Fantasy Baseball Picks: Top DraftKings MLB DFS Lineup Strategy for Angels vs. Dodgers Showdown on August 7

This week’s Saturday night Showdown contest on DraftKings is the second game in a series between the two teams based in the City of Angels as the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Los Angeles Angels in the latest version of the Freeway Series. The Angels rallied late and took the first game Friday night, needing extra innings to pick up their fourth straight win and close to within six games of the Athletics for the second AL Wild Card spot. On the other side of this matchup, the Dodgers currently hold the first NL Wild Card spot, and they went all-in at the trade deadline in their attempt to catch the division-leading Giants and win their second straight World Series.

The pitching matchup in this one definitely seems to favor the Dodgers as Julio Urías ($16,800 CP; $11,200) will take the mound against Jaime Barria ($13,200 CP; $8,800). The Dodgers could be without Mookie Betts ($15,900 CP; $10,600), though, after the star OF seemed to aggravate his troublesome hip injury Friday night and was forced to leave the game early. The Dodgers are heavily favored on DraftKings Sportsbook at -320 and the over/under is set at eight runs.

It should be a fun West Coast contest and definitely includes some intriguing fantasy plays on both sides, so let’s take a look at how to construct your DraftKings lineups for Saturday night’s Showdown contest.

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Captain’s Picks

David Fletcher ($9,900 CP) - The Angels continue to find ways to win even though three of their four most expensive hitters have landed on the injured list. Fletcher is an atypical target for a Captain’s Pick since he is more of a contact hitter than a power producer, but he has been so consistent lately that the hustling “Dirt Dog” type player is definitely worth consideration. After a slow start, Fletcher has heated up with a .374 batting average over his past 45 games with 27 runs scored, 21 RBIs and six stolen bases, helping him to produce 9 DKFP per sim over that stretch.

Fletcher has specifically thrived against lefties, going an impressive 28-for-60 (.467) during that stretch against southpaws. Despite his lack of overall power production, both of his homers during that stretch have come against lefties, against whom he has a .513 wOBA against over that span. Against Urías in this contest, Fletcher should be in a good spot to return great value at such a low price while also enabling you to stack all the big Dodgers bats in your FLEX spots. It’s an outside-the-box pick since Fletcher has low ISO and hard-hit rate numbers for the season, but he brings a non-traditional way to put up big fantasy points in this contest — especially with four stolen bases in his four most recent games.

Will Smith ($11,700 CP) - If you want to go with a more traditional power hitter, Smith has been one of the best Dodgers hitters lately and should be well-rested after getting back-to-back days out of the lineup with a scheduled off-day Thursday and a rest day Friday before entering late as a pinch hitter. On the season, Smith has a solid .225 ISO and .365 wOBA to go with his 15 home runs. Three of those homers have come in his past nine starts, and he has an impressive 40.4% hard-hit rate and 9.6% barrel rate since July 1.

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Showdown $15K Hidden Ball Trick [$5K to 1st] (LAA vs. LAD)

Value Plays

Jaime Barria ($8,800) - If you’re trying to go against the popular perception that the Dodgers are unbeatable, Barria could be a very solid differentiator for your lineup. The Dodgers have only gone 7-9 over their past 16 games, averaging 4.4 runs per game with a .242 team batting average. Barria has also been pitching well since returning to the rotation, allowing just two total runs on eight hits in 13 2/3 innings against the Athletics and Twins. Barria posted a win with over 20 DKFP in each of those starts, so there is some upside in using him as a contrarian play even though his low strikeout rate limits his ceiling.

AJ Pollock ($7,200) - Pollock enters this game on an impressive 14-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 22 of his past 23 games. Over those 23 games, Pollock is hitting .432 with a .318 ISO, .511 wOBA and 225 wRC+. Pollock isn’t as well-known as the biggest names in the Dodgers’ lineup, but he has been the hottest lately, so getting him at this salary is a great option.

Fades

Cody Bellinger ($7,400) - Bellinger has had a very tough 2021 season, battling injuries and managing just five home runs in his 51 games. His ISO has dropped all the way to .122 with a .242 wOBA and a 59 wRC+. Since he has shown he has the potential to be an elite slugger, everyone keeps waiting for him to turn it around. But since July 1, he is hitting only .137 with a .098 ISO. I expect he’ll be back in the starting lineup against the right-handed Barria, but his recent struggles make him impossible to trust, especially compared to the red-hot Pollock, who is about the same salary.

The Outcome

I think the Angels are getting under-appreciated in this contest and have a real chance to pull out another win like they did on Friday. The Dodgers’ super team hasn’t quite gelled yet and has yet to hit its stride. With so much talent, it seems only a matter of time until they get on a roll, but Barria has been solid enough and the Angels’ lineup has been scrappy enough that I could see them getting another win in this matchup. I definitely prefer the moneyline odds on the Angels’ side of things at +240, but straight-up, I think the Dodgers will end up edging out a late win when things come down to the bullpens.

Final Score: Dodgers 4, Angels 3

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Showdown $15K Hidden Ball Trick [$5K to 1st] (LAA vs. LAD)

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