16 ERA... Read More

Brett Anderson Misses Wild-Card Series

Milwaukee Brewers left-handed pitcher Brett Anderson (finger) was removed from his final start of the regular season Sunday due to a blister issue, which manager Craig Counsell said has not improved. Anderson has still been unable to throw since his 38-pitch outing, putting him in jeopardy of being unavailable should the club advance to the... Read More

Daniel Vogelbach Not At Full Strength Ahead Of Game 1

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach (quad) is batting cleanup for Game 1 of Wednesday’s wild-card series versus Los Angeles and right-hander Walker Buehler, but manager Craig Counsell indicated that Vogelbach is far from 100 percent entering the series. Having battled a quad injury since Sunday, Vogelbach is healthy enough to swing the bat... Read More

Starling Marte Sustains Pinkie Fracture Wednesday

Miami Marlins outfielder Starling Marte (pinkie) is dealing with a fractured pinkie finger on his left hand after being hit by a pitch during Game 1 of Wednesday’s wild-card series versus the Cubs. Marte exited the game after being hit, and an X-ray revealed the damage, although there is optimism that Marte could attempt to... Read More

David Dahl Confirms He’ll Be Ready For Spring Training

Colorado Rockies outfielder David Dahl (shoulder) had his 2020 campaign prematurely ended due to surgery on his injured right shoulder. Dahl tweeted Wednesday that he came out of surgery unscathed and that he plans to return to the diamond in time for the opening of Spring Training next February. Not much went right this past... Read More

Chris Taylor Earns Start In Game 1, Joc Pederson On Bench

Los Angeles Dodgers utilityman Chris Taylor will start Game 1 of Wednesday’s wild-card series versus Milwaukee and left-hander Brent Suter at second base. Taylor gets the nod over Enrique Hernandez and Gavin Lux, as Edwin Rios will serve as the designated hitter in place of Joc Pederson. Taylor produced an .842 OPS during the regular... Read More

Edwin Rios Draws First Playoff Start In Game 1 Wednesday

Los Angeles Dodgers first/third baseman Edwin Rios will serve as the designated hitter for Game 1 of Wednesday’s wild-card series versus Milwaukee and left-hander Brent Suter. Rios’ start will mark the first of his postseason career, and may also be an indication that manager Dave Roberts isn’t starting purely right-handed bats in response to Suter’s... Read More

Keston Hiura Drops To Eighth In Order For Game 1 Wednesday

Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Keston Hiura will bat eighth for just the second time in his Major League career during Game 1 of Wednesday’s wild-card series versus the Dodgers and right-hander Walker Buehler. Hiura was ice cold down the stretch of the regular season, last producing an extra-base hit back on Sept. 16. Hiura struck... Read More

Christian Yelich Moves To Leadoff Spot For Game 1 Wednesday

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich has been slotted into the leadoff spot for Game 1 of Wednesday’s wild-card series versus the Dodgers and right-hander Walker Buehler. Yelich has not batted leadoff since 2018, with manager Craig Counsell significantly shaking up the lineup. Yelich finished the regular season in a malaise, going 2-for-21 with eight strikeouts... Read More

Nelson Cruz Hopes To Return In 2021 After MVP-Like Campaign

Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz was one of the Majors’ preeminent power threats for the entirety of the 2020 season. Finishing the year with the eighth-highest OPS in the bigs (.992), Cruz said following his club’s elimination from the postseason Wednesday that he hoped to be back next season. The veteran turns 41 next... Read More

Brett Gardner Starts Over Clint Frazier Again Wednesday

New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner will remain in the starting lineup for Game 2 of Wednesday’s wild-card series versus Cleveland, leaving Clint Frazier on the bench. Gardner went 3-for-5 with a home run during Game 1, unlikely to lose his spot after such a performance. Despite manager Aaron Boone talking up Frazier as of... Read More

Gary Sanchez Returns To Lineup For Game 2 Wednesday

New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez is back among the starting nine for Game 2 of Wednesday's wild-card series versus Cleveland and right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco. Sanchez will bat in the No. 9 spot for the first time in his Major League career amidst having hit .147 during 49 regular-season contests. With Kyle Higashioka having... Read More

Nick Senzel Bats Leadoff For Game 1 Wednesday

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel has become the team’s preferred center field option against left-handed pitching down the stretch, but he was shifted to the leadoff spot for the first time since Aug. 11 for Game 1 of the wild-card series versus Atlanta and left-handed pitcher Max Fried on Wednesday. Senzel’s spot atop the lineup... Read More