FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for August 29

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 Main Slate kicks off at 7:05PM EST with 13 games to choose from when building your FanDuel 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	256.3	$ 8,619	25%	75%	$ 3,298	7.32
5 Day	256.0	$ 9,150	26%	74%	$ 3,231	7.31
Prev Day	256.6	$ 7,000	20%	80%	$ 3,500	7.33

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?

Wow what a slate we have here on Monday night with multiple top end aces and a whopping six teams projected to score over 5 runs. With so many avenues to go, should we pay up at Starting Pitcher or go the value route?

Although the offensive projections are enticing and a game in Coors is always an all out stack possibility, this slate to me starts first with a high-end pitcher. With the fact we have so many avenues for offense, we don’t necessarily need to target Coors Field for our lineup. Also with aces like Jose Fernandez, Jake Arrieta and Yu Darvish on the hill, you will need an arm that can match those high upside hurlers.

Carlos Martinez ($9,700) gets a road start against a Milwaukee team he has absolutely dominated this season and makes for an affordable high upside pitching option. Martinez in his last two starts against the Brewers, both in Milwaukee, has put up 57 and 60 FanDuel points while racking up 19 K’s in only 13 IP.

The Brewers strike out at a 25.4% clip which is the single highest mark on Monday’s slate which supports the strikeout totals Martinez has put up against them in his earlier starts.

With the match-up Martinez walks into, he could easily end the night as the highest scoring SP and you can roster him at a material discount compared to the other arms which allows you to spend up on offense!

Next: Coors Field and Other Hitting Spots to Target

FanDuel MLB — Aug 26, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Cameron Maybin (4) receives congratulations from first baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) after he hits a home run in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Obviously any time we have a game in Coors field we need to take notice but with four other teams projected to score over five runs, this makes the perfect spot to fade those high-priced bats.

Detroit Tigers versus RHP James Shields: The Dodgers have the highest projected run total on Monday at 5.68 but the Tigers are not far behind at 5.63. Now take into account the Tigers bats are affordable and sit under $4k can you allow you a “Coors Field-like” stack without paying the inflated prices!

Miguel Cabrera ($3,900) needs to be the key piece in any Tigers stack or even as a stand alone play based off his career numbers against James Shields. Miggy is an absurd 24 for 63 (.381 average) with 13 extra base hits and three home runs against the White Sox veteran.

J.D. Martinez ($3,700) & Cameron Maybin ($2,800) are both producing at an elite level, averaging over 14 points per game over the last two weeks and considering the upside are under-priced as a tandem for this match-up.

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:

More from FanSided

Catcher: Sandy Leon ($2,500) The Red Sox in Fenway are one of the highest projected teams and make for a great target with the cheaper lower order bats

First Base: Miguel Cabrera ($3,900)

Second Base: Jose Altuve ($3,900) With so many great spots for offense, I am hoping Altuve at home versus a LHP is completely overlooked and we can get one of the best DFS players at lower than expected ownership

Third Base: Travis Shaw ($2,600)

Shortstop: Addison Russell ($2,900) Another team projected for 5+ runs, Russell should hit in the middle of the order against a LHP in Wrigley

Outfield: J.D. Martinez ($3,700)

Outfield: Cameron Maybin ($2,800)

Outfield: Justin Upton ($3,000)

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!