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Happy Wednesday, Rotoballers! After a wild ninth inning, the Astros and Red Sox play Game 5 of the ALCS less than 16 hours after ending Game 4. Houston exploded for seven runs in the ninth inning to tie the series at two, and they will try to steal one more game in Boston before the series returns to Texas. Meanwhile, the Dodgers rallied for four runs in the eighth inning to keep their season alive and now trail the Braves 2-1 in the NLCS.
Pitching will be messy tonight as all four projected starters pitched less than three innings in their last appearance. I want to tout Valdez as the most reliable arm on the slate, but he hasn't made it through the fifth inning in either of his two postseason starts. It's still early in the day, but I'm leaning toward grabbing the two cheapest arms and loading up on my hitting.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/20/2021. 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, find me on Twitter and ask away.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Chris Sale - LHP, BOS vs. HOU ($7,100)
Like I mentioned in the intro, I don't trust any of these four starters go deep in their outings. However, Chris Sale is the one guy who's shown us the kind of damage he can do. Over his last five appearances, the southpaw has games with six, seven, and eight strikeouts in less than six innings of work. The peak Sale performance we can hope for tonight would replicate his Oct. 3 outing against the Nationals, where he struck out seven batters in only 2 1/3 innings. While the Astros aren't as swing-happy as most teams against lefties, they will be trying to jump on Sale early and get to the bullpen on back-to-back nights for the first time in this series.
Huascar Ynoa - RHP, ATL at LAD ($6,700)
Having Huascar Ynoa as my SP2 is more of a strategic pick than a "He's going seven innings and blowing this slate wide open" pick. The young righty is the cheapest arm on the board, and I think the way to being in the green at the end of the night is picking the correct bats. Still, Ynoa has at least six strikeouts in four of his last six appearances, so I wouldn't rule out a surprise outing for the Braves hurler as he finished the regular season with 102 strikeouts in 92 innings. Ynoa will likely be the least rostered arm on the slate, and his low cost and leverage put him over the top for me as the SP2 pick.
Other options: Julio Urias vs. ATL ($8,800), Framber Valdez at BOS ($7,500)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Christian Vazquez - C, BOS vs. Framber Valdez ($3,900)
Vazquez has started three of the four ALCS games and went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI in Game 3. While the rest of the series has been a struggle (0-for-6 with a walk), he's up to three multi-hit games in the postseason with one home run. In this series, Boston has shown DFS managers that they can get production from anywhere in the lineup, and rostering Vazquez keeps us away from the ever-popular Will Smith ($4,300) on the West Coast.
Freddie Freeman - 1B, ATL at Julio Urias ($4,500)
When it's rained, it's poured for Freddie Freeman in the 2021 postseason. The 2020 NL MVP has a couple of three-hit outings, but it's been pretty bleak otherwise. Last night, the lefty went 3-for-4 with a walk, and a run as the Braves failed to bury the Dodgers with a 3-0 series lead. Of course, the other option at first base would be Yuli Gurriel ($4,000) as he rides a five-game hitting streak, but I believe Freeman's struggles will lead to a decreased roster percentage and an excellent buy-low opportunity.
Jose Altuve - 2B, HOU at Chris Sale ($4,900)
Altuve's success against Chris Sale is well documented. The second base superstar has a .313/.353/.625 slash line against the Red Sox southpaw and has three postseason home runs against Sale. He knocked two against him in Game 1 of the 2017 ALDS at Minute Maid Park and then did it again in Game 1 of this series. Last night, Altuve hit a game-tying home run for his 21st career postseason homer, and it won't be surprising to see his 22nd clear the Green Monster on Wednesday.
Austin Riley - 3B, ATL at Julio Urias ($3,900)
You won't find me fading a power-heavy third baseman on a seven-game hit streak. And that's exactly what Austin Riley is doing for the Atlanta Braves as they try to advance to the World Series. In this series, Riley is 4-for-11 with three runs, two doubles, a home run, and three RBI. He's been fantastic for the Braves the entire second half of the regular season, and it's carrying over to the postseason.
Corey Seager - SS, LAD vs. Huascar Ynoa ($4,700)
The great thing about picking the two cheapest pitchers is how available the heavy hitters are to fill your lineup. So it continues here with Corey Seager. The Dodger's infielder has four extra-base hits in his last four games and averages 13.67 fantasy points per game in the NLCS. It's tempting to put Carlos Correa ($4,200) in this spot, but Seager has been a bit more consistent after registering a hit in seven of his eight postseason contests.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Enrique Hernandez - 2B/OF, BOS vs. Framber Valdez ($5,400)
Once again, I won't be fading one of the trendiest bats in the game. My lineup will be chalky, but it's a little challenging to get too different on a two-game slate. Enrique Hernandez has a hit in seven consecutive contests but is 18-for-34 since Game 2 of the ALDS and has four extra-base hits through four games of the ALCS. The outfield is one place where you can get different, but, once again, if you go the cheap route at pitching, there is plenty of salary cap available to pay up for the bigger bats.
Mookie Betts - OF, LAD vs. Huascar Ynoa ($5,000)
Mookie Betts led the Dodgers to a World Series title last year, and he's trying to do it again in the 2021 playoffs. He's scored at least 19 fantasy points in four of his previous five games and is peaking at precisely the right time for Los Angeles. I would have no hesitation loading up on the Dodgers because this offense can put a crooked number on the board at any moment.
Cody Bellinger - 1B/OF, LAD vs. Huascar Ynoa ($3,300)
Cody Bellinger undoubtedly has the two biggest hits of the Dodger's 2021 postseason. He has the go-ahead RBI in Game 5 of the NLDS against the Giants and then saved the season for L.A. with a three-run home run last night against the Braves. At $3,300, I'm buying the mystique around Belly and just how clutch he has been through the first two rounds of this postseason. He's still stuck at seventh in the batting order, but with a lineup as talented as the Dodgers, any lineup slot will do for DFS.
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