This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Two American League Game 3's are on Tuesday's docket. Twins/Astros comes with an eight-run total, while Rangers/Orioles sits at nine runs. We're climate controlled in Texas, while Minnesota looks seasonably cool this evening, with winds potentially blowing in around 10 mph.
Pitching
Cristian Javier, HOU at MIN ($8,800): There's not much difference on the mound Tuesday, with only $1,100 separating the top and bottom options. Javier had an inconsistent regular season, but he did manage 40-plus FDP in two of his final three outings. The Twins are still arguably the softest offense left, and their power potential could be limited if the wind reports are accurate. Minnesota struck out at a 27.0 percent rate against righties during the season.
Dean Kremer, BAL at TEX ($8,600): The Rangers are hot offensively and have depth throughout their lineup, making Kremer a clear risk. Conversely, the O's need a solid outing from him to help extend this series. Kremer allowed one or no runs in five of his final seven outings of the season but got only two quality starts, not making it through six innings in any of the final five. He's shown the potential for a nice return at this salary, but Baltimore skipper Brandon Hyde also figures to have a quick hook at the first sign of trouble.
Top Targets
Carlos Correa ($3,500) isn't priced as a top-tier option, but he's 5-for-8 in two games against his former team on the heels of a 3-for-7 showing in the wild-card round. That seems to set up a nice floor for an average price. The TBS pregame broadcast Tuesday was noting how his time with the Astros allowed him to understand how Houston's pitchers attack the opposition. That resonated with me and helps explain his current success.
Kremer allowed a .349 wOBA to lefties on the year, not a huge number, but far higher than the .290 he surrendered to righties. That may make Corey Seager ($4,500) an obvious selection, but for less money and likely less usage, Evan Carter ($3,800) is also appealing. He moved up to the five-hole in Game 2, giving him more run-producing chances, he's hit safely in five straight games while collecting six walks as well. The rookie has a nice blend of power and speed to provide both a floor and ceiling.
Bargain Bats
Leody Taveras ($3,000) offers another left-handed bat to use against Kremer on the cheap. He too has the power/speed combo to outperform his salary, reaching a 4x return in three of the Rangers' first four postseason games.
We can't simply pass on Houston's offense Tuesday, but they have four bats at $3,600 or greater, making it difficult to grab multiple top options. As a result, Yainer Diaz ($3,000) looks appealing. He's been confirmed as the team's DH for Game 3 and had a nice .387 wOBA, 150 wRC+ and .292 ISO off righties during the season, higher than both Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman. Jeremy Pena ($2,900) hasn't flourished this year but is worth a shot on the cheap after being last year's postseason hero. He is 0-for-5 with three strikeouts off Sonny Gray, however.
Stack to Consider
Orioles vs. Nathan Eovaldi: Gunnar Henderson ($3,700), Ryan Mountcastle ($3,100), Austin Hays ($2,900)
Eovaldi looked like his old self in his wild-card outing against Tampa Bay, but I'm not ready to go all in after a horrible September in which he allowed 21 runs across 20.1 innings. It was righties that did him in, and he posted a ridiculous .498 wOBA and 1.201 OPS in that split. Baltimore used vastly different lineups in Games 1 and 2, stacking lefties atop the lineup when facing a right-handed starter, so it will be interesting to see how they approach Tuesday's game. Assuming the O's stick with that strategy, this stack gives us a more middle-of-the-lineup approach. Henderson was the team's best all year off righties with a .371 wOBA, 140 wRC+ and .277 ISO, and seems locked into the cleanup spot. The addition of Mountcastle and Hays gives us two righties that should hit around Henderson, likely in the fifth through seventh area. Hays is a solid 8-for-25 (.320) off Eovaldi, though with minimal upside and a .720 OPS. Mountcastle has seen similar results off the Rangers' starter, going 6-for-18 (.333) with a .733 OPS.
