MLB DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Stacks Today: Thursday Playbook

On Thursday, October 10th, we have a solid two-game MLB DFS main slate kicking off at 6:08 PM ET. 

We have two elimination games in the American League Division Series as the New York Yankees are up 2-1 against the Kansas City Royals while the Detroit Tigers have a 2-1 lead against the Cleveland Guardians. Let's dive into today's MLB DFS picks.

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MLB DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, October 10th

Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers

Top Options For Strikeouts

• Tanner Bibee, Cleveland Guardians - 5.5 (+130)
• Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees - 4.5 (-128)
• Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals - 4.5 (+116)

Bullpen ERAs (September/October)

• Cleveland Guardians - 0.95 ERA
• Kansas City Royals - 1.35 ERA
• New York Yankees - 2.36 ERA
• Detroit Tigers - 3.00 ERA

Core MLB DFS Pitchers

I’m going to rank the four starting pitchers on tonight’s slate:

1) Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

It was a BRUTAL Game 1 for Gerrit Cole, but he gets a second chance to redeem himself and it’s a good matchup. Over the last month, the Royals are 19th in OPS and have struck out 24.6% of the time against right-handed pitching. Cole’s been a strikeout-per-inning guy this year and there is a high ceiling with how well he’s pitched on the road.

2) Tanner Bibee, Cleveland Guardians

Despite pitching 4.2 scoreless innings in Game 1, the Guardians pulled Tanner Bibee out and went to their bullpen. He still notched nearly 19 DKP, so his ceiling/floor is nice. He’s given us double-digit DKP in 13 of 14 games, four times against the Tigers over that span. 

Bibee has faced the Tigers FIVE times this year and pitched well in the last four. As the Guardians are on the brink of elimination, we have to understand there could be a quick hook here.

3) Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals

The Royals will have a quick hook with their starter if he gets in trouble but Wacha was decent in Game 1 against the Yankees. He’s been solid this season and the Yankees offense hasn’t been great of late. 

Judge is struggling, Soto hasn’t had good at-bats in each of the last two games, and it’s been sporadic production across the rest of the lineup. I’m not in love with his strikeout upside and I’ll list him third here.

4) Detroit Tigers Pitching Staff

If Reese Olson is the bulk pitcher here, I’d almost prefer Olson to Wacha, especially with how bad Cleveland’s offense has looked. It’s hard to predict how many innings these pitchers will eat and who will be utilized the most.

Recommended MLB DFS Hitters

Highest Expected Run Totals 

• New York Yankees - 4.2
• Kansas City Royals - 3.5
• Cleveland Guardians - 3.4
• Detroit Tigers - 3.3

Core MLB DFS Hitters

Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

Yes. I get it. Aaron Judge has not been good this postseason. He hasn't been good his entire postseason career. That said, he's been as good as anyone in baseball this year and I'm not letting a three-game sample get the best of me. 

This year against righties, Judge has posted a .365 ISO and .467 wOBA. He's going to get it done tonight and he may be lower-owned than usual.

Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians

Despite his struggles to start the series, I'm not writing Jose Ramirez off. He's been fantastic over the last month against right-handed pitching posting a .350 AVG, 1.092 OPS, and .367 ISO. If and when the Tigers go to a lefty, we know how good he's been against southpaws.

Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers

I like the Tigers but we risk playing someone that may only get one or two at-bats because they pinch-hit so much. Greene is not one of those players as he doesn't get hit for. He's been great against righties this year posting a .216 AVG and .375 wOBA. It's a good spot against Tanner Bibee who struggles with lefty bats. 

Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees

Giancarlo Stanton may be the most popular Yankee on Thursday's slate after his monster Game 3 performance. Stanton has big numbers against right-handed pitching this year notching a .275 ISO and .343 wOBA and both are lower-than-expected numbers (.297 xISO and .362 xwOBA).

Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians

Kwan has been both really good in this series and really good lately. Over his last 10 games, he's hitting .375 with an insane .556 OBP. He's been on base 23 times in 10 games! The leadoff hitter on the road, maximizing his at-bats. Sign me up.

Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees

Over the last month, Gleyber Torres has been incredibly solid against right-handed pitchers. Torres has hit .297 with a .807 OPS, .172 ISO, and .349 wOBA. Torres, as the Yankees' leadoff hitter this year, has a .283 AVG and a .350 OBP this season.

Wenceel Perez, Detroit Tigers

Down the stretch of the year, Wenceel Perez LEADS the Tigers in OPS against right-handed pitching over the last month. 

He's also hitting .348 and he's one of the few Tigers' players that haven't been pinch-hit for. Tanner Bibee has struggled more with lefties this season allowing a .197 ISO and .336 wOBA.

Yuli Gurriel, Kansas City Royals

Gurriel has given the Yankees FITS in this series while also hitting right-handed pitching well.  On the year, throughout his first 33 at-bats, he's hitting .333 against righties. He's free at $2.7K on DraftKings.

Player Pool

• DraftKings Player Pool
• FanDuel Player Pool

$ Tier	SP	1B	2B	3B	SS	OF
High	Gerrit Cole $9,400			José Ramírez $4,200	Bobby Witt $4,100	Aaron Judge $4,700
						Juan Soto $4,500
Medium	Tanner Bibee $8,900	Salvador Perez $3,100		Jazz Chisholm $3,600	Anthony Volpe $3,000	Kerry Carpenter $3,300
						Giancarlo Stanton $3,200
						Steven Kwan $3,200
						Riley Greene $3,000
Low	Reese Olson $7,500	Yuli Gurriel $2,500	Gleyber Torres $2,900	Matt Vierling $2,900	Oswaldo Cabrera $2,400	Alex Verdugo $2,700
			Andrés Giménez $2,800			Tommy Pham $2,700
						Will Brennan $2,200

Stacks

Yankees	Juan Soto	Anthony Volpe	Gleyber Torres	Aaron Judge	Giancarlo Stanton	Oswaldo Cabrera
DraftKings	6000	3800	4200	6500	4500	2900
Fanduel	4500	3000	2900	4700	3200	2400

Tigers	Kerry Carpenter	Parker Meadows	Matt Vierling	Jake Rogers	Riley Greene
DraftKings	4400	4100	4000	2800	4600
Fanduel	3300	3100	2900	2300	3000

Guardians	Andrés Giménez	José Ramírez	Steven Kwan	Josh Naylor
DraftKings	3600	6200	4700	4100
Fanduel	2800	4200	3200	3500

Yankees	Juan Soto	Anthony Volpe	Gleyber Torres	Aaron Judge	Giancarlo Stanton	Oswaldo Cabrera
DraftKings	6000	3800	4200	6500	4500	2900
Fanduel	4500	3000	2900	4700	3200	2400

Tigers	Kerry Carpenter	Parker Meadows	Matt Vierling	Jake Rogers	Riley Greene
DraftKings	4400	4100	4000	2800	4600
Fanduel	3300	3100	2900	2300	3000

Guardians	Andrés Giménez	José Ramírez	Will Brennan	Steven Kwan	Josh Naylor
DraftKings	3600	6200	2600	4700	4100
Fanduel	2800	4200	2200	3200	3500