Fantasy Baseball Picks Today: Top DraftKings MLB DFS Targets for Rangers vs. Astros

The Astros are just one win away from booking their return trip to the World Series, and they’ll get a chance to win and advance on Sunday night in Game 6 of the ALCS. While they will be at home for this matchup, the home team has lost every game in this series so far. The Rangers will hope to rebound on the road and force a Game 7 after losing three straight at home.

To avoid elimination, Texas gives the ball to Nathan Eovaldi ($11,400), who won Game 2 of the series. He’ll be opposed by Framber Valdez ($11,200), who struggled in that game and hasn’t looked sharp in these playoffs.

Can the Rangers avoid elimination by getting another critical road win or is the Astros’ momentum going to continue? How should you approach this matchup for DFS fantasy baseball on DraftKings? Let’s break it down.

Set your DraftKings Showdown lineups here: MLB Showdown $60K Relay Throw [$20K to 1st] (TEX vs HOU)

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SHOWDOWN STRATEGY

Captain’s Picks

Yordan Alvarez ($14,400 CP) - After a travel day in a possible elimination game, I think both pitchers will be on short leashes and would hesitate to build around either of them. Instead, I think it makes more sense to lean into stocking big bats. The biggest bat to consider is Alvarez, who has been a go-to in my lineups all postseason long. He’s a proven postseason powerhouse and will be on the good side of his splits against the righty Eovaldi. He dealt with a virus earlier in this series but seems healthy enough to produce. In the postseason this year, the big lefty has six home runs in nine games and has averaged 16.1 DKFP per contest.

Like the rest of his team, Alvarez stumbled at the start of the series. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Game 1, but since then he has had multiple hits in four straight games and gone 8-for-16 (.500) with two home runs, seven RBI and an average of 16.0 DKFP. In the last game in Houston, he had a pair of home runs in Game 2 for 32 DKFP. One of those home runs came against Eovaldi, against whom Alvarez has gone 9-for-13 (.692) in the past with two home runs and three doubles. In a matchup where he sees the ball so well, he seems poised to come up big and carry his squad back to the World Series

Adolis Garcia ($12,600 CP) - Garcia was in the middle of all the action in Game 5. He smashed a three-run homer in the sixth inning that gave the Rangers the lead. His next at-bat, he was hit by a pitch by Bryan Abreu to spark a benches-clearing brawl. Garcia was ejected, but he’ll be back for revenge in Game 5. Garcia hit .245 with a career-high 39 homers and a .354 wOBA in the regular season. In 10 games this offseason, he has gone 12-for-42 (.286) with four homers and a .384 wOBA. He has averaged 10.4 DKFP per contest in the postseason and has hit safely in nine of the 10 games with home runs in each of his last two. Whether you believe in Garcia’s trip to Narrative St. or not, his recent form is enough to make him a top bat to target in the Texas lineup.

UTIL Plays

Jose Altuve ($9,200) - Altuve has been the difference in the series. He went 0-for-8 in the Astros two losses to start the season, but since then he has gone 6-for-14 (.429) with two doubles, two homers and an average of 19.3 DKFP in Houston’s three wins. He started Game 3 with a leadoff homer and hit a critical three-run homer in the ninth in Game 5 to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 win. Altuve has five career home runs against Eovaldi and is very familiar with him, going 11-for-41 (.268) in their previous meetings.

Jose Abreu ($7,400) - Abreu has also turned things around and built a strong postseason. He joined the Astros as an offseason acquisition and had a nightmarish start to the season. He found his way through the slump, though, and has averaged 11.8 DKFP per game in the postseason. He has hit four home runs in the playoffs and picked up at least one hit in six of his past seven games. Abreu is very reasonably priced at just over $7K and stands out due to both his upside and consistency.

Josh Jung ($7,200) - Jung had a two-homer game earlier in the series, posting 32 DKFP in Game 3. He also had his most success during his strong rookie season when facing left-handed pitchers. Against southpaws, Jung hit .327 with nine homers and a .418 wOBA. While many of the Rangers are left-handed or struggle on that side of the split, Jung is one of the few options that profiles as a lefty-killer. He has had a strong postseason as well, going 12-for-38 (.316) and averaging 10.2 DKFP per game.

Fades

Framber Valdez ($11,200) - Normally, I’m a big fan of Framber time, but the lefty has struggled down the stretch and into the postseason. In his two playoff starts, Valdez has only managed to go a total of seven innings while giving up 14 hits and 10 runs. His strikeout numbers have actually been decent in the playoffs, but he hasn’t been able to work deep into games. In his first two playoff starts, he managed just 3.8 and 4.6 DKFP and has been held under 15 DKFP in four outings in a row. After getting the quick hook in Game 2, don’t be surprised if he isn’t around long enough to return value on this elevated salary. If you want to go with a pitcher, Eovaldi is my preferred play since he has been much better recently and is a more proven playoff performer.

Set your DraftKings Showdown lineups here: MLB Showdown $60K Relay Throw [$20K to 1st] (TEX vs HOU)

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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.