This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Sunday could be the day. Tickets could be punched for the World Series. There will be two MLB games, but the Astros and Phillies have the chance to end their series and play for the title. First pitch is at 2:37 p.m. EDT. Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Nestor Cortes, NYY vs. HOU ($7,200): Cortes enters with the lowest salary of any pitcher Sunday, which plays a role in this. There's also the less analytical, more feel notion I have that the Yankees aren't about to be swept from the playoffs at home. Cortes also posted a 1.95 ERA in home starts this season, and as a lefty he can potentially – note, I said potentially – keep a couple key bats like Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker in check.
Top Target
Bryce Harper ($6,000) has been the best hitter this postseason and has been elite for years, so why not go with him? Since 2020, the lefty has recorded a 1.026 OPS versus righties and an 1.000 at home. Yu Darvish is in line to start for the Padres and produced a 3.50 road ERA this year.
Bargain Bat
As a rookie, Jeremy Pena ($3,900) notched 22 home runs and 11 steals. He also maintained an .822 OPS versus lefties. Since Cortes is a southpaw, I don't mind having Pena at this salary, especially since there's no easy matchup to be found out there Sunday.
Stack to Consider
Yankees vs. Astros (Lance McCullers): Giancarlo Stanton ($5,000), Anthony Rizzo ($4,600), Matt Carpenter ($3,400)
McCullers posted a 2.27 ERA in eight regular-season starts, but also a 3.48 FIP. He also had a 3.57 ERA on the road, though it was only a few starts. McCullers doesn't allow a lot of homers, but the Yankees aren't really a hitting-for-average team. So I figured I'd grab a couple lefties who can aim for the short porch in right field. Go for power. Hope for the best. Let Yankee Stadium do what it was designed to do.
Stanton may be a righty, but he's loved Yankee Stadium as much as anybody with an .877 OPS there this season. He's also a righty who does better versus right-handers with a .797 OPS in those matchups. Rizzo is a lefty who hit 32 home runs along with an .840 home OPS. Carpenter actually did hit for average during the regular season with a .305 in 47 games. While he hasn't been the same since returning from injury, he's recorded a 1.605 OPS at home.
