This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We've seen the ALCS flip. Heck, we saw Game 5 flip in the ninth inning. The Astros return home Sunday with a chance to win the series, even though they were once down two games to none. Texas, meanwhile, suddenly must win to keep its playoff hopes alive. For DFS purposes, DraftKings' usual Showdown rules are in effect. You have $50,000 in salary for six players. Your Captain will earn you 1.5 times the points, but has an elevated salary. Here's a lineup I like as the Rangers try to force a Game 7.
CAPTAIN
Josh Jung, TEX at HOU ($10,800): Due to the elevated salary the Captain earns, I went down the list a bit to go with Jung. That being said, it wasn't a tough call since he's been hitting as well as any Ranger this postseason by hitting .316 and slugging .684. Jung gets to face the lefty Framber Valdez Sunday and he managed a .995 OPS against southpaws this season.
UTILITY
Yordan Alvarez, HOU vs. TEX ($9,600): If you've been paying attention to the playoffs at all, you likely know Alvarez is essentially a must-roster player every time he takes the field. Only Trea Turner can claim to have hit as well as the Cuban slugger this postseason. Alvarez has produced a 1.422 OPS with six home runs. No pitcher makes me worry about him, and certainly not a righty like Nathan Eovaldi.
Marcus Semien, TEX at HOU ($8,800): Valdez was blitzed in Game 2, but I still wanted to lean on righties from the Rangers as opposed to betting on a southpaw like Corey Seager or Evan Carter. The Astros starter doesn't allow many homers, but Semien is someone who produced 40 doubles, four triples, and stole 14 bases this year. He's also a righty, which plays into my thinking.
Alex Bregman, HOU vs. TEX ($8,200): Since 2021, Eovaldi has held lefties to a .226 average, but righties have gone .264. That didn't give me any pause with Alvarez, but generally I want righties who hit their fellow right-handers well in such a scenario. That's perfect for Bregman with an .850 OPS versus them in 2023.
Jose Abreu, HOU vs. TEX ($7,800): Abreu is the player who just sort of fell into my lineup, though he's a righty and that's a plus based on what I said about Eovaldi. He's also had some big moments in the playoffs to make up for a disappointing regular season by recording four home runs while slugging .629.
Leody Taveras, TEX at HOU ($5,200): The reason Abreu "fell into" my lineup is because I already had Taveras plugged in given his salary. While the switch-hitter is typically better against righties and at home, his postseason performance of a .410 OBP and .469 slugging percentage earned him my seal of approval.
