MLB GPP Tournament Picks 8/26/19: FanDuel & DraftKings GPP Strategy

The purpose of this column is to highlight some players with upside and well-suited for tournaments. While the majority of the hitter picks will likely have power upside, that's not necessarily the case for all the listed options. Other contextual factors such as batting order, ballpark, opposing pitcher, price, speed, etc also come into play, and you'll see these items sprinkled into the write-ups below. Along with that, we'll be gauging the ownership levels, giving you some plausible pivots from the popular choices in a given game slate. We also include an area to find the top stacks of the night for upside but also some lower owned that give you an edge.

Starting Pitcher

J.A. Happ - New York Yankees

DK: $7,100 - FD: $6,500

Sonny Gray is the obvious top play on the board, and then there is a lot of names that have been tough to trust. J.A. Happ is certainly one of them, and is a boom or bust cheap option tonight. He gets an upgrade pitching at Seattle, and this offense has a .323 wOBA and .174 ISO against left-handed pitching. Their strikeout rate is also 26%. This is a perfect spot to just buy low on Happ for the night.

Tournament Bats

Paul Goldschmidt - St. Louis Cardinals - 1B

DK: $4,600 - FD: $3,700

Paul Goldschmidt is just in too good of a spot to pass up tonight, even with ownership being on his side. He has a .397 wOBA and .305 ISO off left-handed pitching, and has always had strong numbers against southpaws. Gio Gonzalez has allowed a .350 wOBA and .217 ISO to right-handers. Miller Park is a strong right-handed power park, and Goldy has already enjoyed success here.

Evan Longoria - San Francisco Giants - 3B

DK: $4,200 - FD: $3,300

Evan Longoria isn't the bat he once was, but still has solid numbers against southpaws. He has a .356 wOBA and .179 ISO off left-handed pitching this season. His 47% hard-contact rate leads the team. Alex Young is over-performing with a 5.18 xFIP and allowing a .341 wOBA and .164 ISO to right-handers. The ballpark isn't favorable, but half the ones on this slate isn't.

A.J. Pollock - Los Angeles Dodgers - OF

DK: $4,400 - FD: $3,400

Eric Lauer has been better at home, but there are still a few Dodgers options to consider tonight. Lauer has average stuff at best, and doesn't miss a lot of bats. A.J. Pollock is projected to lead off tonight and has a .409 wOBA off left-handed pitching this season. His hard-contact rate is also near 50%. Chris Taylor, Will Smith, and even the lefties are in play. Lauer has struggled against left-handed bats, allowing a .395 wOBA and .194 ISO.

Tournament Stacks

St. Louis Cardinals - The Cardinals are usually a team that perform better at home, but Miller Park is a better spot for the upside of these bats. It also doesn't hurt to have Gio Gonzalez on the mound. .350 wOBA and .217 ISO to right-handed hitters. You have a lot of right-handed bats in this lineup, and Edman, Goldy, and Ozuna all have over a .200 ISO against left-handed pitching this season. Dexter Fowler also has solid numbers, and Paul DeJong is also a shortstop play with upside. Harrison Bader is at the end of the lineup with a .221 ISO this year.