FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for June 27

Jun 22, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; Mets fans dressed as Thor for New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard (not pictured) warms up before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for June 27

Welcome to the Monday 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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Monday’s MLB action starts off at 12:35PM EST with one afternoon game in Pittsburgh if you are looking to play the “All-Day” slate, however the main slate on FanDuel begins at 7:05PM EST with 10 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 Period	Score	Pitcher Salary	Pitcher %	Hitter %	Hitter $/Player	Value
Season	254.8	$ 8,651	25%	75%	$ 3,294	7.28
5 Day	252.1	$ 9,143	26%	74%	$ 3,232	7.20
Prev Day	206.1	$ 8,000	23%	77%	$ 3,375	5.89

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.

Jun 11, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer (47) in the first inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

For an abbreviated slate, this is an absolutely fascinating set of games as you have Jake Arrieta on the mound, an NL East showdown between Noah Syndergaard and the Washington Nationals and a game in Coors Field between the Rockies and Blue Jays.

Trevor Bauer ($8,900) at Atlanta: With two of the best pitchers in baseball on the hill, with Jake Arrieta and Noah Syndergaard, it may surprise you that I am leading with the Indians right hander however over the last 30 days no pitcher on the slate has averaged more points per start than Bauer.

Bauer has averaged 46 points per start over the last month, which exceeds 5x value at this price point and add in the fact that he gets one of the best match-ups on the board against the light hitting Braves offense.

Bauer is the second largest favorite on the board, has struck out at least 9 batters of his last 4 starts and comes at a significant discount compared the the other two arms.

Daniel Mengden ($7,100) at San Francisco: If you are looking to save even more money at pitcher, one of the best value options can be found in Oakland as Daniel Mengden takes on the Giants.

Mengden has made three starts so far this year and his last two starts has posted 36.5 FanDuel points over two no decisions while racking up 16 strikeouts in 12.1 IP.

With a 27% strikeout rate, Mengden makes for an intriguing tournament pivot as the price point will allow you to easily stack the game in Coors field and he provides the strikeout upside we look for in tournaments.

Pitching Summary: Although Arrieta or Syndergaard are both great cash game plays, Bauer is my top play in all formats on Monday as his recent production and match-up with one of the worst offenses in baseball make him an easy plug and play. The game in Colorado is a must play on Monday and having the additional budget by dropping down to Bauer allows you to get the best possible roster construction.

Next: Who are the top stacks on Monday?

Jun 26, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; General view of Coors Field during the fifth inning of the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Colorado Rockies. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

The game in Coors Field between the Rockies and Blue Jays would be the top play under almost any circumstance and the fact we have an abbreviated slate makes this an all or nothing play for me. With no other projected high scoring games to target, the likelihood is that the winning teams will have players from this game so either go all in or fade completely and hope for a pitcher’s duel!

Blue Jays and Rockies in Coors: With both teams in this game projected to score over 6 runs on Monday, this is the clear top stack which will certainly not surprise anyone. How you choose to get exposure here will be the key as with two right handed pitchers on the mound which players make for the best plays across these lineups?

The big hitters, especially the left handed bats in the OF are all in play however you will have to pay a pretty penny to get Michael Saunders ($4,600), Charlie Blackmon ($4,400) and Carlos Gonzalez ($4,100).

Daniel Descalco ($2,900) may be my favorite value play of the day assuming he is in the lineup as Trevor Story left the game Sunday after being hit by a pitch on his hand and although X-rays were negative, his hand is sore and swollen so we can likely expect him to miss this game. Add in the fact that Descalco is 4 for 11 in his career against Marco Estrada and we have a great salary saving option to get exposure to this game.

Yankees/Cubs: The two next highest scoring games include the Yankees at home and the Cubs in Great American Ballpark. With both teams in great hitting environments going up against hittable RHP, I will look to these spots to differentiate my teams while getting similar offensive upside.

Brian McCann ($3,100) sits at a very reasonable price point at catcher and any time you can get him in a lefty-right match up at home, this makes for a top play with multiple home run upside.

Hitting Summary: Start with Coors field and work from there. What this means for me is you will want to wait for lineups to be announced as their are some intriguing injury scenarios including whether or not Justin Smoak ($3,700) returns to the lineup as his price point and platoon advantage would make him a great option at 1B.

Next: Top FanDuel MLB Lineup

Jun 25, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis (29) is greeted by Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion (10) after hitting a two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

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

Pitcher: Trevor Bauer ($8,900)

More from FanSided

Catcher: Brian McCann ($3,100)

First Base: Edwin Encarnacion ($4,800)

Second Base: Daniel Descalso ($2,900)

Third Base: Maikel Franco ($2,900) Do not overlook the game in Arizona with Robbie Ray on the mound, Franco could easily pay off his salary with one swing!

Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki ($3,800)

Outfield: Carlos Gonzalez ($4,100)

Outfield: Michael Bourn ($2,500) Bourn has put up over 20 PPG over his last three.

Outfield: Brandon Nimmo ($2,000) The Mets called up their top OF prospect over the weekend and at a minimum price point, the former first round pick makes for a great punt play.

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!