FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for June 20
Welcome to the Monday 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!
Monday’s MLB schedule starts off with one afternoon game at 1:05PM EST for those looking to play the all-day slate, however the main slate kicks off at 7:05PM EST with 9 games of FanDuel MLB action!
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 | 256.1 | $ 8,605 | 25% | 75% | $ 3,299 | 7.32 |
| 5 Day | 286.1 | $ 8,533 | 24% | 76% | $ 3,308 | 8.17 |
| Prev Day | 248.9 | $ 8,333 | 24% | 76% | $ 3,333 | 7.11 |
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 Monday?
Monday night’s action is loaded with three of the premier arms in all of baseball as Madison Bumgarner takes the hill in Pittsburgh and Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg face off against each other in LA.
Steven Wright ($9,400) at home versus White Sox: Wait, you just finished listing off three of the top pitchers in baseball and you are starting with Steven Wright? I would not blame you for rostering any of top 3 pitchers but from a tournament perspective, I expect Wright to be severely overlooked and makes for a great pivot play.
Over the last 30 days, Wright has averaged 45.4 points per game which is just 0.2 points behind Strasburg and is one of the top point per dollar plays as he has put up 4.8x value over the last month.
The Red Sox are solid home favorites (-168) and Wright has the upside to match the top arms with 2 of his last 4 games over 50 points.
Clayton Kershaw ($13,000) at home versus Washington: Over his last 8 starts, Kershaw has averaged a ridiculous 60 points per game, only twice failing to break the 50 point threshold. This kind of consistency and floor make Kershaw a must play for cash games.
The question with Kershaw will be, is paying the lofty price (37% of your total budget) in a match-up against an equally dominant pitcher the best use of your money?
From a tournament perspective, I have no issue fading Kershaw and hoping he puts up a simply “pedestrian” 40-50 point outing that a pitcher like Wright could match and hit on the big bats we can afford as a result of our strategic fade.
Next: Who are the top batters Monday night?
With only 9 games on the slate and 3 high end pitchers going, many gamers will be faced with the roster decision to either pay up for the big arm or drop down and use the savings to build off some of the high octane offenses in action Monday night.
Chicago Cubs at home versus LHP Jamie Garcia: Looking at the Monday slight there are a few favorable spots for offense which lead me to believe multiple mini-stacks are a better strategy than an all out stack so you have exposure across multiple games.
The Cubs get a home match-up against Jamie Garcia and any time a LHP is on the mound, Kris Bryant ($3,900) is one of the top players to target at any position.
C – Willson Contreras ($2,200) is one of the top hitting prospects in all of baseball and will get his first start behind the dish for the Cubs on Monday making him one of the highest upside value plays on the board.
Orioles RHB versus Derek Holland: Another game with one of the highest projected scores will be held in Arlington and the Orioles right handed bats get the platoon advantage against LHP Derek Holland.
Mark Trumbo ($3,600) has great career numbers against Holland, going 14 for 45 with 8 extra base hits and 5 home runs and has the the upside in this match-up we want exposure to in tournaments.
Adam Jones ($3,600) makes for a great addition to any mini-stack, as Jones has averaged 14.4 points per game over the last two weeks and at 4x value makes for a top play in any format.
Next: Top FanDuel MLB Lineup
Below you will find my initial lineup for Monday’s Main FanDuel MLB slate including notes/comments on my roster construction.
Pitcher: Steven Wright ($9,400)
More from FanSided
- MLB Trade Grades: Dodgers reunite with familiar face in Red Sox deal
- NHL Rumors: Legendary Patrice Bergeron retires, which 3 players could be next to hang up their skates?
- MLB Rumors: Cardinals budging on Arenado, Orioles-Ohtani package, Yankees backup plan
- Patriots backup plan for DeAndre Hopkins is a shot in the dark
- Raiders: Saquon Barkley’s new contract may have screwed over Josh Jacobs
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!