Home teams are 4-0 in the League Championship Series, as the Royals and Mets have each taken a commanding lead. Fan bases in Chicago and Toronto are getting nervous. The 2-3-2 format does give the Cubbies and Jays a chance to battle back, with Game 3 critical for both franchises.
DFS contests at DraftKings close tonight at 8:07 Eastern when Marcus Stroman $9900 takes the mound against Johnny Cueto $9500 in the climate-controlled Rogers Centre. They conclude on Tuesday with Jacob DeGrom $11600 facing Kyle Hendricks $8800 at Wrigley Field, where there’s a possibility of thunderstorms.
As a Toronto native with a ticket to Game 5, I am anything but neutral tonight and probably not fully objective. However, the #1 SP play is Stroman and stacking bats from that game makes sense.
While DeGrom is a deserving favorite, the possibility of a rain delay and the desperation of the Cubs make me somewhat reluctant to pay retail. The biggest advantage for Hendricks is low cost; Cueto is also tempting after a brilliant 8 IP (8 K, 2 hits) in the ALDS clincher. I simply can’t use him against “my” team.
Plays of the Day
The $25K Moonshot is a $3 buy-in (FREE to new depositors at DK) that pays the top 1,920 finishers from up to 9,683 teams. First place wins $2,000. Enter by 8:07 and you can make lineup changes on CHC and NYM players until that time tomorrow.
C/OF Kyle Schwarber $4400 is awfully pricey against DeGrom. For me it’s a tossup between Russell Martin $3900 and Salvador Perez $3300 — I’m hoping Toronto gets to Cueto early.
Edwin Encarnacion $4800 has a very sore left middle finger and was swinging one-handed in Game 2. 1B/OF Chris Colabello $3400 is better value and if we’re using just one Royal, Eric Hosmer $4300 is on the Short List.
Not only has 2B/3B Daniel Murphy $4300 hit 5 HR already in the postseason, all of them came off Cy Young candidates. 2B/SS Javier Baez $2200 is ultra-cheap and talented.
Josh Donaldson $4600 needs to have an MVP-type game to get his club back into this. With no obvious 3B bargains, Mike Moustakas $4000 is the alternative.
Troy Tulowitzki $4500 is also playing hurt (left shoulder blade) so I’m going to go cheap at short with first-pitch attacker Alcides Escobar $3300 or 2B/SS Ryan Goins $2600.
Jose Bautista $4900 is angry, often his most productive mode. Curtis Granderson $4500 and Yoenis Cespedes $4800 are strong plays in Chicago if the weather cooperates. 2B/OF Ben Zobrist $3900 and Alex Gordon $3600 are reasonably priced if you aren’t convinced of Stroman’s excellence. Colabello, Kevin Pillar $3400 and Ben Revere $3600 are worth considering.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Marcus Stroman $9900 | Johnny Cueto $9500 |
| SP2 | Jacob DeGrom $11600 | Kyle Hendricks $8800 |
| C | Russell Martin $3900 | Salvador Perez $3300 |
| 1B | Eric Hosmer $4300 | Chris Colabello $3400 |
| 2B | Daniel Murphy $4300 | Javier Baez $2200 |
| 3B | Josh Donaldson $5100 | Mike Moustakas $4000 |
| SS | Troy Tulowitzki $4500 | Ryan Goins $2600 |
| OF1 | Jose Bautista $4900 | Ben Zobrist $3900 |
| OF2 | Curtis Granderson $4500 | Alex Gordon $3600 |
| OF3 | Yoenis Cespedes $4800 | Kevin Pillar $3800 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Until basketball returns, we’re offering baseball tips on weekdays. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.