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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/8/20. Brian Entrekin's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
We head into Thursday with 4 game slate featuring potential elimination games in all four games. There is not a ton of elite pitching targets, which means we will have bats for days. This is a slate to make sure you get the proper players in your lineups, and if that means leaving money on the table, then so be it.
When looking at the slate, it comes down to which stacks to build around. The Astros and A's have been home run derbies, which is likely not changing on Thursday. The Rays and Marlins bring some nice value options to the slate as well. There can be arguments made for nearly every offense today, and finding the right pieces of stacks will be clutch. I likely would not go all-in on stacks either. A few 2-3 man stacks with one-offs could be the trick, or even a 3-3-2 stack works great.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/8/2020. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter @bdentrek.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Julio Urias - P, LAD at SD ($9,100)
Urias will take the bump as he tries to set up the Dodgers to win and advance to the NLCS. Urias has been outstanding for the Dodgers this season. Through 11 starts, he allowed two earned runs or less in nine of those starts. He finished the season with a 3.72 FIP, a 20% strikeout rate, and a strong 28.6% hard-hit rate. He faced the Padres earlier this season and threw 6.1 innings allowing two runs and struck out three. He is not a major strikeout as he did not strike out more than six in any game this season. He will go up against the powerful Padres lineup, a lineup that struck out over 23% of the time vs LHP with a .250 average and a .187 ISO. It will not be easy, but Urias brings a strong floor with some upside on a slate that does not have many great pitching options.
Sixto Sanchez - P, MIA vs ATL ($8,100)
Sixto was absolutely dominant in his first five starts of the season but struggled down the stretch in his last two starts. The last two starts left many questions going into the postseason, but he erased all doubts against the Cubs. He threw five shutout innings with six strikeouts for 18.5 DK points. Now he faces a powerful Braves lineup, a lineup teammates Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez have had success against Games 1 and 2. He has faced Atlanta twice this year, the first time he threw six shutout innings with six strikeouts, but in his last start, he only lasted three innings and allowed four runs. His command was his key early in the season and will be the key to his success on Thursday. I will take my chances on Sixto getting the job done vs the Braves.
Other Options: Frankie Montas (OAK at HOU) $8,600
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Sean Murphy - C, OAK at Christian Javier ($3,800)
Murphy has been quiet the last couple of postseason games, but I will keep rolling with the slugger in a series that has turned into a home run derby. Murphy had success vs RHP in 2020, walking 19.6% of the time with a .232 ISO. He will face Javier, who has allowed 1.5 HR/9 to RHH this season, and then a beat-up Astros bullpen. The catching position overall is a mess, and Murphy brings some major upside to your lineups.
Other Options: Mike Zunino (TB at NYY) $3,300
Garrett Cooper- 1B, MIA vs Kyle Wright ($3,400)
Before yesterday's 0'fer, Cooper had hit safely in nine straight games. Over that stretch, Cooper had four extra-base hits and was averaging over seven DK points per game. He gets a strong matchup vs Wright today. Wright has not been great this season, and since his recall, on September 8, he made four starts where he had a 5.50 FIP and allowed 11 runs and five home runs over 23 innings pitched. The Marlins faced Wright twice this year and have scored eight runs in seven innings with three home runs. One of those homers came from Cooper.
Other Options: Matt Olson (OAK at HOU) $4,700
Joey Wendle - 2B/3B, TB at Jordan Montgomery ($3,700)
I've been promoting Wendle for quite some time now, and that is not stopping today. He had another big night on Wednesday, going 3-5, and put up his second straight double-digit DK night. He has hits in each of the three games vs the Yankees. Some may get concerned since there is a lefty starting, but I am not as Wendle hit .294 vs lefties this season. Montgomery likely won't be long for the game either, so Wendle should still get his as the Rays look to finish off the Yankees.
Other Options: Jon Berti (MIA vs ATL) $2,500, DJ LeMahieu (NYY vs TB) $4,900
Brian Anderson - 3B, MIA vs Kyle Wright ($3,800)
If you can't tell, I like the Marlins vs Wright. They have major upside and allow for some very nice salary relief; if I have to pick one team for salary relief, it is the Rays, but the Marlins are a close second. Anderson has hit safely in both games vs the Braves, putting up nine or more points in both games. He is coming off a strong September where he hit .287 with a .218 ISO and a 133 wRC+. When looking to stack the Marlins, Anderson hitting in the middle of the order becomes a strong piece of that stack.
Other Options: Justin Turner (LAD at SD) $4,500, Alex Bregman (HOU vs OAK) $4,400
Marcus Semien - SS, OAK at Christian Javier ($4,100)
As stated earlier, the A's and Astros series has turned into an offensive explosion, and Semien has been a major part of that. Semien has now hit safely in his last five postseason games, including four straight multi-hit games. He has scored eight or more DK points in the last five games. He went deep yesterday and has three extra-base hits over the last five games. He has a great matchup vs Javier today and is usually overlooked on these slates with some of the other shortstops in play. Do not forget about Semien when building your lineups.
Other Options: Corey Seager (LAD at SD) $5,000, Miguel Rojas (MIA vs ATL) $3,700
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Giancarlo Stanton - OF, NYY vs Ryan Thompson ($4,300)
When you think of players on a heater, Stanton's name is near the top of that list (we'll talk about Arozarena shortly). Stanton has hit safely in all five postseason games, with home runs in all five games. He has gone 7-19 with six home runs, 13 RBI, and at least 14 DK points in each game with 19 or more in four straight. He will face a bullpen game for the Rays tonight, which is not always easy, but his power has been undeniable, and the price tag is still way too low for his production. Sometimes it is just as simple as ride the heater in the postseason.
Tommy Pham- OF, SD vs Julio Urias ($3,200)
I have discussed Pham in almost every postseason article I have written, and it will not stop as DK continues to misprice him. He has hit safely in three of five postseason games but has reached base in all five games and put up at least five DK points in each game. Over the five-game stretch, he is hitting .400 with two extra-base hits and three stolen bases. He is hitting in the middle of the Padres lineup and gets a matchup vs the lefty Urias. Enjoy the continued value with Pham.
Randy Arozarena - OF, TB at Jordan Montgomery ($3,800)
Lastly, we once again talk about Arozarena. I should insert the man on fire walking gif and stop there, but some may frown upon that. He went 3-4 last night and homered once again. He has now hit safely in all five postseason games with four straight multi-hit games. Over the five games, he is hitting .600 with six extra-base hits (three straight games with home runs) and has scored at least 10 DK points in each game, including 17+ in the last four. He joins a major Rays attack tonight vs Montgomery.
Other Options: George Springer (HOU vs OAK) $4,800, Manuel Margot (TB vs NYY) $3,600, Khris Davis (OAK at HOU) $3,400
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Oakland Athletics at Houston Astros (Christian Javier, RHP)
- Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (Jordan Montgomery, LHP)
- Miami Marlins vs Atlanta Braves (Kyle Wright, RHP)
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