This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
The postseason is here! Which means we've got a compact four-game main slate that spans the bulk of the day, with first pitch coming at 2:32 p.m. EDT. Most teams were able to align their starting pitching to their preference, giving us a plethora of aces to start the playoffs. Only Atlanta is without a confirmed starter as of Tuesday morning.
Offense is going to be at a premium, with all games having a run total of 7.5 or less, with both American League games coming in at 6.5. Weather will not be a factor Tuesday with two games being played in a dome, and always gorgeous San Diego hosting a third. I'm in Richmond, close enough to Baltimore, and it's currently pouring. But we look dry in Maryland with minimal at best winds.
Pitching
Michael King, SD vs. ATL ($9,900): This is all about the potential and lower usage. King feels like a small name to be priced higher than Corbin Burnes, and will likely be ignored compared to Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez. We all know Atlanta's jetlag potential after yesterday's doubleheader, and King has dominated this lineup, with current Atlanta players hitting 3-for-28 against him. All three hits are from Whit Merrifield, who seems unlikely to start. The Padres are the biggest favorites on the day and King hasn't allowed more than two runs in any start since August 7.
Cole Ragans, KC at BAL ($9,000): I'm not willing to go below Ragans in any build Tuesday, as the Mets' Luis Severino has been hit reasonably hard over his last few outings, and Milwaukee's Freddy Peralta hasn't worked more than 5.1 innings in any of his last five starts. Ragans meanwhile has four straight quality starts while striking out 26 in 23.0 innings. It's a GPP play only, as Ragans struggled in two starts against the Orioles during the season, allowing seven runs and 10 hits across 8.0 innings, though with no homers and 11 strikeouts. Boom or bust.
Top Targets
For as lightly used as I'm anticipating King being, I believe the Padres' bats are the most obvious target Tuesday, with the masses potentially stacking them freely. As such, and without knowing who Atlanta is starting, I'll side with Fernando Tatis ($4,300) to build around and get different with the rest of my lineup construction. He went hitless in his last nine at bats, but hit .333 (19-for-57) with 12 extra base hits and a 1.156 OPS over his prior 14 games.
Francisco Lindor ($4,200) also makes plenty of sense, having carried the Mets all season. He's homered in consecutive games and in three of his last seven, collecting 11 hits in his last eight games with seven RBI and seven runs scored. He's just 1-for-6 off Peralta, but that hit left the yard.
Bargain Bats
Jose Altuve ($3,400) is in a weird pricing tier where he's neither a bargain nor a top option. But it's the postseason, and the Astros know how to bring it in October. Altuve has five hits in as many games, and is 4-for-11 (.364) with three extra-base hits off Skubal.
Adley Rutschman ($2,900) is 4-for-6 off Ragans, and closed the regular season with eight hits over the final seven games.
Vinnie Pasquantino ($2,000) is being activated off IL two weeks earlier than expected, and he figures to slot into a run-producing lineup spot and is minimally priced. There's no downside.
Strictly a BvP play, but Jesse Winker ($2,600) is 6-for-18 with two homers off Peralta.
Stack to Consider
Brewers vs. Luis Severino (Mets): Willy Adames ($3,600), Jackson Chourio ($3,200), Brice Turang ($3,000)
Severino has allowed at least three runs in each of his last three starts, 10 total across 16.0 innings. Loyal readers know I'm not huge on three-man stacks, and on a small, four-game slate, I'd certainly prefer two or three two-man mini-stacks instead. Milwaukee looks like the preferred choice for offense and cost-effective stacking, however. Only Adames has faced Severino more than 10 times, but the Brewers are 15-for-45 (.333) with three homers and a .953 OPS off him, so it's a favorable spot. Adames is 4-for-11 (.364) with a homer so while he's usually more of a power, low-contact upside target, it's a nice matchup. Chourio and Turang give us on base and speed potential in front of Adames, with reasonable 3-for-8 success off the Mets' starter.
