Sean Barnard gives his top DraftKings MLB Pick6 plays and projections for today’s MLB slate.

The MLB Playoffs are off to the races. Every pitch carries a bit more weight, and the increased intensity is noteworthy. Two games will take place tonight in the National League as each team inches closer to elimination or advancement. Starting at 6:08 p.m. ET, the Philadelphia Phillies will host the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers struck first and hold a 1-0 series lead despite being on the road. Then at 9:08 p.m. ET, the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers will face off, with the Brewers having picked up the Game 1 victory. There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action on the baseball diamond. One of the more unique ways to play is with one of the newest features on DraftKings this year in Pick6 Fantasy Baseball!

This article will look at my top Pick6 plays for today’s action. You simply choose whether each set statistic will be more or less than the set number. With the stage set, here are my top picks on today’s MLB playoff slate.

Blake Snell More Than 7.5 Strikeouts

The Dodgers took a 1-0 series advantage in Citizens Bank Park and will hand the ball to Blake Snell for Game 2. The two-time Cy Young Award winner is coming off another impressive season, even if it was limited due to injury. Snell posted a 2.35 ERA, a 1.255 WHIP, and struck out 72 while allowing just 51 hits in his 61.1 innings pitched.

One of his 11 starts came against this Phillies team about three weeks ago. During this September 17th matchup, Snell went 7.0 innings and allowed no runs, just two hits, and struck out a season-high 12 hitters. The playoff atmosphere changes things to an extent, but the Phillies did not look competitive at the plate from start to finish in the first matchup and struck out a combined 12 times in Game 1.

Snell has struck out more than 7.5 batters in five of his 11 starts this season, including two of his last three and three of his last five. Los Angeles will have a long leash on his usage, given the concerns they have with their bullpen, and will allow Snell to remain in the game if he is looking sharp. Count on the 32-year-old to be ready to meet the moment and sit down more than 7.5 Phillies hitters for the second time in the past month.

Jesus Luzardo to Record More Than 5.5 Strikeouts

On the other side of the pitching matchup, Jesus Luzardo will take the mound for the Phillies. He has plenty of pressure on him with the team in a 1-0 series hole and having lost home-field advantage. Luzardo has been open all season about his desire to pitch in pressure situations and for a team with expectations, and now is his chance.

On the season overall, Luzardo posted a 3.92 ERA and a 1.220 WHIP with 216 strikeouts tallied and just 167 hits allowed across his 183.2 innings pitched. He tallied more than 5.5 strikeouts in 22 of his 32 starts this season. This includes both matchups against the Dodgers this season. Luzardo has gone 7.0 innings deep in both starts against Los Angeles, producing strikeout totals of eight and six. This includes as recently as the September 17th matchup in which Snell took the mound.

When he is at his best, Luzardo looks practically unhittable on the mound and is one of the bigger strikeout threats in baseball. His 216 total strikeouts this season were tied with Paul Skenes for the fourth-most in all of baseball. The Phillies need a strong start from their biggest offseason addition and count on Luzardo to meet the weight of the moment. Look for him to deliver with more than 5.5 strikeouts for the third time this season against the Dodgers and 23rd time this year.

Teoscar Hernandez More Than 1.5 Total Bases

One player Luzardo should be especially cautious with is Teoscar Hernandez. The Dodgers’ right fielder was the hero of Game 1, breaking the game open with a three-run home run to take the lead in the seventh inning. Hernandez has been on fire so far in the postseason, going 5-for-14 with three home runs through his first three games played.

The two-time All-Star has had success against Jesus Luzardo in the past as well. In their careers, Hernandez is 3-for-8 with two doubles against the Phillies’ left-hander. Luzardo can be prone to giving up home runs, which is a concern against this Dodgers’ lineup. He allowed a four-bagger to Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman already this season, as well as at least one home run in his final three starts of the year. Luzardo has also given up four home runs in 14.2 innings pitched in the playoffs in his career.

While a home run feels like it could be in play, I am opting to be a bit safer and back Teoscar Hernandez to record more than 1.5 total bases. He has reached this figure in all three postseason games thus far, and I expect this trend to continue in the favorable matchup.

William Contreras to Record More than 1.5 Hits, Runs, & RBIs

The Milwaukee Brewers picked up a statement victory in the series opener and will be looking to add to this tonight. William Contreras was a big help in this, going 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI in the opening matchup. Contreras also has performed well against Shota Imanaga, who will get the start for the Cubs tonight. He is 3-for-10 against Imanaga in his career with a pair of home runs notched. Imanga has had some home run problems overall, with a combined 58 allowed over the past two seasons. He gave up a home run in each of his final nine starts, with 15 total allowed over this span.

Contreras slashed .260/.355/.399 this season with 17 home runs and 76 RBIs tallied. He hit .297 across his matches with the Cubs this year with two home runs notched. While a home run will be on the table, look for Contreras to tally more than 1.5 combined hits, runs, and RBIs to play it a bit safer. If he does get a hold of a home run, he will reach this total in just one swing, but this allows more variety in how he can achieve the statistical accomplishment. Count on Contreras to continue to deliver as one of the key members of this Brewers team and tally more than 1.5 combined hits, runs, and RBIs tonight.

Shota Imanaga to Record More Than 4.5 Strikeouts

It is tough to have much confidence in Shota Imanaga heading into this matchup. The 32-year-old made 25 starts this season and produced a 3.73 ERA and 0.988 WHIP but allowed 31 home runs and struck out just 117 across his 144.2 innings pitched. He is posting a 6.51 ERA since the start of September and has not allowed fewer than three earned runs over his final six regular-season starts, with 12 home runs allowed over this time.

Imanaga threw 4.0 innings against the Padres in the previous round and allowed two earned runs while striking out three. This is a must-win matchup for Chicago, and expect there to be a short leash on the former All-Star. The deeper analytics are even more concerning than the raw stats, as he ranks in the 37th percentile in expected ERA, 11th percentile in average exit velocity, sixth percentile in barrel rate, and 24th percentile in hard-hit rate. He also ranked in the 44th percentile in whiff rate and 34th percentile in strikeout rate.

The Brewers proved their offense is playoff-ready and capable of pouring on runs in the series opener. Look for them to do the same in this matchup and chase Imanaga from the matchup early. While he has only been held to fewer than 3.5 strikeouts in seven of his 25 starts this year, Milwaukee is a high-contact team, and Imanaga has looked especially worrisome of late. Count on him being chased from the game before he can strike out more than three hitters tonight.

Blake Perkins to Record More Than 0.5 Hits

Now in his third season in the major leagues, Blake Perkins has done an impressive job carving out a role for himself on this Brewers team. He was granted the game one start against Matthew Boyd and delivered by going 2-for-4 with a double and a single. His slash marks of .226/.298/.348 are not overly impressive, but Perkins has shown himself to be an effective platoon bat.

Against left-handed pitching, he has slashed .271/.352/.438 with a .789 OPS compared to .206/.274/.308 slash marks against righties with a .582 OPS. Imanaga is a left-hander, and Milwaukee should show no hesitation to keep Perkins in the lineup. This is especially the case considering Perkins is 3-for-4 against Imanaga in his lifetime with two doubles and a home run. The 29-year-old is playing with high confidence and has performed well at the plate of late. Look for this to continue in this favorable matchup and for Perkins to notch a hit tonight.

Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of 2+ players and select whether you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.

How to Play

Create a Pick Set

Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you cannot pick the same player twice and must pick players from at least two different teams.

Enter an Amount

Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.

Sweat Your Picks

When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.

Compete for Prizes

Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.

Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!