The Blue Jays have punched their ticket to the ALCS. They now await the winner of a Game 5 on Friday. The Mariners and Tigers have headed back to Seattle for one more game. Detroit battled back for this opportunity, putting the pressure on Seattle, a franchise awaiting its first World Series appearance. The first pitch for Game 5 will be delivered at 8:08 p.m. ET.
Before I get to my selections for this single-game DFS slate, it makes sense to look at this matchup in the big picture before diving into the picks. Enthusiasm for bats is hard to come by. George Kirby is a solid starter, but more to the point, prior to the middle of Game 4 the Tigers' offense had looked bad. Bad in this series, bad in these playoffs, bad going back to the last month of the regular season, you name it. I'm a Tigers fan. I assure you it has been bleak. Then, all of a sudden, Riley Greene is homering off a lefty and Javier Baez is going yard.
On the flip side, though, the Tigers are starting Tarik Skubal. He's the reigning AL Cy Young winner, and he's the odds-on favorite to win it again. Detroit bringing a struggling offense and the best pitcher in baseball to the table makes DFS decisions far from easy. Of course, I did it anyway, because that's the gig.
You have $50,000 in salary for six players. Your Captain nets you 1.5 times the points with an elevated salary. If you want, you can roster a starting pitcher. Onto the picks.
Captain
Riley Greene, DET at SEA ($12,300): Well, I'm not going to choose a Captain facing Skubal. Kirby is a righty, and lefties hit .264 against him this year. Greene is all-or-nothing, but he had 36 homers and 31 doubles this year, and he hit a big homer in Game 4. In terms of Detroit's lefty hitters, Greene has the highest upside and thus is worth being Captain.
Utility
Tarik Skubal, DET at SEA ($12,800): Skubal is either going to have an off day, or he's going to go seven-or-eight innings and shut down the Mariners. It's win-or-go-home for the Tigers, so they will ride Skubal until the wheels fall off. He had a 2.21 ERA and 7.30 K/BB rate this season and he's been locked in through two playoff starts. I'm willing to take a shot on Skubal pitching like a Cy Young winner, because that's what he is.
Jorge Polanco, SEA vs. DET ($7,400): It would be inreasonable to have all Tigers. The team isn't good enough for that. Polanco has two homers in this series, both of them coming in Skubal's last start. Also, while a lot of Mariners struggle to produce at home, Polanco had a .902 OPS at home this season.
Eugenio Suarez, SEA vs. DET ($6,600): In a one-game DFS situation, guys who can do damage with one swing of the bat are always worth considering. With the circumstances of this game, that feels even truer than usual. Suarez had 49 home runs this season, and the Mariners brought him back because of his power potential. He's also a righty, which has some extra value given that Skubal is a southpaw.
Zach McKinstry, DET at SEA ($6,400): McKinstry has made a couple questionable decisions on the base paths this postseason, but he's picked up three RBI and scored two runs. His aggression running the bases is a double-edged sword, but it's also why he had 11 triples and 19 stolen bases this season. McKinstry is also a lefty, and lefties are what you want against Kirby.
Javier Baez, DET at SEA ($4,400): I said what you want is lefties, and I'm closing out my lineup with a righty. There's a good reason for that, though. At this salary you can round out your roster with Detroit's hottest hitter. Baez has hit .346 in this postseason. Given that, why not take a shot at him at this salary level?
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