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After what seemed to be a long shot three months ago, playoff baseball returns Tuesday. As opposed to the slobberknocker of competition that is ahead Wednesday, and potentially Thursday, we get a quick dip in the water with a four-game American League bonanza.
As can be expected with Game 1’s across the board, aces will reign supreme. Other than Toronto and Tampa Bay, none of these clubs have seen the other this year, which may give the arms a slight advantage. None of the totals for any of the four contests are indicative of an imminent offensive explosion, and the nature that hitters are facing the game’s best arms will put price tags into perspective.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 9/29/2020. Be sure to also 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
Shane Bieber - CLE vs. NYY ($11,200)
Those in cash games will likely be tasked with choosing between either Bieber or Yankees starter Gerrit Cole in most circumstances, as the two enter play Tuesday with a projected total of 6.5 runs allowed for the entire contest. Despite the power prowess that the Yankees boast, Bieber just wrapped up a 2020 campaign that saw him claim the American League pitching triple crown (eight wins, 1.63 ERA, 122 K’s), which is likely to lead to a Cy Young Award, which may very well be unanimous.
Bieber has been DFS’s top dog all season, and with good reason. He struck out at least eight batters in all 12 regular-season starts, including 10 or more in eight of those outings. That K potential matches up well against an aggressive Yankees order that boasts high-strikeout candidates such as Aaron Judge (28.1% K rate), Giancarlo Stanton (28.7%), and Gary Sanchez (36%).
Blake Snell - TAM vs. TOR ($8,300)
At the same time that offenses are tasked with facing the best arms in the sport during Game 1, the inverse is true for pitchers, who also have to deal with slugging offenses that helped carry their respective clubs to the postseason. This is especially the case for Snell, who must contend with a Blue Jays lineup packed with thunder, albeit one that he has kept in check to the tune of 14 strikeouts and just two runs allowed in 7 ⅔ IP this season.
Snell’s pitch count has steadily risen as he has approached the postseason, indicating that he should be a full (100-plus pitch) go for Tuesday. His price tag will allow fantasy managers to get numerous offensive stars into lineups around him, while providing a safe floor of strikeouts and limited run production, as the lefty yielded more than three earned runs in an outing just once during the regular season.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Matt Olson - 1B, OAK vs. CWS ($3,200)
Purely a feast or famine selection, Olson’s home/road splits played heavily into his inclusion here. With an .880 OPS at Oakland Coliseum (versus a .576 mark on the road), Olson’s value lies primarily in his ability to go deep, which gives him considerably more appeal in GPP formats. Eleven of his 14 home runs during the regular season came against right-handers, which he should see a minimum of two at-bats against when facing White Sox righty Lucas Giolito in Game 1.
DJ LeMahieu - 2B, NYY @ CLE ($3,900)
Second base has created quite the FanDuel conundrum with this game split. In light of that, taking the best player available despite his tremendously stingy matchup is a move worth consideration. It’s not as if many managers will need to have their arm twisted to roster a batter coming off of a 2020 campaign in which he batted .364 with 19 multi-hit contests, but paying up for LeMahieu isn’t as harsh when considering the alternatives.
Joey Wendle - 3B, TAM vs. TOR ($2,700)
Tying the knot around the regular season with an eight-game hitting streak in which he slashed .464/.484/.750, Wendle has played his way into a key slot in the order for the Rays. With Yandy Diaz (hamstring) not likely to return to the starting nine against right-hander Matt Shoemaker, Wendle should see tremendous attention in all formats at his price tag.
Tim Anderson - SS, CWS @ OAK ($3,800)
You didn’t expect that just because it’s the postseason that we’d fade away from Anderson’s domination of southpaws, did you? Because with Oakland running lefty Jesus Luzardo to the hill for Game 1, Anderson’s 1.000 SLG versus left-handed pitching (tops in the Majors) from the regular season stands out as can’t miss.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
George Springer - OF, HOU @ MIN ($3,900)
While it may appear that Springer’s price tag is unduly exorbitant, gleaning through the numbers shows that it’s actually justifiable. Having closed the regular season with a torrid stretch that saw him hit seven homers in his final 15 games, including a 1.230 OPS in his final seven, Springer enters the playoffs as arguably the league’s hottest hitter. Holding down the leadoff spot for Houston should pay dividends for those managers looking to amass as many plate appearances as possible.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - OF, TOR @ TAM ($3,000)
Not to put too much stock into the final game of the 2020 regular season, but Gurriel did go 4-for-4 with a home run Sunday. It’s tough to enter the playoffs with a hotter bat, but consider that the outfielder has homered off of Rays starter Blake Snell in each of the last two years, and his potent bat suddenly presents some considerable thump at the heart of the Toronto order.
Franmil Reyes - OF, CLE vs. NYY ($2,800)
If Cole is susceptible when on the hill, it’s in his prevalence of allowing long balls. Having yielded a career-worst 1.7 HR/9 during the regular season, Cole will have to worry about the massive power of Reyes, who has posted an elite 92.4 MPH average exit velocity in 2020. All nine of Reyes’ homers this year have come off of right-handers en route to posting a .497 SLG.
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