Jacob Misiorowski Opens the World Series Friday, and Seven Games Will Reset 2027 Fantasy Values for Milwaukee and Tampa Bay

The 2026 World Series begins Friday at 8 p.m. ET at American Family Field, and the Brewers have already named their man. Milwaukee announced Tuesday that Jacob Misiorowski will start Game 1 against the Rays, and Tampa Bay is expected to counter with Drew Rasmussen on four days of rest, though the Rays had not formally announced their starter as of Thursday. Both rosters are due Friday morning, and the biggest open question belongs to Milwaukee: whether Brandon Woodruff gets a spot.

Sportsbooks have the Brewers as roughly -155 to -162 favorites in Game 1, and ESPN's futures listing has Milwaukee at -165 to win the series, with Tampa Bay at +145. For fantasy managers, the next nine days are the last real baseball before keeper deadlines and 2027 draft prep, and several of the players on these two rosters will see their prices move on what happens in October.

Where things stand on Thursday

Misiorowski will pitch on 11 full days of rest after Milwaukee's NLCS sweep of the Dodgers. Rasmussen last started ALCS Game 5 on Oct. 18 and has opened both of Tampa Bay's previous series. Freddy Peralta, the ALCS MVP, is widely expected to start Game 2 on Saturday, and previews project Logan Henderson for Milwaukee in that game. Neither Game 2 assignment has been formally announced.

Woodruff is the roster decision to watch. He threw 23 live pitches to Milwaukee's regular lineup on Tuesday and sat 90 to 92 mph, according to MLB.com, but he has not pitched in a game since July 4 because of his surgically repaired right shoulder. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Brewers are unlikely to add him. The club's concern is a postseason rule that allows a player to be replaced only for an acute, non-chronic injury, which could leave Milwaukee a pitcher short if his shoulder flares again. If he is added, it would be in relief.

The aces: what October can and cannot change

Misiorowski's regular season already set his 2027 price. He went 16-5 with a 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts and a 0.80 WHIP over 174 2/3 innings, leading the majors in ERA, strikeouts and WHIP, and opponents hit .157 against him. No World Series outing moves a pitcher off that tier. What October can do is answer the one question fantasy drafters will ask: how deep will he pitch? He has not pitched into the sixth inning in a start this postseason, and he needed 94 pitches to get 13 outs in NLCS Game 1. A seven-inning Game 1 would make the workload worry easier to dismiss next March.

Rasmussen is the more interesting case. He finished the regular season with a 2.67 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over 172 innings, and MLB.com notes he went 11-0 with a 1.73 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break. He has been even better in October, with a 1.29 ERA across 21 innings in three postseason starts. His full-season strikeout total (174) is the main argument fantasy drafters have had for valuing him a tier below the true aces, and two dominant World Series starts against a patient, high on-base Brewers lineup would make that discount harder to justify.

Peralta carries the biggest stakes. He is a pending free agent, and because he was traded during the season (he came to Tampa Bay from the Mets at the deadline), he is not eligible for a qualifying offer, which removes the draft-pick cost for any team that signs him. Fox Sports has noted that his Rays stint, including a 2.75 ERA over 72 innings between the regular season and playoffs, has lifted his market. Where he signs will matter more for his 2027 fantasy value than anything he does in Game 2, but a strong start in the park where he spent most of his career would not hurt.

The bats: separating the noise from the signal

Small samples dominate October, and fantasy managers should treat them that way. Jackson Chourio is the clearest example. He hit .291 with 25 home runs and 23 steals in 127 regular-season games, according to MLB.com and Baseball-Reference, and he leads the Brewers with seven postseason RBIs while hitting just .171 (6-for-35). None of that changes his 2027 outlook as a power and speed outfielder entering his prime.

William Contreras is hitting .367 with five RBIs in eight playoff games, and he is among the shortest prices on the World Series MVP board. Catchers who hit in the middle of a strong on-base lineup are scarce, and Contreras is one of the few who produce counting stats behind the plate. Jake Bauers, the NLCS MVP after driving in six runs against the Dodgers, is the name most likely to be overdrafted next spring on the strength of one week. A hot World Series would make that worse.

On the Tampa Bay side, Junior Caminero is the Rays' headline bat after another 40-homer regular season, and his two-run homer in the ALCS clincher was his first of the postseason. Yandy Díaz hit .333 with a 1.061 OPS in the ALCS, and Richie Palacios went 6-for-12 in that series. Caminero is the only one of that group whose 2027 price is driven by more than October noise.

Betting angle

The market has Milwaukee as a clear but modest favorite, and that is a fair reflection of how these teams match up: the Rays have the better top of the rotation, the Brewers have the deeper bullpen and home field. Milwaukee's relievers are 7-1 with a 1.33 ERA this postseason, allowing six earned runs in 40 2/3 innings, and they are fully rested. Tampa Bay closer Bryan Baker has finished all seven of the Rays' postseason wins without allowing a run in seven innings.

Game 1 is the one game in the series where the Rays' rotation advantage and Milwaukee's bullpen advantage collide most directly. If Misiorowski's postseason pattern holds and he exits around the fifth, the game shifts to the Brewers' strength. If Rasmussen pitches deep, the Rays can shorten the game to Baker. Bettors who like the Rays in the series may find Game 2 and the Peralta start a more attractive entry point than Game 1, depending on how the price moves. Market numbers move quickly in the World Series, so shop the line, and bet only if you are of legal betting age in your jurisdiction. Verdexed's game-by-game call for each World Series game lives at /mlb/predictions.

What to do in your league

Dynasty and keeper managers should use this week to set their plans, not to react. Misiorowski is a keeper in every format, and October should not change that. Rasmussen is the pitcher whose stock is most likely to rise, so managers who want to acquire him should do it before Friday rather than after two more strong starts. Peralta's value hinges on where he signs, so hold rather than sell until his destination is known.

Two injury situations matter for 2027. Shane McClanahan was ruled out for the postseason with forearm tightness and is expected to be ready next spring, which makes him a buy-low target in dynasty leagues while his managers are frustrated. Woodruff is a pending free agent whose shoulder has now cost him most of a second season, and whether he makes the World Series roster is a small but real data point on where he stands. Treat any Woodruff roster spot as an encouraging sign for 2027, not a reason to pay for him.

What's next

The Brewers and Rays submit their World Series rosters Friday morning, which will settle the Woodruff question and confirm whether Tampa Bay makes any changes to its pitching staff after the ALCS. Watch for Kevin Cash to confirm Rasmussen for Game 1 and for either manager to name a Game 3 starter for Monday in St. Petersburg. First pitch of Game 1 is 8 p.m. ET Friday on FOX, and one of these franchises will win its first World Series title by Oct. 31 at the latest.