MLB DFS Playbook October 12: Top Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel
Published: Oct 12, 2023
Welcome to Thursday! We are down to the final division series. The ALCS is now set with the Texas Rangers taking on the Houston Astros after the Astros defeated the Minnesota Twins in game 3-2 yesterday. The Arizona Diamondbacks await the winner of the Phillies and Braves after completing their sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers last night. While those three teams wait, our attention is turned to Philly, where the Philadelphia Phillies hold a 2-1 lead over the Atlanta Braves after a huge win last night powered by Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos, each crushing two home runs. This gives us just a 1-game slate today starting at 8:07 PM EST on DraftKings and FanDuel. The 1-game format is a bit different, but that won’t stop us from building some winning MLB DFS lineups today. Make sure to check out all of our amazing MLB DFS tools, as they are always worth going through before building your lineups, as are the Vegas Odds, but let’s dive into today’s MLB DFS playbook to help build some winning lineups!
MLB DFS Playbook October 12
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
With only a one-game slate, the lineup construction differs a bit with only a handful of spots and having to choose players for points multipliers. While I believe many will be using Spencer Strider as their point multiplier, I’m riding with Philly today. Those Philly fans chanting “We want Strider” last night have me believing them, and the Philly offense just looks unstoppable right now.
Recommended DFS Starting Pitchers
Ranger Suarez, Philadelphia Phillies
Since I am not going with Spencer Strider today, that means if I am going with a pitcher, it will be Ranger Suarez. I also think it is a viable option to go with no pitcher today since you can do that in a 1-game format. Going with no pitcher is probably my favorite option, but if you really want to run with a pitcher still, Suarez isn’t a terrible move as he managed 3.2 innings with 4 strikeouts and only 1 hit in his first outing against Atlanta.
Recommended DFS Hitters
Favorite Hitters
Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
Bryce Harper loves the big stage. He always seems to deliver in these moments, with two homers last night that gives him 5 total hits (plus 3 walks) with 3 homers in this series against Atlanta. I expect Bryce to deliver another big game today to propel the Phillies into the NLCS, and I am choosing Harper for any points multipliers today.
Bryson Stott, Philadelphia Phillies
While Bryson Stott went hitless last night, he still managed to get a walk and a run scored. We have already seen Stott deliver this postseason with that huge grand slam against the Miami Marlins, and Stott comes in at a very low price for someone who can deliver big, which makes him one of my favorite choices after Harper to build a lineup around.
Honorable mention: Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber
Player Pool
| $ Tier |
|---|
Stacks
| Phillies | Nick Castellanos | Trea Turner | Alec Bohm | Bryson Stott | Kyle Schwarber | Bryce Harper |
 DraftKings | 4000 | 5200 | 3600 | 3800 | 4700 | 5000 |
 Fanduel | 6000 | 8000 | 6500 | 6500 | 7000 | 9000 |
Player News
Nick Kurtz smashed a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Friday.
Kurtz has had some ups and downs in his rookie campaign, but there’s just no denying that there’s enormous power in his left-handed bat. He’s homered in back-to-back games and he’s gone deep four times in nine July chances. Kurtz may not ever be a major contributor in the average category and won’t steal bags, but that power isn’t going anywhere. If anything, it’s likely to improve as he grows more comfortable facing MLB pitching.
Jeff Hoffman gave up three runs in an inning of relief against the Athletics on Friday.
The good news is that Hoffman didn’t blow a save nor did he take a loss. The bad news is everything else. He gave up a solo homer, uncorked a wild pitch with a runner on third, and gave up an RBI single to see his ERA rise to a very unhealthy 5.3. Hoffman should remain the closer and had looked fine as of late prior to this outing, but there’s a little more volatility here than some other fantasy stoppers.
Luis Severino allowed five runs — one earned — over 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Blue Jays on Friday.
Max Scherzer struck out eight over six innings of three-run baseball to get a win over the Athletics on Friday in a 7-6 win for the Blue Jays.
Austin Riley was pulled from Friday evening’s battle against the Cardinals due to tightness in his lower abdomen.
No word yet on the severity of the issue or how much time the 28-year-old slugger may stand to miss (if any). Expect more clarity on his status prior to Saturday’s contest against the Cardinals.
The Marlins announced that right-hander Edward Cabrera was removed from Friday’s start against the Orioles due to posterior elbow discomfort.
The 27-year-old hurler downplayed the injury while chatting with reporters after the game, saying that it was nothing major and merely a feeling of fatigue. Marlins’ skipper Clayton McCullough noted that they’ll have more clarity on the injury in a couple of days, so it sounds like he may undergo some precautionary imaging just to be on the safe side. For now at least, it sounds like Cabrera dodged a bullet.