Will Brennan DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Will Brennan remains out of the starting nine for Game 5 of the ALCS. Brennan has made only two starts this entire postseason so far, one in each series. As a result, Jhonkensy Noel will cover right field and bat in the six-hole. Brennan has carried an underwhelming .167 AVG throughout the postseason with four strikeouts. Noel has begun to heat up at the plate after going hitless during the ALDS. In the ALCS, Noel has gone 2-for-4 with a two-run shot but faces a difficult matchup on Saturday evening against Carlos Rodon, who allowed just one run in his previous outing.

Cleveland Guardians rookie first baseman/designated hitter Kyle Manzardo and outfielder Will Brennan are both on the bench for Game 5 of the American League Division Series on Saturday at Progressive Field against the division-rival Detroit Tigers with left-hander Tarik Skubal on the mound. Skubal will most likely win the AL Cy Young award this year, so it makes sense for Cleveland to sit the lefty-hitting Manzardo and Brennan. David Fry is the DH and will hit second, while rookie Jhonkensy Noel will start in right field and bat sixth. It's tough to recommend any Guardians hitter against the dominant Skubal in DFS, but Fry certainly has more appeal than Noel. The 28-year-old was the hero in the Game 4 win on Thursday and has gone 3-for-11 with a homer, a double, five RBI, a walk, a steal and two runs scored in four postseason games for the Guards this year.

The Cleveland Guardians optioned outfielder Will Brennan to Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday to make room for newly acquired outfielder Lane Thomas, who is batting second and playing in right field on Tuesday against the division-rival Detroit Tigers in his first game with the team. The Guardians acquired Thomas from the Washington Nationals in a trade on Monday. Brennan has seen the most action for Cleveland in right field this year, but that's going to change the rest of the way after the acquisition of Thomas. The 26-year-old Brennan, who hits from the left side, has struggled this year, hitting .233 (53-for-227) with eight home runs, 24 RBI and 28 runs scored, including going hitless in 21 plate appearances with three strikeouts in nine games played in July. For now, he'll give the Guardians outfield depth in the minors.