The Dodgers and Cubs start the 2025 MLB season on Tuesday morning with the first pitch scheduled for 6:10 a.m. ET. The two-game series takes place in Tokyo, so you’ll need to set the alarm clock, get the coffee pot on, and get fired up for the first “real” baseball of the year.
As seems appropriate for the first game of the Tokyo series, the starting pitchers are both Japanese. Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($11,000) and Shota Imanaga ($10,800) are each starting their second MLB season. Both had strong seasons last year but may not be ready for full workloads just yet. For fantasy, starting pitchers are especially risky in these early games since they typically aren’t fully stretched out and ready to go deep into games and managers tend to rely more heavily than normal on their bullpen.
Who is ready to start the season with an early-morning victory? Let’s take a look at what to expect and how to attack the matchup from a DraftKings Showdown perspective.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Showdown $40K Rising Sun Special [$10K to 1st] (LAD vs CHC).
Dodgers vs. Cubs Shodown Strategy
Captain’s Pick
Shohei Ohtani ($15,000): He’s expensive, but he’s definitely worth it, especially if you are passing on starting pitchers. Ohtani averaged 12.7 fantasy points per game last season, racking up 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases while hitting .310 with a .431 wOBA and .336 ISO. It was his second straight season with an ISO and batting average over .300. He has 30+ home runs in four straight years with 90+ RBI in each of those four seasons as well.
Ohtani did not attempt a stolen base in Spring Training but did hit a home run while going 6-for-18 (.333) with a .448 wOBA. It wasn’t an official Spring Training but Ohtani also homered in the Tokyo Dome earlier this week:
SHOHEI OHTANI HOMERS AT THE TOKYO DOME! #TOKYOSERIES pic.twitter.com/04dK1gKnt5
— MLB (@MLB) March 15, 2025
Ah… enjoy that sweet, sweet swing and welcome back Shohei into your Captain’s Pick spot this Tuesday.
UTIL Plays
Freddie Freeman ($8,800): After his postseason heroics last fall, Freeman got a late start to Spring Training due to an ankle procedure, but he looks ready to roll for this series. He went 7-for-25 (.280) in nine games with two doubles, two home runs and a .419 wOBA. Even in a lefty-on-lefty matchup against Imanaga, I’m confident enough in Freeman to use him as a key UTIL play, especially with good value available in other spots.
Tommy Edman ($6,200): Edman signed a big extension this offseason with the Dodgers and is ready for an everyday role. He is expected to play 2B to start the season and eventually land in the outfield. The switch-hitter was acquired from the Cardinals in the middle of last season and played 37 games with the Dodgers, hitting just .237 but posting six homers and six stolen bases. He also came up huge in the postseason going 20-for-61 (.328) with two home runs and five stolen bases and won NLCS MVP. Getting his power and speed potential at just over $6,000 makes him a great bat to include in your build.
Pete Crow-Armstrong ($4,800): Speaking of speed… Crow-Armstrong can absolutely fly and brings huge stolen base potential any time he’s on a slate. He’s remarkably affordable under $5,000 after a scorching hot Spring Training. In 10 games this spring, the 22-year-old went 14-for-27 (.519) with four doubles, three home runs and two stolen bases in two attempts. He’s out to prove he can realize his potential after a midseason swing adjustment last year seemed to unlock his plate production. At worst, he’s a speed threat, but he showed at the end of last season and this Spring Training that he brings so much more and could be the next emerging superstar in the sport. I’m extremely high on PCA for the season, and getting him as such a bargain is a great way to start the season. I promise–just one highlight:
Pete Crow-Armstrong steals third base in the #TokyoSeries. pic.twitter.com/saprfniwtX
— Cubs Zone (@CubsZone) March 16, 2025
Fades
Shota Imanaga ($10,800): Imanaga had a very impressive first season in the MLB, going 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA, 3.72 FIP and 9.0 K/9. However, backing him against the Dodgers’ stacked lineup doesn’t seem like a good way to go here. Especially not when he’s so expensive. He looked fine in Spring Training and had 13 strikeouts in 11 innings but also gave up three home runs and seven runs in 11 innings. In his last start, he lasted 2 2/3 innings and threw 75 pitches, so he could go deep enough to get the win but will likely max out around 85 pitches. With such a low ceiling and high-risk factor, I’m definitely not paying up for Imanaga. I probably won’t pay up for Yamamoto either, going with bats over arms in the Tokyo Series since the starters don’t usually last long enough to return value.
THE OUTCOME
Who cares? Baseball is back! We all win!
If I have to pick a winner (which is the point of this section), I’m going with this season to pick up where last season left off—the Dodgers’ winning and dominating while Shohei Ohtani looks other-worldly.
Final Score: Dodgers 7, Cubs 2
