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.

Even though it’s a larger 14 game slate, I think tonight is a better slate for trying multiple gpp lineups over playing cash style games.  Due to this, I’l be gearing this more towards gpp’s, but will include my thoughts if playing cash games as well.**

 

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.

One of the main reasons I like this slate more for gpp’s is due to the pitching options. Usually. there’s a clear cut top one or two pitchers that you can see as the higher owned, “safer” plays, but I just don’t see that tonight. Ideally, Charlie Morton would be worth his salary, but not sure why anyone would pay up for him on DK if playing cash games when both Kenta Maeda and Blake Snell are in better spots, and priced cheaper.  Of those two, Kenta will likely be the higher owned out of the two, and my preferred play even with the higher FD price tag.  Rick Porcello has the best chance for the win, but would rather go elsewhere. 

After the top priced options, Tyson Ross and Félix Hernández are both in play, but if playing cash games, it’s likely best to go with Kenta, Snell, or Ross, but won’t fault you if wanting to go elsewhere. 

All of the above are in play for gpp’s, and provided my thoughts on some other pitchers in the playbook.  Sanchez is high on our projections, but would rather go Jeremy Hellickson for a punt pitcher on FD, as he’s way too cheap on there.  Daniel Gossett would be my DK punt, but like the mid-tier options in Felix, Jon Lester , and Jake Arrieta as well.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team: Our pitching coach, Brett Talley, likes Kenta if paying up for cash games, and Morton and Porcello for gpp’s. Ross would be his mid-tier cash option, with Castillo his gpp play.  If looking to go cheap, he likes Hellickson and Fulmer.

Our projections have Kenta leading the way, followed by Morton, Godley, Porcello, and Snell as the top five.  Sanchez and Felix are the top value options on FD, while Duffy joins Sanchez for the top DK value plays.

 

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 slate breakdown throughout the playbook, which will provide you with extra thoughts on other routes to consider taking tonight.

I’m not a huge fan of the top priced catchers today, but if paying up, Buster Posey is likely the top cash game option.  I’m not against the game in Coors tonight, and feel you need exposure to it if playing cash games, but will likely be looking elsewhere tonight personally.  I prefer Evan Gattis over Contreras, but also like both Salvador Pérez and Drew Butera from the Royals.  With Butera batting ninth though, Garver and Avila could be the better punt options for cash games.

First base, like a majority of the positions tonight, depends on how you see certain games playing out.  If going with Vegas, Mitch Moreland and Ian Desmond look to be in the best spots, but Joey Votto and Anthony Rizzo are best options if looking to go a different route.  Chris Davis is in play if thinking Hellickson finally blows up, and Smoak if feeling Porcello struggles. Gurriel or Pujols are options for value as well. 

As mentioned in the playbook, José Altuve is a top option worth paying up for tonight in all formats.  Baez is out tonight, leaving Scooter Gennett as the likely best pivot off of Altuve.  Not sure if the D-Backs struggle without Goldschmidt in the lineup, but Daniel Descalso works as a value play over Marte for me.  Listed plenty of additional routes for 2B in the playbook, but I do like Dustin Pedroia as a mid-priced option.

Not sure if paying up for Nolan Arenado is worth it, but can’t rule him out as an elite play if you can afford him.  After Nolan, it’s wide open in terms of routes to take at third depending on which teams you are targeting.  Evan Longoria provides exposure to Coors, while Mike Moustakas , Matt Carpenter , Alex Bregman , and Miguel Sano make for top options as well.  Alex Blandino makes for a popular punt option tonight.

Trevor Story and Trea Turner make for top cash game options, as well as Jean Segura on FD. As mentioned in the playbook, Andrelton Simmons would be my sneaky gpp option as a stand alone or stack play. 

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. Mike Trout , Charlie Blackmon , and Bryce Harper are all top options to go along with J.D. Martínez and Andrew Benintendi from the Red Sox.  I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them, but leaning Trout if paying up, with Benintendi as a solid discounted option on FD. 

Zobrist, Jay, and Cruz are solid mid-tier options, but as mentioned in the playbook, if playing cash games, I feel like you have to go with Gorkys Hernández for at least a “block” on both sites tonight.  There are other solid mid-priced players like Parra, McCutchen, and Cargo from this game, but plenty of similar priced OF options to consider from other games.  Robbie Grossman and Jarrod Dyson are top punt options on FD.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team: Our hitting coach, Tom Vecchio, likes Blackmon and J.D. if paying up, Bregman as a mid-priced option, and Heredia and Winker as top value options.

Our projections have J.D. Martínez leading the way, followed by Trout, Rendon, Story, and Whit to round out the top five on FD.  Realmuto replaces Story in the top five on DK.  Gomez, Descalso, and Grossman are top FD value plays, while Devers, Dietrich, and Bour are the top DK value options.

 

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 mentioned plenty of stack routes to take in the playbook, but outside of the top options, I like the Astros, and the MIN/KC game.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team: Our stacking coach, James Grande, like a Rockies stack, as well as the Red Sox as the top stack options. The Nationals would be his top contrarian stack.

 

Final Thoughts

FanDuel: I mentioned how I feel about playing cash games, but if going that route, I would roll with Kenta as my pitcher. I would lock in Gorky and Story for some Coors exposure, Altuve as my top 2B play, and then Grossman as my OF punt over Dyson. Plenty of routes to take tonight though if looking to be different.

DraftKings: On DK, I would go Kenta and Ross as my two pitchers, leaving $3,750 per hitter. That’s not really ideal for tonight, but punt with a catcher, take a cheap 2B option from the CIN/ARI game, and a roughly $3K priced OF option and you’re left with $4.4K for the last five spots.  Any of the solid $3.8-$4K 3B options listed above is a good start.