Our late DraftKings Showdown matchup on Friday sees two teams likely destined for the postseason clash out west in the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants. With two quality starters taking the hill, do we stack both of them? Is one offense worth completely fading?
Let’s get into it and answer those questions.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Showdown $30K Relay Throw [$10K to 1st] (ATL vs SF)
Atlanta Braves at San Francisco Giants
Captain’s Picks
Logan Webb ($15,300 CP) - Webb has been simply outstanding this year, bringing his strikeout rate up to a fantastic 26.2% and backing his 2.80 ERA with solid peripherals. His barrel rate sits at 6.6%, which should help him avoid any huge, catastrophic batted ball events, and the focus should turn to how he can limit traffic on the bases. Well, with a low walk rate and an Atlanta team striking out in 22.4% of their plate appearances over the last two weeks, he should stay in command here.
Brandon Belt ($15,300 CP) - The Giants have the second-best offense in baseball over the last two weeks according to wRC+, and no regular player has been better over that span than Brandon Belt. He owns a 1.176 OPS over 54 plate appearances, going for five homers and four doubles in the heart of the San Francisco order. Against a homer-prone Ian Anderson ($9,600), he should remain a great play.
UTIL Plays
LaMonte Wade, Jr. ($7,400) - Over that same two-week span, Wade has hit .325 and has struck out just nine times. He has an uncanny knack for getting the bat on the ball, and matches up well against a pitcher who has issues with quality contact and relies on whiffs. Wade should be right up at the top of San Francisco’s order once again and be a very solid option at this price.
Eddie Rosario ($5,200) - Rosario was brought in to complement some of the right-handed power bats the Braves brought in at the deadline and tee off on righties. He’s done exactly that, with a .300 average in that split. The former AL Central slugger has a homer in two of his last three games and, with his talent level, he shouldn’t be ignored at this price, even against a quality arm.
Fades
Austin Riley ($9,600) - I’m not sure what we’re doing with this price on Riley, who will be facing a righty — and a damn good one at that — and enters on a cold streak. He owns just a 63 wRC+ over the last 14 days with a gaudy 27.7% strikeout rate. Webb has proven to be very effective in the punch-out department and should have no issues here against a whiff-happy RHB.
The Outcome
Webb and Anderson are both incredibly talented pitchers, and it’s a shame one of them has to lose this one. I do think that Anderson matches up a bit worse against a Giants offense that has been scorching hot, and has enough lefties near the top of the order to make life uncomfortable for the volatile youngster. San Francisco should pull this out in a tight, low-scoring affair at home.
Final Score: Giants 4, Braves 2
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Showdown $30K Relay Throw [$10K to 1st] (ATL vs SF)
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
For sports betting, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Jetsfan196) 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 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.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).
21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/IL/IN/IA/MI/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.