Pitcher List is proud to partner with DraftKings for the 2019 season. We’ll be featuring our top picks for every daily slate through the season and feature articles dedicated to the GPP.
DraftKings’ MLB Showdown provides a different type of DFS competition where you create a team from one game while staying under the $50,000 salary cap.
Lineups consist of six players (1 CPT, 5 UTIL) and must include players from both teams. The player you select as Captain will score 1.5x the standard fantasy point value for each statistic, but drafting a player as Captain will cost more salary than drafting him in a utility slot.
Let’s look at my lineup for this afternoon’s game between the Cardinals and Nationals, which starts at 4:05 p.m. ET.
CPT (1.5x): Victor Robles ($15,900)
Robles is my pick at captain because he’s got more upside than any hitter on the slate. His power/speed combo is among the best in all of fantasy baseball, as he’s already hit five homers with seven steals. The Nationals lineup should tee off on Dakota Hudson, owner of an atrocious 7.49 FIP, so Robles is in a great spot to score some runs.
UTIL: Adam Eaton ($8,600)
Maximizing your number of plate appearances is extremely important in the showdown format, so Eaton holds lots of value batting leadoff for the Nationals. Eaton has sort of sucked this year, but he’s still got a high floor because of his lineup spot and matchup.
UTIL: Paul Goldschmidt ($8,000)
We can’t only use Nationals hitters, so Goldschmidt is a Cardinal worth targeting. Goldy feels way too cheap here, as he’s already got nine home runs this year with a 128 wRC+. Stephen Strasburg isn’t an easy matchup, but he’s been susceptible to homers, so don’t be surprised if Goldschmidt takes him deep.
UTIL: Matt Adams ($8,200)
Did I mention that Dakota Hudson has an insane 3.00 HR/9? Adams has made a career out of feasting on right-handed pitching and is batting cleanup for the Nats, a spot where he can rack up RBIs.
Avoid: Stephen Strasburg ($11,000)
It’s tempting to roll with a pitcher in your lineup, as they can outscore every hitter on the slate with a strong start. Hudson is an obvious avoid, but Strasburg is tougher to fade. However, when you consider that the Cardinals are the second-best lineup in all of baseball against right-handed pitching with their .350 wOBA, it’s easy to understand why Strasburg is a risky investment as the most expensive player on the slate.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is troyklauder) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.