DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS (10/18/20) (Premium Content)

The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on October 18th, 2020. Kyle Ringstad's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.

Well, this is it. The stage is set for a second night of the greatest scenarios in all of sports - a high-stakes Game 7. The Houston Astros came back from down 0-3 to force last night's Game 7 in the ALCS, but rookie Randy Arozarena hit his record-setting seventh homer of the playoffs and the combination of Charlie Morton and a dominant bullpen gave the Rays their second World Series birth in franchise history. Now we'll get to bear witness to another game with literally everything on the line. The Atlanta Braves will be throwing out their best arm in Ian Anderson while the Los Angeles Dodgers will at least begin with Tony Gonsolin on the bump. Keep in mind that both teams will be giving it their absolute best shot, so the starters are more prone to a quick hook than any other game this season. Only select a pitcher on DraftKings (you don't have that option on FanDuel Showdown slates) if you truly believe he has a shot at paying off his price tag. I will not be touching either pitcher on tonight's Showdown slate.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/18/20. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. Be sure also to check out all the Vegas Odds for today's slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @davithius.

DFS Captain/MVP/STAR Selections

Ronald Acuna Jr. ($9,000 FD, $9,200 DK, $13,800 DK CPT)

The general rule-of-thumb with getting these Captian/MVP/Star selection correct is to try to identify the top three scorers of the night and get them into these multiplier spots. DraftKings scales up the pricing for the Captain slot, while FanDuel keeps pricing the same for the MVP and Star slots, so that's something to keep in mind. My top projected scorer tonight is Ronald Acuna Jr. He hasn't had the best postseason as he's slashing .190/.320/.286 through 11 games, but he does have four doubles, a homer, three RBI, nine runs scored, and six walks. Gonsolin had top-tier numbers (1.94 ERA, 1.94 FIP, 27.9% K%, 13.6% SwStr%) during the regular season, but he's a RHP, and his elevated 40.2% FB% is something Acuna can certainly take advantage of. Acuna's numbers against RHP this season: 1.020 OPS, .354 ISO, and a .423 wOBA.

Mookie Betts ($8,500 FD, $9,600 DK, $14,400 DK CPT)

Betts is a very close second in my projections for tonight's game. Unlike Acuna, Betts doesn't strike out against RHP (12.6%). Like Acuna, he absolutely mashes righty's as he holds an elite .323/.385/.677 slash line with an incredible .354 ISO and .438 wOBA. He has a hit in eight of his last 10 games played as he has continued to serve as the catalyst of the offense at the leadoff spot. Anderson is very good - he's a high-strikeout (29.7% K%), groundball-heavy (52.5% GB%) pitcher who has a sparkling 1.95 ERA and 2.54 FIP for the season. However, he can be wild (10.1% BB%) and throws his four-seam fastball about 47% of the time and Betts hit for a .321 average and .620 slugging percentage against fastballs this season. Selecting Betts is one of the safer, more confident picks you can make on a slate such as this.

Freddie Freeman ($8,000 FD, $9,400 DK, $14,100 DK CPT)

Freeman would be the third player I'd consider using in one of my multiplier slots. He has been the hottest hitter on the team as he has two homers, three doubles, six RBI, and nine runs scored in his last 10 games. Freeman somehow actually crushes RHP better than Acuna and Betts as he holds a 12% K%, .373/.495/.733 slash line, and a .360 ISO and .499 wOBA. We don't want to weigh handedness splits too much, especially in the abbreviated season, but those are absolutely insane numbers. Don't overthink these - play the best players in the multiplier spots.

*Yes, I am sad that I can't just recommend Randy Arozarena again. The time will come.*

DFS Utility Selections

Corey Seager ($9,500 FD, $9,800 DK, $14,700 DK CPT)

Seager is the right on the bubble of being in the Captain/MVP/Star consideration. He's the most expensive position player on both sites, but his form is impossible to ignore on a one-game slate. Again, Anderson is really good, but he can lose his control a bit and his dominance diminishes a bit against LHB. This elevates Seager, who didn't strike out much against RHP (15.3% K%) and held a .998 OPS, .301 ISO, and .416 wOBA against them in 2020. Seager has been the hottest Dodgers hitter as he has six homers, four doubles, and 15 RBI over his last 10 games played.

Justin Turner ($7,000 FD, $8,000 DK)

We need to save a little salary if we're going to fit as many of the above hitters in as we can. Enter Turner. He's likely going to hit in the third spot for the Dodgers, who are projected to score 4.5 runs today. Though he may only see Anderson once or twice, he has a great .340/.419/.495 slash line with a .397 wOBA against RHP this season. His .155 ISO isn't great, but he gets on base and does damage when he gets there, which makes him a solid value at this salary.

Dansby Swanson ($6,500 FD, $7,400 DK)

Swanson works great as a salary-saver as well. He has a .874 OPS, .216 ISO, and .373 wOBA against RHP this year, and he's in great form as he has double-digit fantasy points in three of his last five games (and six of his last 10). He hit for a .809 OPS with 10 homers, five steals, 35 RBI, and 49 runs scored, so this production hasn't come out of thin air. Swanson looks good on both sites.

Austin Riley ($4,500 FD, $7,200 DK)

The young slugger is more of a priority on FanDuel due to his rock-bottom pricing, but he's definitely viable on both sites. He didn't have a solid 2020 but we know he has power as he held a .245 ISO last season and has launched 26 homers since he came into the league. He hasn't been great against RHP but as stated in this article, pitchers will likely have a short leash so the splits stats can be given a slight nerf in importance. Gonsolin is expected to start and he holds a high 40.2% FB%, which is a number to attack with a hitter like Riley.

Marcell Ozuna ($7,000 FD, $8,400 DK)

If you can fit him in, Ozuna looks really good today and his somewhat-depressed pricing. He has been great in his last 10 games with double-digit fantasy points in 50% of his games, including a monster 4-for-5, two-homer performance in Game 4. He hit for a crazy 1.067 OPS with 18 homers, 56 RBI, and 38 runs scored in the regular season. He had a .437 wOBA, 54.4% hard-hit %, and a 15.4% barrel rate on the season, which were all in the top 6% of the MLB in 2020.

RotoBaller Sample DFS Lineups

Sample FanDuel Lineup 

Sample DraftKings Lineup 

Please note that these are sample lineups designed only to show how you might use the above lineup picks in your own lineup. You should always check the weather and lineups before they lock to ensure players you are choosing are playing tonight.

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