This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Funny, we wrote about this same slate Monday. The only difference is that we're deeper into these ALDS series, and both matchups could potentially end today. That's an exciting development for us baseball fans, and it should be fun to see how things play out. With that in mind, let's look at these Game 4s from a DFS standpoint!
Pitching
Tanner Bibee, CLE at DET ($8,900)
Gerrit Cole is obviously a great choice as the highest-priced arm on this slate, but Bibee offers a better way to separate yourself from the field. The Guardians righty has quietly been one of the most consistent pitchers since being called up last season, sporting a 3.25 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. He also looked much better in the second half of 2024, tallying a 3.01 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 8.4 K/9 across his final 12 starts. Bibee also had a 2.28 ERA and 1.05 WHIP on the road in that span, which is awesome since Comerica Park is one of the most pitcher-friendly environments in baseball. We also don't mind that Detroit ranked 28th in OBP and 24th in K rate during the regular season, with Bibee allowing just three runs across 15.2 innings in their last three matchups!
Top Targets
Juan Soto, NYY (vs. Michael Wacha) $4,500
Soto has the highest projection according to our MLB Optimizer, and it's easy to understand why. The outfielder is having a historical debut season with the Yankees, providing a .419 OBP and .988 OPS. Those are amazingly on par with his career norms, but his splits are even more sensational. Soto has a .423 OBP and .988 OPS against righties since the start of last season. He's also got a .437 OBP and 1.017 OPS on the road this year, which is fantastic since Kauffman Stadium has magically developed into a hitter's park this year. Wacha is also one of the worst pitchers on this slate, totaling a 4.02 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over the last six seasons.
Jose Ramirez (vs. Reese Olson) $4,200
Ramirez has struggled in these playoffs like most Cleveland bats, but he's the best player in the best matchup. That's a simple recipe to use someone, with Ramirez averaging 13.7 FanDuel points per game during the regular season. His power-speed combo isn't matched by many (39 homers, 41 steals), and you know he'll be aggressive in this elimination game for the Guardians. Not to mention, Ramirez registered a .407 OBP and 1.163 OPS in 13 regular season games against the Tigers.
Bargain Bats
Riley Greene, DET (vs. Tanner Bibee) $3,000
Greene is the best bat in this Tigers lineup, mainly due to his superb splits. The southpaw slugger has been rocking righties all season, registering a .377 OBP, .496 SLG and .873 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. That's all you can ask for from a $3K player, and he's a sneaky pivot if you believe Bibee will pitch well but Greene will still have one or two great at-bats against him. Greene has also seen Bibee 15 times, posting a .400 OBP against him! We wouldn't advise stacking the Motor City Kitties, but Kerry Carpenter ($3,300) and Parker Meadows ($3,100) would be the best pairings with Greene.
Austin Wells, NYY (vs. Michael Wacha) $2,800
Is there a better spot to hit than cleanup in the Yankees lineup? Not only is he batting behind two guys who get on base nearly 50 percent of the time, but he also has a scorching-hot Giancarlo Stanton behind him. That should give Wells some good pitches to hit, and he's posted a .771 OPS against righties. He also closed the year with a .336 OBP and .782 OPS across his last 67 games and faces one of the worst pitchers on this slate. If you want a full-blown Yankees stack, Aaron Judge ($4,200), Jazz Chisholm ($3,600) and Giancarlo Stanton ($3,200) all need to be considered.
Stacks to Consider
Cleveland Guardians at Detroit Pistons (Olson): Ramirez ($4,200), Josh Naylor ($3,500), Lane Thomas ($3,400), Steven Kwan ($3,200)
Olson hasn't been announced as the starter yet, but he'll likely be the opener in what's looking like a bullpen game. That makes them the easiest team to target because every other team is sending out a solid pitcher. Olson has been OK at times this season, but his 5.14 ERA and 1.32 WHIP across his final 12 starts are nothing to write home about!
We already talked about JRam as one of the best options on the board, but Naylor is the best per-dollar play for the Guardians. The first baseman is projected to hit cleanup, compiling a .279 AVG, .496 SLG and .833 OPS against righties since 2022. Thomas is usually better against lefties, but the trade deadline acquisition had a .855 OPS across his final 25 regular-season games. We all know about Kwan's elite on-base ability, accruing a .292 AVG, .368 OBP and .793 OPS in a breakout season.
