FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for July 20 (Early)

Jun 26, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Bartolo Colon (40) hits a sacrifice bunt against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Mets 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for July 20 (Early)

Welcome to the Wednesday Early 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 Early action kicks off at 12:35PM EST with 8 games on the Early slate to choose from when building your FanDuel MLB rosters!

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	255.6	$ 8,648	25%	75%	$ 3,294	7.30
5 Day	248.5	$ 9,063	26%	74%	$ 3,242	7.10
Prev Day	245.3	$ 6,900	20%	80%	$ 3,513	7.01

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 is the top pitching option on Wednesday's Early Slate?

Jul 7, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) delivers a pitch in the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports /

The early slate on Wednesday brings with it the return of King Felix as Felix Hernandez will return to the mound after a lengthy DL stint. Carlos Carrasco is the only other starter above $10k on the early slate and has been dominant this year while pitching to a 2.49 ERA.

Justin Verlander ($9,600) at home versus Minnesota: Looking over the early slate, Verlander stands out as the largest favorite (-184) of any of the early pitchers as he gets a home date with the Twins.

Verlander has averaged 46.7 points per start over the last 15 days which is the highest PPG average of any of the starters on the early slate.

Verlander comes off a 10 strikeout, 60 point performance in his last start against the Royals and gets to face a Twins team he beat earlier this season by delivering 7 IP and 10 K’s.

On a short slate, locking in the safety of Verlander as the highest favorite is my preferred strategy but considering the upside Verlander has shown this season, he makes for a great GPP play as well!

Next: Top Hitting Options on Wednesday Afternoon

Jul 8, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (10) runs the bases after hitting a three run home run during the seventh the inning in a game against the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /

With a game in Coors Field and a short slate, I expect the Rockies and Rays to be wildly popular but there may be merit to fading the game entirely in tournaments as there are other spots gamers can target that have the potential to match the offensive output in Colorado.

Blue Jays RHB versus LHP Patrick Corbin in Arizona: With the focus of most players in Colorado, I am happy to pivot to Chase Field where the Blue Jays get to tee off against LHP Patrick Corbin in one of the best hitting environments in baseball.

Corbin has struggled this season especially with the long ball, giving up 19 home runs which is the 3rd most of all NL pitchers. Corbin has given up 14 HR’s to RHB so far this season and has pitched to a 7.15 ERA at home this year which makes the Toronto bats an ideal place to target hitters.

Edwin Encarnacion ($4,800) is one of the top plays of the day and I expect his ownership will be reduced due to his price tag as gamers look to allocate their salary to Coors. Troy Tulowitzki ($3,100) has a hit in 3 straight games and homered on Monday and sits at a price point that feels about $500 too low considering the match-up.

Arizona versus RHP Marcus Stroman: Do not sleep on the other side of this game as the D’Backs get to face another struggling pitcher in Marcus Stroman who has pitched to a 5+ ERA this season.

Jake Lamb ($3,500) has averaged 23 ppg since the All Star Break and makes for the top Arizona target considering the platoon advantage which is the best place to attack Stroman.

Michael Bourn ($2,300) is an incredible value and makes for a great addition to any Arizona stack as he has averaged 18.8 ppg in his last 3 games.

Next: Top FanDuel MLB Lineup

Jul 4, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Michael Bourn (1) scores a run during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

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

Pitcher:

More from FanSided

Catcher: Stephen Vogt ($2,800) Vogt has been on fire lately, averaging 21.9 ppg over the last 7 days which is by far the most of any MLB catcher

First Base: Edwin Encarnacion ($4,800)

Second Base: Robinson Cano ($3,600) A home start against a RHP and sits at a price point that makes him the 8th mosr expensive 2B on the slate

Third Base: Jake Lamb ($3,500)

Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki ($3,100)

Outfield: Michael Bourn ($2,300)

Outfield: Brandon Drury ($2,000) Drury has put up 20 points over his last two games and makes a great punt play addition to an Arizona stack

Outfield: Josh Reddick ($3,300) Looking to pair Vogt/Reddick gives us a high upside mini-stack against Doug Fister

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!