After looking at all of the tools available at FantasyAlarm, the example lineups page should be used to help validate your thoughts, as well as help you consider some options that may not have been on your radar for the slate.  In addition to the example lineups, below you will find a breakdown of possible routes to take when building your MLB lineups tonight.  While we are focused on FanDuel and DraftKings, this breakdown can be used for all sites.  Please use our live chat feature to share your thoughts, and receive any feedback leading up to first pitch.  Good luck!

Please note that this was written before all lineups have been posted, which may open up new routes to consider.  

 

Top Pitching Targets

I always start my lineup building with pitching, as it’s the most important part of building your lineups. I tend to look for pitchers who I believe can pitch six innings, strike out six, and give up no more than two runs.  Feel free to set up whatever parameters you want to, but should set yourself some type of “floor” when it comes to how you select your pitchers.

Tonight’s slate comes down to how you feel about Alex Wood .  Either Vegas is wrong, or the sites are off with their pricing, as Wood is more than $5K less than Corbin on DK tonight.  The Dodgers are the favorite in this game, Wood was priced $2.2K more on DK just two starts ago.  He was $600 more for his last start, which was a one earned, eight K game vs the D-Backs.  I think he’s a plug and play for DK cash games, and could be in play in all formats.  On FD, Patrick Corbin is a top option if you can afford him.  He has allowed just one earned over 13.1 innings vs the Dodgers this season, and struck out 17 of them.  I think Corbin, Gio González , or Masahiro Tanaka are all in play across all formats. 

Julio Teherán works for $1K cheaper than Wood if looking for a value play, and also for $1,300 more than Wood if looking to go cheap with DK pitching.  Tampa Bay has scored just one run over their last two games.  

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team

Our pitching coach, Brett Talley, likes Corbin as his top play, with Gio as a top pivot option.  Tanaka and Wood are his top mid-priced pitchers, while Nick Pivetta and Wade LeBlanc are his value plays.

Our projections have Wood, Tanaka, and Gio all ahead of the top priced Corbin tonight.  We saw a similar situation last night with Kluber.  LeBlanc is joined by Ryan Yarbrough as the top value pitchers.

 

Top Hitting Targets

There are plenty of other routes to take with details given in the playbook, coaches, and our other tools if wanting to look elsewhere.

On FD, I think avoiding a catcher outside of stacks due to the deep first base options is the way to go on most nights. On DK, if not punting, I think any of the $3.3-$3.8K catchers are in play over spending up for Sanchez.  The playbook highlights Salvador Pérez and Mike Zunino from that group.  Caleb Joseph worked as the punt catcher last night, and the O’s do have the highest implied run total of the night.

I think any of the early start games, as well as the Nationals are going to have the heavier overall ownership in terms of hitters.  Similar to how you feel about Hill when it comes to pitching, is how I see Wade LeBlanc in terms of the hitting direction you take.  We have plenty of left handed pitchers taking the mound tonight, and five of them could be rocked.  If thinking one is LeBlanc, then Justin Smoak is your first base play.  If thinking it’s one of the weaker righties taking the mound, than Lucas Duda is your play, as Cashner has allowed nine homers already this year.  If you feel differently though, it will be hard to talk you out of a Freddie Freeman or Carlos Santana .

The O’s will be a popular team to target tonight in all formats, and that includes Jonathan Schoop for cheap at second.  The playbook also highlights Ozzie Albies and Robinson Canó as other solid options.

Similar to first base, if not on LeBlanc, Josh Donaldson will likely be a popular option.  Mike Moustakas and the Royals will likely be three times more popular tonight vs a weaker pitcher, but will likely be off of them due to that.  Danny Valencia , José Bautista , and Pedro Alvarez (see stacks article), works as value plays.

Don’t be afraid to go back to Manny Machado if he happened to burn you last night.  If that happens again, he’ll burn a lot more people than those who took him a day early for a lot less owned.  Didi Gregorius and Trea Turner are your pivot options, with Jean Segura highlighted in the playbook if looking to save some salary.

Outfield is always wide open in terms of routes to consider taking.  If not stacking, I prefer to pay up for one spot, punt the other, and use the last spot to pick a player from a team that I’m already targeting.  Bryce Harper and J.D. Martínez would be my options if paying up.  Tanaka has held most of the Red Sox in check, but not Martinez.  You may not have to fully pay up if you don’t want to, as players like Ronald Acuna Jr, Mitch Haniger , and Adam Jones all come with a solid discount from the top priced OF plays.  The playbook also highlights A.J. Pollock from that group.   Finally, I have no issues using Wood as a pitcher, with Steven Souza Jr as my FD value OF play.  The O’s have plenty of cheaper options that are in a better spot, and may not have to fully punt tonight.  The playbook likes Michael Taylor if looking for value outside of Baltimore.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team: 

Our projections have Harper, Donaldson, and Freeman as the top three on both FD and DK tonight. The projectioned hit with two Royals in the top last night, and they have four O’s in the top nine on FD tonight, and 5 of the top 13 on DK.  Aaron Altherr , Chris Owings , and Mike Zunino are the top value plays. 

 

GPP’s

If playing gpp’s, your best approach is stacking.  Pick a game, or two teams that you think will blast off, then go all in on them.  Yes, entering your cash lineup, or another type of lineup can cash in a gpp, but if looking to finish in the top 1%, you need to hit with a stack.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team

Our stacking coach, James Grande, provides a few options to take with stacking Seattle vs Garcia tonight.  He also like the Yankees streak to end with the Boston bats coming through.  On the flip side, he does think PIvetta will continue to struggle, and shows a route to take with a Giants stack.

 

Final Thoughts

FanDuel:  I left my thoughts about pitching up top, and feel it all depends on how you see the games being played.  I am rolling with Smoak and Donaldson, but can go Perez/Duda and Mous for slightly less.  Machado and Schoop will fill out my IF.  I’ll likely pay up for at least one OF option, and take a cheaper Baltimore player (likely Jones) for the second spot. 

DraftKings:  Similar to FD, I left my thoughts on pitching above, but will likely be pairing Wood with either Teheran or Tanaka. Taking that same IF combo from FD, while adding in Joseph leaves  $4.8K for each of the three OF spots.  Can upgrade Joseph to a more popular catcher if you go cheaper with one of the OF spots.