This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
After a couple days without baseball, the MLB playoffs are back in action Sunday. Game 1 of the ALCS between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET. With only one game on the docket, what does that mean for DFS contests? Well, you have a salary cap of $90 to allot to five players. Your MVP earns double the points, and your Superstar earns 1.5 times the points. How should you set up your lineup? Here's one possibility I like.
MVP
Yordan Alvarez, HOU vs. TEX ($25): If an MVP had been given out for the ALDS round, it may have gone to Alvarez. He hit four homers in four games against the Twins. That's not surprising, given that he's hit over 30 homers in each of his last three seasons and has slugged .588 in his career. Now, you may be wondering about Alvarez being my MVP when he is facing a lefty pitcher in Jordan Montgomery. However, the Cuban slugger has a .922 OPS against southpaws since 2021.
SUPERSTAR
Corey Seager, TEX at HOU ($22): Seager put up MVP-level numbers this year, even in only 119 games, including an 1.013 OPS. The southpaw also had an 1.075 OPS versus righties for good measure. So far in the playoffs Seager has a .680 OBP, and while 11 walks is not super exciting for DFS purposes, he also has hit three doubles and a homer. Justin Verlander has delivered what the Astros hoped for when they brought him back to town, but it's not like you have a litany of options. I'll ride with the red-hot Seager against Verlander.
FLEX
Marcus Semien, TEX at HOU ($17): Semien stuffed the stat sheet this season. He hit .276 with 29 homers, 40 doubles and over 100 RBI and runs scored. While he's a righty, since 2021 he's slugged .496 against his fellow right-handers. For what it's worth, righties hit 13 of the 18 homers Verlander allowed this year in a relatively even number of batters compared to lefties.
Chas McCormick, HOU vs. TEX ($14): McCormick fell one stolen base short of a 20/20 season, but he doesn't steal much against lefties, which is not uncommon. However, this matchup is actually still righty up his alley. The right-handed hitter had an 1.008 OPS versus lefties this year, hitting .325. With a lefty in Montgomery starting for the Rangers, McCormick should be geared up for this one.
Leody Taveras, TEX at HOU ($12): From Houston's center fielder to Texas'. Taveras hit 14 home runs and swiped 14 bags in his first season of substantive playing time. While he's a switch hitter, he hit .275 and slugged .449 against righties. Sure, Taveras doesn't walk, but apparently that's Seager's job. At this salary, I will round out my lineup with the Texas outfielder against Verlander.
