FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for July 22

Jul 19, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Albert Pujols (5) looks on after hitting a three-run home run against the Texas Rangers during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /

FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for July 22

Welcome to the Friday 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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Friday’s action kicks off at 7:05PM EST with 15 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	233.6	$ 9,633	28%	72%	$ 3,171	6.67
Prev Day	278.1	$ 6,900	20%	80%	$ 3,513	7.95

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 6, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Tanner Roark (57) pitches during the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Nationals Park. Washington Nationals defeated Milwaukee Brewers 7-4. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

Welcome back gamers to the first full slate of action we have had in days and with a number of great games on Friday’s slate to choose from, we will have many great choices to build our FanDuel MLB rosters.

Tanner Roark ($8,700) at home versus San Diego: With Madison Bumgarner on the hill Friday at Yankee Stadium, I expect many gamers will flock to the perceived “safety” of MadBum, but in my opinion Roark has a similar floor and the ability to match Bumgarner’s upside.

In 4 of his last 5 starts, Bumgarner has scored between 31-35 points compared to a 35.3 average that Roark has put up over the last month.

Over the last 10 starts, both Roark and Bumgarner have 3 starts of 50+ points and although Bumgarner has flashed 80+ point upside, I am happy to take the $2,800 savings with Roark who has had a similar FanDuel point output in his recent outings.

Roark gets one of the best match-ups on the board as well with a home game against the Padres as he is a large favorite (-220) and faces a team that strikes out at a 24.4% clip against RHP which is 2nd highest in all of MLB.

The match-up here is one to exploit and Roark delivers relative safety and 50+ point upside at a relatively reasonable price which makes him my top play in all formats on Friday night.

Next: Top Hitting Options

Jul 20, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks mascot Baxter (left) jokes with Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki prior to the game at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Friday night’s slate features many of the usual suspects as the Red Sox continue their torrid hitting at home and we get a game in Coors Field to choose from when building our FanDuel MLB lineups.

Blue Jays at home versus LHP James Paxton: One of the top places I want to target on Friday night that may be overlooked is the Blue Jays right-handed bats at home versus James Paxton. Paxton has struggled against RHB this season to the tune of a .330 opposing average, but that actually spikes when he is on the road to a whopping .355.

Troy Tulowitzki ($3,200) & Russell Martin ($2,600) are two of my favorite targets as they are both averaging double-digit points over the last two weeks and sit at reasonable price points that still allow you to pay up for other top bats.

Red Sox versus RHP Kyle Gibson: The Red Sox offense is almost a must play the way these bats are performing lately and they get another great home match-up with a hittable RHP on Friday.

Gibson faced the Red Sox back in June and gave up 5 ER in only 5.2 IP and it would be reasonable to expect similar numbers Friday. Gibson has given up a .313 opposing average to LHB which puts David Ortiz ($4,500) squarely in play.

Jackie Bradley Jr. ($3,400) makes for a great min-stack with Big Papi and has a home run off of Gibson already in limited action against the Twins hurler.

Coors Field: This one is interesting as with Julio Teheran and Jon Gray on the mound, this may be a spot to strategically fade the game in Colorado. Teheran has limited batters from both sides of the plats to a .202 average this season which makes playing the Rockies a risk but Carlos Gonzalez sitting at only $3,500 makes for an intriguing play that you can easily afford and I expect even with the tough match-up he will be well owned in all formats.

Next: Top FanDuel MLB Lineup

Jul 8, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe (11) hits a home run during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

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

Pitcher:

More from FanSided

Catcher: Russell Martin ($2,600)

First Base: David Ortiz ($4,500)

Second Base: Logan Forsythe ($3,600) Forsythe has absolutely work out LHP this season to the tune of a .344 average and I with so many top options at similar price points I expect the Rays 2B will be over looked

Third Base: Kyle Seager ($3,400)

Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki ($3,200)

Outfield: Carlos Gonzalez ($3,500)

Outfield: Jackie Bradley Jr. ($3,400)

Outfield: Brandon Drury ($2,100) Drury continues to be one of my favorite punt plays as he is playing everyday for Arizona and gets a favorable ballpark shift playing in Cincinnati against the Reds exploitable staff

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!