This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
And then there was one. Three Division Series have reached their conclusion, but the Giants and Dodgers will meet again Thursday in a deciding Game 5. These two teams battled it out right to the end of the season to see who would win the NL West crown, so it's fitting that they've pushed each other to the brink in this series. The winner will go on to face the Braves in the NLCS. Let's dig into the matchup and discuss some options to consider for the DraftKings Showdown contest.
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 fantasy points. The downside is, whoever you select for that spot, you will also have to pay 1.5X their salary.
It's difficult to argue against either of the game's starting pitchers being deployed in this spot. Starting for the Dodgers will be Julio Urias ($15,600 Captain's Pick), who earned the win in Game 2 when he allowed one run and recorded five strikeouts across five innings. He faced the Giants five times during the regular season and allowed two or fewer runs in four of those contests. Also, he struck them out 33 times over 29.1 innings.
As good as Urias was in Game 2, Logan Webb ($15,900 Captain's Pick) dominated Game 1 with 10 strikeouts over 7.2 scoreless innings. It was the continuation of an excellent regular season that saw him record a 2.72 FIP and a 1.11 WHIP. This game being played in San Francisco is significant because Webb had a 2.35 FIP and a 0.95 WHIP at home, compared to a 3.08 FIP and a 1.25 WHIP on the road.
Top Targets
With two excellent starting pitchers on the mound, we might need to temper our expectations for some of the hitters. With that being said, this could still be an excellent spot to roll with Kris Bryant ($9,400). He had a .381 wOBA versus left-handed pitchers this season and has a .407 wOBA against them over the course of his career.
Mookie Betts ($9,800) is arguably the top hitter to pursue on the Dodgers. He hit a home run in Game 4 to help keep the Dodgers alive, leaving him 7-for-20 (.350) with only two strikeouts during their current playoff run.
Bargain Bats
Like Bryant, Evan Longoria ($7,000) has a history of success versus left-handed pitchers. He posted a 185 wRC+ against them this season and has a 132 wRC+ against them for his career. While he might not be the hitter that he once was, he's shown that he can still be dangerous, including when he hit a home run off of Max Scherzer in Game 3.
Gavin Lux ($5,600) caught fire towards the end of the season, hitting 18-for-48 (.375) with a .474 OBP over his final 16 games. He didn't start in any of the Dodgers' first four playoff games, but he finally received the nod for Game 4. He may have earned himself another start considering he went 2-for-2 with two walks.
