MLB GPP Picks 4-6-15

GPP Chin Music: Daily Fantasy Baseball Tournament Picks

Welcome to our first MLB GPP Picks article of the season. The way players get on the list below is through a multitude of factors. These factors may range from sheer ownership level, matchup, player ability, narrative, weather, park factors and many many more. My goal is to get you looking at players who I believe will be best suited for GPP plays and help propel you to the top. As the season progresses, this article will include many more advanced stats for each player.

Without further ado....

Pitchers

Corey Kluber

• FD $10,400
• DK $9,800

We all saw what Kluber was made of last year during his Cy Young run. He had similar strikeout potential as the top aces and was always priced significantly less. This year starts the same. Kluber sees a significant price decrease from Kershaw and Scherzer but has the same upside against a strikeout-happy Houston Astros team.

Julio Teheran

• FD $9,200
• DK $8,800

Last season, Julio showed stints of greatness. We saw him whiff batters and put up huge scores that were frequently seen on the winning GPP teams. We see Julio on Opening Day in a pitcher's park. Over the past two years, he has been an absolute workhorse which quite possibly added to the volatility of Teheran. Get him while he's “rested" for a low ownership, high upside option.

Henderson Alvarez

• FD $7,400
• DK $6,200

Alvarez will likely be the “GPP Pick of The Day" when it comes to low priced pitchers. The Atlanta Braves got rid of the majority of their quality bats, leaving Freddie Freeman on an island. Alvarez isn't a pick who's going to give you significant upside, but he has a very cheap price in possibly the matchup of the day. Using him in a great matchup for cheap allows you to plug in some big bats and make him a GPP flyer for me.

Catcher

Buster Posey

• FD $4,300
• DK $4,600

Opening Day brings a much different dynamic to DFS. We typically see the best of the best pitching for their respective teams today. While that is true for most teams, it is not for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Josh Collmenter. Buster provides tons of upside against one of the weaker pitchers of the day. Roster construction tells us most players tend to punt catcher -- great place to pick up points.

First Base

Adam Lind

• FD $2,800
• DK $4,100

Adam Lind took an offseason move to Milwaukee and sees himself batting fifth in a powerful offense. Last year, Brewers stacks were at the top of many GPPs ,and this year looks to be no different. As mentioned before, on Opening Day we want to target the weakest of the starting pitchers and Kyle Kendrick absolutely qualifies as weak. Lind has a great price, amazing matchup, hitter's park and explosive offense. He will likely be high owned, but sometimes you have to follow the crowd.

Second Base

Scooter Gennett

• FD $3,000
• DK $ 3,800

Gennett is another bat from the Brewers who gets the tout. This pick would be significantly stronger if Scooter was batting in the top half of the order as opposed to seventh, but this is a GPP pick and one who may be lower owned because of his batting order slot. Scooter mashed right-handed pitching last year, and thankfully batting order doesn't change sheer hitting abilities. Scooter, I believe, becomes a slightly contrarian play because of his bottom of the order batting. He can still pay off with his hitting ability versus righties. I love a mini-stack of Lind and Gennett for cheap salary, batting close together and in a great matchup.

Third Base

Evan Longoria

• FD $3,800
• DK $4,300

Was there a more frustrating player to roster last year? For myself, I can argue that Evan Longoria made me more upset than any other player last year. I take him in a positive matchup, he goes 0-4. I fade him in a tough matchup, he goes 3-4 with a home run and 4 RBI. I just could not figure out Longoria last year and don't think I am alone among the DFS community. With that being said, on Opening Day we must target weaker pitchers and Chris Tillman qualifies. Pairing his matchup with last year's disappointing “main stay" games, I think Longoria qualifies as a great GPP play. My best guess is that we see players punting third base, making Longo even more effective from an ownership level standpoint.

Shortstop

Jimmy Rollins

• FD $3,600
• DK $3,800

Jimmy Rollins will be sporting a new team in 2015 as he made his way out to LA. Rollins is an extremely volatile pick, but I believe has a bit of narrative street to add to his GPP credibility. Opening Day, new team, ace pitching -- Rollins will be coming to play tonight. He also gets to face the “less than weak" throwing arm of Derek Norris. If Rollins can get on base, a stolen base is extremely possible. I love targeting players who have something to prove – a “chip on their shoulder" so to speak, and tonight Rollins possesses that.

Outfield

Brett Gardner

• FD $3,300
• DK $4,400

Brett Gardner is a player I'll personally be watching close all season. He showed power, speed and prowess along the base path last year, and enters this year batting second for the New York Yankees against Drew Hutchinson of the Jays. Batting in the heart of the Yankees lineup against a pitcher who they crushed twice last year puts me in a spot of locking Gardner into my lineups.

Carlos Gomez

• FD $4,300
• DK $5,000

When we talk high upside player, Carlos Gomez comes to my mind right away. Last season, he led off games with home runs, doubles, stolen bases, you name it, Gomez did it leading off. As you will notice, I am targeting Brewers bats today and Gomez is one I will be heavily targeting. If Gomez gets on base, he is getting brought home from the high-powered offense behind him. He also seems like the player to me whot is a little bit “hyped-up" or “aggressive" for the first game of the year. Let's look for Gomez swinging hard and aggressive on the base path for a big Opening Day GPP Play.

Bryce Harper

• FD $4,100
• DK $4,200

I have little to say about Bryce Harper other than he is a young, talented, likely superstar who is facing an old, low velocity pitcher in Bartolo Colon. He battled through injuries last year, but today embarks the first day of a new season. A team that is hyped in pre-season no less than any other team makes for a Opening Day statement game. I will be looking for a huge game from Mr. Harper.