This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Here we go! The final day of the MLB regular season. This is always a weird day for DFS players, and the pitching and lineups can be a bit odd. However, all 30 teams are in action, so there's that. All the games are also starting between 4:00 and 4:20 p.m. ET, so get your lineup in early, and depending on where you live – or when you eat dinner – you could know where you stand before you sit down to dine. Here are my lineup recommendations. See you Friday when the playoffs begin!
Pitching
Shohei Ohtani, LAA at OAK ($11,200): Maybe it's a stab at getting Ohtani the MVP, but he's starting the final game of the season for the Angels. He's had a killer year on the mound, posting a 2.35 ERA. The Athletics are going to finish the season 29th in runs scored and last in team OPS, barring something strange, so this is a great chance for the Japanese pitcher to bolster his resume.
Adrian Sampson, CHC at CIN ($8,300): Sampson has been as hot as any pitcher, notching an 1.60 ERA over his last seven starts. The Cubs aren't going to the playoffs, so they have no reason not to let Sampson go as deep into the game as feasible. Cincinnati and Chicago are basically battling to be 22nd in runs scored instead of 23rd, and Cincinnati also has a .304 OBP as a team.
Johan Oviedo, PIT vs. STL ($6,300): This is entirely a last-day-of-the-season stab. The Cardinals have nothing to play for. They are on the road, so they have no reason to play to the fans either. Since joining the Pirates from the Cards, Oviedo has a 3.04 ERA in six starts. At this salary, I'm willing to take a shot on him (especially if I get a chance to see the Cardinals' lineup early enough, fingers crossed).
Top Targets
This is one last opportunity for Julio Rodriguez ($4,100) to boost his Rookie of the Year campaign, and also to get back in the swing of things ahead of the playoffs after an injury. His MLB debut has gone swimmingly, as he's managed a .284 average with 27 homers and 25 stolen bases. Tyler Alexander has a 4.76 FIP, and on the road this year he's posted a 5.58 ERA.
There was a legitimate third star on the Angels in 2022, and his name was Taylor Ward ($3,700). He's making sure we remember that going into the offseason, as he has an 1.153 OPS over the last three weeks. In Ken Waldichuk's first six starts he has a 6.18 ERA, and the lefty has allowed right-handed hitter to put up a .306 batting average against him.
Bargain Bats
His rookie season got away from him due to injury, but Seiya Suzuki ($2,700) has hit .264 with 14 homers and nine stolen bases in 110 games. Graham Ashcraft has not allowed a ton of home runs in his own rookie campaign, but he has a 4.52 ERA anyway. He's gotten there, in part, by only striking out 6.05 batters per nine innings and allowing righties to hit .332 against him.
Since his call up, switch hitter Drew Waters ($2,000) has slashed .250/.337/.500. He's also been better versus righties, which plays into this matchup. Aaron Civale has a 5.04 ERA, and since 2020 he's allowed righties to hit .275 against him.
Stacks to Consider
Mets vs. Nationals (Erick Fedde): Pete Alonso ($4,200), Jeff McNeil ($2,600), Daniel Vogelbach ($2,600)
Fedde's performance was rock solid this year relative to his career. He has a career 5.26 ERA, and his ERA this season is 5.27. If that isn't consistency, I don't know what is. The righty has gotten to this point by struggling mightily down the stretch. Over his last 10 starts he has a 7.00 ERA and has allowed 10 home runs in 45.0 innings.
Alonso knows how to launch homers, as he has 40 of them on the season and seven of them over the last three weeks. He's also been better against righties this year, posting an .874 OPS in those matchups. McNeil has put up batting-title numbers, as he's averaged .326. Facing righties, the southpaw has an .853 OPS. Vogelbach has major platoon splits, but when a righty is on the mound, he's a source of power to be reckoned with. The lefty has an .890 OPS against right-handers, and all 18 of his home runs have been in those matchups.
White Sox vs. Twins (Louie Varland): Eloy Jimenez ($3,200), Jose Abreu ($3,100), Gavin Sheets ($2,400)
Varland's first four MLB starts have been a struggle. He has a 4.91 FIP and has allowed 1.71 home runs per nine innings. The Minnesota native has only made eight starts above the Double-A level, so we don't have a lot of information on him yet. I just know he's been shaky in the majors and righties have hit .289 against him.
Jimenez has gone a bit cold, but on the season he's slashed .295/.358/.500. Also, on the season he has a .920 OPS at home. Though Abreu dropped down to 15 home runs and 75 RBI, he's still got a high-level bat and batting eye. The Cuban slugger has hit .304 with a .378 OBP. In his career, Sheets has a .785 OPS against righties and a .971 OPS at home. A righty is on the mound and he's at home, so this is about a good of a way for him to end the season as any.
Brewers vs. Diamondbacks (Merrill Kelly): Christian Yelich ($3,000), Rowdy Tellez ($2,800), Kolten Wong ($2,700)
Over his last eight starts, Kelly has a 5.22 ERA. On the year he has a 3.90 ERA on the road, and since 2020 his road ERA is 4.32. He's a righty, and the Brewers have three key lefties here. Since neither of these teams is going to the playoffs, I feel more comfortable stacking this trio.
Yelich has a .356 OBP, 14 home runs, and 18 stolen bases. He also has a .784 OPS at home. Tellez does damage on the occasions when he makes contact. He's hit 34 home runs, and at home he has an .860 OPS, including a .530 slugging percentage. Wong has a .940 OPS over the last three weeks. He's really struggled against his fellow southpaws, but he has an .846 OPS against righties.
