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.  The weather on the east coast is still worth monitoring leading up to lock time, but won’t be excluding any games from my thoughts below.

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.

Five Second Cheat Sheet:  Clayton Kershaw , Zack Greinke , and Max Scherzer are all in play, with Nick Pivetta as the likely top #2 SP on DK..

Thirty Second Cheat Sheet: Scherzer and Kershaw will likely be more popular, but Greinke has been great at home over the last two years.  If playing cash games, I won’t say play one over the other, but leaning paying for Scherzer on FD, and likely take the discount with Kershaw on DK, pairing him up with Pivetta.  

I mentioned my likely strategy above, but that Reds lineup looks a little less intimidating than the Brewers’ does for me, and if it comes down to grabbing Scherzer and Pearce, over say a $5K or higher OF option with the Kershaw discount on DK, feel free to go Scherzer/Pivetta. The Mets and Padres are sending out top lineups, with Mike Foltynewicz and Mike Montgomery both possible pivot options.  Folty hasn’t been pitching well lately, but could see going with Montgomery, or an even cheaper Félix Hernández if you think either of them will pitch well tonight. I mentioned some other routes in the playbook, and those likely depend on who your hitting targets will be.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team: Our pitching coach, Brett Talley, likes Kershaw and Greinke if paying up, and Pivetta as an across all formats mid-value play. Sabathia and Lopez would be his wild card gpp value plays.

Our projections have Kershaw leading the way, followed by Scherzer, Pivetta, Greinke, and Foltynewicz.  Pivetta is the top FD value option, and is towards the top on DK as well.

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. I provided my overall options in the playbook, with some additional thoughts below.

Five Second Cheat Sheet:  The BAL/TEX game has the highest total, with the Rangers as the top target of the two. Both are top salary relief options.

Thirty Second Cheat Sheet:  Feel free to fade that game if thinking both pitchers continue to pitch much better than they should be.  The NYY/BOS matchup is the top game to watch, while the Nationals, Phillies, and Braves should all win in a crowded divisional race.  Don’t sleep on the Cubs and Mariners though, as both are in solid spots.

Positional Thoughts

Catcher:  Not a huge fan of catcher tonight, with Willson Contreras as your likely default catcher if paying up outside of stacking.  Rest are more about which teams you are targeting. Tyler Flowers , Jorge Alfaro , and Russell Martin are decent options, while Jeff Mathis may be your best punt option if not on Bumgarner.

First Base:  Steve Pearce is your best option price wise if playing cash games, with Paul Goldschmidt and Anthony Rizzo solid if paying up, with Matt Adams (FD), Chris Davis , and Luke Voit (DK) value play options.

Second Base:  Gleyber Torres , Javier Báez , and Ozzie Albies are all in play depending on the site you play on, and your team targets.  Brian Dozier is a solid pivot option, as well as Daniel Murphy . Neil Walker and Ben Zobrist are solid FD plays if going cheap, with Jonathan Villar a popular across the board punt leading off for the O’s.

Third Base:  I prefer going cheap at 3B outside of stacking, with Anthony Rendón as your best option if paying up.  Adrián Béltre , Kyle Seager , Eduardo Núñez (DK), and Yangervis Solarte are some of the better targets when looking at the cheaper options.

Shortstop: Trea Turner , Tim Beckham , Jean Segura , and Asdrubal Cabrera are likely your best options on FD, with a few other options available on DK with the multiple position eligibility.  I gave some additional routes in the playbook, but likely sticking with one of those top four.

Outfield:  As mentioned in the playbook, outfield is extremely wide open tonight. It comes with the hot bats in Rhys Hoskins , Bryce Harper , A.J. Pollock , Giancarlo Stanton , Shin-Soo Choo , and Ronald Acuna Jr. leading the way for me.  Feel free to pair them with their teammates like Adam Duvall , Aaron Hicks , Joey Gallo , and Juan Soto , or can pivot to a cheaper Cubs, Orioles, or Rangers options. I mentioned it briefly, but if entering multiple lineups, don’t overlook the OF options in that TOR/SEA game, and Félix Hernández is struggling to keep his job, and Seattle is fighting for their playoff spot that dwindling away.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team:  Our hitting coach, Jon Impemba, likes Harper and Stanton if paying up, while Pearce and Willie Calhoun check in as his top mid-priced options.  Mason Williams and Tyler Flowers are his top value plays.

Our projections have Betts leading the way, and followed by Choo.  After that, there is less than one point separating 3rd-14th, with players like Hoskins, Rendon, and a three pack of Braves with Acuna, Freeman, and Ozzie.  Choo is the top FD value play, with Flores leading the way on DK. Trumbo leads plenty of Baltimore players listed toward the top of the DK 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. I would rather fade the BAL/TEX bats over going with a wild card pitching option.  I don’t mind Pivetta and Montgomery as a DK duo though to grab high priced bats. I don’t mind a late night hammer TOR/SEA full game stack if entering multiple lineups, but if looking at 1-2 lineups, I would go with one of the top projected teams unless your guts says different.

Our stacking coach, James Grande, likes the Braves and the Yankees bats tonight, and provides top stack plays, and secondary options from those teams.