MLB DFS Playbook October 3: Top Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel
Published: Oct 03, 2023
Hello and welcome to the first MLB DFS Playbook of the playoffs! We have a 4-game slate on DK and FD on our hands today to kickoff the postseason. We have a 3:08 pm ET start time, so plenty of time to make lineups. 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. However, as I am sure you have figured out by now, the new playbook will be a one-stop shop that includes everything from easy-to-read player write-ups and suggestions to MLB Weather Reports to lineup construction tips to our best value plays for DraftKings and FanDuel. You will be given core plays around which to build your lineups, DFS stacks to consider for GPP tournaments and key statistics to help you in your DFS research. Let’s dive in!
MLB DFS Playbook October 3
MLB Weather Updates
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins (possible rain)
Recommended DFS Starting Pitchers
Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays
Gausman had a fantastic season, pitching to a 3.16 ERA and striking out 237 across 185 innings of work. He offers elite upside and probably the second most of anyone on the slate (behind Glasnow). The Twins lineup isn’t anything special, so this is a good spot for Gausman. He also gets the benefit of likely having one of the longer leashes today, which is crucial for playoff DFS.
Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies
Wheeler had another great year, posting a 3.61 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP with 212 Ks. I love this matchup against Miami as they have arguably the worst offense of any team that made the playoffs. I also love the fact that Wheeler probably has the largest leash of any pitcher today. We some pitchers get pulled in the playoffs as soon as any danger arises, but I would be surprised if Wheeler doesn’t go 5-6 innings at least.
Sneaky cheap pick: Jordan Montgomery
Recommended DFS Hitters
Favorite Infielders
Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies
Trea Turner had a strong end to the year from August on and ended up with a really nice season stat line with 26 home runs and 30 steals, despite an abysmal start to the year. He has a falre for the dramatics (as we saw in the WBC this year and in last season’s playoffs when he hit .333 with two home runs in four games). He also has six career steals in playoff action.
Carlos Santana, Milwaukee Brewers
Santana is locked-in right now, hitting .325 with a .997 OPS over his last 10 games. He finished the year with 23 home runs and 86 RBI in what ended up being a big bounce back season for the veteran. Brandon Pfaadt is easily the worst pitcher on today’s slate as he finished his rookie campaign with a 5.72 ERA and 1.41 WHIP while giving up 22 home runs in just 96 innings! The Brewers are the chalk offense of the slate, so just keep that in mind when picking other players.
Honorable mention: Brandon Belt, William Contreras, Curtis Mead
Favorite Outfielders
Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
As mentioned in Santana’s section, the Brewers are the chalk on offense today. Yelich is hot right now, hitting .333 with a 1.078 OPS over his last 10 games. He has two home runs and a steal in that span and finished the year with 19 home runs and 28 steals. We got more of a vintage Yelich this season and I wouldn’t be surprised to see that continue in the playoffs.
Sal Frelick, Milwaukee Brewers
One last Brewer bat. He is very cheap and we are going to need to find some plays like that. He offers some home run and stolen base upside, so there are some things to like here at this price and in this matchup against Pfaadt. All three of Frelick's home runs came at home this year and his OPS was over 100 points higher. He was also much better against righties than lefties this year.
Honorable mention: Jake Cave, Manuel Margot, Evan Carter, Jose Siri
Player Pool
| $ Tier | SP | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Kevin Gausman  $10,500 |  Bryce Harper $4,000 |  Royce Lewis $4,100 | Trea Turner $3,700 |  Corbin Carroll $4,200 | |
 Tyler Glasnow $10,100 | Bo Bichette $3,400 |  Christian Yelich $4,000 | ||||
| Medium | Zack Wheeler $9,600 | William Contreras $3,200 | Edouard Julien $3,000 | Alec Bohm $3,000 |  Willy Adames $2,900 | George Springer $3,200 |
 Carlos Santana $3,000 |  Jose Siri $3,000 | |||||
| Low | Jordan Montgomery $8,200 |  Brandon Belt $2,800 |  Cavan Biggio $2,500 | Josh Donaldson $2,600 | Sal Frelick $2,800 | |
| Brice Turang $2,300 |  Curtis Mead $2,200 |  Manuel Margot $2,400 |
Stacks
| Brewers | William Contreras | Christian Yelich | Willy Adames | Carlos Santana | Sal Frelick |
 DraftKings | 4600 | 4900 | 4400 | 4100 | 4000 |
| Fanduel | 3200 | 4000 | 2900 | 3000 | 2800 |
| Phillies | Nick Castellanos | Jake Cave | Trea Turner | Alec Bohm | Bryce Harper |
| DraftKings | 4700 | 2700 | 5900 | 4300 | 5800 |
| Fanduel | 3500 | 2400 | 3700 | 3000 | 4000 |
| Blue Jays | Brandon Belt | George Springer | Bo Bichette | Cavan Biggio |
| DraftKings | 3900 | 4600 | 5000 | 2800 |
| Fanduel | 2800 | 3200 | 3400 | 2500 |
| Rays | Jose Siri | Curtis Mead | Manuel Margot |
| DraftKings | 3800 | 2900 | 3300 |
| Fanduel | 3000 | 2200 | 2400 |
Player News
Jesse Winker is not in the lineup for Thursday’s bout against the Cardinals.
Andre Pallante is typically better against lefties than righties, so rather than Winker at DH, the Mets will have Starling Marte as the designated hitter. This platoon should continue for the foreseeable future, and it’s not great for either from a fantasy standpoint.
Angels signed RHP Hector Neris to a minor league deal.
Neris elected free agency after Atlanta designated him for assignment, and has a new home a couple weeks later. The 35-year-old will likely need to pitch in a few games with Triple-A Salt Lake, but it’s not hard to see him being an option in the Angels’ bullpen in the coming weeks. Not a fantasy-relevant one, but an option nevertheless.
Royce Lewis (hamstring) will do some baserunning work Thursday.
It’s being described as “light” baserunning for Lewis. The 25-year-old has been on the injured list since the start of the season with his left hamstring strain, and while there’s still no concrete timetable for his return, it’s obviously a positive development that he’s able to run with the injury.
Pablo Lòpez (hamstring) will make a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A St. Paul.
López was able to throw a successful bullpen Wednesday, and now the 29-year-old will get a chance to work against hitters at the Triple-A level. He may need a couple of rehab outings before he rejoins the Minnesota rotation, but if everything goes well, he should be back by the end of April or the early portion of May.
Mets optioned RHP Justin Hagenman to Triple-A Syracuse.
Hagenman threw 3 1/3 innings during Wednesday’s outing against the Twins, and while he pitched well in that outing, New York needs a fresh arm. The 28-year-old will likely be back at some point in May.
Mets recalled RHP Max Kranick from Triple-A Syracuse.
It’s not Kranick’s first trip from Syracuse to New York, and it’s unikely to be his last. The 27-year-old provides an extra arm for the Mets in their bullpen with Justin Hagenman optioned to Triple-A to make room on the roster.