It's time for Game 3 of the ALCS! The American League playoffs have piled on the runs, and I could see that happening Monday as well. On the mound we have Jose Urquidy and Eduardo Rodriguez. Urquidy had a 3.86 road ERA. Rodriguez had a 5.95 home ERA. For single-game DFS on FanDuel, you choose one player to be your MVP, and his number is worth double. Then, you pick a Star, and he contributes 1.5 times the points. After that you have three utility players. I've gone top heavy and then picked a couple of cheap-salary players to round it out. It's not the style I always go with, but it felt right for this one.
MVP
Rafael Devers, BOS vs. HOU ($9,000): Urquidy has had a bit of an issue with the long ball in his career. Over the three seasons he's been in the majors, he's allowed 1.37 home runs per nine innings. Going yard is something at which Devers excels, as he hit 38 homers in 2021. Additionally, since 2019, he's slugged .609 against righties. That's a ton of power.
STAR
Carlos Correa, HOU at BOS ($8,500): Correa's strength is in his balance. He had an .853 OPS against righties and an .844 OPS versus lefties like Rodriguez. That means if the Sox give Rodriguez the hook early, Correa is basically matchup-proof. He's also been red hot in the playoffs after slashing .279/.366/.485 this year. In six playoff games, he's posted a 1.187 OPS.
UTILITY
Enrique Hernandez, BOS vs. HOU ($7,500): Hernandez has been scorching in the postseason. He's registered 32 at-bats and picked up a hit in 16 of them. That's a .500 average, to spare you the math. Five of those hits have been homers. A small-sample size? Of course, but during the regular season he had an .845 OPS at home. This isn't some playoff fluke. The man is a legitimate hitter.
Yuli Gurriel, HOU at BOS ($6,000): This is where I drop in salary noticeably. And yet, there is upside with Gurriel. He's a righting facing a lefty, for starters, and that lefty has a 5.95 ERA at home. Plus, Gurriel hit .319 this season, and his career batting average is .293. Maybe his power isn't at the same level as some guys in this game, but he can certainly pick up a couple hits if a southpaw is on the mound.
Bobby Dalbec, BOS vs. HOU ($4,000): Nobody has a lower salary than $4,000. It's as low as FanDuel goes. Of the guys at that salary, though, I like Dalbec the best. There's a good chance Dalbec won't start, which will mean having to come off the bench. I can imagine him replacing Kyle Schwarber in the lineup if a lefty is on the mound. However, Dalbec is the kind of guy who only needs one swing of the bat. He hit 25 home runs in 133 games, and his home OPS was .899.
