This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Tuesday's two-game MLB slate begins at 6:05 PM Eastern time and features Game 2 of the NLCS between the Braves and Dodgers followed by Game 3 of the ALCS between the Rays and Astros. The Braves will be looking to build on their 5-1 win in Monday's series opener, while the Rays will look to grab a stranglehold on their series after winning the first two games by a combined score of 6-3. Below, you'll find recommended pitchers and hitters to target, as well as some value plays and stacking options.
Pitchers
This slate's two priciest pitchers will be going head-to-head in the NL. The Dodgers will roll out Clayton Kershaw ($8,800), who pitched a 13-strikeout masterpiece over eight shutout innings against the eighth-seeded Brewers but was more in line with his usual beatable playoff self against the Padres in the NLDS, serving up two home runs and three earned runs in six innings. The veteran lefty has a 4.23 ERA over 172.1 career postseason innings.
Opposing Kershaw will be standout rookie righty Ian Anderson ($8,300). Anderson is yet to give up a run through two postseason starts for the Braves, allowing just five hits to go with a 17:3 K:BB in 11.2 innings. He'll look to keep holding down a Dodgers offense that was stymied by Max Fried and the Braves bullpen in Game 1.
Ryan Yarbrough ($7,400) is expected to eat the bulk of the innings for the Rays. He lasted five innings in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Yankees after replacing opener Ryan Thompson. While New York tagged him for just two runs, Yarbrough only got one strikeout, and his short leash in a deep Rays bullpen coupled with a meager 18.8 percent strikeout rate this season limit the lefty's upside here against Houston.
Jose Urquidy ($7,100) has lasted just 4.1 innings in each of his two outings this postseason. He held the Twins to one run in the first one but was knocked around for four solo homers by the A's while only striking out three batters each time. His lack of strikeouts and inability to pitch deep into games make Urquidy a far less appealing option than either Kershaw or Anderson.
Top Targets
Carlos Correa ($4,400) has been by far the top performing shortstop this postseason, with a .423/.559/1.000 line, as well as five home runs and 13 RBI in eight games. He's showing no signs of slowing down, as his home run in Game 2 has accounted for one third of Houston's offense through this series' first two games.
Justin Turner ($4,600) was one of four Dodgers to record a hit in the team's Game 1 loss, and he's locked into a spot in the heart of the batting order. Given the lack of appealing alternatives at third base, Turner's a solid choice as Los Angeles looks to even up its series.
Best Values
First base hasn't been the dominant batting position you would normally expect this postseason, so punting the position with a cheap bat is certainly a valid strategy, especially with Freddie Freeman ($5,000) dealing with a tough lefty-on-lefty matchup against Kershaw. Locking in Yuli Gurriel ($3,100) can help you do just that, as Houston's first baseman is seeing the ball as well as any of his teammates against the tough Tampa pitching staff. He walked twice in Game 1 and was the only Astro to record multiple hits in Game 2. Plus, the bulk of Gurriel's at-bats figure to come against the left-handed Yarbrough, and Gurriel had a .366 wOBA against lefties compared to just a .247 mark against righties in the regular season.
Joc Pederson ($2,900) figures to get the start in Game 2 for the Dodgers with the right-handed Anderson on the mound for Atlanta. The left-handed slugger regressed in 2020 after smashing 36 home runs — all against righties — in 2019, but he still needs just one good swing to vastly outperform his affordable valuation. If Los Angeles' game plan from previous contests remains unchanged, Enrique Hernandez ($3,000), who accounted for the team's only run in the series opener with a solo homer, should sub in if a lefty comes out of the Braves bullpen. If you can stomach the uncertainty over how many at-bats he'll get, Hernandez makes for an interesting against-the-grein play as well given his momentum and eligibility at both second base and in the outfield.
Stacks to Consider
Rays vs. Astros RHP Jose Urquidy
Randy Arozarena (OF - $4,700), Manuel Margot (OF - $3,200), Mike Zunino (C - $3,600)
Arozarena has been Tampa Bay's most dangerous hitter all postseason after finishing the regular season on a hot streak, as the Cuban slugger has a .429/.474/.886 line through nine games in this playoff run. Margot was the Game 2 hero with both the bat and the glove, and the affordable outfielder will be looking to maintain his momentum after slugging a three-run homer Monday, giving him three home runs and eight RBI in eight games played this postseason. Zunino offers excellent power upside behind the plate, as he has already gone deep three times in eight games this postseason, including a home run in Monday's Game 2 win. His three previous campaigns with 20-plus home runs suggest this recent power surge isn't just a fluke for the Rays' catcher. All three of the above batters are right-handed, as righty-on-righty matchups are the way to go against Urquidy, who allowed a .368 wOBA to batters from the right side compared to just a .174 mark to left-handed hitters this season.
Braves vs. Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw
Ronald Acuna (OF - $5,100), Ozzie Albies (2B - $4,400), Marcell Ozuna (OF - $4,300)
The Braves have the bats to take advantage if Kershaw's customary postseason struggles return. Acuna has a .391 career wOBA against lefties and offers arguably the best blend of power and speed in the league, having logged 55 home runs and 45 stolen bases in 202 regular-season games since the start of the 2019 campaign. Albies is a switch-hitter who is significantly more comfortable batting right-handed, with a .399 career wOBA against lefties and just a .319 mark against righties. He'll come in with plenty of confidence after going deep in the ninth inning of Game 1. Ozuna has been Atlanta's most consistent right-handed bat all season, delivering a .527 wOBA against lefties in the regular season and driving in six runs through six postseason contests, including one in Game 1. Catcher Travis d'Arnaud ($4,400) deserves an honorable mention here, as he vastly preferred righty-on-righty matchups this season but is slashing an incredible .391/.481/.739 overall so far this postseason.
