This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
All four second-round series in the MLB playoffs took place Tuesday, but to avoid off days on the schedule things have gotten bifurcated. Only two series are in action Wednesday. That slims down the selection for your DFS lineups. Both National League series are taking place Wednesday, and first pitch is at 4:37 p.m. EDT. Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Clayton Kershaw, LAD vs. SD ($10,500): Kershaw was handled with care during the regular season, but more often than not he qualified for a win, and he picked up 12 of them in 22 starts with a 2.28 ERA. His 2.56 FIP says there wasn't a huge amount of luck involved in that. The Padres finished 13th in runs scored, fewest among these four teams, and also feature a few key lefties that Kershaw can neutralize and perhaps even drive out of the lineup.
Top Target
Since 2020, Bryce Harper ($4,200) has a 1.026 OPS versus righties. He was also better on the road this season, notching a .923 OPS in away outings. Kyle Wright had a breakthrough campaign, but of the 19 home runs he allowed, 13 came off the bats of lefties. Among lefty power hitters, few can match Harper.
Bargain Bat
A "bargain bat" is hard to come by in Atlanta's lineup, but also look at these four squads. Who among them is going to be much of a bargain by the standards of the regular season? You might not think of William Contreras ($2,900) given his teammates, and the fact you don't need a catcher in your lineup on FanDuel. Don't overlook his bat, though. Contreras slashed .278/.354/.506 this season. Zack Wheeler had a 2.82 ERA this season, but a 3.84 ERA on the road. Also, righties hit .240 against him compared to .201 for lefties.
Stack to Consider
Dodgers vs. Padres (Yu Darvish): Freddie Freeman ($4,200), Justin Turner ($2,900), Cody Bellinger ($2,700)
Darvish's second season as a Padre definitely went better than his first, but he still really relied on the friendly confines of Petco Park for success. His road ERA was 3.50 this year after a 5.54 mark last season. Typically, Darvish doesn't allow a lot of home runs, but he's given up 11 since the start of August. I've got a couple of lefties ready to go in this stack, along with a righty I like as well.
Freeman delivered exactly what was expected in his first season as a Dodger. He slashed .325/.407/.511 with 21 home runs, 13 stolen bases, and triple-digit RBI and run totals. Additionally, since 2020 he has a .997 OPS versus righties. Turner is a righty, but he had an .809 OPS against right handers, and since 2020 his OPS in those matchups is .832. On top of that, he had an .864 OPS at home this year. Bellinger is more all-or-nothing, but the lefty had 19 home runs and 14 stolen bases. He also had a .778 OPS at home.
