Michael Conforto was our week-long “value pick” target. Conforto went 6-for-22 with a HR, four RBIs, a SB and a 2B over six games. Giancarlo Stanton remained a conundrum, going hitless in 12 at-bats before homering Sunday. You were served well if you stayed away based on his price. 

MORE: Fantasy Alarm DFS Playbook Pro |  Play FanDuel!

We “trolled” the Astros and Blue Jays offenses, who continue to pile up the batter strikeouts. The results were pretty successful:

Cole Hamels vs HOU: W, 7K, 3BB, 1ER, 6.2 IP

Derek Holland vs HOU: W, 5K, 1 BB, 2 ER, 5 IP

Sonny Gray vs TOR: W, 7 K, 3 BB, 3 ER, 7 IP

David Price vs TOR: W, 9K, 0 BB, 2 ER, 7 IP

Four starts, four winners. Not too shabby! Granted, there’s some real talent there, but not many owners have the guts to take on the Blue Jays head-to-head. Careful analysis does pay off!

Now it’s back to the grind for a look ahead at the daily fantasy landscape in the world of major league baseball. 

FanDuel and DraftKings hitter strategy

PLAYER AT PEAK SALARY:

Nolan Arenado, 3B, COL ($5.3K FanDuel/$5.1K DraftKings)

Arenado in Colorado is like bacon on a cheeseburger. Everything is right about it, but eventually you’ll have to pay the cost of your indulgence. That Coors inflation rate really makes him almost impossible to roll with and still field a respectable starting pitcher. By the weekend, that salary number should come down slightly. Considering he was a beast in 2015 on the road and Arizona has a very favorable ballpark factor, Arenado has plenty of appeal away from the thin air. The trouble is, it may be too favorable of a surrounding and may not move the salary price needle quite far enough to make him a sound purchase.

PLAYERS PRICED BELOW VALUE:

Justin Upton, OF, DET ($2.8K FanDuel/$3.3K DraftKings) and Jose Abreu, 1B, CWS ($3K FanDuel/$4K DraftKings)

It’s been more than 10 games since Upton left the yard. Sure, he’s striking out way too much and likely pressing after signing a big contract this offseason, but now that Miguel Cabrera is starting to ramp up, Upton should feel less pressure and is an insane value considering his power/speed combination. A year ago with outs being a negative on FanDuel scoring, I wouldn’t have felt nearly as comfortable about this recommendation. With that no longer an issue, he’s a no brainer. It’s only a matter of time, and when he gets hot, he’ll stay that way for a while.

Abreu has had back-to-back incredibly productive years. He’s usually an on-base machine with power to spare. It’s been a dismal start for him and the White Sox offense. Some time on the road in Toronto and Baltimore is just what the doctor ordered, and his two walks Monday night is a good, quiet sign he’s about to go on a tear. FanDuel has him priced well below his talent value.

CONUNDRUM OF THE WEEK:

Andrew McCutchen, OF, PIT ($4.8K FanDuel/$5.3 DraftKings with the Coors Field inflation)

You can’t be a baseball fan and not appreciate McCutchen. Unfortunately, he’s having his second consecutive poor April (.213 BA/.684 OPS with just two HRs and five RBIs). Maybe some time spent in the thin air of Colorado this week gets him going again. However, right now neither of the big two DFS sites have discounted him in terms of salary, and until he gets that bat going, he’s frankly a budget liability. 

MORE: Fantasy Alarm DFS Playbook Pro | Optimal DFS lineup |  Play FanDuel!

Daily fantasy baseball hitter strategy

There have been some dreadful offensive openings to the season for a number of teams in 2016. The Angels did nothing to address the lack of protection around Mike Trout, and it wasn’t surprising considering the money they had tied up in bad contracts. The result has been the fewest runs scored in baseball (just 57!). But the Angels are finally starting to heat up a bit of late, as Albert Pujols went yard twice Monday night.

Once Pujols gets up to speed, Trout will regain the pep in his step, as well. Their weekend trip to Arlington could bode very well for this lineup. They’ll face Colby Lewis and the same two lefties I recommended last week. Yes, that’s right, I’m turning on Cole Hamels (nursing an injury) and Derek Holland. There’s no room for loyalty in the daily fantasy world. George R.R. Martin would be proud of my quick change of allegiance!

We expected to see the rebuilding Braves and Phillies in the cellar of runs scored. The surprise bottom-feeder team offense has been the Chicago White Sox. Jose Abreu has been abnormally cold, and new edition Todd Frazier was slow out of the gate. A week in Toronto and Baltimore could be exactly what they need to get going as a group. Buy low on those Sox bats this week.

Daily fantasy baseball lineup picks

Finally, here’s a look at Tuesday’s Relative Position Value per Dollar Lineup (RPVPD) for DraftKings. RPVPD is the Fantasy Black Book’s DFS player evaluation tool, which is only available to Fantasy Alarm subscribers . For more optimal lineups, DFS tools like RPVPD, and season-long rankings and advice, head to FantasyAlarm.com for the DFS Playbook and much more!

Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17) is the seven-time best-selling author of the Fantasy Black Book Series for baseball and football. He hosts Fantasy Sports Tonight on Sirius/XM Fantasy Sports Radio and the Dear Mr. Fantasy Podcast.