DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Monday, October 14th

This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.

It's hard to believe, but we're only among the last four teams. That means the season ends in three weeks, but we want to finish the year strong. We have the Yankees and Dodgers as heavy favorites in this series, but not counting the Mets and Guardians. These teams have been surprising all season and it should be fun to see how things develop. With that in mind, let's look at our favorite starter for this short list.

Pitching

Carlos RodonNYY vs CLE ($8,500)

Rodon has been inconsistent throughout his career, but he found something in the second half. The left-hander has scored at least 13 DraftKings points in 12 of his last 13 appearances, posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 rate over that span. This is the consistency we have been waiting for. At home he was even more reliable. The left-hander has a 2.21 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 10.6 K/9 rate at Yankee Stadium over the same stretch. The oddsmakers agree with our assessment, as Cleveland is expected to score just 3.5 runs – the lowest total on this list. This is great as Rodon has scored at least 25 DraftKings points in three of his last four meetings with the Guardians.

Top destinations

Juan SotoNYY (vs. Alex Cobb) $6,000

Everyone talks about Aaron Judge, but Soto was just as special. The superstar had an on-base percentage (OBP) of .410 and an OPS of .988 during the regular season, which isn't far off his career OBP of .421 and OPS of .953. The power has Really is coming over this season, but that's no surprise since he has the short porch at Yankee Stadium. The best part is that Soto is facing a right-handed hitter today, as he has posted a .425 OBP and .975 OPS against them since 2022. Cobb is far from a worrisome matchup, with a recent performance of -1.5 DraftKings points. If you want to stack the Yankees, Judge ($6,300) And Jazz Chisholm ($4,700) seem to be the best options.

Francisco LindorNYM (vs. Walker Buhler) $5,500

If the Mets somehow win the World Series, Lindor will become one of the most popular players in franchise history. The superstar shortstop has been wearing them since the first month of the year and has recorded nearly 30 home runs and 30 steals since then. He paired that with an OPS of .886. Things are looking even better as he has averaged 12.8 DraftKings points per game over his last 10 games. Buehler has also been hit hard all season. We’ll go into this in more detail in the “Stacks” section.

Bargain racket

Lane ThomasCLE (vs. Carlos Rodon) $4,200

Thomas was a sneaky addition for Cleveland at the trade deadline. He was their best hitter this postseason. The former Washington outfielder averaged 10.8 DraftKings points per game in his last five appearances and posted an OPS of .855 in the final month of the regular season. The most influential variable is that Thomas is allowed to face a left-handed hitter and has compiled a .379 OBP and .921 OPS against them since the start of last season. While we like Rodon, Thomas is a smart option against him.

Tommy EdmanLAD (vs. Sean Manaea) $3,600

It's funny that we have Edman and Thomas in this section because both guys were big acquisitions at the trade deadline. Edman was a different player when he came to LA, posting an .829 OPS in his first 29 games for the Dodgers. He struggled last week, but we can't overlook what this utility player has done with the platoon advantage in his favor. Edman has a batting average (AVG) of .412, a slugging percentage (SLG) of .882 and an OPS of 1.299 against lefties this season. If you want to stack Dodgers bats for some red-hot manaea, Mookie Betts ($5,300) And Teoscar Hernandez ($5,100) also smashed southpaws.

Stacks to consider

New York Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers (Walker Buhler): Francisco Lindor ($5,500), Brandon Nimmo ($3,900), Jesse Winker ($3,200)

How on earth does Walker Buehler make it to the start of the National League Championship Series (NLCS)? This guy used to be an ace, but since Tommy John surgery he's a gas can. The right-hander allowed six runs in his first playoff start en route to a -5.6 DraftKings score and posted a 5.38 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in a nightmarish season. He's also only had three good starts all year and has almost no chance of doing so in the second half against one of the top-scoring teams.

We need to add Lindor to our stack, but Nimmo is a smart option as a three-hole hitter. This guy has rocked righties throughout his career, compiling a .357 OBP and .800 OPS against them since 2022. He also has 23 home runs and 15 steals at the heart of this lineup and should be aggressive in this must-win game 2. We're not sure if Winker will be in the lineup, but he should Be. He was an Energizer Bunny for the Mets, maintaining a .379 OBP and .841 OPS against right-handers throughout his career.

The authors of this article may participate in daily fantasy contests, including but not limited to games on which they have provided recommendations or advice in this article. When playing these games with their personal accounts, it is possible that they may use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations given above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Joel Bartilotta participates in daily fantasy contests on the following accounts: DraftKings: Joelbartilotta Yahoo: Joelbartilotta.