FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for Monday September 19

Sep 14, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello (22) delivers against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

FanDuel MLB: Picks and Pivots for September 19

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 at 7:05PM EST with 10 games on the FanDuel 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	255.7	$ 8,627	25%	75%	$ 3,297	7.31
5 Day	244.7	$ 9,033	26%	74%	$ 3,246	6.99
Prev Day	275.0	$ 7,000	20%	80%	$ 3,500	7.86

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.

Aug 16, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Noah Syndergaard ($11,000) at home versus Atlanta: With Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner facing off against each other on Monday, the Mets ace becomes the clear top pitcher to target across all formats.

Syndergaard has been in elite form over the last month, averaging 45 FanDuel points per game which is the highest of any pitcher on the slate.

The Braves have been a more difficult offense to face in recent weeks which may give gamers pause to pay up for Thor, but the fact that he is the largest favorite on the board (-275) should make him a relatively safe play with the most strikeout upside on the slate.

My only concern with Syndergaard is that the weather in New York on Monday looks dicey, as the early forecasts predict 65% chance of rain from 5pm-10pm which if this holds would likely make the game a complete washout. Considering the game is 24 hours away I am going to head into Monday with a non New York lineup and move back to Thor if the forecast improves.

With the need to pivot off Syndergaard, Rick Porcello ($9,600) makes for a great play as he takes the hill in Baltimore. Porcello has been incredibly consistent all year long and continues to roll along on a Cy Young caliber year as he has averaged 42 points per game over the last month. Porcello faces an Orioles team he just hurled 8 innings against in a 39 point no decision in his last start.

September 9, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) on deck before hitting in the fourth inning against Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Angels versus LHP Martin Perez: Although we have a game in Coors Field, the game between the Angels and Rangers has a Coors like 10 run total which allows us to target a high upside offensive showdown at a fraction of the price.

The Angels get to face off against Martin Perez who has surrendered a .337 wOBA to right-handed bats this season with a 33% hard contact rate.

Mike Trout ($4,200) and Albert Pujols ($3,400) are the clear top targets in this match up but do not sleep on Andrelton Simmons ($2,300) who although he has been the highest scoring SS over the last 2 weeks remains at way too low of a price!

Mariners at home versus Marco Estrada: Estrada has exhibited reverse splits this season, giving up a 37.4% hard contact rate to right-handed batters which makes Nelson Cruz ($3,800) & Franklin Gutierrez ($3,200) great plays for the Mariners. Estrada has been exceptional at limiting left-handed bats to any sort of production this year so I would keep your exposure focused on the RHB in this game.

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: Carlos Perez ($2,100)

First Base: Albert Pujols ($3,400)

Second Base: Dustin Pedroia ($3,300)

Third Base: Adrian Beltre ($3,100) Although the Angels may be the preferred target, do not overlook the Rangers bats in this game and Beltre is a cost-effective way to get exposure

Shortstop: Andrelton Simmons ($2,300) No shortstop has averaged more points per game over the last two weeks

Outfield: Mike Trout ($4,200)

Outfield: Nelson Cruz ($3,800)

Outfield: Franklin Gutierrez ($3,200)

Next: DFS Strategy - Take Your Game to the Next Level

Best of luck tonight gamers!