This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Savor this Wednesday, MLB fans. It might be the last day we have multiple games on the slate until spring. The Astros and Red Sox kick off the action in their Game 5 at 5:08 p.m. EDT, which means you'll have to get your lineups in during the afternoon. While the options for a DFS roster are clearly limited, I have a couple recommendations to try to help.
PITCHING
Framber Valdez, HOU at BOS ($8,000): I don't want to go with Julio Urias, given how much he's been used, and also the fact Dave Roberts has been making pitching moves like he's afraid they're going to be outlawed tomorrow. Chris Sale also hasn't necessarily been himself since returning to action. That leaves Valdez, who had a 3.11 ERA this season, including a 2.88 ERA on the road. His salary is third highest of the four pitchers going Wednesday. Honestly, in a situation like this, that's enough to be a tipping point.
TOP TARGETS
Jose Altuve, HOU at BOS ($4,100): It was admittedly a sample size of 157 at-bats, but this year Sale allowed righties to hit .291 against him (though he wiped out lefties, naturally). Additionally, in the playoffs he's only pitched 3.2 innings across two appearances, giving up six runs. Altuve has hit a couple home runs in this series already, and during the regular season he hit .278 with 31 homers.
Xander Bogaerts, BOS vs. HOU ($3,900): I selected Valdez as a pitcher, but I had to select a pitcher. I don't think he's going to toss a complete game shutout or anything like that. Bogaerts was the offense for the Red Sox in Game 4, and Boston fans are used to seeing the 29-year-old excel at Fenway. Since 2019 he has a .945 OPS at home.
VALUE BATS
Alex Bregman, HOU at BOS ($3,000): Seeing Bregman at this salary was something I had to jump on. Yes, he had an injury-marred year and struggled with his power a bit, but this is a guy who in 2019 posted a 1.015 OPS with 41 home runs. When he's on his game he's an elite hitter. Plus, he was better both away from home and against lefties this year, so this is his kind of matchup.
Adam Duvall, ATL at LAD ($2,600): Duvall is one of those "one swing of the bat" guys. Over the last three seasons he's batted .236, but with a .512 slugging percentage. This year he hit .228, but he still managed to hit 38 home runs in 146 games. When you are looking for a value bat, that's the kind of profile that can pay off big time.
STACK TO CONSIDER
Dodgers vs. Huascar Ynoa: Mookie Betts ($4,100), Corey Seager ($3,700), Will Smith ($3,200)
Ynoa is not the kind of pitcher you typically find starting in a big postseason game like this one. He sported a 4.05 ERA in 18 appearances and allowed 1.38 home runs per nine innings. On the road, his ERA was a woeful 5.49. Atlanta may not leave him in there all that long, but there will still be opportunity here for L.A.'s big bats.
Betts leads off, so if anybody is going to fact Ynoa twice, it's him. This season he posted a .367 OBP with 23 home runs and 10 stolen bases even though he was limited to 122 games. He's definitely looked like the peak version of himself in the playoffs, as his .500 OBP and three stolen bases in the postseason can attest to. Seager is the one lefty I have facing the righty Ynoa. The shortstop hit .306 this year and had a .957 OPS on the road. Smith was batting cleanup in Game 3, which shows the faith the Dodgers have in his bat. The catcher posted a .860 OPS with 25 homers during the regular season, and in the playoffs he's slashed .364/.500/.636.
