Brandon C. Williams 
The 10/10 DFS MLB Showdown will either result in a sigh of relief at Minute Maid Park or the foundation of one hell of a sports weekend for Tampa Bay. Game 5 of the American League Divisional Series between the Rays and Astros (7:07 PM Eastern, FS1) brings us Tyler Glasnow ($15,000 DraftKings) v. Gerrit Cole ($18,000 DK) along with a loaded Showdown lineup.
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10/8 DFS Showdown
It’s 2x the points for MVP, 1.5x the points for All-Star and regular production for the three Utility spots. October is filled with unsung efforts, something to keep in mind when filling out the Utility roles. Look for players who’ve had success this season against a particular team, along with taking a gander of recent production. I’m a strong believer in OPS, more so if a strong OPS is bolstered with stolen bases.
Count on Houston A-Team
MVP (2X)
Jose Altuve, 2B, HOU (FD, $9000, DK $13,800)
One of three Astros who’ve remembered how to hit past late September, Altuve is hitting .313 /.353/.813 in the ALDS. Four of his five postseason hits have been of the extra base persuasion (two doubles, two homers) and I’ll bank on his career .968 OPS in ALDS play to carry not only the Astros into the long-awaited ALCS collision with the Yankees, but also to lead you and I toward the long green.
All-Star (1.5X)
Yordan Alvarez, OF, HOU (FD $8000, DK, $14,100)
He has yet to provide the thunder of one of his mammoth blasts, but Alvarez has hit .375/.375/.863 with three doubles entering tonight. Back home in H-Town, Alvarez will be more at ease and more likely to rake (1.140 home OPS). He’s averaged a homer every 11.59 at-bats, a number that suggests Alvarez is well overdue to go yard. Having experienced firsthand how loud Minute Maid Park can get in October, I can only imagine the noise level if Alvarez goes deep in a clutch situation tonight.
Utility
Tommy Pham, OF, TB (FD $7000, DK $12,900)
Pham has been the MVP of this series and will be the reason Astros fans could wake up on Friday morning in a gloomy state. He’s hit .429/.455/.715 in the postseason, recording three of his nine hits in Houston. Pham’s 12.8% walk rate and modest 18.8% strikeout rate indicates he won’t be an easy out for Cole. For all of his postseason pop, Pham has just a 24.8% fly ball rate, but he will sting the hell out of the ball, evidenced by his 43.6% hard contact rate.
Bargain at the Bottom
Utility
Avisail Garcia, OF, TB (FD $6000, DK $11,700)
Although I expected Garcia to hit well on Tuesday, I wasn’t expecting four hits. He’s not as productive outside of Tropicana Field (.711 road OPS), yet I’m placing Garcia here because he’s capable of carrying the momentum west of Tampa Bay. Like Pham, he’s not a frequent fly ball hitter (31.6%), yet an increase in line drives (22.3%) and a slight drop in ground balls (46%) makes Garcia potentially dangerous.
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Utility
Josh Reddick, OF, HOU (FD $4500, DK $8100)
Hitless in seven ADLS at-bats, Reddick will likely get the start because of his .977 OPS against Rays pitching in the regular season. Reddick is a 10/10 DFS MLB Showdown choice despite being mostly below-average after the All-Star break. He revived his bat with a September that saw Reddick hit .354 with four homers and 12 RBI over 62 at-bats. The numbers indicate that Reddick is more effective batting sixth, where he’s posted a .331/.372/.493 mark with six homers, 19 RBI and 19 runs scored.
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