This article is part of our PrizePicks MLB series.
I was sitting here waiting for Game 3 to end, but I had to start writing this article. It's currently the 18th inning, and they still might be playing baseball when I'm done here. It's obviously one of the greatest games in World Series history, and it'll be fascinating to see how these teams and bullpens respond after a marathon like this. What we do know is that the best player in baseball will be toeing the rubber for the Dodgers, so let's start there.
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Shohei Ohtani, LAD vs. TOR: More Than 7.5 Fantasy Score
We've gotten to the point of this game where Toronto just walks Shohei every time he comes to the plate, and that's something any team would do at this point. This guy led the league with over 11 fantasy points per game during the regular season and went nuclear in Game 3. Ohtani went 4-for-4 with two homers, two doubles and five walks. Yes, Ohtani was on base nine times!
Even if Ohtani gets intentionally walked in all four plate appearances in this game, he'll surpass this 7.5 fantasy score. That seems even more likely when examining his splits, with Shohei sporting a .419 OBP and 1.112 OPS against righties since 2023. He's also got 115 homers and 76 steals in that same span against them, showcasing one of the best power-speed combos in the history of baseball. We also don't mind the matchup with Bieber, so let's get into that with our subsequent write-up!
Shane Bieber, TOR at LAD: Fewer Than 4.5 Strikeouts
I'm a bit concerned about fading a pitcher who's facing a team that's gone scoreless for over nine innings, but this Dodgers team is daunting. Shohei is the star up top, but navigating through Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Will Smith and Teoscar Hernandez is horrifying. That's why they were Top 3 in every metric during the regular season, and their 22 percent team strikeout rate is one of the best in baseball as well.
The difficult matchup is the central part of this pick, but Bieber also hasn't had the same strikeout stuff since coming off the IL. Bieber closed the regular season with a 4.03 ERA and 6.8 K/9 rate across his final five starts. He made only seven total starts during the regular season and has a 4.38 ERA and 1.54 WHIP across three postseason starts. He also has a 4.75 career postseason ERA, so it's unlikely that we see Bieber crack five strikeouts against a dangerous Dodgers lineup.
Bo Bichette, TOR at LAD: Fewer Than 5.5 Fantasy Score
With only one game in action, there were only three picks that stood out. We're actually going to use a sneaky strategy here and recommend fading a player who might not even play. There was speculation that Bichette would sit here after his return from the IL and playing on Monday, but that's the perfect time to use him on PrizePicks. We say that because he might get one at-bat as a pinch-hitter, and that would be the perfect scenario. Even if he doesn't get any at-bats, that pick won't hurt you, either.
If Bichette finds his way into the lineup, we want to fade him anyway. A matchup with Shohei Ohtani is difficult for anyone, and it's even more difficult for a player who's only had seven at-bats in the last seven weeks. He's simply not ready for a full game or a pitcher like Ohtani. The two-way stud has a 2.23 ERA and 1.22 FIP in this postseason, while Bichette has an OPS below .760 against righties since the start of last year. It's impossible for hitters to find a rhythm with no reps, and throwing him out there against Ohtani in a World Series game is a recipe for disaster.
