FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for August 31
Welcome to the Wednesday 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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Wednesday is a split slate on FanDuel with 6 games on the 1:10PM EST Early Slate and another 8 games on the 7:05PM EST 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 | 256.1 | $ 8,637 | 25% | 75% | $ 3,295 | 7.32 |
| 5 Day | 246.1 | $ 9,267 | 26% | 74% | $ 3,217 | 7.03 |
| Prev Day | 243.5 | $ 11,200 | 32% | 68% | $ 2,975 | 6.96 |
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.
Welcome to the Wednesday Fantasy Baseball slate on FanDuel where we get greeted by a split-slate MLB day of action!
Initially I looked at today and was excited to get two separate chances to play FanDuel but the more I look at the early slate, the more I am likely to avoid it. The high-end pitching options are all in difficult match-ups, the value pitching options seem to be nothing more than GPP fliers and although we have big time offense potential in Coors and Houston, I expect those spots to be highly owned and difficult to differentiate. You hear experts breach “bankroll management” and this is one of those days I intend to be smart with the early slate. If you want to throw in a few entries for fun I certainly would not blame you, but the main slate is where I see the best plays on the evening and will focus my bankroll on that slate!
First, Corey Kluber ($10,800) at home versus Minnesota is the chalk cash game play and frankly I see no reason to get cute in those formats. Kluber is a massive favorite (-300), has the highest strikeout rate (26.7%) of any pitcher on the main slate and comes into the game averaging 43 ppg over the last month.
Luke Weaver ($6,800) is my top tournament play on the main slate as he gets a road start against the Brewers. No team on the slate strikes out at a higher percentage than the Brew Crew, at 25.4% and when matched with Weaver’s 24.6% K rate, which is second behind Kluber, this sets up well for a high upside play.
Weaver has struck out 13 batters in his 11 innings pitched and is coming off a 48 FanDuel point performance in his last start. The last two games, Cardinals starting pitchers have put up 54 and 39 points in similar match-ups against this Milwaukee team as Carlos Martinez and Adam Wainwright struck out 13 and seven batters respectively.
Weaver has the ability to exploit the same match up with should easily exceed value at this bargain price point.
Next: Top Hitting Options
Cleveland Indians versus LHP Pat Dean: The Indians come into this game with the highest team total on the main slate and face a SP in Pat Dean who has been pummeled by RHB this season.
Dean has given up a .333 opposing batting average, nine home runs and 25 ER in only 38 IP to right-handed batters this season.
Mike Napoli ($3,600) and Rajai Davis ($3,300) are two of the top plays in this game and sit at very reasonable price points considering the upside. Also locking in Francisco Lindor ($3,500) as the top shortstop option on the board not only gives you a solid Indians stack, but I expect most will look to punt SS on the main slate which allows us to differentiate.
Blue Jays against Yovani Gallardo: The other highest projected scoring team on the Main slate can be found in Toronto where the Blue Jays head to Camden Yards. Gallardo has similar splits to hitters from both sides of the plate so while Michael Saunders ($3,500) has the platoon advantage, targeting Josh Donaldson ($4,600) when others may opt to save salary for Kluber can be a big differentiating factor in large field tournaments.
Next: Top FanDuel MLB Lineup
Below you will find my initial lineup for Wednesday’s Main FanDuel MLB slate including notes/comments on my roster construction.
Pitcher:More from FanSided
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- Cowboys give a masterclass in defense construction with Trevon Diggs extension
- Jim Harbaugh facing 4-game suspension over NCAA violations
- Predicting NBA’s Christmas Day Schedule: Lakers, Warriors highlight slate of postseason rematches
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!