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.

Maybe I’m wrong about this, but I like Clayton Kershaw over Gerrit Cole tonight as the top pitcher.  If it’s the pitch count that worries you, he’s now had three starts under his belt and that should mean his restrictions are lifted.  Cole has had the better year so far, but has struggled a bit lately, and is facing an A’s team that’s won 16 out of their last 20 games.  I don’t think you can go wrong with either, but feeling like Kershaw is the play tonight for cash games. José Berrios and Mike Clevinger are the other two top priced pitchers, and prefer Berrios out of the two, as the Royals likely will have to wait another day before earning their first July win.

There are some nice mid-tier pitchers that are in plus spots tonight for use in both cash and gpp’s.  For cash games, I’m ok with Chris Archer in his first start since the DL as the Tigers offense hasn’t looked good lately.  Chase Anderson and Eduardo Rodríguez are the other two likely options for both cash and gpp’s, and prefer Anderson out of the two.  Having said that, both are in solid spots to target the hitters versus them. The same goes for the Cubs/Giants game in Kyle Hendricks vs Andrew Suarez .  Hendricks is better than his recent starts indicate, and Suarez is worse than how he’s performed in his last two starts. Both are capable of shutting down two hot hitting teams, as well as being rocked.  I also mentioned some higher risk pivots in the playbook.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team:  Our pitching coach, Tom Vecchio, likes Cole, and then the pivot off of Kershaw to Berrios if paying up.  Archer and Hendricks would be his mid-tier plays, while Duffy and Liriano are his top value options.

Our projections have Cole leading the way, followed by Archer, Clevinger, Eduardo Rodríguez , and Kershaw.  Rodriguez is the top FD value play, with the low cost Luis Perdomo being the top DK value play if looking to take a risk.

 

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.

As mentioned in the playbook, I feel that it’s the Red Sox and then the field when it comes to hitting tonight.  The Indians are the other top team to target, but feel like the Boston bats are still a step above them.

The Twins are the only other team projected to score over five runs, but the Dodgers, Nationals, and Astros may all creep up over that mark by game time. This doesn’t mean that other teams aren’t in play, as plenty of teams have solid matchups, as well as price tags tonight.  The Pirates and Rays look to be your best targets for salary relief.

Not really a huge fan of the catcher spot tonight outside of stacking, but if paying up, I do like Yasmani Grandal for cash games and Willson Contreras and Evan Gattis for gpp’s. Francisco Cervelli and Tyler White are both minimum priced FD options, while Sandy León provides exposure to the Red Sox on DK.

Steve Pearce will and should be a popular option across the board tonight with Mitch Moreland as a solid pivot.  Jesus Aguilar  and Cody Bellinger are my preferred options if paying up. I listed other routes in the playbook, with Matt Adams and Brandon Belt leading that list.

Second base has José Altuve , Max Muncy (FD), and Javier Báez available if looking to pay up, but could also go for cheap Boston exposure with Eduardo Núñez .  I mentioned other routes in the playbook, but if not on those above, it’s best to pair up hitters from the same team. At second, that could be Josh Harrison or Max Moroff  in a Pirates stack, or Rougned Odor if not on Rodriguez.

José Ramírez is the top option for me if paying up over Alex Bregman , with Eduardo Escobar , Travis Shaw , and Anthony Rendón solid pivots for cheaper.  Rafael Devers and Adrián Béltre are solid lower priced options, with Pablo Sandoval and Colin Moran leading the punt options.

I prefer Francisco Lindor with José Ramírez and Michael Brantley for a high priced gpp Cleveland stack but the discount with Xander Bogaerts or Trea Turner is likely the better cash game play to save salary.  Plenty of other routes to take with the cheaper priced Elvis Andrus , Chris Taylor , and Jorge Polanco available on FD, and plenty of multi-position players like Nunez and Daniel Robertson in play on DK.

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.  Both Mookie Betts and J.D. Martínez are top options from the Red Sox, while Pearce can also be used as a DK OF play if going Moreland at first. Outside of Boston, Michael Brantley and Bryce Harper would be my preferred plays over the other top priced options in non-stacking lineups, but plenty of mid-tier options with Joc Pederson , Matt Kemp , Starling Marte , Christian Yelich , and Josh Reddick being some of my top options. I mentioned other routes to take in the playbook, but both Kyle Tucker on FD, and Steven Duggar on DK make for great punt options.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team: Our hitting coach, Jon Impemba, likes Mookie and J.D. from Boston, with Soto and Ramos as his other top plays.

Pearce, Polanco, and Cron are his top mid-priced plays, with Robbie Grossman and Hechavarria as his top value plays.

Our projections have Betts leading the way, followed by J.D, Lindor, and Thames.   Harper is fifth on FD, while Marte takes that spot on DK. Cervelli is the top FD value play, with the Pirates taking up four out of the top five spots.  On DK, Happ is the top value play.

 

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 like a four by four stack of the Red Sox and Pirates, as well as a Red Sox fade for the Dodgers, but may venture away from the Pirates to a full late night hammer stack with the Cubs.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team:  Our stacking coach, Brett Talley, likes the Red Sox and Indians as the top two stacks, and the Astros and Rangers if looking for a non-chalk type stack.