TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (10/21/21): MLB DFS Lineups

The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/21/21. Mike Marteny's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.

The Braves are in L.A. for a chance to play their way into the World Series. They took a commanding 3-1 series lead at Chavez Ravine last night on the back of Eddie Rosario. The ALCS is on a travel day, so we shift into showdown mode for tonight's tilt at Dodger Stadium.

For showdown mode, we pick one captain who costs 1.5x his normal salary, but he also scored 1.5x the points. We must have at least one player from each team and relievers are fair game if you think you have a bead on which relievers will be used. That can make a huge difference here.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/21/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter.

 

DraftKings DFS Captain Options

Max Fried ($16,500)

If you don't want to lose the game, start the guy that doesn't lose. Fried hasn't lost a game since July 28. His ERA in that span is a microscopic 1.58. Fried wasn't his sharpest in Game 1, but he still only allowed two runs in six innings. A start like that might not be enough to win, but it will certainly keep his team in the running to book a trip to the World Series and let them watch how the A.L. plays out with a few days off. That's a powerful motivator.

Austin Riley ($12,600)

Riley had two hits, including a homer, and two RBI in Game 1 with Corey Knebel starting. The Dodgers, facing elimination, may decide to try and get Max Scherzer out there with their backs against the wall. If they do, he's a solid captain pick and I would shy away from Braves hitters in the captain slot as well. As it stands now though, a Dodgers hitter seems really risky at captain against Fried. I will have a Brave in the captain slot unless the Dodgers change the starting pitcher.

Other Options: Ozzie Albies ($13,200), Will Smith ($14,700), David Price ($10,200)

 

Want more MLB DFS tools and content? Our MLB Premium package includes our daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Optimizer, and access to our Premium Slack Chatrooms where members can chat with our MLB analysts. Check out this recent big win from RotoBaller's RealTalkRaph on DraftKings - join in on the winning!

 

DraftKings DFS Utility Options

Along with the others I consider for captain, these can be good utility plays as well.

Corey Seager ($9,200)

I don't like Seager against Fried, which is why most wont use him. However, Seager has two homers in the series. He has been one of the few bright spots for the Dodgers. It's a tough sell to pay this much of a guy who is really only going to get one or two at-bats where he has a real chance to succeed. This has been a good series for Seager though, and it can separate your lineups in GPP formats.

A.J. Pollock ($7,800)

Pollock drove in both Dodgers runs last night and doubled and scored off of Fried in Game 1. If you plan on going after Fried with Dodgers righties, Pollock should probably be your first pick. Mookie is nice for the steals, but Pollock's upside is almost as high at a fraction of the price.

Joc Pederson ($6,600)

Joc has remained hot against his former team, piling up five hits with a homer and four RBI in this series so far. His homer came in Game 2, but he still had a single in Game 1. If the Dodgers stick to the plan and run David Price out of the pen as the long reliever, that diminishes my interest in Joc a little, but his first at bat is still coming against Knebel. I really like Joc for the value here tonight.

Eddie Rosario ($5,000)

Rosario hit two homers and drove in four last night. He now has 80 DraftKings points in the four games of this series, which is by far the most on either side. I don't really mind running him at captain either if you want all the bats. This is one puzzle the Dodgers have failed to solve in this series.

Other Options: Mookie Betts ($10,600), Chris Taylor ($8,000), Travis d'Arnaud ($6,200), Will Smith ($4,000), Kenley Jansen ($4,000)

 



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!




MLB DFS News and Injury Alerts


More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Devin Booker

Injures Ankle on Friday, Requires Assistance Off the Court
RJ Barrett

Starting on Friday
Gunnar Henderson

is Fully Healthy Heading into Spring Training
Herbert Jones

is Returning on Friday
Derrick White

is Resting on Friday
Aaron Gordon

Holds Probable Tag for Friday
Jaylin Williams

is Returning on Friday
Quenton Jackson

Won't Play on Friday
Duncan Robinson

is Available to Play on Friday
Jock Landale

is Cleared to Play for Friday's Game
Ron Holland II

to Play on Friday
Cade Cunningham

is Upgraded to Available on Friday
Neemias Queta

is Available on Friday
Aaron Holiday

Won't Suit Up on Friday
Aaron Wiggins

is Ruled Out for Friday's Game
Bo Horvat

Rejoining Islanders Lineup Saturday
Dylan Holloway

Out Friday
Ross Colton

Won't Play Friday
Filip Chytil

Ready to End Three-Month Absence
Mason McTavish

Misses Second Straight Game Friday
Anthony Stolarz

Returns to Action Friday
Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Available Friday
Tyreek Hill

Dolphins Expected to Release Tyreek Hill
Paddy Pimblett

Set For Interim Lightweight Title Fight
Justin Gaethje

An Underdog At UFC 324
Song Yadong

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Sean O'Malley Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Derrick Lewis

Returns At UFC 324
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Philip Rivers

Interviewing for Bills Head-Coaching Job
NFL

Fernando Mendoza Officially Declares for NFL Draft
CFB

Arch Manning Undergoes Foot Surgery
Dalton Kincaid

Played Through Torn PCL
CFB

College Football Playoff Expected to Remain a 12-Team Field in 2026
Duncan Robinson

Listed as Probable Friday Against Houston
Ja'Kobe Walter

to Miss Seventh Straight Game
Collin Murray-Boyles

Uncertain Friday Against Portland
RJ Barrett

Could Return Friday vs. Portland
Myles Turner

Expected to Play Friday vs. Nuggets
Sam Merrill

to Miss Fourth Straight Game Friday
Quinn Hughes

Makes History With Three-Assist Effort
Bennedict Mathurin

Remains Sidelined vs. Thunder
Anthony Mantha

Scores Twice Against Oilers
Jet Greaves

Keeps Stars Off Scoreboard With 28 Saves
David Pastrnak

Leads Bruins to Victory With Three-Point Effort
Jonathan Huberdeau

on Track to Return Friday
Darcy Kuemper

Cleared for the Weekend
Zach Benson

Hurt in Thursday's Win
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Hire Jesse Minter as Their Head Coach
Kris Letang

Questionable Thursday
Andre Burakovsky

Frank Nazar, Andre Burakovsky Available for Blackhawks Thursday
Indianapolis Colts

FBI Investigating the Death of Colts Owner Jim Irsay
Mason Marchment

Available Versus Stars
Alexandre Texier

Misses Second Consecutive Game
Marcus Johansson

Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Johansson Could Return Thursday
David Perron

to Miss 5-7 Weeks Due to Hernia Surgery
Mikko Rantanen

Unavailable Thursday
MacKenzie Gore

Rangers Acquire MacKenzie Gore From the Nationals
Brandon Sproat

Dealt to Brewers in Four-Player Trade
Jett Williams

Brewers Acquire Jett Williams From Mets
Freddy Peralta

Mets Acquire Freddy Peralta From Brewers
Kyle Tucker

Expected to Bat Second or Third in Dodgers' Lineup
Brandon Aiyuk

has "Played his Last Snap as a Niner"
Cody Bellinger

Signs Five-Year, $162.5 Million Contract With Yankees
Adam Scott

Looks to Overcome Putting Woes at American Express
Billy Horschel

Looking to Rebound at The American Express
Josh Allen

Might Need Foot Surgery
Russell Henley

Looks to Build on Strong Start at The American Express
Jason Day

Looking to Start 2026 Strong at The American Express
Wyndham Clark

Looking to Regain Form at The American Express
Sam Burns

Looks to Continue Success at The American Express
Akshay Bhatia

Looking to Flip the Script at The American Express
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looking to Build on Strong Fall in Season Debut
Kurt Kitayama

Hopes To Continue Strong Start to 2026 Season at American Express
CFB

Princewill Umanmielen Expected to Sign with LSU
Scottie Scheffler

Returns To American Express After Missing Last Year's Edition
Robert MacIntyre

Keeps Momentum Rolling Heading Into American Express
Brian Harman

Can Challenge at American Express if His Putter Stays Hot
Ben Griffin

Outstanding Form Continues Heading Into American Express
Matt Fitzpatrick

Continues Playing Well Following Outstanding Finish to 2025 Season
Patrick Cantlay

Looks to Get a Jump Start on His 2026 Season
Blades Brown

Set to Make First PGA Tour Appearance of 2026
Kevin Roy

Has Some Confidence Heading to Southern California
Min Woo Lee

Poised to Make Bigger Impact in 2026
Max Homa

Needs a Better Start for 2026
Tony Finau

Trying to Reverse Disturbing Trend
Cam Davis

Aims for More Accuracy at American Express
Luisangel Acuña

Luisangel Acuna Sent to White Sox in Trade
Luis Robert Jr.

Mets Acquire Luis Robert Jr. from White Sox
Los Angeles Chargers

Mike McDaniel Expected to Become Chargers Offensive Coordinator
Carlos Beltran

Andruw Jones Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Expected to Land at Georgia Tech
Malik Nabers

Giants Hope Malik Nabers Will be Back for Start of Training Camp
CFB

Duke Suing Quarterback Darian Mensah
Cam Skattebo

Should be Ready by OTAs
George Kittle

Expects to Return "Well Before November"
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Entering Transfer Portal
Mookie Betts

Plans to Retire at the End of his Current Contract
Tennessee Titans

Titans Set to Hire Robert Saleh as Next Head Coach
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Expected to Hire Jeff Hafley as Next Head Coach
Zach Charbonnet

has Torn ACL
Zach Charbonnet

Needs Knee Surgery, Out for Rest of Playoffs
Tennessee Titans

Mike McCarthy a Finalist for Titans Head-Coaching Job?
Colston Loveland

Suffers Concussion in Divisional Round Loss
Kyren Williams

Scores Two Touchdowns in Divisional Round Win
Buffalo Bills

Bills Fire Head Coach Sean McDermott
Rhamondre Stevenson

Returns in Sunday's AFC Divisional Round Game
Ha-Seong Kim

has Finger Surgery, Out 4-5 Months

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP