After looking at all of the tools available at Fantasy Alarm, 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 looks to be an issue tonight in the TOR/BAL, NYM/PHI, and KC/PIT games. If entering multiple lineups, those games are worth monitoring, but will be ignoring them in regards to my thoughts below.  Those games are mentioned in the playbook if the weather looks better over the next few hours.

From the top of the playbook: 12-game MLB slate tonight, and while the lines aren’t out for every game as of this writing, five games already check in with implied run totals of 7.5, while the TB/TEX game checks in as the only game with a projected total of 10 or more runs.  I don’t want to say that tonight is a guessing game, but I will say that MLB is very much in a HR or K era, and won’t be surprised to see a solid chunk of 3-1 style games tonight. We also have the case where teams are going more towards the bullpen approach, and the ones that are still in a playoff chase will likely have shorter leashes on their starters tonight. The other tough spot for tonight could come from Florence, as there could be weather concerns in BAL, PIT, and PHI tonight, and worth monitoring.  

Top Pitching 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:  If eliminating the three weather concern games, Patrick Corbin makes for your top option, but no real must play pitchers tonight.

Thirty Second Cheat Sheet: If not on Corbin, Mike Foltynewicz and Hyun-Jin Ryu  or likely your other top options, with Ryu being the discount out of the two.  He hasn’t had 90 or more pitches over his last six starts, so need to hope he can rack up the K’s. Wade Miley may be a popular value play, but prer Erick Fedde slightly more, especially on DK.

While Corbin faces a Cubs team that couldn’t score vs the Reds, they are still the best team in the N.L., and have no issues fading Corbin. The problem with pitching is those rain games.  Ideally, it’s easier to risk a possible goose egg from a hitter than miss out on points from a rain shortened or postponed game from your pitcher. I don’t mind Folty, but not on Ryu personally.  Kyle Hendricks is a solid pivot, while Andrew Suarez may be low owned if thinking the Padres are trash. I personally like Erick Fedde vs a poor Marlins team. He’s roughly in a similar spot as Ryu, but would rather take a five to six inning guy vs the Marlins over the Rockies.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team: Our projections have Corbin leading the way, followed by Ryu, Folty, and Musgrove.  Glasnow is 5th on FD, while Hendricks took that spot on DK. Glasnow also checks in as the top FD value play, with Fedde topping that list on DK.

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: Almost half the games check in with under eight run projected totals which leaves the Rays as the top projected scoring team of the slate.

Thirty Second Cheat Sheet:  After the Rays, the Brewers are the only other team with an over five implied run total for the slate, but it’s still roughly a half of a run behind the Rays total.  The question is how much faith do you put on the Rays tonight. They are in a nice spot, but still likely won’t be as popular of some of the teams battling for the playoffs.

Positional Thoughts: Please note that I’m leaving out players from the weather concern games below, but did mention routes to consider from those games in the playbook.

Catcher:  If paying up, I like the Padres spot for Francisco Mejia or Austin Hedges more than J.T. Realmuto .  Maybe Evan Gattis if starting, but if not stacking or paying up, catcher is usually a pure punt play, with James McCann or Drew Butera likely your best options.

First Base: I have a feeling the TB first base options will be popular, and I prefer Ji-Man Choi from that group.  Jesus Aguilar is a great pivot, while options like Matt Carpenter , Freddie Freeman and the other top priced options are best used for their team stacks.  Other routes were provided in the playbook. If taking Realmuto at catcher, look at Peter O’Brien, as Fedde is still priced cheap for a reason.

Second Base:  I like José Altuve if paying up, and a player like David Murphy could come in as a popular contrarian play in a Cubs stack.  Logan Forsythe remains cheap, and remains in play, and other cheap options were listed in the playbook as well depending on your team targets.

Shortstop:  If I taking a risk from a hitter in a weather concern game, it’s Adalberto Mondesí at SS.  Trevor Story is a steal on FD if not on Ryu, while Javier Báez , Trea Turner , and Manny Machado are all solid pivots in their team stacks.  Marwin González is an excellent punt option on DK, while Ronny Rodriguez is a solid low owned pivot off of Marwin.

Third Base:  Expect Nolan Arenado and the overpriced Alex Bregman to be popular options if paying up once again, while Mike Moustakas works in a Brewers stack. Kris Bryant , Wil Myers , and Anthony Rendón are solid team stack options, while Eugenio Suárez is your sneaky pivot.  I mentioned other routes in the playbook, including the possible four options from the TB/TEX game.

Outfield: Plenty of routes to go in the OF, but it should depend on your team targets.  Having said that, I have no issues punting the OF tonight to pay up for the other spots, especially if you don’t trust the cheaper pitching options.  I mentioned some of my preferred routes in the playbook, but if punting, Victor Robles and Christin Stewart are solid punts on FD, as well as Gregor Blanco if leading off.  Franmil Reyes and Marwin González have great DK price tags, as well as some other options depending on your team targets.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team: Our hitting coach, Tom Vecchio, likes Yelich and Puig if paying up, and White and Choi as his mid-priced targets.  Lowe would be his value play.

Our projections have Aguilar leading the way, followed by Harper, Bauers, Yelich, and Shaw.  Bauers leads the value plays on FD, while Forsythe leads the pack on DK.

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 team targets, as well as some four pack stack routes in the playbook, and I’m not 100% sure about going heavy on the Rays.  I do like the Astros for possible low ownership, and if picking between the teams out of the playoff hunt, I like both the Padres and Tigers.

Our stacking coach, James Grande, likes the Rays and Brewers tonight.