Look, I know that this week is the slowest stretch of the sporting calendar — even with the World Cup helping to keep things afloat.
That said, the MLB All-Star Game might be the last All-Star format in North American sports that actually works. We have to celebrate that. We have to cherish that. We have to embrace that.
What better way that to make a couple DFS lineups on DraftKings? Let’s get into some picks.
Make your DraftKings MLB DFS picks here: MLB Showdown $100K Relay Throw [$25K to 1st] (AL @ NL)
CAPTAIN
Yordan Alvarez ($10,000) – While I can see the argument for not using the most expensive player on a slate where every hitter is probably capped at two plate appearances, the other side of that debate is maybe more tantalizing. There’s going to be no shortage of value options in this Showdown contest, so salary isn’t too large a concern, and I’d contend that Alvarez’s incredibly high floor does make him stand out amongst the pack in the Captain’s slot. You need someone who is at least going to score some points to multiple, right? Alvarez comes into the Midsummer Classic in possession of 100th percentile marks in expected batting average (.335), expected slugging (.713) and expected wOBA (.474). He’ll draw a left-on-left matchup with Cristopher Sanchez ($6,000) in the first inning, yet don’t let that worry you. Alvarez’s .458 expected wOBA against specifically LHPs is the highest mark in MLB. That’s LHBs and RHBs. He’s that good.
UTIL PICKS
Shea Langeliers ($7,400) – Langeliers’ superpower is his ability to punish left-handed pitching. Not only is the backstop slashing .324/.388/.629 with a 177 wRC+ within the split, but his .571 expected slugging percentage against southpaws is the seventh-highest qualified mark in the league. Langeliers will get to face the aforementioned Sanchez in the first inning, as he’ll be batting out of the three-spot in the AL’s lineup. Who knows? He might even see another lefty in his second PA. The National League’s crop of starting pitchers is exceedingly LHP heavy, especially with Jacob Misiorowski and Paul Skenes unavailable.
Max Muncy ($4,800) – It’s a little odd to see Muncy this cheap. I mean, Ernie Clement ($3,200) is the only other starter below $5,000, and Muncy certainly has more pop in his bat — not to mention he’s hitting fifth in the NL’s lineup. That could be the perfect spot, too. It’s deep enough where Muncy will probably miss Dylan Cease ($5,600), who owns the league’s second-best FIP (2.19) and is allowing the fewest opponent home runs per nine (0.46). However, it might be the exact slot to draw a couple at-bats against a relatively underwhelming crop of secondary AL starting pitchers. No offence, but seeing Nick Martinez ($4,200) and Michael Wacha ($4,200) as All-Stars is a little jarring.
Jhoan Duran ($4,000) – Picking a reliever in a Showdown setting is a high risk move. However, I would be shocked if Dave Roberts didn’t let Duran pitch in front of the fans in Philadelphia this evening. It’s not like it’s strictly pandering to the home crowd, either. The RHP sports a 1.38 ERA and a 1.08 FIP across 32.2 innings this season. Duran is also striking out 39.7% of the opponents he’s seen in 2026, which ranks in the 100th percentile of MLB. If you’re only going to pitch an inning, the ability to rack up a couple strikeouts is massive for an asset’s DFS ceiling.
FADES
Miguel Vargas ($7,200) – This isn’t really a shot at Vargas, though he is the most-expensive bench bat that the AL boasts tonight, which feels like an archetype to stay away from. This is more about my respect for the National League’s pitching staff. Even without Misiorowski, Skenes and Chase Burns (groin), it just feels like the NL has twice the depth that the AL has. Without even getting into Duran or Mason Miller ($4,000), we’re talking the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($5,200), Chris Sale ($5,200) and Jesus Luzardo ($4,600). All this to say, I’d rather take my chances with NL reserves than AL ones.
