This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
After a crazy Wild Card game, the divisional series is now set in the National League with the Braves facing the Cardinals and the Nationals taking on the Dodgers. Both series will begin Thursday, giving us an opportunity for a small two-game slate on Yahoo. Here are some players to consider while compiling your entry.
Starting Pitchers
Not only did the Nationals start Max Scherzer in the Wild Card game against the Brewers, but they were forced to have Stephen Strasburg pitch in relief. That opens up the door for Patrick Corbin ($45) to start Game 1. While many teams might be at a disadvantage having to throw their third starter in the first game of a playoff series, Corbin could be the ace on a lot of squads. With his 3.49 FIP, 1.18 WHIP and 28.5 percent strikeout rate, he's one of the top pitching options for this slate.
The Dodgers have no shortage of excellent starting pitchers, which will make ousting them in the playoffs a difficult task. Walker Buehler ($46) will take the mound in the opener and is certainly deserving of the honor after recording a 3.01 FIP and a 29.2 percent strikeout rate. With his sparkling 0.89 WHIP at home, runs could be at a premium for the Nationals.
The bottom-two options are Dallas Keuchel ($34) and Miles Mikolas ($35), who will be facing off against each other. They have an 18.7 percent and an 18.9 percent strikeout rate, respectively, which significantly limits their upsides. On a positive note for Keuchel, he recorded a 3.55 FIP and a 1.16 WHIP at home compared to a 6.17 FIP and a 1.63 WHIP on the road, so he might be the better selection of these two if you're looking to save money at starting pitcher.
Correlations
It's going to be difficult to resist a Braves stack. Besides the fact that Mikolas doesn't miss a lot of bats, he posted a 4.81 FIP and a 1.42 WHIP on the road this season. The top options on the Braves are Ronald Acuna Jr. ($24), Freddie Freeman ($22) and Josh Donaldson ($19). However, they will eat up a big chunk of your budget. If you're looking to take a chance on a cheaper bat, Matt Joyce ($9) has a .377 wOBA against right-handed pitchers and should be in the lineup with Mikolas on the mound.
As good as Keuchel has been at home, rolling with a Cardinals stack figures to be the second-most popular option. The red-hot Tommy Edman ($21) should be a cornerstone to build on around. He was one of the driving forces behind the Cardinals' offense down the stretch, hitting 34-for-92 (.370) with six home runs, five doubles, four triples and four steals over his last 23 games. Since Keuchel generally doesn't allow many home runs, rolling with a contact hitter like Yadier Molina ($13), who only has a 12.8 percent strikeout rate, is appealing given the limited options at catcher. Paul Goldschmidt ($20) is another top target with his career 166 wRC+ against lefties.
One-Offs
Corbin has relegated left-handed hitters to a .229 wOBA this season, which is going to make things difficult on the likes of Cody Bellinger ($25), Max Muncy ($17) and Corey Seager ($18). However, this could be a spot to deploy A.J. Pollock ($16), who finished the season by hitting 15-for-47 (.319) with two home runs and two doubles over his last 13 games. He also produced a .375 wOBA against lefties, overall.
If there is anyone on the Nationals to feel confident in against Buehler, it's probably Juan Soto ($24). He has an excellent eye at the plate, which helped propel him to a .414 wOBA versus right-handed pitchers. Asdrubal Cabrera ($15) could also provide some value at a reduced price after he finished the season hitting 10-for-23 (.435) with two home runs and two doubles across the final nine games.
