This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
After a rainout Monday, we're set to preview Game 3 of the World Series for the second consecutive day. The Phillies have used the day off to skip Noah Syndergaard's turn through the rotation and will instead throw Ranger Suarez. Meanwhile, the Astros have stuck with Lance McCullers. The Astros are a slight favorite and have an implied 53.2 percent chance of winning per most sportsbook odds at the time this article was drafted.
Captain
Jose Altuve ($13,500)
In Monday's column, we discussed that Syndergaard had subtle platoon splits in the form of a minuscule strikeout rate against left-handed hitters. Suarez similarly doesn't give up an extreme amount of home runs against righties, but he did have a 9.9 percent walk rate against them during the regular season. This postseason, he has an overall walk rate of 11.9 percent. Altuve has a strong track record with the handedness advantage, hits atop the Astros order (maximizing volume and run-scoring potential) and is also a relatively cheap option to captain.
Utility
Chas McCormick ($6,600)
Let's start with a bargain option. McCormick maintained a .418 wOBA against lefties this season. By comparison, Yordan Alvarez has a .424 wOBA and Altuve .454. Needless to say, the prices of that trio aren't comparable. I wouldn't walk into the slate expecting McCormick to compete with either of those elite hitters in terms of production, but he's a quality piece to pay down for. For those who opt for Altuve, McCormick is an interesting stacking option in a non-traditional sense as the duo represent the eighth and leadoff hitters for the Astros.
Bryce Harper ($10,000)
Sometimes it's worth setting aside numbers and matchups in favor of letting common sense take over. Harper has been a star all postseason and seems to shine as the pressure ramps up. Aside from narrative, there is a compelling reason to roster Harper. He has only one home run across his last six games but has still managed 9.7 DK points per game in that span. Ideally, we'd want more than 10 DK points out of Harper given his price, but he has a very stable floor for someone who may be viewed as a boom-bust slugger.
Yuli Gurriel ($6,800)
I made the case for Gurriel in my article yesterday, and he remains at the same price point that he was Monday. A general repeat of the case for Gurriel is that he has yet to strike out this postseason in 39 plate appearances, which gives him a safe floor. He's also hit sixth in the order, which is not ideal but still reasonable given the quality of the Astros lineup.
Brandon Marsh ($4,800)
Marsh is a punt play all the way, but he should be in the lineup with a righty on the mound. He's a boom-bust option, striking out at a 41.2 percent strikeout rate but also posting a .194 ISO. Rostering him is less about the merit of rostering Marsh himself, but instead, about who else we can jam into the roster as a result.
Jeremy Pena ($8,000)
Pena is another right-handed hitter that hits lefties well for the Astros. He has a .351 wOBA and 131 wRC+ with the handedness advantage, and he adds to the Houston stack we've built as the team's second hitter.
