FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for August 22

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!

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Monday’s MLB schedule kicks off with one game at 12:35PM EST and an additional 8 games on the main slate at 7:05PM EST.

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	256.5	$ 8,605	25%	75%	$ 3,299	7.33
5 Day	298.5	$ 8,017	23%	77%	$ 3,373	8.53
Prev Day	271.7	$ 8,300	24%	76%	$ 3,338	7.76

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?

For a short 8 game slate, the top end of the pitching options Monday are absolutely loaded as we have 4 options sitting at $10k or higher.

Jon Lester ($11,000) at San Diego: Of all the top end hurlers on the slate Monday, Lester walks into one of the best match-ups on the board against the Padres and comes in as the single biggest favorite (-210) on the slate.

The Padres strike out at a 25% clip against LHP which is second most in all of MLB and they have seen their team strikeout rate increase to 27% over the last 2 weeks since their deadline deals of Melvin Upton and Matt Kemp.

Lester has pitched very well recently, putting up 50+ points in 3 of his last 4 starts and has pitched well against the current Padres batters, holding them to a .200 average over 75 at bats.

The ownership should be fairly spread out between Lester, Stephen Strasburg, Carlos Carrasco & David Price but I believe Lester is the best option and worth his high salary on this slate.

Next: Top Hitting Options

Arizona at home against RHP Mike Foltynewicz: With a short slate and a handful of aces on the mound, finding a spot for clear-cut offense may be tough but with a home game in Arizona, targeting the D-Backs hitters may be the best place to spend our salary on Monday.

The Arizona/Atlanta game has the highest total of the early Vegas lines and anytime we can get hitters in a favorable hitting environment we should look to load up our rosters!

Paul Goldschmidt ($4,200) makes for a top play as he is averaging 15 ppg over the last two weeks and can be paired with Jake Lamb ($3,300) who is one of the top plays at any position for a middle of the order Arizona stack.

The Braves lineup in the same game has a variety of value options including Ender Inciarte ($3,300) & Nick Markakis ($2,800) who are both averaging double-digit points over the last 2 weeks and hit at the top of the order in a favorable spot against RHP Zack Godley.

Lastly, do not sleep on the Seattle Mariners who are on a tremendous hot streak and right on the verge of the wild car picture. The Mariners get a home game against Michael Pineda and the Yankees which puts Robinson Cano at only $3,400 as a key cog in all my lineups in a tough to fill 2B slot on Monday!

Next: Top FanDuel MLB Lineup

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

Pitcher: Jon Lester ($11,000)

More from FanSided

Catcher: Welington Castillo ($2,800)

First Base: Paul Goldschmidt ($4,200)

Second Base: Robinson Cano ($3,400)

Third Base: Jake Lamb ($3,300)

Shortstop: Ketel Marte ($2,200) Marte has hits in 3 straight games and has exceeded 12 points in 2 of his last 4 at a near minimum price

Outfield: Ender Inciarte ($3,300)

Outfield: Nick Markakis ($2,800)

Outfield: Mikie Mahtook ($2,000) Mahtook is one of my favorite value plays as he sits at a bargain price and is commonly batting lead-off against LHP

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!