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

Jul 17, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Will Smith (13) reacts after Cincinnati Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton (6) scored the game winning run during the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. Home plate umpire Mark Carlson calls safe at right. The Reds 1-0. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /

FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for July 20 (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 Main Slate action kicks off at 7:05PM EST with 6 games on the Main 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.

Jul 15, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Hector Santiago (53) in the first inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

The main slate on Wednesday unveils the Boston Red Sox newest addition, Drew Pomeranz, as he makes his Sox debut and comes in as the top priced option of any on the FanDuel MLB slate.

Hector Santiago ($8,800) at home versus Texas Rangers: Over the last 2 weeks no pitcher on the slate has been able to approach the performance of Hector Santiago who has put up 52 points per start over his last three outings.

Santiago has been rolling of late with a 20 inning scoreless streak all while striking out 20 batters over his last three starts.

The late slate lacks a true “must play” but I am happy to lock in the hottest pitcher on the slate and with Santiago at less than $9k you can afford to build a high upside lineup as well!

Next: Top Hitting Options on Wednesday Night

Jul 19, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) celebrates his three-run home run with center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (25) against the San Francisco Giants during the third inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

Red Sox at home versus Matt Cain: On the main slate, locking in the Red Sox as the highest projected scoring team will be my top play in all formats as we want to lock in the “safest” and highest upside offense with only a few games to choose from.

Any time the Red Sox are at home they become an immediate top stack and with Matt Cain on the hill, who has given up a .330 average to opposing LHP, it makes David Ortiz ($4,100) one of, if not the top play of any hitter on Wednesday night.

Xander Bogaerts ($3,300) sits at a very reasonable price point and makes for a nice mini-stack with Big Papi that gives you plenty of exposure to a Sox lineup we can expect to pile up runs.

Hitting Summary: Outside of Fenway, I would look to mix and match my hitters in the remaining MLB games to diversify as the $3k-$3.5k price range is loaded with great plays including Daniel Murphy ($3,500) & Maikel Franco ($3,100) who both have the platoon advantage and significant upside at these reasonable price points.

Next: Top FanDuel MLB Lineup

Jul 9, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) singles in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Baltimore Orioles defeated Los Angeles Angels 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

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

Pitcher: Hector Santiago ($8,800)

More from FanSided

Catcher: Jonathan Lucroy ($3,300) For those BVP fans, Lucroy is 10 for 26 against Pirates LHP Jeff Locke

First Base: David Ortiz ($4,100)

Second Base: Daniel Murphy ($3,500)

Third Base: Maikel Franco ($3,100)

Shortstop: Xander Bogaerts ($3,300)

Outfield: Matt Kemp ($2,800) Averaging 19.7 ppg since the break and gets the platoon nod over LHP Jamie Garcia

Outfield: Bryce Bentz ($2,100)

Outfield: Mike Trout ($4,000) Trout continues to rake, averaging 15 ppg over the last 2 weeks

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!