This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
After one day off, we're back for Game 3 of the World Series and the first in Philadelphia. The Astros hold a pretty clear pitching advantage with Lance McCullers taking on Noah Syndergaard. Both pitchers are priced up considerably with a debatable ability to pay off their price tags. McCullers would have the clear advantage when considering rostering either pitcher, but this is likely to be hitter-heavy slate.
Captain
Yordan Alvarez (14,700)
Noah Syndergaard doesn't have stark splits as measured by HR/9 and even wOBA, but he has only a 12.2 percent strikeout against lefties this season. There are fewer – if any – better at making loud contact than Alvarez. Alvarez also doesn't have heavy splits, but it is worth noting that the Phillies have only two lefty relievers, so even if Syndergaard is chased early there should be an ongoing opportunity for him to produce.
Utility
Kyle Tucker ($8,800)
The same logic for Alvarez also applies to Tucker. Tucker would be a reasonable choice for captain and comes $1,500 cheaper than Alvarez. However, he does have significant splits and struggles against lefties, so if the Phillies were to deploy their two southpaw relievers effectively Tucker could have at least one at-bat with a significant potential dip in production.
Bryson Stott ($6,200)
After spending up for two big bats, we need some savings. The bottom of the Phillies order has struggled mightily through the first two games of the World Series, but Stott had decent results in both the NLDS and NLCS. Four of his six hits in his last 10 games have gone for extra bases – all doubles – so there is some degree of upside as compared to rostering Brandon Marsh or another extremely light-hitting cheaper option.
Yuli Gurriel ($6,800)
Gurriel has quietly had a solid postseason. He has yet to strike out in 39 plate appearances and has a respectable .158 ISO. We're dealing in small samples, but we know Gurriel makes consistent contact at a minimum. He's also locked into a sixth in the Houston order, which isn't bad considering the five quality hitters ahead of him. That also means Gurriel is likely to come to the plate with runners on base. Not only does that give him an opportunity to drive in runners, but it also creates extra opportunity for hits to sneak through the infield with the defense in motion.
Nick Castellanos ($7,200)
Castellanos' struggles from the regular season carried over into the postseason, as he began with just five hits across his first 26 at-bats. However, he has at least seven DK points in four of his last five games. That's not predictive, but it does show that there's a potential he found a groove at the plate and his price has not risen as a result of his productive stretch.
Martin Maldonado ($5,800)
If you follow this exact build, we're left with an unideal $6,300 in salary and Maldonado is the highest-priced option that is regularly in the lineup. There's not a particularly compelling case to play Maldonado, so this offers the opportunity to talk about roster construction. If we kept the same build but flipped Alvarez and Tucker, Chas McCormick ($6,600) would become an option in this slot rather than Maldonado. That's a 2 v. 2 worth considering.
