This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The World Series gets underway Tuesday. The Astros will be trying to win their second title in the last five years while the Braves are chasing their first ring since 1995. There will be a DH for Game 1 with the series starting in Houston, so the Braves have to be happy that Jorge Soler returned from his bout with COVID-19 towards the end of the NLCS. He was one of several key additions that they made to their outfield at the trade deadline to help make up for the loss of Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee). As you build your Showdown lineups on DraftKings, consider the following players for your entries.
Captain's 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.
Charlie Morton ($16,200 Captain's Pick) will take the mound for the Braves, coming off of an excellent regular season in which he had a 3.34 ERA that was supported by an even better 3.17 FIP. He had a strikeout rate of at least 28.6 percent to go along with a sparkling 1.04 WHIP, so it's no surprise that he gets the call here. He's continued to pitch well in the playoffs, allowing six runs and recording 19 strikeouts over 14.1 innings. That included when he had to make a start on short rest for Game 4 of the NLDS.
An injury forced Framber Valdez ($10,400) to start the season late, but he finished with a 3.14 ERA over his 22 starts. His FIP wasn't as impressive at 4.01, but he was mostly able to be successful because he only gave up 12 home runs over 134.2 innings. He is coming off of a gem in Game 5 of the ALCS in which he allowed only one run over eight innings. However, he had allowed seven runs (six earned) over seven innings in his previous two starts. This could still be a great spot to deploy Ozzie Albies ($13,500 Captain's Pick), who has a career 146 wRC+ versus left-handed pitchers.
Top Targets
This won't be an easy matchup for Morton, especially since the Astros will have the DH available to them. That spot should be filled by Yordan Alvarez ($9,400), who destroyed the Red Sox in the ALCS. He registered four hits in Game 6, finishing the series 12-for-23 (.522) with a home run, three doubles and a triple. He also had a .253 ISO during the regular season, so he should continue to bring plenty of power upside to the plate.
The Braves might not be in the position that they're in without Austin Riley ($8,600). He's coming off of a regular season in which he hit 33 home runs, providing some of the power that their lineup lost when Acuna went down. With two home runs and two doubles in the playoffs, he remains one of the top players on the Braves to target.
Bargain Bats
Michael Brantley ($6,400) stands out at his cheap salary to consider. While he doesn't hit for hardly any power, he has a lengthy history of hitting for a high average. He's registered at least one hit in all by one game during the Astros' playoff run, hitting 14-for-45 (.311) with two doubles, overall.
Adam Duvall ($7,400) must have been thrilled to get out of Miami. While he slugged 22 home runs over 91 games with the Marlins, he mashed 16 of them across just 55 games with the Braves. He also hit 16 of them over 57 games with the Braves in 2020, so a reunion benefited both sides. At his salary, his home run upside alone should at least have him on your radar.
