This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Are you ready for the semifinals of the MLB playoffs? The AL Championship Series begins Sunday with Game 1 of the Astros versus the Rangers. The stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas, and there are plenty available for your single-game DFS contest lineups. On FanDuel, you get $35,000 of salary to use on five players. One is your MVP, who earns double the points. Another is your Star, who earns 1.5 times the points. First pitch is at 8:15 p.m. EDT. Here's the lineup I landed on.
MVP
Yordan Alvarez, HOU vs. TEX ($9,000): Alvarez hit four home runs in four games against the Twins, earning handwringing from commentators and writers about why anybody is pitching to him. Of course, walking a guy every time he steps up to the plate isn't really viable, and a manager like Bruce Bochy presumably recognizes that. Alvarez may not be targeted aggressively, but it only takes one pitch. While Jordan Montgomery is a lefty, Alvarez has posted a .922 OPS versus his fellow southpaws the last couple years.
STAR
Evan Carter, TEX at HOU ($7,000): What a quick rise for Carter. One of the top prospects in baseball, he debuted late in the regular season and put up a 1.058 OPS. He got there with an 1.238 against righties, which is remarkable from only 23 games. Even facing playoff-caliber pitching, Carter has excelled at the plate batting .429 and slugging .857. Justin Verlander is at the opposite end of his career and boasts quite the resume, though I trust Carter against any righty starter.
UTILITY
Chas McCormick, HOU vs. TEX ($6,500): I've heard Dusty Baker isn't the biggest fan of McCormick, but he has to be in the lineup for Game 1 based on a .950 OPS against lefties since 2021 and a 1.008 this year. Not only that, but the center fielder produced an .887 at home. Montgomery is a lefty, so this matchup is right up McCormick's alley.
Mitch Garver, TEX at HOU ($6,000): In a situation like this, it's never a bad idea to include a power hitter who's always a home run threat. Garver operates as a DH more than a catcher, though his bat plays there with 19 homers from only 87 games this year with 31 in 93 back in the days with the Twins. Garver recorded an OPS over .800 against righties and lefties, and also at home and on the road. He's just a solid hitter, and I like him at this salary.
Nathaniel Lowe, TEX at HOU ($6,000): Lowe hasn't popped in the playoffs yet, but lists a decent hitting track record with a .273/.355/.441 slash line while racking up 38 doubles. He's also a lefty with an .833 OPS versus right-handers. And Verlander just happens to be a righty.
