MLB Championship Series DFS Picks: Best Value Plays for Friday, October 15th

The 2026 MLB Playoffs continue with more Championship Series action, giving us more games to target for daily fantasy contests. We’re going to be using DraftKings pricing to build the best lineups to try to cash in on a large-field tournament. Don’t forget to check out our MLB daily trends page for game odds, data, and insights.

On the Friday slate, we’ve got one game on tap: Rays-Guardians. With that in mind, let’s dive into my best DFS picks for the Championship Series of the 2026 MLB Playoffs.

MLB Playoffs DFS Picks

Pos	Player	Matchup	FPPG	Salary
MVP	👑 Jose Ramirez	TB @ CLE	8.6	$14,400
UTIL	Yandy Diaz	TB @ CLE	8.0	$8,800
UTIL	Jonathan Aranda	TB @ CLE	7.5	$8,200
UTIL	Steven Kwan	TB @ CLE	6.4	$7,200
UTIL	Chandler Simpson	TB @ CLE	7.1	$5,800
UTIL	Nathaniel Lowe	TB @ CLE	5.8	$5,600

👑 Jose Ramirez – CLE/3B/MVP ($14,400)

I don’t like the pitching matchup between Nick Martinez and Tanner Bibee, so I’m going with a hitter at MVP in Jose Ramirez. The Guardians’ third baseman has been red-hot at the plate, going 11-for-24 (.458) with seven runs, two home runs, eight RBI, and two stolen bases in his last six games. The numbers could be even better, as Ramirez has also been caught stealing twice during this stretch.

That’s the kind of power-speed profile that I want if I’m going with a hitter at MVP.

Yandy Diaz – TB/UTIL ($8,800)

Next up, we’re riding with Yandy Diaz, who is a dependable hitter at the top of the order for the Rays. He has hit safely in six of his last seven games. We’ve also seen him rack up runs during these playoffs, with three so far.

In an exploitable matchup against Tanner Bibee, who had a 4.33 xERA, Diaz will have an opportunity to put up solid numbers in this game.

Jonathan Aranda – TB/UTIL ($8,200)

Jonathan Aranda slashed .274/.358/.434 with 22 home runs in 668 plate appearances this season. He hits in the No. 2 spot for Tampa, right behind Yandy Diaz, making him the ideal pairing for my Rays portion of this lineup.

Aranda is in a cold stretch at the plate right now, going 0-for-10 in his last three games, but he has the kind of power you want to target in DFS. Facing Tanner Bibee, who put up a 1.39 HR/9, this is a good spot to target Aranda.

Steven Kwan – CLE/UTIL ($7,200)

I’m adding Steven Kwan for some modest salary relief as an alternative to Chase DeLauter, who has been one of my favorite DFS plays throughout the postseason.

Kwan put up a respectable .282/.382/.349 slash with three homers and 10 steals this season. While the power was non-existent, you have to like the batting average. He also added 80 runs. As the leadoff hitter for the Guardians, Kwan is the ideal pairing with Jose Ramirez, who hits No. 2 for the Guardians.

Chandler Simpson – TB/UTIL ($5,800)

Chandler Simpson can wreak havoc on the basepaths, slashing .306/.333/.356 with 46 steals in 571 at-bats. While he has literally zero power, the stolen bases are a positive for his fantasy value.

Simpson has hit safely in two of his last three games for the Rays, including 2 RBI on Thursday. He also has one steal during these playoffs. He hit in the No. 5 spot on Thursday, giving him an opportunity to rack up counting stats.

Nathaniel Lowe – CLE/UTIL ($5,600)

We’ll round out this lineup with Nathaniel Lowe, who is a dependable veteran who provides salary relief at $5,600. Lowe has 3 RBI in his last two games, so he’s been a rock-solid run producer of late.

The veteran first baseman has also been hitting in No. 5 spot, making him a great fit with Steven Kwan (No. 1) and Jose Ramirez (No. 5).

Photo Credit: REUTERS