Apr 5, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) connects for a two run homer during the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

MLB Picks and Pivots – FanDuel Picks April 19

Welcome to the Tuesday edition of Picks & Pivots, a daily fantasy column focused on providing analysis for the upcoming MLB FanDuel slate. 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 pay day!

FanSided and FantasyCPR have you covered – For additional FanDuel MLB analysis, take a look at my fellow staff writer Matt Rogers FanDuel Economics column or Mike Marteny who provides Draft Kings MLB Picks analysis giving you the most in depth DFS coverage for tonight’s baseball slate.

Tuesday’s games start off at 1:00PM EST with the Brewers/Twins and is followed up by a 6:10PM EST tilt between the Mariners and Indians but the main slate on FanDuel starts at 7:05PM EST with 13 games.

I will continue to track winning GPP 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 compares the 5 day period April 12-16 and the winning GPP scores from a selection of GPP entries I have entered over the past week with a comparison to how Sunday, April 17th slate played out.

• Average Top GPP Finish Points Scored: 232 Points(5 day) – April 17(202)
• Average SP Salary: $8,000 (5 Day) – April 17 ($6,000)
• Hitter/Pitcher Percentage of Salary Spent: 23/77 (5 Day) – April 17: 17/83
• $ Value Per Point: $6.6 (5 Day) – April 17: 5.7

The Sunday GPP results snap us back into the trend we have seen over the last 10 days where a mid-tier starting pitcher, in this case Matt Moore, was found on the top tournament entries and the salary was spent to build a top end lineup.  As you look to build your lineups – the target value continues to be just north of 6x value and the data suggests that in GPP lineups we should continue to target mid-tier starters.

Now on to the picks…