This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Both leagues feature in Tuesday's contest, with first pitch from Dodger Stadium getting us going at 5:08 p.m. EDT.
Pitching
Charlie Morton, ATL at LAD ($8,600): For nearly a $1k discount on Walker Buehler, I'll roll with Morton as my top arm Tuesday. Neither offense in this series has been great, but he's been far more consistent than his adversary. Morton started Game 4 against Milwaukee on short rest, and his last regular-season outing against the Mets was just to keep him fresh. Otherwise, he's turned in quality starts in six of his last seven trips to the mound. He's a known postseason dog, and I'm expecting a steady outing with the potential for better than steady.
Zack Greinke, HOU at BOS ($7,500): Trusting either arm in the ALCS on Tuesday is a challenge, as neither have started in the playoffs. But Houston is desperate for innings here after using six pitchers Monday, none for more than 1.2 innings. Greinke isn't what he once was, but on name recognition alone, I'd trust him more than Nick Pivetta. I'm not expecting a vintage performance, but even four quality innings would offer a nice return with so few other options.
Top Targets
Austin Riley, ATL at LAD ($3,800): The AL game has an over/under two runs higher than the NL contest, so by and large, we want to target bats there. Riley is the exception. He's hit safely in every postseason game to date, going 8-for-22 (.364) overall while homering twice. It's an almost unmentionably small sample size, but Riley is also 2-for-3 off Buehler.
Enrique Hernandez, BOS vs. HOU ($3,600): This is from the Captain Obvious department, but it's also a bit irresponsible if I don't include Hernandez here. He's an obscene 18-for-36 across eight playoff games, homering five times and adding four doubles. Pair that with the still-affordable salary, and there's minimal reason to fade Kiki. He's as close to a free square as we have Tuesday.
Value Bats
J.D. Martinez, BOS vs. HOU ($3,200): The salary on Martinez and a few other bottom-third Red Sox bats make them a pretty obvious stacking option, but I'll look to differentiate in this column. Martinez is one of many surging Boston bats, hitting .423 in the postseason with a 1.310 OPS and collecting 11 hits in six games thus far. Greinke's splits are a bit surprising, as he's been hit far harder by righties than lefties this season.
Yuli Gurriel, HOU at BOS ($2,600): I'm certainly not opposed to the top Astro bats, but the way this column evolved, I simply needed a value choice from their lineup for inclusion. That came down to Gurriel or Michael Brantley ($2,500). Gurriel has far greater upside/power potential, while both seem to have a stable yet unspectacular floor. Pivetta allowed a .371 wOBA to righties against a .334 to lefties at home, and a .550 slugging percentage against .430. That was my tiebreaker.
Stack to Consider
Dodgers vs. Morton: Mookie Betts ($3,900), Chris Taylor ($3,400), Will Smith ($3,000)
This will be a differentiating option. The Dodgers are struggling but they're getting chances, going just 13-for-68 (.191) with runners in scoring position. By comparison, Atlanta has only 38 ABs with RISP. Betts can give us a top-of-the-order upside bat, and he's got some familiarity with Morton from their Rays/Red Sox days, going 7-for-24 with a homer against the righty -- which makes him the only current Dodger to have taken Morton deep. Taylor and Smith, meanwhile, have been the Dodgers' best options in this series, collecting five hits and four RBI through two games.
