This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The World Series opener didn't have a compelling end, but there were plenty of surprises with some unexpected heroes emerging. We're back to preview Game 2 from a DraftKings specific perspective. At this point in the season, only Showdown slates remain. The roster requirements are different than a traditional MLB slate with six total roster spots to fill without positional requirements. There's also a Captain slot who earns 1.5x points with a corresponding salary increase. The starting pitchers are the most obvious Captain choices, though they also cost the most and will make the rest of the roster difficult to fill.
Stay up to date on who is in and who is out with RotoWire's MLB Injury Report!
Pitchers
It's a strong night of pitching with Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($11,400/$17,100) and Kevin Gausman ($11,000/$16,500). Yamamoto displayed the better skills during the regular season and has been incredible for most of the playoffs, so he's the obvious choice on paper and a strong selection for the Captain slot. The field will see things the same way, so going with Gausman or one of the hitting options there and fading Yamamoto is a reasonable - yet risky - strategy.
Hitters
Most of the big names are obvious, so we can start with value picks. Nathan Lukes ($5,000) should hit second in the Toronto lineup with a righty on the mound. He isn't likely to have a big day on his own, though that lineup context gives him the opportunity to score runs and potentially drive some in.
Addison Barger (6,000) and Alejandro Kirk ($6,400) aren't exactly under the radar after their respective Game 1 performances (along with the entire postseason), but they check in at solid salaries.
There are less obvious values for the Dodgers. Andy Pages ($4,800) hasn't done much since the regular season, but hitting ninth could be advantageous if he gets on base and could be driven in by the top of the order. He's not a priority, yet is a decent way to open up salary. A similar case can be made for Tommy Edman ($5,800), though his salary isn't as appealing and he'll be buried down the order facing a righty.
From there, it's the fairly obvious big names to build through. Shohei Ohtani ($10,000/$15,000) is always in the mix, as is Freddie Freeman ($9,000/$13,500) despite his mediocre playoffs. Max Muncy ($7,000) and Will Smith ($6,600) fall somewhere in between stars and values, yet their presence in the middle of the LA roster make them worth considering.
This wouldn't be the day I'd choose to target high-end Blue Jays' bats due to the matchup, though George Springer ($9,400) and Vladimir Guerrero ($9,600) are both decent selections in higher-variance builds.
Use our DraftKings MLB Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
