FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for July 23
Welcome to the Saturday 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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Saturday’s action kicks off at 1:07PM EST with 3 afternoon games and another 12 games kicking off at 7:05PM EST on the main slate.
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 | $ 8,643 | 25% | 75% | $ 3,295 | 7.30 |
| 5 Day | 238.2 | $ 8,800 | 25% | 75% | $ 3,275 | 6.81 |
| Prev Day | 263.9 | $ 7,900 | 23% | 77% | $ 3,388 | 7.54 |
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.
The Saturday main slate is absolutely loaded with top end starting pitching options including a showdown between Jose Fernandez and Jacob deGrom. The question will be, which top end ace is worth paying up for in your FanDuel MLB lineup?
Max Scherzer ($11,800) at home versus San Diego: Although we have many top end choices, Scherzer stands out as the clear top option as he takes the mound at home against the Padres.
Scherzer is the largest favorite of any pitcher on the slate (-285) and gets to take on a Padres team that strikes out at a 24.6% clip against RHP which is the second most of any team in MLB.
Scherzer has the 3rd best K rate of any pitcher in baseball this season (32.3%) and has averaged 46.2 points per start over the last month which is 5 points more than any pitcher on Saturday. In addition, Scherzer has tremendous career numbers against the SD hitters, limiting them to a .134 average with only 15 hits in 112 career at bats.
With so many ace pitchers on the mound, dropping down to a cheaper option is a dangerous play as it is unlikely all of the top aces will flop, meaning I want to make sure I allocate a significant portion of my salary to locking in a top arm. Scherzer has been the top arm over the last 30 days and has by far the best match-up of any starter which makes him my clear-cut option in all formats. With so many aces on the slate, ownership will be diluted – let someone else get cute and simply lock in Max and move on!
Next: Top Hitting Options
Although we have a game in Coors Field, pairing the high-priced Rockies/Braves bats with a high-end pitcher will be a difficult roster construction so identifying other spots for offense that can pair better with a top priced pitcher will be our key strategy.
Arizona Diamondbacks versus RHP Keyvius Sampson: Anytime we can target the Reds pitching staff and do so in a favorable hitting environment like Great American Ball Park, we have a great spot for our DFS lineups.
Keyvius Sampson has struggled in a small sample size this year, pitching to a 5+ ERA and surrendering 5 HR in only 16 IP. The D-Backs bats are very reasonably priced as well making them an easy stacking option to pair with Scherzer.
Jake Lamb at only $3,100 seems like a massive error as his price dropped $400 from Friday night and he gets another tremendous match-up. Lamb was owned in 15-20% of tournaments on Friday night and I would expect that number to creep even higher but at this price point and in this spot he makes for a must play for me.
Brandon Drury ($2,100) has not seen his price adjust at all, and considering he bats 6th most days for Arizona he makes a great bargain option and addition to a mini-stack with Lamb.
Jean Segura ($3,100) has 3 straight double-digit scoring games and batting atop the Arizona lineup feels massively under priced for this spot (yes I feel like I am saying that for all the Arizona hitters!)
Next: FanDuel MLB Lineup
Below you will find my initial lineup for Saturday’s Main FanDuel MLB slate including notes/comments on my roster construction.
Pitcher:More from FanSided
- Patriots backup plan for DeAndre Hopkins is a shot in the dark
- Raiders: Saquon Barkley’s new contract may have screwed over Josh Jacobs
- Clark Hunt throws cold water on potential Chiefs throwbacks
- Packers: 3 free agency mistakes Brian Gutekunst should already regret
- Cowboys give a masterclass in defense construction with Trevon Diggs extension
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!