This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Tuesday should be exciting with both League Championship series in action. First up will be Game 3 of the NLCS, which the Braves lead 2-0 after two walk-off victories. The series shifts to Los Angeles and the Dodgers will have Walker Buehler on the mound, which gives them a favorable opportunity to finally get on the board with a win. Over in the American League, we will get Game 4 of the series between the Red Sox and Astros. The Red Sox exploded for 12 runs Monday in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. Let's dig into the DraftKings slate and highlight some players to consider for your lineups.
Pitchers
It's hard to argue against rolling with Buehler ($8,300) as one of your pitchers. After throwing a quality start against the Giants in Game 1 of the NLDS, he came back on short rest to limit them to one run over 4.1 innings in Game 4. He's had six days off since that outing, so expect him to be deployed as usual. During the regular season, he was an as good as it gets with his 2.47 ERA and 3.15 FIP.
Like Buehler, Charlie Morton ($8,100) pitched on short rest in the NLDS. After recording nine strikeouts and allowing two runs across six innings in Game 1 against the Brewers, he allowed two runs and had five strikeouts over 3.1 innings in Game 4. He's also had six days of rest, so he won't have any limitations this time around. The veteran has been a consistent source for strikeouts, posting a strikeout rate of at least 28.6 percent in three of the last four seasons.
Top Targets
Kyle Schwarber ($5,000) has turned out to be a huge addition for the Red Sox. He launched a grand slam in Game 3 and has at least one hit in each of the first three games of this series. With his power, he could be a tough out for Zack Greinke ($6,700), who allowed 1.6 HR/9 this season.
The Red Sox are going to be a popular team to pursue for this slate because of Greinke being on the mound for the Astros. Not only did he allow a lot of home runs this season, but he only had a 17.2 percent strikeout rate. The wheels came off for him down the stretch with him allowing 21 runs (20 earned) over 15.1 innings in his final four outings of the regular season. Another one of the top players on the Red Sox to consider is Rafael Devers ($5,400) who has at least one hit in all but one of the Red Sox's playoff games, slugging three home runs in the process.
Bargain Bats
Unlike Schwarber and Devers, Michael Brantley ($3,500) doesn't have much power upside. However, he had a 123 wRC+ during the regular season and he has hit at least .300 in each of the last four seasons. His ability to get on base could help him provide value against Nick Pivetta ($7,400), who had a 1.30 WHIP during the regular season.
Cody Bellinger ($3,400) had a disastrous regular season in which he had a 48 wRC+. His strikeout rate jumped up to 26.9 percent and his walk rate plummeted to 8.9 percent, which was the lowest mark of his career. Luckily for the Dodgers, he's come to life when it's mattered the most, hitting 6-for-21 (.286) with a .375 OBP in the playoffs. At this cheap salary, he has a chance to provide value, even in a difficult matchup against Morton.
