The ideal lineup construction is to use one expensive pitcher and one cheap one. The good news is that's exactly what we have here. The cheap one is actually down at $6,000, so you better believe he'll be rostered in many lineups out there, since he's also the largest favorite on this slate. With that said, let's get started with the pricey one in a fantastic spot.
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Pitching
Kevin Gausman, TOR at SF ($9,000)
We always love to recommend aces in San Francisco. Not only do the Giants possess one of the most spacious parks, but they rank 25th in runs scored and 27th in xwOBA. That's a nightmare against a guy like this, with Gausman generating a 3.44 ERA and 1.15 WHIP since 2020. That was actually his debut season with the Giants, and he loves facing them since he has a 3.13 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 11.7 K/9 rate throughout his career against them. Gausman has also been much better on the road this season, amassing a 3.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 9.8 K/9 rate.
Eric Lauer, LAD vs. COL ($6,000)
Lauer was let go by Toronto earlier this season, but LA made a savvy pickup. They saw the lefty post a 3.18 ERA and 1.11 WHIP last season, and they've seen similar things in Dodger Blue. Lauer has allowed three runs or fewer in six straight starts while sporting a 2.88 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in that span. Strikeout stuff is the only thing he's lacking, but Lauer is a great bet for a win with this World Series lineup behind him, and he enters this matchup as a -210 favorite against a Rockies team that's posted the worst road averages over the last decade. When Lauer saw them a few weeks ago, he scored 21 DraftKings points.
Top Targets
Yordan Alvarez, HOU (vs. Miles Mikolas) $6,200
All the talk around MLB is about Junior Caminero's ridiculous run, but Alvarez is equally as absurd. The Houston slugger is on his way to some MVP votes, sporting a .433 OBP and 1.078 OPS this season. His recent form is even more spectacular, as he's accrued a .459 OBP and 1.177 OPS across his last 36 fixtures. He also faces one of the worst pitchers on this slate while posting a .460 OBP and 1.125 OPS against right-handers. We'll dive into Mikolas more below.
Mookie Betts, LAD (vs. Kyle Freeland) $4,800
The Dodgers are the best stack on the board against Freeland. We'll discuss that more below, but Betts is the best per-dollar play of the bunch. The former MVP has a .354 AVG and 1.013 OPS across his last 20 games. He also has the platoon advantage against the struggling southpaw, tallying a .289 AVG and .919 OPS in 45 at-bats against Freeland. It's hard to believe Betts has so much in his favor and is still sitting below $5K.
Bargain Bats
Daylen Lile, WAS (vs. Mike Burrows) $3,600
This Nationals lineup has been one of the best in baseball this year. It's easy to look at the young studs and see why, but Lile is just as valuable. This guy has a .278 career AVG and .787 OPS since his call-up last season. He also enters this matchup with a .471 AVG and 1.412 OPS across his last four fixtures. The most impactful variable is that he has the platoon advantage against Burrows, accumulating a .289 AVG and .839 OPS against righties since his call-up. Burrows isn't a bad matchup either, generating a 5.58 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. James Wood ($5,900), CJ Abrams ($5,400) and Luis Garcia ($4,100) have been hot all season if you want to stack Washington.
Gavin Sheets, SD (vs. Brandon Pfaadt) $3,400
Sheets has struggled at times this season, but there's too much in his favor for him to cost so little. Let's start with the matchup, because Pfaadt has a 5.40 ERA and 1.41 WHIP this season. He also gives Sheets the platoon advantage, with the Padre slugger posting a .840 OPS against right-handers this year. We love that when examining his recent form, as he has a .444 OBP and 1.140 OPS across his last eight outings. A San Diego stack is in play, with Fernando Tatis ($4,700), Manny Machado ($4,200) and Jackson Merrill ($3,900) looking like the best plays.
Stacks to Consider
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies (Freeland): Freddie Freeman ($6,000), Andy Pages ($5,300), Betts ($4,800), Teoscar Hernandez ($4,200)
Anytime the Dodgers play the Rockies, you can assume they'll be in this section. It's the best lineup in baseball facing the worst pitching staff. The Rockies rank last in ERA, WHIP and xwOBA while sending out Freeland here. The longtime lefty has a 7.25 ERA and 1.60 WHIP this season, while allowing eight runs to the Dodgers earlier this season.
Freeman is one of those lefty bats that you can use against left-handed pitching. He's scorching right now too, tallying a .528 OBP and 1.284 OPS across the last two weeks. Pages has the platoon advantage from the right side, posting a .313 career AVG and .834 OPS against lefties. Hernandez just came off the IL and has an .848 OPS against lefties over the last three years.
Houston Astros at Washington Nationals (Mikolas): Alvarez ($6,200), Isaac Paredes ($4,000), Christian Walker ($3,700), Jose Altuve ($3,600)
It's rare to have two dominant offenses in such special spots, but that's just what we have here. This Houston lineup is one of the deepest in baseball, and they have one of the best possible matchups. That's Mikolas, who's maintained a 5.44 ERA so far this year.
Alvarez is our favorite bat on the board, but the rest of these guys are good pairings with how affordable they are. Paredes homered on Sunday and has a .387 OBP and .967 OPS across his last eight games. Walker is amid a bounce-back season, averaging 7.7 DK points per game. Altuve is a perennial All-Star who has combined for 33 DraftKings points over his last two games.
