This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
After it looked like the World Series would be a snoozer, the Yankees have a chance to make things interesting. They'll send Gerrit Cole to the mound Wednesday night, with Jack Flaherty opposing him. After dealing with poor pitching options in Game 4, Game 5 gives us a far more traditional matchup.
For those new to Showdown contests, there are no position requirements as is the case in traditional contests. Instead, each team selects a "Captain," who has their score multiplied by 1.5, but at an increased price. The remaining five positions are all utility spots and can be filled in any way that fits within the salary cap.
Captain
Despite what name value and cost suggest, Jack Flaherty ($16,500) had a better season than Gerrit Cole ($16,500), posting a superior strikeout rate, walk rate and SIERA. Both have had a bumpy postseason, but the larger sample suggests Flaherty is the better play. He's also at least slightly cheaper and is likely to be less popular.
The Captain slot is likely to be heavily concentrated between the two pitchers, but there are alternative ways to go. The knock on Flaherty this postseason has been how homer-prone he's been, serving up four homes in 20.2 innings pitched (1.7 HR/9). There are some obvious targets based on that, with Juan Soto ($14,100) and Giancarlo Stanton ($12,900) leading the way. For those looking for a more affordable option, Gleyber Torres ($11,100) is in the leadoff role and has the third-highest ISO and wOBA on the team in the postseason.
There are less obvious Dodgers to target, but we have to at least mention Freddie Freeman ($13,200). He has homered in four straight games and has dominated the World Series.
Utility
For those going with the most common lineup build with the Captain slot, it will be important to save cap space with the utility spots. Anthony Volpe ($6,400) and Anthony Rizzo ($5,600) have both had interesting postseasons. Each has a solid .353 wOBA but very little power. Of the duo, Volpe has three extra-base hits to Rizzo's one and also hits higher in the order. That gives him a slight nod, but both are solid plays.
Flipping to the Dodgers, Tommy Edman ($6,800) remains surprisingly priced given his run this postseason (.384 wOBA, .196 ISO, five stolen bases) and is an under-the-radar option for the Captain slot. Finally, based on batting order and the skills he's shown to this point, Max Muncy ($7,000) is another solid value. He is locked into the fifth spot in the order and has a .367 wOBA and .222 ISO for the postseason.
