MLB Picks and Pivots – FanDuel Baseball Picks May 15

May 13, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) hits an RBI double in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /

MLB Picks and Pivots – FanDuel Baseball Picks May 15

Welcome to the Sunday 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!

FanSided and Fantasy CPR have you covered – For additional FanDuel MLB analysis, take a look at Matt Rogers FanDuel Economics column or Mike Marteny who provides Draft Kings MLB Picks analysis giving you the most in depth DFS coverage for tonight’s baseball slate.

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Sunday’s main slate kicks off at 1:05PM EST with a full day of Major League action that caps off at 8:05PM EST with the Cardinals at Dodgers.

I will continue to track winning Tournament lineups and compare trends over 5 day periods to help us understand what it takes to remain profitable. I HIGHLY recommend each of you do this each morning to look back on the previous night and understand how the winning lineups are constructed in the games you participate in.

The view below tracks GPP entries over various time periods, breaking out key metrics to understand the trends and compositions of GPP winning rosters:

Time Period	Score	Pitcher Salary	Pitcher %	Hitter %	Hitter $/Player	Value
Season	249.0	$ 8,450	24%	76%	$ 3,319	7.11
5 Day	271.3	$ 9,150	26%	74%	$ 3,231	7.75
Prev Day	269	$ 7,150	20%	80%	$ 3,481	7.69

For more DFS Strategy insights, check out my latest article to help take your game to the next level! I highly recommend gamers track their game performance across the various types of games they play – GPP’s, Cash, Multipliers etc – as this simple exercise will help teach you more about profitable roster construction than you can imagine.

Now on to the picks…

Next: Top Starting Pitchers

April 28, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez (16) reacts after pitching the bottom of the fifth inning against Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Starting Pitchers

Jose Fernandez ($11,100) versus Washington – The top dog on today’s slate from a cash game perspective is Jose Fernandez who has been absolutely on fire over the last two weeks, averaging 52 points per game. No pitcher on today’s slate has the upside that Fernandez has, and with a start against Washington, whom he put up 54 points against earlier this year, Fernandez has the safest floor as well. Fernandez has an absolutely elite 31% K rate so far this season which exceeds the next closest hurler on today’s slate, Jacob deGrom, by 6%. With the other top end aces in tough matchups, paying up for Jose in cash games is the safest play you can make.

Tyler Duffey ($6,400) versus Cleveland – The best value on today’s docket may be the Twins right hander against the Indians. Duffey is averaging 38 points per game over the last two weeks – just 0.5 points lower than Jon Lester who is priced over $4,000 more than the Twins hurler. No pitcher over the last two weeks has put up better point per dollar value as Duffey has put up 5.9x value over that same time period which is exactly the upside we are looking for in large field tournaments. In his last two starts against the Tigers and White Sox, Duffey has struck out 9 and 7 batters and at this price point allows us tremendous savings to load up on bats.

Next: Top Hitters/Stacks

May 12, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) hits a ground rule double during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

Top Hitters/Stacks

Red Sox versus Chris Devenski – The highest scoring affair today is not in the thin air of Coors Field but rather can be found at Fenway Park as both the Red Sox and Astros are projected to score over 5 runs.

Over the last 15 days, 3 of the top 4 highest points/game hitters can be found in this game with Jackie Bradley ($3,900) and David Ortiz ($4,100) the two top targets on the Boston side. Bradley has averaged 19.1 points during the last 2 weeks, good for 4.9x value, meanwhile Ortiz has averaged 17.8 points or 4.1x value.

Astros versus Sean O’Sullivan – On the other side of this contest we find the second highest projected scoring team in the Houston Astros. I mentioned above that 3 of the 4 hottest players can be found in this game, with the third member being Jose Altuve ($4,400) who is averaging 16.7 points over the last two weeks, the 4th most of any player in the game. As Matt Roger’s has outlined in his Second Base Position Analysis, Altuve is one of(if not the most) valuable player in DFS baseball and will be a key member of all my lineups on Sunday. O’ Sullivan has given up a career averages of .300 to hitters from both sides of the plate putting all hitters from the Astros squarely in play today.

Mike Trout ($4,500) – If you believe in BvP, well Trout versius Felix Hernandez is your go to play for today as Trout is 25 for 68 (.368 average) with 5 home runs. Want a cheaper option? Oswaldo Arcia ($2,900) is 5 for 10 against Indians starter Trevor Bauer with 4 home runs! I love Arcia as an under the radar tournament play today with a history like that and makes for a great budget friendly option if you are paying up for Fernandez!

Next: DFS Strategy - Take Your Game to the Next Level

Best of luck tonight gamers! Make sure to review the lineups as they are announced before locking in your lineups!