It’s win or go home Friday when the Dodgers and Padres battle for the opportunity to advance to the NLCS. This game also provides us with an opportunity to play single-game contests on DraftKings and FanDuel.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/11/2024, with the slate beginning at 8:08 p.m. EDT. The lineup picks will range from some elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. Monitoring injury news and today's MLB starting lineups is also essential.
Good luck, RotoBallers!
Pitchers - MLB DFS Showdown Picks
You can't roster pitchers on FanDuel, just five hitters. But both starting pitchers are in the player pool on DraftKings.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. SD ($11,000 DK; $16,500 DK CPT, NA FD)
Yamamoto was hit hard in Game 1, allowing five runs across three innings. He only threw 60 pitches in that outing and has not thrown more than 79 pitches in any of his five starts since coming off the injured list. Even if he’s pitching well in this game, don’t expect him to push past much more than 80 pitches. In an ideal world, the Dodgers would probably love for him to just make it through five innings.
Yu Darvish at LAD ($10,800 DK; $16,200 DK CPT, NA FD)
Darvish started Game 2, allowing one run over seven innings. He posted just three strikeouts but also limited the Dodgers to only three hits. He also faced the Dodgers three times during the regular season, allowing a total of four runs (three earned) over 15.2 innings. Given the magnitude of this game, expect the Padres to have a quick hook with him if he gets into any trouble. Their bullpen will be in good shape after the off day Thursday.
Yu Darvish vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be the first matchup of Japanese-born starting pitchers in MLB postseason history. pic.twitter.com/RrjTZuxX6g
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) October 11, 2024
Top Hitters - MLB DFS Showdown Picks
Shohei Ohtani – OF, LAD vs. Yu Darvish ($10,000 DK; $15,000 DK CPT, $10,000 FD)
This series is the first time that Ohtani has appeared in the playoffs. Facing elimination in Game 4, he went 2-for-5 with a home run. Overall, he is 4-for-16 with two walks and seven strikeouts in the series. He comes with a hefty salary, but his upside being off the charts makes it difficult to exclude him from DFS lineups.
Fernando Tatis Jr. – OF, SD vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($9,400 DK; $14,100 DK CPT, $8,500 FD)
Not only does Tatis have at least one hit in every game of this series, but he has at least one hit in all six playoff games that the Padres have played. During their six-game playoff run, he has hit four home runs and three doubles. Another great stat in his favor is that he has struck out only one time in the playoffs so far.
Also consider: Mookie Betts, Manny Machado
Top Value - MLB DFS Showdown Picks
Jackson Merrill – OF, SD vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($7,600 DK; $11,400 DK CPT, $7,500 FD)
Merrill went 3-for-5 with a home run in Game 2, but he hasn’t recorded a hit in any of the other three games in this series. He has drawn four walks, two of which came in Game 1. After an excellent regular season in which Merrill posted a .208 ISO and a .352 wOBA, he could provide value in this important game.
Such a sweet swing by Jackson Merrill 🤩 #NLDS pic.twitter.com/NyRpNbI5zO
— MLB (@MLB) October 7, 2024
Kyle Higashioka – C, SD vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($5,200 DK; $7,800 DK CPT, $5,000 FD)
Ideally, it’s best to put both Ohtani and Tatis into your DFS lineup. To do that, it will be necessary to take a chance on a cheap player to help balance out your budget. When you’re hunting for that potential cheap value play, try for a player who could do it with one swing of the bat. That player for this game could be Higashioka, who hit 17 home runs over 84 games during the regular season. He also went deep in Game 2 of this series.
Also consider: Xander Bogaerts, Luis Arraez
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