This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
There are two games going down in the MLB playoffs Monday night. In the AL there's the Red Sox and Rays, while over in the NL, the Dodgers are taking on the Giants. Here are some recommendations for your DFS lineup to make it a memorable evening.
PITCHING
Max Scherzer, LAD vs. SF ($9,900): Scherzer is the only pitcher going Monday night for whom I have any enthusiasm, and even there I don't love him. His last few starts haven't gone great. On the other hand, he had a 2.46 ERA this season and an 1.98 ERA after joining the Dodgers. If he's looking like that again, he'll mow down the Giants.
TOP TARGETS
Rafael Devers, BOS vs. TAM ($4,100): Devers excels against righties, as he has a .975 OPS versus right-handed pitchers since 2019. On top of that, 32 of his 38 home runs came against righties. Collin McHugh is opening up a bullpen day for the Rays. Now, I fully expect him to get yanked early for matchups, and the Rays will likely used lefties against the southpaw Devers. Devers doesn't flounder against lefties, though, as he had a .751 OPS in those matchups.
Trea Turner, LAD vs. SF ($4,000): Turner won the batting title this year with a .328 average, but, once he joined the Dodgers, his average rose to .338. He's also a guy with power and speed, notching 27 home runs and 32 stolen bases. Alex Wood pitched for the Dodgers last season and struggled, but this year he had a 3.83 ERA for the Giants. However, his road ERA was 4.20.
VALUE BATS
Mike Zunino, C, TAM at BOS ($3,100): Power is the name of the game for Zunino. This year he hit 33 home runs and slugged .559. Versus lefties he put up a staggering 1.287 OPS. Since Nick Pivetta was used in Sunday's extra-innings win, Eduardo Rodriguez is now in line to start Game 4. He had a 5.95 ERA at home and is a southpaw.
Brandon Crawford, SS, SF at LAD ($3,100): Just in case Scherzer struggles again, it's worth taking a shot on a Giant, especially with only four teams playing. Crawford is a lefty, so that's a strong place to start. He slashed .298/.373/.522, which takes things to the next level. The shortstop hit 24 home runs and stole 11 bases in 138 games, and in the playoffs, sometimes you just have to roll the dice.
STACK TO CONSIDER
Dodgers vs. Alex Wood: Chris Taylor ($3,300), Justin Turner ($3,200), AJ Pollock ($2,800)
I usually don't recommend a stack for a team I already recommended another player for in a previous section, but with only four teams in action, I kind of had to. In order to make these recommendations worthwhile, though, I decided to go with a few players who have lower salaries than the big-money players. I mentioned earlier that Wood had a road ERA of 4.20. I didn't mention he's a lefty, but he is, so I have three righties here.
It's a little surprising that Taylor has the highest salary of these three. He was installed in the lineup in Game 2, and it worked out, and during the regular season he posted a .344 OBP with 20 home runs and 13 stolen bases. Turner is as reliable of a bat as the Dodgers have. Over the last five seasons he's slashed .299/.388/.502, and this year he hit 27 home runs. Pollock ended the season hot with a 1.256 OPS in his last 10 games after returning from injury. He'll also be happy to be at home where he had a .961 OPS this season.
