FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for August 21

Welcome to the Sunday 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!

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Sunday’s schedule kicks off at 1:10PM EST with 11 games on the main slate and another 4 games on the 4:10PM EST late 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	256.4	$ 8,606	25%	75%	$ 3,299	7.33
5 Day	287.7	$ 8,267	24%	76%	$ 3,342	8.22
Prev Day	288.5	$ 7,700	22%	78%	$ 3,413	8.24

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 Sunday's Slate?

Danny Duffy ($10,000) at home versus Minnesota: After digging through the main slate, without a game in Coors Field and few standout value options, my recommended strategy is to pay up at SP on Sunday.

The top arm in my mind is Royals hurler Danny Duffy who has been absolutely dominant since his transition into the starting rotation. Over the last month Duffy is averaging 49 points per game which is the top mark of any pitcher going on Sunday.

Duffy has been pitching at an elite level since June with 8 of his past 10 starts eclipsing the 40 point mark with 4 of those 8 actually eclipsing the 50 point mark!

Duffy is the largest favorite on the board Sunday (-170) and gets to face a Twins team that strikes out at a 23.3% clip against LHP which is the 3rd highest on the slate.

With the other high-priced starters in tough match-ups, Corey Kluber (Tor) & Justin Verlander (Bos), Duffy is the clear top choice and should be an anchor in your lineup in all lineups as his “safe floor” combined with his demonstrated elite upside makes him an easy choice to pay up for!

Next: Top Hitting Options

Houston Astros versus Yovani Gallardo: The main slate offense is relatively spread out with 8 teams projected to score between 4.5 and 4.8 runs however we have a few key spots we should look to target.

The Astros are one of my favorite teams to target as they get a match-up with Yovani Gallardo who has one of the highest SIERA on the board and is hittable from players on both sides of the plate.

George Springer ($3,800) is absolutely on fire, averaging 17.2 points per game over the last two weeks and is coming off back to back 43.6 point games in Baltimore.

Alex Bregman ($3,100) has been equally as hot, putting up 15.2 points per game over the last 2 weeks and has put up back to back 30 point games on this trip to Baltimore. At only $3,100, Bregman is an easy plug and play to get exposure to one of the hottest offenses in baseball!

Yankees against RHP Jhoulys Chacin: The Yankees may be a bit overlooked as one of the later games on the main slate, but we can find some top end value while targeting one of the most hittable pitchers on the slate!

Didi Gregorious ($2,600) has been moved up to prime spots in the Yankee lineup, batting cleanup on Saturday, and has responded by averaging 11.5 points per game over the last two weeks.

Gary Sanchez ($2,700) has been punishing the baseball since his call-up, averaging 17.8 points per game over the last two weeks and is one of the best value plays per the projections at FantasyPros.

Next: Top FanDuel MLB Lineup

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

Pitcher: Danny Duffy ($10,000)

More from FanSided

Catcher: Gary Sanchez ($2,700)

First Base: John Jaso ($2,500) The Pirates have one of the highest main slate projections and Jaso gives solid salary relief against a young pitcher in Julio Urias who has struggled early in his career

Second Base: Jose Altuve ($4,000) Altuve may be overlooked against a RHP but few players in baseball are better DFS foundations than Altuve and I am hoping to nab him at a lower than expected ownership

Third Base: Alex Bregman ($3,100)

Shortstop: Didi Gregorious ($2,600)

Outfield: George Springer ($3,800)

Outfield: Andrew McCutchen ($3,700)

Outfield: Teoscar Hernandez ($2,600) Hernandez is averaging 11.7 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!