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 looks solid overall, with the possibility of a delay in Chicago as the only real concern, if at all.
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 should set yourself some type of “floor” when it comes to how you select your pitchers.
Five Second Cheat Sheet: Plenty of routes to take for pitching tonight in both cash and gpp style contests, with Max Scherzer , Carlos Carrasco , and Zack Greinke leading the top priced options.
Thirty Second Cheat Sheet: While the case could be made for any of those three, Carlos Carrasco could likely be the popular option priced as the middle option in the best matchup. Andrew Heaney and Chase Anderson have great matchups at cheaper price tags, and could be solid value plays for both cash and gpp’s.
I don’t believe anyone is a must play but feel like Max Scherzer or Carlos Carrasco should be in your lineups if playing cash games. There’s plenty of value hitters tonight, as well as both Andrew Heaney , Nick Pivetta , and Chase Anderson , who all make for your best #2 SP options if playing cash games on DK. Plenty of other routes to take that were given in the playbook and hitting coach pieces if looking to go in a different direction. From the group not listed, C.C. Sabathia would be my preferred option.
Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team
Our pitching coach, Brett Talley, makes the case for Carrassco over Scherzer, and Greinke as the top priced pivot option. Pivetta and Heaney would be his mid-priced options, while Stroman on DK, and Pablo Lopez on FD would be his value plays.
Our projections have Scherzer leading the way, followed by Greinke, Carrasco, Heaney, and Pivetta. Romano is the top value play. Please note that Glasnow is listed in the top five overall, but I do not believe he will pitch a full starter’s workload.
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 second straight night with the SEA/TEX, and the PIT/COLgames checking in with the highest projected run totals, with the Yankees and Indians both in play for the second straight night as well.
Thirty Second Cheat Sheet: As mentioned in the playbook, you’ll need to put both of the scores from those two top projected scoring games last night out of your head, and have belief that the runs will be there tonight. If you believe differently, there are plenty of other routes that you can take with some poor pitchers taking the mound tonight. From that group, I prefer the Angels the most.
Positional Thoughts
Catcher: Missed on a lot of projected starting catchers in the playbook today, but if still looking at the wide open field of possible over $4K option on DK, Francisco Cervelli leads the pack for me outside of team stacking. Plenty of mid-priced options depending on your team targets, but Chris Herrmann , Michael Perez, and Austin Romine are my preferred options. I mentioned some other options in the playbook.
First Base: I mentioned this in the playbook, but have no issues targeting the same player(s) multiple days in a row as long as the matchup is there, which includes Edwin Encarnación over the top priced options in Anthony Rizzo , Paul Goldschmidt , or Matt Carpenter . Albert Pujols is a top value play, with plenty of other routes given in the playbook, including Jakob Bauers.
Second Base: I prefer Javier Báez or Ben Zobrist over Gleyber Torres or Neil Walker , but not against either route for the second straight night. Dee Gordon could be a popular FD option again, and mentioned a few other gpp routes in the playbook, including Jeff McNeil, and the options from the Reds side of that game.
Third Base: As mentioned in the playbook, third base is pretty stacked tonight, and have plenty of routes to go. I prefer the opposite of last night, and Nolan Arenado over José Ramírez . I do like Anthony Rendón , as well as Eugenio Suárez as pivots off the top two, with Colin Moran as the top value type play unless team stacking. David Freese is in play as well.
Shortstop: Going to need to find at least one position to go cheap in outside of an OF spot or two, and that could be Chris Taylor , or one of the other under $3K options on FD, and possibly Amed Rosario on DK. I do like both Xander, and Aledmys Diaz at roughly the same price tag, while plenty of the top priced options are in play and listed in the playbook.
Outfield: As mentioned in the playbook, OF is extremely wide open tonight, and likely comes down to which of the top projected scoring teams you prefer the most tonight. I prefer the Pirates triio of Starling Marte , Grégory Polanco , and Corey Dickerson over players like Charlie Blackmon and Carlos González . Nelson Cruz , Giancarlo Stanton , and Joey Gallo are all solid options as well. On FD, Lorenzo Cain , Mallex Smith , and Brandon Guyer are all solid options if not looking to fully spend up, while Ryan LaMarre and Brandon Lowe are salary relief targets on DK, but not as ideal of the FD options. I mentioned plenty of other options in the playbook, including the three Angels OF options.
Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team
Our hitting coach, James Grande, likes Suarez and Lindor if paying up, while Dee and Avi would be his top mid-priced options. Ramon Laureano and Neil Walker are his top value hitters.
Our projections have large group bunched up at the top tonight with only one point separating first from 13th place. Ramirez and Freeman are tied at the top, with a Pirates duo of Polanco, Dickerson, and Marte joining Odor and Story at the top of the leaderboard. The Braves led by Freeman leads the DK value plays, while Maybin leads a group of Seattle players on the top of the FD value plays.
GPP
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 prefer the Pirates over the Rockies, and the Mariners over the Rangers tonight. An Angels and Brewers stack would be my pivot off these teams, but could go plenty of other routes. As mentioned in the playbook, best to target say 4-5 teams to build around, over trying to get exposure to everyone.
Our stacking coach, Jon Impemba, likes the Red Sox and Pirates as his top stacks, while the Mets and Blue Jays would be his less popular stacking options.