This is my final article of the regular season. It's unfortunate that we've reached this point in the season, but this is when the games truly matter. The good news is that we have more DFS during the postseason, and that's one of my favorite times to play due to the limited player pools. That's far different from some of the late-season shenanigans we've been dealing with over the last few weeks, and we're hopeful we don't get too much of that here!
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Pitching
Carlos Rodon, NYY vs. CWS ($10,500)
This is one of the worst slates of pitching I've seen all season, but Rodon is a clear-cut option up top. This lefty has allowed two runs or fewer in nine straight starts while sporting a 2.40 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in that span. The strikeouts have been down, but we're talking about a guy who has a 26 percent career K rate. Those strikeouts should be back in play against Chicago because they rank 27th in OBP, 26th in xwOBA and 28th in runs scored. That's why Rodon and the Yanks enter this matchup as a -300 favorite, with Rodon scoring at least 40 FanDuel points in his last two starts against his former team.
Emerson Hancock, SEA at vs. COL ($8,000)
Bryan Woo was going to be an easy selection, but Seattle decided to skip his start here. The good news is that this matchup would be simple for anyone, with the Rockies ranked 29th or 30th in runs scored, xwOBA and K rate. Those numbers are even worse on the road, with Hancock likely entering this magical matchup as a -300 favorite or higher. That's more about the opposition, but that win potential is impossible to overlook from an $8K pitcher. It's not like Hancock has been horrible either, posting a 4.36 ERA and 1.29 WHIP at home since his call-up. He hasn't officially been announced as the starter, but if someone else takes the bump, we'd use whoever toes the rubber for the Mariners!
Top Targets
Bobby Witt, KC (vs. Mitch Farris) $4,000
Witt is playing nowhere near the MVP level we saw last season, but he's quietly putting together a monster second half. The All-Star has a .378 OBP, .534 SLG and .912 OPS across his last 49 fixtures. That's the stud we've become accustomed to, and it looks even better since Witt has a .388 OBP and .872 OPS against lefties this season. The southpaw that scares us, with Farris sporting a 6.52 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. Maikel Garcia ($3,200) and Salvador Perez ($3,100) both have the platoon advantage against Farris, if you want to stack them with Witt.
Trent Grisham, NYY (vs. Davis Martin) $3,300
Why is Grisham still this cheap? This guy is the everyday leadoff hitter for one of the best offenses in baseball, and he's doubled his career high in dingers. Grisham connected on his 34th homer on Wednesday, generating a .351 OBP, .533 SLG, and .884 OPS across his last 26 outings. That's no surprise when seeing his stupendous splits, providing a .368 OBP and .885 OPS against right-handers this year. That won't bode well for Martin, maintaining a 5.30 xERA and 4.72 FIP. The Yankees are one of the safest stacks on this slate, with Aaron Judge ($4,700), Jazz Chisholm ($3,900), Cody Bellinger ($3,600), Giancarlo Stanton ($3,500) and Ben Rice ($3,100) all in play.
Bargain Bats
Jorge Polanco, SEA (vs. Bradley Blalock) $3,000
This is another price that simply doesn't make sense. Polanco has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball for over a month, tallying a .337 AVG, .654 SLG and 1.036 OPS since August 22. Hitting behind all of the studs in this rebuilt Seattle lineup has given him plenty of great pitches to hit while racking up RBI opportunities at will. He also gets to face a Rockies team that ranks dead-last in ERA, WHIP and xwOBA, and we'll dive into that more in the stacks section.
Nolan Schanuel, LAA (vs. Michael Lorenzen) $2,800
Schanuel is not your stereotypical first baseman with his lack of power, but there aren't many hitters with a better eye in baseball. The leadoff hitter for LA has a .355 career OBP. That's already a solid start, but it's backed by a .362 OBP and .764 OPS over his last 89 outings. That's a large sample size of raking, and we love that he has the platoon advantage against Lorenzen. The Royals righty has a 4.70 ERA for the season while registering a 5.57 ERA across his last seven starts. The Angels are a tough team to stack, but Taylor Ward ($3,400, Mike Trout ($3,200) and Jo Adell ($3,100) all have power potential against Lorenzen.
Stacks to Consider
Seattle Mariners vs. Colorado Rockies (Bradley Blalock): Cal Raleigh ($4,500), Julio Rodriguez ($4,100), Josh Naylor ($3,500), Polanco ($3,000)
I just watched the Mariners have a little home run derby Wednesday night against my Rockies, and it was far from shocking. Colorado ranks dead-last in ERA, WHIP and xwOBA while sending out one of the worst pitchers in baseball here. That's Blalock, who has a 9.16 ERA and 1.82 WHIP.
We could easily recommend Raleigh on any slate. This catcher just bombed his 60th homer Wednesday, collecting a .402 OBP and 1.034 OPS across his last 20 outings. Rodriguez also got in on the home run parade on Wednesday, accruing a .302 AVG, .605 SLG and .957 OPS across his last 64 fixtures. J-Rod also has 20 homers and 13 steals in that sensational stretch. Naylor should bat cleanup once again, compiling a .366 OBP and .840 OPS against righties this year while picking up 20 homers and 28 steals.
