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.   Weather could be an issue tonight, and worth monitoring up to lock time.  Currently, the SEA/DET looks to have the largest threat of a PPD, and with 14 games on the slate, I’ll be leaving them off of the options below, except if listed in the FantasyAlarm team thoughts.

 

Pitching: 

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 you should set yourself some type of “floor” when it comes to how you select your pitchers.

I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the top three priced SP’s tonight.  Of that group, I prefer Max Scherzer the most, especially if playing cash games.  Justin Verlander is my preferred pivot, with Chris Sale only in play if you need the salary relief.  Trevor Bauer is a sneaky pivot on DK, but more affordable on FD.  I’ll likely be off him personally, due to weather concerns.  

I’m not too sure which route is best if looking to go cheaper with pitching, or looking for a value #2 SP on DK.  Matt Koch has beaten Verlander and Kershaw, but not sure if he can do it again vs Scherzer.  He works more as a gpp shot at most for me.  Depending on how much you want to spend for a #2 SP, Kenta Maeda , Luke Weaver , and Sonny Gray would be my preferred targets. They all have solid matchups, and are capable of pitching better than they have been.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see some Kevin Gausman and Tyler Skaggs in some lineups, but I’m not on them personally. 

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our pitching coach, Brett Talley, likes Scherzer if you can afford him, while Verlander and Sale are both in play for him if needing the extra salary.  He likes Maeda and Skaggs as mid-tier options, as well as Marco Gonzales if the weather holds up in Detroit. Luke Weaver and Eric Lauer are his value pitchers in the late night matchup at Petco.

Our projections have Sale as the top pitcher, followed by Maeda and Weaver.  Scherzer, Bauer, and Verlander round out the top six.  Waever and Gray check in as the top value plays.

 

Top Hitting Targets:  

There are plenty of other routes to take with the details given in the playbook, coaches, and our other tools if wanting to look elsewhere.  As mentioned in the playbook, I felt like this was a harder slate to read than those I’ve recently broken down in the playbook and construction pieces.

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, while Perez was the play last night, I’m leaning more towards Yasmani Grandal in that upper price range tonight. Buster Posey and Salvador Pérez work as well.  Jorge Alfaro would be my pivot off of Chris Iannetta if looking to go outside of Coors.  If punting, you may need to wait for lineups to come out, and I always like to take a cheap catcher from a team I’m already targeting.  Austin Romine isn’t a pure punt play, but provides cheap exposure to the Yankees if in the lineup. Kelly, Lopez, and Perez are my other punt targets.

I like both Freddie Freeman and Joey Votto over Matt Adams and Edwin Encarnación if paying up, but all work in terms of team stacking.  If you think Ian Desmond wakes up before being benched, than he works for a value Coors play, while Cody Bellinger may be a popular late night hammer, especially on FD. 

I’m high on the Braves vs Straily, and if you feel the same, it will be hard to pass up on Ozzie Albies tonight.  DJ LeMahieu and Ian Kinsler both work as solid pivots, but I do feel that second base is fairly open tonight if not looking to pay up.  I do like Nunez and Jason Kipnis , who has a solid FD price tag.

As mentioned in the playbook, I think it will be hard to pay up for Nolan Arenado on FD tonight, but he’s in play for the top option if paying up on DK.  José Ramírez is a solid FD play, while Miguel Andujar provides cheap exposure to the Yankees.  Travis Shaw will likely be the highest owned Milwaukee player tonight. If you like him, it’s worth taking a look at Ryan Flaherty , who is starting over Bautista.  He does have a nice DK salary for a Braves stack.

While I like Francisco Lindor , Didi Gregorius will likely be the more popular cash game option tonight.  I do feel that SS is still stacked tonight, with Trevor Story and Chris Taylor as possible pivots off the top options.  As mentioned in the playbook, Jedd Gyorko is a Padres killer, and like him as a SS on FD, and 3B option on DK tonight.

OF 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.  I mentioned plenty of options to consider in the playbook, and likely will come down to which pitcher you feel like picking on tonight.  We saw plenty of top fantasy production from OF spots without having to pay up last night, and could possibly get away with that again tonight.  Brett Gardner will likely be a popular value play, while Carlos González makes for a nice pivot for some Coors exposure.  All the top bats could be used for stacking if you can afford them, while other value options like Andrew McCutchen , Joc Pederson , Trey Mancini , and Andrew Benintendi are just some of the options worth a second look.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our hitting coach, Jonhenry Holt, likes Didi, Springer, and Blackmon if paying up.  Cargo would be his combo with Blackmon, with Cruz and Candelario being his mid-priced options if the game in Detroit plays tonight.  Mitch Garver and Justin Bour would be his value options to consider.

Our projections have Trout, Freeman, Blackmon, J.D. Martínez , and Mookie Betts as the top five.  With all the top SS options, it has Xander Bogaerts as the top SS, as well as in the top seven overall on both sites.  Joc is the top FD value, while Jake Marisnick leads the DK value options.   

 

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. I mentioned my thoughts on who I like my stacking in the playbook, but it’s looking like the Yankees will be a popular option.  I’m all for creating some late night hammer only lineups though if looking to be different.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our stacking coach, Tom Vecchio, has the Yankees as his top stack, with the Braves as his mid-priced stack play.  If the game plays, he likes going back to Seattle again tonight vs. the lefty Boyd.

 

Final Thoughts: 

FanDuel:  I would rather spend the extra salary for Scherzer as my SP tonight.  If looking to go cheap for gpp’s, I’ll pick on the Padres with Waever over going with Gray or someone else.  I’ll roll with Gardner and Joc for two of the OF spots, and use a mid-$3K option for first base, which will likely be Bellinger.  That leaves roughly $2.8K for the five remaining players, which isn’t that ideal.  Consider punting one or two of the spots, or go without Belly, and target a few other cheap Yankees bats like Andujar or even Walker.  I have a feeling some will use Max Moroff leading off for Pitt, but I would not go lower than Gyorko at SS personally.

DraftKings:  Similar to FD, I’ll find my way towards Scherzer tonight as my top option.  Weaver isn’t as great as a value option for DK as he is on FD, but not sure if paying less for Gray, or more for Kenta would really make or break my lineup tonight.  For now, I do have Waever penciled in over the other two, but won’t talk you out of going another route, and even the Koch play.  I do plan on spending up for a SS on DK, and likely will pair up Gardner with two of his teammates.  I’ll probably go cheaper with a Kinsler or Nunez type play at second and a cheap Coors game option for another OF spot.  DK is pretty tricky tonight, and it all depends on how you approach pitching. Ideally, you’re going to have to find a value play or three if trying to fit in top pitching, with some bats in plus spots tonight.