The postseason stretches into November as we've got a deciding Game 7 Saturday night after a terrific day of college football as the appetizer. The betting odds are a near mirror of Friday night, as the Dodgers are (-140) favorites and the total is 7.5 at FanDuel, though there are some 8.0 numbers out there, cautiously suggesting offense will occur.
The Dodgers went all hands on deck last night, which means Shohei Ohtani ($21,600/$14,400) will start on short rest here. My obligatory diatribe is reduced; you make the choice to pay for him or not. The stage is certainly set for him to again do something legendary. He'll be opposed by Max Scherzer, who gave up two homers in 4.1frames earlier in this series. The Blue Jays figure to have as quick of a hook as he'll allow, with Shane Bieber also an option for multiple innings.
With it being the last game of the season, it's obviously my last baseball column of the year. Sincerest of thank yous for reading throughout the year; we had some highs (including yesterday!) and some lows. MLB DFS is a major grind and I enjoy doing this, but it's not possible without y'all. Last night sort of proved there's an element of luck, so lets see if we can guess right one final time.
MVP
Freddie Freeman, LAD at TOR ($16,800/$11,200): Freeman is hitless in his last two games, but as Friday proved, the Dodgers can get sparks from big names when not expected. Freeman has a long history with Scherzer, and may only face him once, and he's 11-for-56 (.196) with 17 strikeouts against him. But he's homered four times, including in Game 3, and the bulk of that came with Scherzer in his prime. I find him to be a lock to reach base at least, and he's a proven playoff veteran that can perform under the spotlight.
Utility
Vladimir Guerrero, TOR vs. LAD ($19,200/$12,800): Guerrero is the one constant I believe should be in everyone's build, it's just a question of whether you pay for the multiplier. He extended his post game hitting streak to 11 games last night and in going 1-for-3, he dropped his average to .412. He's simply been incredible, homered off Ohtani earlier, and is the Blue Jays heart and sole.
Bo Bichette, TOR vs. LAD ($11,700/$7,800): In this price range, we're choosing between Bichette and Mookie Betts ($12,900/$8,600), who came through for us last night but it was just one hit. Bichette didn't come up with a big hit, going 1-for-3, but did have multiple chances with runners on. That's the appeal, he'll likely have at bats with runners, and he's cheaper than Betts. He's hit safely in all but one game in this series and has three RBI.
Addison Barger, TOR vs. LAD ($9,600/$6,400): This column evolved rapidly as my alarm decided to reset for standard time a day early, I woke up "late" as a result and have to hit the road for my son's football game! I did not set out to suggest a Blue Jays stack and certainly think multiple entries are prudent with leans on each side rather than a balanced lineup from both sides. But here we are with another Jay. Barger has, somewhat quietly, collected two hits in four straight games and has done so in five of six in this series. That form, paired with the price, suggest he's a terrific play. Perhaps it's a choice between him and the next option in this column if you're building for balance. But the Jays lineup has a plethora of lower priced options in good form to where you can build heavily on the Dodgers bigger names, and supplement with Toronto's cheaper bats.
Ernie Clement, TOR vs. LAD ($8,700/$5,800): Two more hits last night for Clement, including a double, putting his post season mark at .397 and extending his hitting streak to 12 games. He'd be an unlikely candidate for MVP due to his lower spot in the order and lack of run production, but the price is terrific for a utility option with a stable floor.
Miguel Rojas, LAD at TOR ($4,800/$3,200): The Dodgers are throwing things at the wall to see what sticks with their last starter due to Andy Pages' continued postseason struggles, with Rojas starting last night for the first time in the World Series. Again, we can't lean on BvP numbers as Scherzer is not going to throw nine innings, but with Rojas a reasonable 9-for-37 (.249) with a homer off of him, it makes sense for him to again get the start. If that happens, we've got a really cheap option to plug in and build lineups with stars elsewhere.
