FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for June 5

Welcome to the Sunday edition of Picks & Pivots, a daily fantasy baseball column focused on providing analysis and insights into the top FanDuel MLB lineups. 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 payday!

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 presents a full day of MLB action with games starting at 1:10PM EST and continuing through Sunday night with two late night contests.

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	251.0	$ 8,523	24%	76%	$ 3,310	7.17
5 Day	251.2	$ 7,186	21%	79%	$ 3,477	7.18
Prev Day	278.9	$ 8,900	25%	75%	$ 3,263	7.97

Now on to the picks…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.

Next: Who are the top pitching options on Sunday?

Sunday’s slate is loaded with top end arms including Jose Fernandez and Jake Arrieta which will draw many gamers to the top end of the price spectrum however there is significant value to be found if you drop down in price as Matt Rogers outlined in his latest FanDuel Economics article regarding Justin Verlander who is one of the top Sunday FanDuel targets.

Matt Harvey ($7,500) at Miami: Has the Dark Knight of Gotham returned? It may have only been one start, but in his last outing against the White Sox we saw a completely different pitcher take the mound for the New York Mets.

Harvey pitched 7 innings of 2 hit ball and struck out 6 batters in a win that racked up 51 FanDuel points which at this price point would return 6.8x value.

Most impressively, Harvey was routinely sitting between 96-97 mph on his fastball which showed the dominant velocity we had not seen in his previous starts.

Harvey has also flat out dominated the Marlins lineup in his career, holding them to a .168 average with only 17 hits in 101 at bats. What is even more impressive is that in over 100 at bats the Marlins have only mustered 3 extra base hits and one home run and Matt gets to face them in the cavernous Miami ballpark.

I am not going to say Harvey is back but at such a reasonable price point, Harvey gives you the salary savings and elite upside that could help you take home a huge Sunday! Add in the fact that Harvey is a slight underdog and is facing Jose Fernandez and this has the makings of a perfect tournament play!

Jon Gray at San Diego ($7,000): One potential tournament pivot at a similar price point that may get overlooked is the Rockies right hander against the San Diego Padres.

Gray is one of my favorite targets when he is away from Coors as he has put up three 36+ point starts on the road including an 11 strikeout performance no decision good for 45 points at San Diego earlier this season.

Pitching Summary: For cash games, I love Justin Verlander ($9,000) who has been absolutely incredible over the last month averaging 49 points per start, good for 5.8x value as Matt Rogers outlined in today’s Fanduel Economics column.

For tournaments, Harvey is my clear cut top option as I expect him to be low owned and has the ability to match pitchers that are thousands of dollars more expensive. If you are playing multiple lineups, I like the idea of pivoting to Gray as he will be widely overlooked and should deliver solid value in a favorable match-up.

Next: Who are the top hitters Sunday?

With so many top end hurlers on the bump, finding hitting matchups on a slate like this is always challenging but there are a few top spots to find offense on Sunday.

Seattle Mariners RHB versus LHP Derek Holland: The Mariners and Rangers have one of the highest over/under’s of any game Sunday and the Mariners RHB make for a great target against a very hittable left hander.

Franklin Gutierrez ($3,200) is always one of my favorite platoon plays and usually we can get him for a bargain price but we have seen his price increase due to the fact he is averaging 14.2 points per game over the last 2 weeks which still exceeds 4x value at this price point.

Nelson Cruz ($4,100) is in play any time there is a LHP on the mound and he has been averaging 12 points per game over the last two weeks. Cruz is a multiple home run option anytime a LHP is on the mound and right handed batters are the best way to attack Holland.

Washington Nationals against RHP Jon Moscot: The Nationals hitters have one of the best matchups on the board going up against quite possibly the worst pitcher on the slate.

Moscot has been rocked this year, giving up 8 home runs in only 17 innings including 5 home runs to left handed hitters in only 9 IP.

Bryce Harper ($4,000) and Daniel Murphy ($4,200) are my top two targets here and frankly any time you can get Harper for $4k or lower I think you have to pounce.

Also keep an eye on top prospect Trea Turner ($2,400) who hit at the top of the lineup in his first game up Friday night and would make for a spectacular punt play after putting up 15 points his first start.

Next: Top FanDuel Lineup

Below you will find my initial lineup for Sunday’s MLB Main FanDuel slate including notes/comments on my roster construction.

Pitcher: Matt Harvey ($7,500)

Catcher: Hank Conger ($2,000) Sunday is always a great day to punt catcher as rest days come into play so I will look to save salary here. Conger has had two massive games this week (40 and 27 points) so makes for a great high upside target if he is in the lineup.

First Base:

Take advantage while the price is still this low as Votto is averaging 17 points per game over the last week!

More from FanSided

Second Base: Daniel Murphy ($4,200)

Third Base: Kris Bryant ($4,100) The Cubs gets to take on LHP Patrick Corbin in Wrigley and considering he has surrendered 10 HR’s to RHB this season puts Bryant firmly on my radar.

Shortstop: Trea Turner ($2,400)

Outfield: Nelson Cruz ($4,100)

Outfield: Franklin Gutierrez ($3,200)

Outfield: Bryce Harper ($4,000)

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

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