This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
PITCHER
Rick Porcello, BOS at CLE ($50): You're chasing a win here, as Indians starter Trevor Bauer has been diced by the Red Sox, having allowed 11 earned runs in 7.2 innings over his last three matchups, spanning back to 2015. Porcello has 12 strikeouts in his last 12.2 innings against the Indians while giving up four earned runs. Safe floor, safe ceiling seems to be the play, as Porcello has a ridiculous run of 18 straight double-digit fantasy point outings dating back to June 28, and he's topped 20 points in all but two of those starts.
Marco Estrada, TOR at TEX ($46): Since we're punting on Bauer, you're left choosing one of two between Estrada and Cole Hamels ($48). Estrada has been the better pitcher down the stretch, allowing just two earned runs over his last 19 innings, while Hamels has surrendered nine runs in his last 20 frames. He's also been a better pitcher away from home, allowing a .261 wOBP and .594 OPS. The hunch here is that Hamels' name and post-season history have him with much higher ownership, and Estrada has the stuff to match him Thursday.
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CATCHER
Sandy Leon, BOS at CLE ($7): Leon gets the nod here mostly for the bottom-tier price. He cooled considerably in September, hitting only .213, and his switch-hitting bat was more effective from the right side. But there isn't a great reason to pay up for this position. Leon's upside is minimal, but there's at least a flicker of hope he can get in on a potential offensive parade for the BoSox.
FIRST BASE
David Ortiz, BOS at CLE ($20): Ortiz has a .435 wOBP, .350 ISO and 1.072 OPS against right-handed pitching in his final season. Bauer's struggles against the Red Sox notwithstanding, he posted a 6.39 ERA in the season's final month while giving up 40 hits in 38.0 innings. It's a very small sample size, but Ortiz is 4-of-5 in his career against Bauer with a home run, two doubles and three RBI.
SECOND BASE
Devon Travis, TOR at TEX ($9): With just two games and four regulars at every position, buying down at non-premier positions makes sense. Travis is the cheapest of the four second basemen, and while Roughned Odor's ($14) price isn't prohibitive, and his .340 wOBP and .247 ISO against righties may be a better play, Travis has upside while providing some salary relief. Travis posted a .370 wOBP away from home this year and hit .319 over the last month of the season.
THIRD BASE
Jose Ramirez, CLE vs. BOS ($18): Saving at the hot corner is not going to be an option, with Ramirez the cheapest of three sure-fire starters, and the rest of the player pool all coming in at $7. Ramirez has been terrific at home this season, sporting a .406 wOBP and .952 OPS, and he hit .337 over the season's final two months.
SHORTSTOP
Troy Tulowitzki, TOR at TEX ($12): Tulowitzki is the cheapest of the four regular shortstops, and he has had some success against Hamels, going 5-for-15 with two homers against him in his career. His power escaped him over the final month, with just two of his 24 long balls coming after August, but he hit two homers in 13 at-bats during the season at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
OUTFIELD
Carlos Gomez, TEX vs. TOR ($19): If you're going to pay up for an outfielder, Gomez appears to be a fine choice. He closed the season with fury, posting a .418 wOBP in September/October, when six of his 13 homers on the season came. He also stole four bases and scored 15 times in the regular season's final month, all of which led to 11 double-digit fantasy point outings since Aug. 31.
Tyler Naquin, CLE vs. BOS ($11): Naquin has a .414 wOBP against righties at home, and he launched nine of his 14 homers this season in the same scenario. While Porcello has been a winning machine, he's still allowed three runs in each of his last two starts, neither of which went beyond 6.1 innings. The Indians were third in the league during the regular season in runs scored at home.
Michael Saunders, TOR at TEX ($8): Saunders' left-handed bat is no guarantee to be in the lineup against Hamels, but he's been a bit of a statistical anomaly this year, hitting southpaws better than he has right-handers. He has a .391 wOBP against lefties, the second-highest mark on the team, and eight of his 24 homers came against lefties in 272 fewer at-bats. His 29.3 percent strikeout rate is concerning, but Saunders has the chance to provide a nice return for a low price if he plays. Cleveland's Rajai Davis ($7) will be a sufficient plug-in should Saunders not be in the lineup.
