FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for June 14

May 22, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the sixth inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
May 22, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the sixth inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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FanDuel MLB
May 22, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the sixth inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for June 14

Welcome to the Tuesday 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.

Follow us on Twitter @FantasyCPR and on Facebook!

Tuesday’s MLB action starts at 12:37 PM EST with one early game which affords us an all-day FanDuel slate however the main slate kicks off at 7:05PM EST with 14 games.

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 PeriodScorePitcher SalaryPitcher %Hitter %Hitter $/PlayerValue
Season252.2$ 8,62325%75%$ 3,2977.21
5 Day244.4$ 8,63825%75%$ 3,2956.98
Prev Day250.2$ 11,40033%67%$ 2,9507.15

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 Tuesday?

FanDuel MLB
Jun 2, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) delivers a pitch to an Atlanta Braves batter in the 8th inning of their game at Turner Field. The Giants won 6-0. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

Looking forward to Tuesday’s FanDuel MLB slate, we have the ability to roster some of the top pitchers in all of baseball and with some favorable match-ups on tap we should look to exploit the high end starters in all formats!

Madison Bumgarner ($11,900) at home versus Milwaukee: The Giants ace is the clear top pitcher on Tuesday’s slate as he is not only a massive home favorite (-245) but he is also averaging the most points per start of any pitcher over the last 30 days (50.6).

Bumgarner is 9th in MLB with a 28% K rate on the season and has eclipsed 50 points on 6 of his last 10 starts.

As the largest favorite on the board, Bumgarner makes for a safe cash game play but the upside he has displayed in 6 of his last 10 starts puts him in play as a tournament option as well.

Jacob deGrom ($9,800) at home versus Pittsburgh: After scuffling a bit to start the season, deGrom has turned the corner in his recent starts and with a sub 10k price, he makes for a great pivot play from Bumgarner on Tuesday night.

deGrom is winless since April which has depressed his price and his season averages but over his last 4 starts we have seen the strikeout upside as deGrom has punched out a minimum of 7 batters per start,

deGrom is a much better pitcher in Citi Field, pitching to a 2.03 ERA on the season at home and sits at a price point where I believe gamers will either look to pay all the way up or drop down further which may lead him to be low owned.

Pitching Summary: In cash games, Bumgarner is the no doubt option and should be worth every penny of his salary but in tournaments, deGrom is capable of matching the point output as his strikeout rate has increased over the last month and if the Mets can finally score may even be able to get him a win!

Next: Who are the top hitters on Tuesday?

FanDuel MLB
May 28, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; A general view of Coors Field during the first inning of the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

With a game in Coors Field between the Yankees and Rockies and a game total of 11.5 runs, having exposure to Coors will be a popular strategy but with Bumgarner on the mound you will have to decide where to utilize your salary cap space.

Bargain Bats in Coors Field: The marquee bats are always in play but there are a variety of moderately priced bats that give us exposure to the highest projected scoring game on the night.

Starlin Castro ($3,200) is my top play in this price range as he has been batting either at the top of the order or even hitting cleanup as he did in his last game. Opposing starter LHP – Jorge De La Rosa  has been hit hard by right handed hitters this season, giving up a .340 average and surrendering 22 runs in 23 innings including 5 home runs.

Aaron Hicks ($3,000) and Gerardo Parra ($3,200) make for two very reasonably priced OF options with he platoon edges that are very easy to fit in to your roster even if you are paying up for MadBum.

Tim Anderson ($2,200) – CWS Shortstop: It has been a few days since the Sox called up their top prospect and with the news Monday night that he would bat lead-off, he makes for one of the top punt options with his ability to steal bases. Keep an eye on the lineups to see if Anderson will stay in the lead-off spot on Tuesday!

Hitting Summary: It will be critical to get exposure to the game in Coors field and my recommendation is to utilize some of the mid-priced options so you can still afford to pay up at SP. Keep an eye on the lineups as they are announced as if Rob Refsnyder ($2,700) is batting near the top of the lineup again he would make for a top value play at 1B.

Next: Top FanDuel Lineup

FanDuel MLB
May 29, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (47) delivers a pitch to Colorado Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez (5) in the first inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

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

Pitcher: Madison Bumgarner ($11,900)

More from FanSided

  • Catcher: Ramon Cabrera ($2,000) In his last 3 games, Cabrera has averaged 11 points per game, good for 5.7x value at this punt position.
  • First Base: Adam Lind ($2,800) Lind has homered in back to back games and gets the platoon advantage
  • Second Base: Starlin Castro ($3,200)
  • Third Base: Jhonny Peralta ($2,700) Keep playing Peralta at this price point as he continues to hit since he returned from the DL and hits in the heart of the order!
  • Shortstop: Tim Anderson ($2,200)
  • Outfield: Carlos Gonzalez ($4,300)
  • Outfield: Aaron Hicks ($3,000) 
  • Outfield: Giancarlo Stanton ($2,900) I know, I know. Stanton was benched Monday to clear his head but with a LHP on the mound is there any hitter at this price point with his potential to win you a tournament?
  • 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!