ALCS Game 2 is our showdown option Tuesday evening. It's getting cold in the northeast, and potentially windy, so check on those gusts as first pitch approaches to see where an advantage can be had.
Gerrit Cole will oppose Tanner Bibee on the mound. That obviously makes the Yankees heavy favorites at (-165). The run total sits at 7.0. We've got interesting BvP numbers on both sides. Cole has far more exposure against the Guardians, and while they're a collective .236 (30-for-127) with a .759 OPS, Cleveland has homered six times off him, coming from three players. Bibee meanwhile has not faced any Yankee more than three times, but they're a collective 6-for-17 (.353) with a 1.038 OPS.
MVP
Jose Ramirez, CLE at NYY ($8,500): Strategy here is paramount, and I'm willing to let others decide between Aaron Judge at $9,500 or Juan Soto at $9,000 and just take the Guardians' surest option instead. If you use Ramirez and one of the Yankees' studs, you're left with $5,833 per player for the rest of your roster, which is incredibly difficult. Ramirez is 12-for-34 (.353) with two homers, three doubles, seven RBI and seven walks off Cole. He's just 1-for-10 in Yankee Stadium this season entering Monday, but it's a park he's excelled in during his career.
Star
Giancarlo Stanton, NYY vs. CLE ($8,000): Stanton had a fantastic ALDS, going 6-for-16 with a homer, four RBI, two doubles, three walks and a steal. That appeal should be obvious, and it gives a power upside option with a multiplier that isn't Soto or Judge. To be clear, I'm not fading either of those studs; I just assume everyone else is immediately building their lineups around them. Groupthink doesn't win showdown tournaments.
Utility
Gleyber Torres, NYY vs. CLE ($6,500): For season-long DFS, insulating a roster with options around Soto and Judge isn't always easy, but for a postseason showdown, it's far more advantageous. Torres went just 3-for-15 in the ALDS, but hit safely in seven of the final eight regular season games, collecting 13 knocks total. If he gets on, odds are favorable the Yankees boppers get him across the plate.
Anthony Rizzo, NYY vs. CLE ($5,000): I honestly toyed with suggesting Rizzo in a multiplier spot, because who else would consider that? He's not a punt play for power, as he had only eight homers during the year, but Rizzo closed the regular season with 10 hits and four RBI across his last eight games. He was good enough in Game 1 to merit consideration again Tuesday.
Kyle Manzardo, CLE at NYY ($4,500): This is an absolute punt play to allow you to get two of the top three bats into lineups. Manzardo should slot in as the Guardians' two-hole hitter, giving him a chance at scoring if he gets on. The problem is he's lifted for defense or RvL matchups as early as his second plate appearance. Absolutely ignore him you're building for balance, but if stars and scrubs is your build, he's in your lineup so long as he's in the Guardians'.
