Draftkings Best MLB Showdown Picks: Cardinals vs. Braves 7/19/24

Major League Baseball presents a matchup between the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals. Let’s take a look at this MLB game from a Draftkings perspective.

Prior to discussing the Atlanta Braves vs. St. Louis Cardinals Game let’s review the rules for the Draftkings single Game showdown contest.

Draftkings Single Game Showdown Contest Rules

You have $50,000 to utilize on five players from either team. However, one of those players will be designated as your team captain. The captain accumulates 1.5 times the standard fantasy points. Additionally, the captain is 1.5 times the standard cost of the flex position.

The remaining four players in your lineup will receive the standard fantasy points. Having stated that, it is highly important for you to identify the correct player for your captain position if you hope to win a large field DFS GPP (guaranteed prize pool) showdown contest.

If you have additional questions regarding the rules for the single Game showdown contest, I recommend that you check out the Draftkings website for more details.

*I recommend that all readers review the starting lineups for both teams prior to setting your DFS lineup for this one Game slate.

Here are my Draftkings picks for this evening’s St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves matchup.

Draftkings Picks

Captain-Sonny Gray, Pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals $12,000

On Friday night, Major League Baseball presents the first game of a three game National League series between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals.

How are these two teams playing entering this evening’s MLB game? The St. Louis Cardinals have won seven of the team’s last 13 games played in the 2024 MLB regular season, including a dominating 11-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs last week.

The Atlanta Braves arrive at this weekend’s National League series with the St. Louis Cardinals on the heels of eight wins in the team’s last 11 games played, including an impressive 8-0 shutout victory over the Baltimore Orioles eight days ago.

Now that we have ascertained how both of these National League teams are currently playing let’s shift our focus to this evening’s contest. St. Louis starting pitcher Sonny Gray has solidified himself as a valuable part of the St. Louis Cardinals starting pitching rotation this season. Having stated that, how has Sonny Gray been playing from a statistical standpoint this season? Let’s dive into Sonny Gray’s recent game data to answer that question.

In the 17 Games that Sonny Gray has pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2024 MLB regular season, Sonny Gray has posted a respectable 3.34 ERA (Earned Run Average), a 1.05 WHIP (walks, hits, inning pitched), and added a whopping 121 strikeouts while allowing only 24 walks. It has to be said, those are the type of fantasy numbers I need from a player that I select for my captain position.

Flex Plays

Paul Goldschmidt, First Baseman, St. Louis Cardinals $8,000

Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has certainly played quality baseball for St. Louis this season. In his last four games played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2024 MLB regular season, St. Louis first baseman Paul Goldschmidt accumulated four hits, one home run, and one walk in 16 plate appearances.

I expect the talented St. Louis Cardinals first baseman to continue his quality play on the baseball diamond in tonight’s matchup versus the Atlanta Braves later today.

Additional flex plays I like this evening (Draftkings price noted): Spencer Schwellenbach, Starting Pitcher (Atlanta Braves) $10,800: Marcell Ozuna, Outfielder (Atlanta Braves) $9,600: Masyn Winn, Shortstop (St. Louis Cardinals) $7,600: Austin Riley, Third Baseman (Chicago Cubs) $8,000.