FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for August 8
FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for August 8
Welcome to the Monday 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 action kicks off at 7:07PM EST with 9 games to choose from on the main FanDuel MLB 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 | 255.6 | $ 8,629 | 25% | 75% | $ 3,296 | 7.30 |
| 5 Day | 252.4 | $ 8,533 | 24% | 76% | $ 3,308 | 7.21 |
| Prev Day | 293.3 | $ 7,400 | 21% | 79% | $ 3,450 | 8.38 |
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 Monday's Slate?
Jose Fernandez ($10,900) at home versus San Francisco: On a short slate like we have Monday and with very few appealing mid-priced arms, locking in the top priced arm on the slate may be the best use of your budget.
Fernandez is the clear top arm on the slate, averaging 44 points per game over the last month and anytime he is pitching at home, DFS players should take note.
At home this season, Fernandez has pitched to a 2.11 ERA, holding batters to a .196 average and striking out a whopping 113 batters in only 76 IP.
As much as I want to pivot towards a cheaper arm to stack Coors on a short slate, there is frankly no arm that has the upside that Fernandez has and I will make a point of building around him and looking for value elsewhere.
Zach Davies ($8,200) at home versus Atlanta: The one “value” arm I would look at rostering if you want to build a better lineup would be the Brewers right-hander, Zach Davies against the Atlanta Braves.
Davies is a solid home favorite who has pitched incredibly consistently over the last month, averaging 37.2 points per game. Take a look at Davies game over the last 10 games and outside of a dud against the Dodgers we see – 35,40,40,36,35,33,36,51,42.
If you are rostering Davies, you are simply looking to lock in the mid 30 point projection and hoping to hit on your hitters having a big night.
Next: Top Hitting Options
Coors Field: On a short slate like Monday night typically I go into the evening looking to lock in the safest arm and I want exposure to any game with a materially higher offensive projection than the rest. So the question is, can we target Jose Fernandez and still get exposure to Coors?
Nolan Arenado ($4,200) at home against a lefty is DFS 101 as I noted in my Sunday column and Arenado paid off big time with 56.9 points, smacking 2 home runs and knocking in 5 RBI. The match-up against Cole Hamels is certainly a difficult one which may lead folks to fade Arenado, which is exactly why I would want to stay on the bat with an upside that few in the game can match.
Rangers RHB against LHP Tyler Anderson: On the other side of this game, the Rangers right-handed bats are in a fantastic spot to attack Tyler Anderson who has struggled this season against RHB.
Over 43 IP against RHB, Anderson has allowed 5 home runs, 20 ER and .291 opposing average which puts the Rangers in a great spot to put up crooked numbers.
Jonathan Lucroy ($4,300) & Ian Desmond ($4,200) are easily the top two plays in the Rangers lineup and should be in a fantastic spot to have a big game. The question will be, can you afford to stack them with Arenado and Fernandez which leaves you only $2,300 per player for the remainder of your roster?
Next: Top FanDuel MLB Lineup
Below you will find my initial lineup for Monday’s FanDuel MLB slate including notes/comments on my roster construction.
Pitcher: Jose Fernandez ($10,900)
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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!