1 month agoNew York Yankees first baseman
Anthony Rizzo (fingers) is a candidate to be added to the ALCS roster ahead of Game 1 on Monday. Rizzo is working his way back from fractures in multiple fingers after being hit by a pitch on the final weekend of the regular season, and he appears to be nearly ready to return. The Yankees would love to have him back, as they have been using a combination of
Jon Berti and
Oswaldo Cabrera to fill in for the lefty and could use a boost. He would likely slot into the back half of the lineup if he returns Monday.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Bryan Hoch
1 month agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Luis Gil will make his first postseason start on Friday in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians. Gil was skipped over in favor of using
Gerrit Cole for a second time in the ALDS, a decision that worked out well for the Yankees. Although Gil was very good for most of the season, he was prone to the occasional bad start and struggled with control even in his good starts. Expect the Yankees to be very careful with the 26-year-old and have a backup plan in place in case he struggles early. That being said, Gil could go out and dominate as well.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Bryan Hoch
1 month agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Clarke Schmidt will take the bump in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday. The Yankees have determined the first four games of their rotation already, and Schmidt is set to start the third of those. The 28-year-old started Game 3 of the ALDS as well and was solid, throwing 4 ⅔ IP and allowing two runs. Schmidt will likely be on a short leash like he was in his first start, with the Yankees just trying to squeeze as many quality innings as they can out of the back end of their rotation.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Bryan Hoch
1 month agoCleveland Guardians starting pitcher
Tanner Bibee will get the nod for Game 2 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees on Tuesday. Bibee will battle Yankees ace
Gerrit Cole in what could be a pitching showdown. The 25-year-old started two games in the ALDS, combining for 8 ⅔ IP and just two runs allowed. The Guardians haven't been willing to let him loose yet, but if he is pitching well they could let him go a little more in this one. Starting Game 2 will also set Bibee up to start in Game 6 on Sunday as well, if necessary.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Mandy Bell
1 month agoCleveland Guardians starting pitcher
Alex Cobb will start Game 1 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees on Monday. Cobb will look to outduel
Carlos Rodon, who will get the ball for the Yanks. In his only start of the postseason so far, Cobb went just three innings against the Detroit Tigers, giving up two runs and throwing 41 pitches. With Cobb returning from a blister issue recently and not having a rehab assignment, he probably won't be stretched out much more than he was last game. Expect a short leash for the 37-year-old once again.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Mandy Bell
1 month agoLos Angeles Dodgers second baseman
Gavin Lux left Game 1 of the NLCS early on Sunday due to a flare-up in his right hip flexor. Lux lobbied to stay in, but the Dodgers elected to play things safe with the game already 6-0 in the seventh inning. The 26-year-old is unlikely to play in Game 2 even if he is healthy as lefty
Sean Manaea is tabbed to start. Lux has a good chance to return on Wednesday in Game 3 or even as a pinch-hitter on Monday.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Fabian Ardaya
1 month agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Gerrit Cole is expected to start Game 2 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Cole received two starts in the ALDS and held a solid 3.00 ERA and 1.25 WHIP across 12 innings of work. In Game 1, Cole allowed three runs across five frames in a no-decision. However, in the series-clinching victory in Game 4, Cole led the way by tossing seven innings of one-run ball. He allowed six hits, no walks, and struck out four en route to earning the victory. This summer, the reigning AL Cy Young winner logged 95 innings to the tune of a 3.41 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 29:99 BB:K. DFS managers should always consider putting Cole in their lineup given how deep he typically pitches into games and for his high-strikeout upside.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Bryan Hoch
1 month agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Carlos Rodon will get the starting nod in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Rodon got the start in Game 2 of the ALDS and allowed four earned runs across 3 2/3 frames. He surrendered seven hits, no walks, and struck out seven. The 31-year-old enjoyed a nice bounce-back campaign this summer, as he posted a 3.96 ERA and 1.22 WHIP compared to the 6.85 ERA and 1.45 WHIP he held in 2023 in his Yankees debut. He will face a tough Cleveland lineup that has hit left-handed pitching quite well this summer with a strong .813 OPS. In addition, they have only struck out 18.4% of the time against southpaws.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Chris Kirschner
1 month agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Gavin Stone (shoulder) underwent shoulder surgery and is expected to miss all of the 2025 season, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The 25-year-old was battling shoulder inflammation during September and had to undergo surgery to fix the issue. The 25-year-old performed well at times through his first full season as a big-league starter. Across 140 1/3 innings of work, Stone posted a 3.53 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He held an above-average 6.4% barrel rate and 36.2% hard-hit rate. However, he generated whiffs at a weak 24.6% rate and strikeouts at a low 20.0% mark. The former fifth-round selection will now set his sights on returning to the mound in 2026.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Fabian Ardaya
1 month agoLos Angeles Dodgers relief pitchers
Brusdar Graterol (shoulder) and
Joe Kelly (shoulder) will not be available to pitch in the NLCS, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Graterol has been on the injured list since the end of September with right-shoulder inflammation. Kelly suffered a shoulder injury during a simulated game and has not taken the mound since Sept. 27. However, both pitchers could be in the mix to return in the World Series. The Dodgers will also likely be without
Alex Vesia (back) in this series. As a result, DFS managers should expect
Blake Treinen to see a majority of the save opportunities after picking up two in the NLDS, with
Daniel Hudson,
Evan Phillips, and
Michael Kopech also having high-leverage roles.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Fabian Ardaya
1 month agoLos Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher
Alex Vesia (ribs) is unlikely to be available for the NLCS due to a intercostal injury, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Vesia suffered an injury in Game 5 of the NLDS and will now face an uphill battle to pitch in the NLCS. DFS managers should monitor the official roster later this evening. The 28-year-old logged three innings of relief during the NLDS and allowed just one hit and one walk without surrendering a run. He struck out four. During the season, the southpaw posted a strong 1.76 ERA and 0.99 ERA across 66 1/3 innings of work. Under the hood, he boasted a 33.1% strikeout rate and 2.81 xERA, both well above the average marks. If he is unavailable to pitch,
Blake Treinen,
Daniel Hudson,
Evan Phillips, and
Michael Kopech will handle the high-leverage work for Los Angeles.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Fabian Ardaya
1 month agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Jack Flaherty will get the starting nod in Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday evening, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Flaherty got the nod in Game 2 of the NLDS and struggled, as he allowed five hits, a walk, and four earned runs across 5 1/3 frames of work. Since joining the Dodgers at the trade deadline, the 28-year-old held a 3.58 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and a 19:61 BB:K. Through 162 total innings this summer, the right-hander posted a solid 3.17 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Flaherty will face a tough Mets lineup but will likely be the pitcher to target in DFS given that he will face
Kodai Senga, who made only one regular-season start in 2024 due to injuries.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Fabian Ardaya
1 month agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Yoshinobu Yamamoto earned his first victory of the postseason on Friday evening as the Dodgers defeated the Padres to clinch the NLDS. The right-hander tossed five shutout frames and allowed just two hits and a walk. He struck out two. This was a nice bounce-back outing for the 26-year-old as he allowed five earned runs across three frames in Game 1. Yamamoto battled injuries throughout the season but is beginning to find his stride at the perfect time. DFS players should consider adding Yamamoto to their lineup when he makes his next start against the New York Mets in the NLCS.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 month agoLos Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Teoscar Hernandez went 1-for-3 with a home run in their series-clinching victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday evening. Hernandez extended the Dodger lead in the seventh frame with solo shot off
Yu Darvish. Hernandez tallied at least one hit in every game of the NLDS and boasted a .333/.400/.667 line. He hit two home runs and brough in seven RBI. The 31-year-old hit a career-high 31 long balls this summer and carried his power surge into October. DFS players should always consider adding Hernandez to their lineup as he should be penciled into the top-half of the Dodger lineup every game and have prime scoring opportunities.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 month agoLos Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Kike Hernandez went 1-for-3 with a solo shot in their Game 5 victory over the San Diego Padres. Hernandez broke the stalemate in the second frame by hitting a solo home run off
Yu Darvish. This was the eventual game-winning run. Through the playoffs, the 33-year-old has gone 3-for-9 at the plate. Hernandez appeared in three games during the NLDS. DFS players should expect Hernandez to split time in center field through the remainder of the postseason with
Chris Taylor and
Tommy Edman and could be worth a look as a value option when he is in the starting nine.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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