MLB Picks and Pivots – FanDuel Picks for April 8
Welcome to the Friday edition of Picks & Pivots, a daily fantasy column focused on providing analysis for the upcoming MLB FanDuel slate. The purpose of this column is to first identify key building blocks that can be used for any roster construction and then identify pivot points to help differentiate your lineup in hopes of a big pay day!
Follow me on Twitter @2lockSports and feel free to pose questions each day as you work to construct your DFS roster on FanDuel!
Today’s games kick off at 1:08PM EST with 4 early games and the main slate kicking off at 7:05PM EST with an additional 10 games.
Thursday’s slate was a good reminder that playing the all-day slates this early in the season can wreak havoc as games were postponed after lineups locked. There is a slight chance of rain in the early Cleveland/White Sox game but the other games seem safe even with some chilly weather in NY. Now on to the picks.
Next: Top Starting Pitchers
Starting Pitcher
- Jacob deGrom ($11,000) – EARLY –The Mets return to New York for their home opener against the Phillies and will raise the 2015 National League Champions banner. Expect deGrom to be on the mound assuming his pregnant wife does not go into labor, BUT be sure to check the news as Jacob has already stated he would leave prior to his start if news broke which would put Bartolo Colon in line to start and would make an interesting late swap for those paying attention. Assuming deGrom is on the hill, I am paying up for the best pitcher on the early slate as Jacob was deGrominant at home last year to the tune of a 1.99 ERA and the Mets are heavy favorites to take home the win.
- Yordano Ventura ($8,700) – MAIN – After scuffling in the first half of the 2015 season, Ventura turned it on after the All Star Break going 9-2 with 98 k’s in 91 innings pitched. Ventura has tremendous upside, strikeout stuff and is favored to win against the Twins at home. In his career, Ventura has held Minnesota to a .222 average over 81 at bats with only 1 home run while striking out 22. Ventura has the upside I want to target in tournaments and am happy to roll him out across the majority of my main slate lineups.
Next: Key Hitters
Hitters
- Evan Longoria ($3,000) – MAIN – The veteran third baseman has started off solidly in the 2016 season and a matchup with Chris Tillman is a BvP matchup we should exploit. In 49 career at bats, Longoria has 16 hits (.327 average) and 6 home runs.
- Gerardo Parra($3,600) – EARLY – The Rockies return to Coors to face the Padres and Colin Rea where they are projected to put up 5 runs and we will want exposure here. As usual, FanDuel adjusts the prices for the players moving to Coors, with many of the big Colorado bats now over $4,000 but Parra sits at a reasonable price and will hit in the heart of the order. The biggest trick on the early slate will be how to fit in the bats in Coors field while utilizing Jacob deGrom! One player I will look to utilize in the Early slate to create room for higher priced bats is Michael Conforto ($2,400) as he faces off against the Phillies right hander Jerad Eickhoff. In 8 at bats against the righty last year, Conforto was able to homer off him and knock in 2 RBI’s and it is only a matter of time before Conforto’s power comes and his price rises!
- Houston Versus Milwaukee – MAIN – With games in Coors and Toronto, gamers may overlook this sneaky stack in Miller Park where the O/U currently sits at 9 runs which is even higher than the other two previously mentioned games. The Astros starter RHP Scott Feldman actually had reverse splits last year giving up almost twice as many homeruns and a .294 average to right handed hitters which puts Jonathan Lucroy $3,000 and Domingo Santana ($2,600) as potentially lower owned players in a great matchup.
Next: NBA FanDuel Picks For April 8
Make sure to review the lineups as they are announced before locking in your lineups! Have a great day gamers!