The rain passed, the dust settled, and in the end the Phillies rode a barrage of home runs to a delayed Game 3 win Tuesday. Wednesday brings us to Game 4. The previous postponement changed the logistics of both rotations, and now Cristian Javier is slated to start for the Astros, while the Phillies are turning to Aaron Nola, who's looking for redemption after his Game 1 start (which ended with a Philly win, but not one he can take credit for).
On FanDuel, you'll have $35,000 in salary for your lineup. You'll choose five players, including an MVP who nets double points and a Superstar who earns 1.5 times the points. Here's the lineup that I landed on for Wednesday's Game 4.
MVP
Bryce Harper, PHI vs. HOU ($9,500): The MVP of the playoffs is my MVP in this lineup. Nobody has hit better than Harper in this postseason, as he's now crushed six home runs. Of course, I like a larger sample size like any sensible sports analyst, and Harper has an 1.026 OPS versus righties and an 1.000 OPS at home over the last three years.
SUPERSTAR
Kyle Tucker, HOU at PHI ($7,500): Speaking of sample sizes, just because Nola allowed five runs in 4.1 innings and was rung up for two homers by Tucker doesn't mean he's in trouble for Game 4. On the other hand, Nola had a 3.53 ERA at home and allowed 1.1 home runs per nine innings in his home starts as well. As a lefty, it may not be surprising that Tucker had an .850 OPS against right-handers in 2022. However, he's also the rare Astro who was better on the road, as he had an .866 OPS in away games.
UTILITY
Rhys Hoskins, PHI vs. HOU ($7,000): Hoskins hit one of the handful of homers the Phillies tallied Tuesday, something fans in Philadelphia are used to. The first baseman had an .885 OPS at home this year and has tallied 18 of his 30 home runs at Citizens Bank Park. Javier had the best season of his career in 2022, but in said career he's allowed 1.30 homers per nine innings.
Yuli Gurriel, HOU at PHI ($5,500): Gurriel keeps hitting. He's been held without a hit only twice in the playoffs. Gurriel had two hits and a walk in Game 1 of this series, and since he has yet to regress or see his numbers dip, I keep slotting him in my lineup thanks to his relatively favorable salary.
Jean Segura, PHI vs. HOU ($5,500): Segura slides in on account of salary. He was the best option for the amount of money left to build my lineup. You know he'll be there at second base, so he'll get his at-bats. Segura was better at home this year, posting a .749 OPS in those games. There's not a lot of power in his bat, but he hit .277 with 10 home runs and 13 stolen bases in 98 games during the regular season.
