This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
All four playoff series will be in action Monday, setting us up for a wild day. The Astros, Braves, Dodgers and Yankees will all be looking to close out their respective series, but they'd all have to do it on the road. As far as the Yahoo DFS slate goes, let's discuss how each game might play out and some players to target.
Starting Pitchers
The Nationals will send their ace Max Scherzer ($57) to the mound to try and stave off elimination. He wasn't at his best during their Wild Card matchup against the Brewers, allowing three runs over five innings. He was called upon in relief during Game 2 versus the Cardinals and struck out all three batters that he faced. With his 35.1 percent strikeout rate, his upside is undeniable. With that being said, he's not on his regular routine right now and he's facing a tough lineup, so he does carry some risk at this expensive price.
We could be in line for a great pitcher's duel in Tampa Bay with Charlie Morton ($44) facing off against Zack Greinke ($50). Morton carries the higher upside with his 30.4 percent strikeout rate, but facing the Astros is no easy task. Greinke had another special regular season, although his price tag isn't overly exciting when you consider he only had a 23.1 percent strikeout rate. Morton might be the better choice in tournament play.
Speaking of tournament play options, that's what Luis Severino ($45) should be considered as for his start against the Twins. After missing most of the regular season due to injury, he allowed two runs over 11 innings in three starts off the IL. The Yankees have a deep and talented bullpen, so best case scenario is probably five innings from Severino, which leaves him with a limited ceiling.
Correlations
The Yankees have had their way with the Twins' pitching staff in the first two games, so expect them to be one of the more popular lineups to stack despite being on the road. Opposing them will be Jake Odorrizi, who they crushed for nine runs across four innings the last time they faced him in Minnesota. If you save some money at starting pitcher, deploying the trio of Aaron Judge ($22), DJ LeMahieu ($20) and Edwin Encarnacion ($22) could provide significant returns. If you're looking to save some money while still having some exposure to the Yankees, consider the likes of Didi Gregorius ($14) and Gleyber Torres ($18).
After a big comeback win in Game 3, the Braves haven't named their starter for Game 4 as of early Monday morning. The likely candidates are to bring Dallas Keuchel ($35) back on short rest or start Julio Teheran ($28). If Keuchel starts on short rest, it would seem unlikely that he pitches deep into the game, leaving the Cardinals with added opportunities to face the Braves' weak bullpen. Teheran ended the season allowing 15 runs (14 earned) across 11.1 innings in his last three starts. This is a prime opportunity to deploy the Cardinals, including Tommy Edman ($16), Paul Goldschmidt ($20) and Marcell Ozuna ($16).
After facing the imposing trio of Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Nationals will finally catch a bit of a break by taking on Rich Hill in Game 4. It's been another injury-plagued season for Hill, who didn't pitch more than three innings in any of his three appearances since coming off the IL. He's not expected to last more than four innings in this contest, so the Nationals will also try to do some damage against the Dodgers' bullpen. Anthony Rendon ($22) and Juan Soto ($18) are the top bats to build a Nationals stack around while Howie Kendrick ($14) should also be considered given his 165 wRC+ against lefties during the regular season.
One-Offs
On the surface, a Braves stack might not look like a bad idea when you consider Dakota Hudson has a 1.41 WHIP. However, he posted only a 1.25 WHIP at home compared to a 1.61 WHIP on the road. Ronald Acuna Jr. ($21) and Freddie Freeman ($19) are still extremely appealing, but avoiding the Braves' second-tier options could be a sound strategy.
If you want to take a chance on Scherzer having an off night, Max Muncy ($19) makes a lot of sense at his reasonable price. He recorded a .265 ISO during the regular season and is having a heck of a series, hitting 4-for-10 with two home runs and six walks.
A lot of the Astros' hitters carry a hefty price tag, but Yuli Gurriel ($17) is one of their more reasonable bats to consider. Gurriel only had a 10.6 percent strikeout rate during the regular season despite posting a career-high .243 ISO. He also had a higher wOBA against right-handed pitchers (.376) than he did lefties (.334).
