The New York Yankees' offense has been stuck in the mud since the start of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros. In Games 1 and 2, New York scored just two runs in each game, and things got worse on Saturday in Game 3, when the Astros shut out the Yankees 5-0. With the Yankees on the brink of elimination at home, can any of their hitters be trusted for your MLB DFS lineups?
Things could be tough again on Sunday against Houston starter Lance McCullers, who last faced the Yankees in 2021 and gave up six hits, but struck out eight. Houston's options in the MLB DFS player pool may be safer bets, as three Astros -- Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman and Jeremy Pena -- all hold career batting averages of .500 against New York starting pitcher Nestor Cortes. Before you make your MLB DFS picks for Sunday, be sure to check out the MLB DFS advice, strategy and projections from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.
McClure is a daily Fantasy pro who has won over $2 million in his career. And when it comes to daily Fantasy baseball, McClure is at his best. Recognized in the book "Fantasy Football (and Baseball) for Smart People: How to Turn Your Hobby into a Fortune" as a top MLB DFS player, McClure's proprietary projection model simulates each game 10,000 times, taking factors such as matchups and recent results into account. This allows him to find the best values on every site.
On Saturday, McClure highlighted Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins in his MLB DFS player pool on DraftKings and FanDuel. The result: Hoskins finished as the top-scoring Fantasy player on Saturday after he hit two home runs in Philadelphia's 10-6 win to return 32 points on DraftKings and 44.4 points on FanDuel. Anybody that included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
Now, as the 2022 MLB playoffs continue, McClure has locked in his top MLB daily Fantasy picks for Sunday, October 23. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
McClure's top MLB DFS picks for Sunday, October 23, 2022
One of McClure's top MLB DFS picks for Saturday is Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, who is listed at $5,000 on DraftKings and $3,400 on FanDuel. Stanton was 1-for-4 with a double in Saturday's Game 3 loss. Although New York has struggled in the ALCS, Stanton still has three hits with two doubles in the series.
Stanton is 2-for-5 in his career against McCullers with a home run, but he's also drawn four walks against him in previous meetings. During the regular season, Stanton was a much more efficient hitter at home than on the road, and that trend has continued in the postseason. Both of his home runs and five of his six RBI have come at Yankee Stadium during these playoffs.
Another part of McClure's optimal MLB DFS strategy includes stacking Stanton with New York third baseman Josh Donaldson ($3,400 on DraftKings and $2,700 on FanDuel). Donaldson was 0-for-3 with a walk in Game 3 on Saturday, but he should be poised for a bounce-back game on Sunday. All-time against McCullers, Donaldson is 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI.
Donaldson hit seventh in the lineup in Game 3, and that could be a fortuitous position if he's slotted into the same spot in Game 4. Against batters that have been seventh in opposing lineups this season, hitters finished with collective offensive splits of .278/.350/.500 versus McClullers. Only 53.8% of McCullers' first pitches were strikes this season, and when Donaldson took the first pitch in plate appearances, his batting average increased from .190 to .241 with an OPS boost from .567 to .750.
How to set your MLB DFS lineups for Sunday, October 23, 2022
McClure is also targeting an undervalued player who is set to explode for huge numbers on Sunday. The stars are aligning for him to return tournament-winning value and he comes at a price that won't break the bank. You can only see who it is here.
So what are the top MLB DFS picks for Sunday? And which player is a must-roster? Visit SportsLine now to see DFS millionaire Mike McClure's complete player pool and picks for FanDuel and DraftKings, and cash in big on MLB DFS.
