With DraftKings having two roster spots for pitchers, it creates an opportunity to take a stand in a limited player pool. To play it safe, the majority of users like to roster the chalkiest pitchers in hopes of their bats being the main focal point of their lineup. While in theory it is a great strategy, it limits a lineup’s ability to stand out from the rest and ultimately land in the top 5 of a large-field GPP. That’s why we need MLB DFS pivots.
The goal in this breakdown is to find which pitchers can give lineups the opportunity to return massive ROI while being undrowned across the field. Using Stokastic’s Top Pitchers Tool, we are able to determine the pitchers that are expected to be chalk, along with the pitchers that are projected for high leverage in contests. The correlation of high leverage but low ownership is a crucial piece to unlocking a lineup’s potential.
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Let’s dive into which pitchers stand out in both of these categories to find the best MLB DFS pivots for today.
Best MLB DFS Pivots Today: Logan Gilbert and More (April 23)
Grayson Rodriguez ($9,600)
According to Stokastic’s Top Pitchers Tool, Rodriguez is projected for 13.4% ownership in a matchup with the Angels, who have a 23.5% strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers, 10th highest in the league. His low ownership can be attributed to the fact that his price tag has reached $9,600, a $1,700 increase from his $7,900 opening day price, but it doesn’t come without reason.
Rodriguez has been solid in four starts this season, averaging 22.3 DraftKings points, a 1.17 WHIP and a 27.8% strikeout rate, along with a 3-0 record. A way to incorporate Rodriguez into our lineups tonight is using him as a pivot off of Pablo Lopez ($9,300), who is projected for 41.8% ownership, nearly triple Rodriguez’s ownership at 13.4%. If you don’t want to fade Lopez today, we can use Rodriguez to deviate from Marcus Stroman ($9,800), who is projected for 19.4% ownership, third highest among pitchers. Take advantage of the Orioles pitcher at low ownership on tonight’s massive slate.
Logan Gilbert ($9,000)
Outside of one start against Milwaukee, Gilbert has been elite fantasy-wise, scoring 27 DraftKings points in three out of four starts. His 4% projected ownership is reflective of the tough matchup he has tonight, being on the road against the Rangers, but it leaves him as the second-highest-leveraged pitcher in Stokastic’s Top Pitchers Tool (8.2%).
While Gilbert has been great this season, with a 0.78 WHIP and a 29% strikeout rate, it’s his ability to go so deep into games that makes him so appealing, as he is tied for most innings among pitchers with four starts. The combination of being an elite strike thrower and the strength to seven-plus innings creates a safe floor for his $9,000 price tag. As mentioned in the previous section, Lopez and Stroman are dominating ownership at over 20%. If one of those pitchers were to fail, Gilbert lineups would have the potential to be on takedown watch as long as he puts out a solid performance.
Get started finding the best MLB DFS pivots by using Stokastic tools today! Check out all we have to offer here!
