We have Game 2 of the ALCS on tap for tonight from Yankee Stadium. The Yankees took Game 1 and are looking to head to Cleveland with a 2-0 lead.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/15/2024, with the slate beginning at 7:38 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.
Gerrit Cole vs. CLE ($12K DK; $18K DK CPT)
Cole was solid in the ALDS, allowing five runs (four earned) in 12 innings to the Royals. The bad news is that he only struck out eight hitters in those 12 innings. That's not going to cut it at this jacked-up price.
Lifetime against Cleveland, Gerrit Cole is 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA, striking out 99 in 93.1 innings.
He's won all 3 of his playoff starts against the Indians/Guardians, never lasting less than 6.1 innings.
He'll have the ball in Game 2 tomorrow night.
— Tyler Carey (@TC_CLE) October 15, 2024
That is the kind of dominance we'll pay for! Cole only allowed one hit to Cleveland in six innings during his only regular-season start against them. His score still suffered despite the win since he walked five and struck out just two batters. I don't know if Cole is worth the price as your captain, but in GPPs, I would pay $12K in case he owns Cleveland again.
Tanner Bibee at NYY ($11.2K DK; $16.8K DK CPT)
Bibee had a strong season, but he didn't face the Yankees once. On top of that, Bibee only pitched 8 2/3 innings in his two ALDS starts against the Tigers. If he's got a short hook in Yankee Stadium, there are way too many things that can go wrong for me to pay this much. If you're going to use a pitcher tonight, use Cole.
Top Hitters - MLB DFS Showdown Picks
Jose Ramirez – 3B, CLE vs. Gerrit Cole ($9.2K DK, $13.8K DK CAPT, $8.5K FD)
Ramirez is 12-for-34 (.353) in his career against Cole, with three doubles, a triple, and two homers. That's not even counting the seven walks that can also get us some points. The bad news is that both of those homers against Cole were when he was with the Astros. Oh, and Cole has only allowed one homer since September 1.
Juan Soto – OF, NYY vs. Tanner Bibee ($9K DK; $13.5K DK CPT, $9K FD)
Aaron Judge picked up his first RBI of this postseason last night. The Royals were content to walk Judge instead of challenging him. That worked out well for Soto, who picked up four hits and two RBI in the series.
JUAN SOTO'S FIRST PLAYOFF HOME RUN AS A YANKEE! pic.twitter.com/HvCYicsLm1
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 15, 2024
Soto was my favorite Yankee last night, and he paid it off with a solo homer. I'll go back to the well tonight. Soto has four homers in seven games against Cleveland this season.
Also consider: Josh Naylor, Lane Thomas, Gleyber Torres
Top Value - MLB DFS Showdown Picks
Anthony Volpe – SS, NYY vs. Tanner Bibee ($6.6K DK, $9.9K DK CPT, $6.5K FD)
Volpe struggled down the stretch, but he hit .360 in 25 at-bats against Cleveland this season. Bibee has only faced the Yankees once. The home run that he allowed was to Volpe. You can do worse from a value play.
Brayan Rocchio – SS, CLE vs. Gerrit Cole ($4.6K DK, $6.9K DK CPT, $5K FD)
Instead of going with a player who has struggled against Cole, I throw in a guy who hasn't faced him. Rocchio has at least one hit in every game this postseason and homered last night. I wouldn't expect another long ball off of Cole, but Rocchio should wind up with at least one hit again.
Also consider: Anthony Rizzo, Alex Verdugo
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