FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for June 22 (Main)

Welcome to the Wednesday Main 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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Wednesday’s MLB schedule is split into two FanDuel slates with 7 games on the early docket which begins at 12:10PM EST and another 8 games at 7:05PM EST making for a great day 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	255.7	$ 8,650	25%	75%	$ 3,294	7.31
5 Day	272.8	$ 8,960	26%	74%	$ 3,255	7.79
Prev Day	243.5	$ 9,200	26%	74%	$ 3,225	6.96

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 Wednesday's Main Slate?

Wednesday evening presents another modified slate and although there are no pitchers priced above $10k, there are two aces with great match-ups and immense upside that make for clear top plays in any format.

Cole Hamels ($9,900) at home versus Cincinnati: With a home start and the highest Vegas favorite on the board Wednesday night (-200), Hamels is the clear top choice when selecting a pitcher for your FanDuel MLB lineup.

Over the last two weeks, Hamels has averaged 41.7 points per start, rebounding nicely after a rough stretch which has depressed his price under $10k. Hamels has been exceptional in June, limiting opposing batters to a 1.88 ERA while going at least 7 IP in each of his last 5 starts.

Hamels has also had success against the current Reds batters, limiting them to a .212 opposing batting average while striking out 22% of the batters he has faced.

Chris Archer ($9,400) at Cleveland: At a similar price point, Archer has averaged the exact same 41.7 points over the last two weeks as the slightly more expensive Hamels. The fact that Archer is a slight underdog on the road and has been erratic this season makes him a better tournament option on Wednesday evening.

Archer despite his struggles, has continued to rack up strikeouts with 103 K’s over 83 IP this season and with a 27% K rate, ranks 10th in all of baseball in striking out opposing batters.

Pitching Summary: With price points under $10k, I see no reason to pivot away from Hamels and Archer as they have the upside to be the clear top dog on Wednesday night and allow you the roster flexibility at this price point to stack high upside bats. Hamels is the better cash game play due to his matchup, but Archer makes for an interesting tournament pivot due to his strikeout upside.

Next: Top Hitting Stacks on Wednesday's Main Slate

Another short slate with significant pitching depth will limit our opportunities to find offense and will likely lead to many of the same players being targeted so looking for ways to differentiate even within a stack will be critical.

Baltimore Orioles versus RHP Erik Johnson: Erik Johnson has pitched 22 innings so far this season, surrendering 19 runs and 10 home runs. Read that again and then start working in as many Orioles hitters as you can into your lineups!

Johnson has been equally charitable to hitters from both sides of the plate, giving up 6 home runs and a .364 batting average to right handed bats and an additional 4 home runs and a .280 average to left handed hitters.

All the Orioles top hitters are in play with Chris Davis ($4,200) and Adam Jones ($3,900) both representing top plays with both players averaging over 13 points per game the last 2 weeks.

Third base is a great spot to get exposure to the Orioles as Pedro Alvarez ($3,100) & Ryan Flaherty ($2,600) are getting consistent playing time with Manny Machado serving his suspension.

Rangers LHB versus RHP Dan Straily: The Rangers left handed bats get another great match-up with the Reds pitching staff and with FanDuel slow to adjust the pricing for many of the left handed bats, this is a great spot to stack with very reasonably priced hitters.

Nomar Mazara ($2,900) and Shin-soo Choo ($3,000) make for a great mini-stack in the OF and Rougned Odor ($3,400) should return to the lineup on Wednesday and has averaged nearly 13 points per game over the last two weeks.

Hitting Summary: Without having to pay up over $10k for a SP, go after the big Orioles bats and utilize the Rangers left handed bats who all sit around $3k to fill out a complete roster with significant upside.

Next: Top FanDuel Main MLB Lineup

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

Pitcher: Cole Hamels ($9,900)

More from FanSided

Catcher: Steve Clevenger ($2,100) Check the lineup but if Clevenger is in the lineup you can get a punt play who has hit double digit points in 2 of his last 4 games.

First Base: Chris Davis ($4,200)

Second Base: Rougned Odor ($3,400)

Third Base: Pedro Alvarez ($3,100)

Shortstop: Tim Anderson ($2,500) Anderson continues to be one of the best DFS bargain plays (and waiver wire pickups) as he bats lead-off for the White Sox.

Outfield: Adam Jones ($3,900)

Outfield: Nomar Mazara ($2,900)

Outfield: Shin-soo Choo ($3,000)

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!