This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
It came down to the final day of the regular season to determine the two participants for the AL Wild Card game. In the end, we will be given another matchup between two storied rivals in the Yankees and Red Sox. Tuesday's game will not only bring plenty of drama, but it also brings an opportunity to play the DraftKings Showdown contest. Here are some players to consider for your entries.
Captain Pick
For those new to this format, the player that is selected for the Captain's Pick in your lineup will receive 1.5X the fantast points. The downside is, whoever you select for that spot, you will also have to pay 1.5X their salary.
There are two ways to approach this spot. You can go with a safe player who has a high salary to build yourself a solid base. If you want to go that route, then it's hard to argue against Gerrit Cole ($15,600 Captain's Pick). Despite his struggles towards of the end of the season, he has a 2.68 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP for his career in the playoffs. During that stretch, he recorded 108 strikeouts across 84 innings.
If you really want to go off the board in tournament play, Brett Gardner ($6,000 Captain's Pick) might not be all that crazy. The veteran has plenty of playoff experience and recorded a .803 OPS over his final 26 games of the season. Slotting him here allows you to add both starting pitchers and a couple of prominent hitters at your utility spots.
Top Targets
Pitchers generally have the ability to provide more fantasy points based on their scoring opportunities, so Nathan Eovaldi ($9,600) has to be strongly considered. As impressive as his 3.75 ERA was this season, his FIP was even better at 2.79. He also missed plenty of bats with his 25.5 percent strikeout rate.
As far as the top hitters go, Rafael Devers ($10,600), Giancarlo Stanton ($8,800) and Aaron Judge ($9,800) all stand out. Stanton had a .982 OPS over his final 37 games while Judge had another fantastic season with a 148 wRC+. Devers also brings plenty of power to the plate with his .259 ISO.
Bargain Bats
If you don't want to take the risk that comes with adding Gardner to the Captain's spot, then deploying him at one of the utility positions at just $4,000 could be ideal. Another potential bargain could be Alex Verdugo ($5,800), who cut his strikeout rate to 15.9 percent this season. While he didn't provide a ton of power, he did post a .351 OBP and score 88 runs as part of the potent Red Sox lineup.
Finally, if you're looking for a punt play, Kyle Higashioka ($4,600) could be an option. Expect him to start behind the plate with Cole on the mound since he served as his personal catcher during the regular season. He brings power to the batter's box given his .207 ISO across 211 plate appearances this season.
