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. Weather looks to be good to go tonight.
From the top of the playbook: 14-game MLB slate tonight, and it’s a loaded one. This could be one of the last slates of the season with a stacked group of pitchers, and at the same time, we are once again stuck with the Rays checking in as the top projected scoring team. The good news is that weather doesn’t look to play a factor, but unless you have the ability to max enter 20 or 150 lineups, single or three entry max contests is your best route, as the slate definitely favors those that can enter multiple lineups. We saw some pitchers throw gems last night, but also saw some top guys like Folty get hit hard. With another slate of five games projected for under eight runs, and no games at 10 or over, it really is a wide open slate. Although I really don’t want to attack teams that aren’t in a playoff race, it may be hard to ignore some of those games tonight. Below covers routes to take depending on your team targets, as a 14-game slate presents plenty of routes to consider targeting tonight.
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: Pitching is loading tonight with plenty of top options, as well as some high upside value.
Thirty Second Cheat Sheet: Five pitchers tonight priced above $10K on both FD and DK, and really comes down to a personal preference over salary, as you can find plenty of hitter to pivot to if you want to more expensive choice. As mentioned throughout the playbook, it’s a single or limited entry gpp type of slate unless you can max enter, so paying down for pitching may not be the worst move to make.
If looking at the top five, I’m leaning more towards Blake Snell , Corey Kluber , or Stephen Strasburg over the other options, although I do think Clayton Kershaw and Aaron Nola could be higher owned if playing cash games. If thinking none of the top options blast off, Jameson Taillon is a solid pivot, with the SF/SD pitchers also in play. Josh James is your value play of the night across the board in my opinion, while if thinking a playoff battling team bombs tonight, I would look at Sandy Alcantara for likely under 4%.
Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:
Our projections have Kershaw leading the way, followed by Kluber, Taillon, Nola, and Strasburg. James is the top value play across the board.
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 Rays are once again the top projected scoring team, with the Brewers and Indians rounding out the top three.
Thirty Second Cheat Sheet: I think there are plenty of other teams available to stack tonight without targeting one of the teams against a top pitcher. The A’s and the CHC/ARI game leads that large field for me. Looking at the teams playing for next year, both the TOR/BAL, and the MIN/DET games could be worth targeting.
Positional Thoughts: Plenty of routes to take tonight, and always best to try to pair your players up from the same team if trying to decide between similar priced options.
Catcher: If paying up, I like the Padres spot for Francisco Mejia or Austin Hedges once again more than Wilson Ramos , Kurt Suzuki , or J.T. Realmuto . If not stacking or paying up, catcher is usually a pure punt play, with Jesus Sucre likely your best option.
First Base: I have a feeling the TB first base options will be popular once again, and I prefer Ji-Man Choi from that group. Paul Goldschmidt is elite vs a lefty and leads the list of higher priced pivot options for me. Justin Smoak , Yandy Diaz , and Tyler Austin are also very much in play depending on your team targets.
Second Base: I like José Ramírez over José Altuve if paying up, while Pablo Reyes is a pure punt FD option if sick of using Logan Forsythe there. Other options were listed in the playbook as well depending on your team targets.
Shortstop: I would pay up for Javier Báez or could go mid-value with Marcus Semien . Francisco Lindor and Trea Turner lead the pivot routes that are best used in their team stacks. Other routes were mentioned in the playbook.
Third Base: Likely will come down to your team targets, but Kris Bryant would likely be more popular than Alex Bregman ’s high price tag. Justin Turner and David Freese have both hit Freeland well, while a mid-priced Joey Wendle leads off for the highest projected scoring team.
Outfield: Plenty of routes to go in the OF, but it should depend on your team targets. Having said that, I have no issues trying to target a pair of OF from the same team. I mentioned multiple routes to consider in the playbook, but Christian Yelich and Curtis Granderson , Khris Davis , Yasiel Puig , and Franmil Reyes are some of my preferred options.
Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:
Our hitting coach, James Grande, likes Goldy and Altuve if paying up, and Choi and Semien as mid-priced plays. Polanco and Aledmys Diaz are his value plays.
Our projections have Choi leading the way, followed by Marte, Harper, J. Turner, and Trout on FD, while Yelich makes the top five on DK. Gorkys is the top value play across the board.
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 idea of going cheap with pitching tonight, and at only $4K on DK, and minimum price on FD, I really think James is the play tonight. Just need to pick the right team stacks to go with him, with likely Strasburg for me if playing DK..
Player News
Kyren Paris hit a two-run homer in Wednesday’s win for the Angels over the Blue Jays.
That’s the first homer for Paris since April 9 when he went deep twice against Tampa Bay and caused everyone to lose all sense of rational thought. The 23-year-old did also single and walk to improve his on-base percentage to .311,, while the homer bumps his slugging mark to .378. There is long-term upside in Paris with flashes that suggest he can be a fantasy option. Fantasy managers should still absolutely looking elsewhere for options up the middle.
Jorge Soler hit a three-run double in the bottom of the ninth to give the Angels a 5-4 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Trent Grisham went 1-for-1 with a game-tying two-run home run in the eighth inning of a 4-3 win over the Padres on Wednesday.
While the Yankees won this game on a walk-off in the 10th inning, Grisham’s game-tying home run in the eighth was the biggest moment. He came on as a pinch-hitter for Jorbit Vibas against the usually stout Jason Adam and smashed a two-strike changeup into the right field seats. This clutch shot will only continue to push Grisham’s playing time in the right direction after he just started eight of the last 10 games, hit either first or second in each, and already has 10 homers in 31 games played this season.
Jeff Hoffman blew a save and picked up a loss Wednesday against the Angels.
Devin Williams struck out three batters with one walk and hit another in a scoreless 10th inning to earn the win against the Padres on Wednesday.
The Yankees entrusted Williams with the all important 10th inning and the inherited ghost runner on second base after their dramatic comeback. While he loaded the bases and had some tense moments, he left the inning unscathed and opened the door for them to win it right after. It should be noted that Luke Weaver came on for what were the most important outs of this game at the time, after Ian Hamilton walked two to begin the eighth inning and Weaver allowed both of those inherited runners to score. He was called upon as the fireman though and will likely get the next save opportunity. Still, this was a massive step in the right direction for Williams.
Max Fried allowed five hits and one run with no walks and eight strikeouts over seven innings in a no-decision against the Padres on Wednesday.
Fried’s excellent season continued as he set down the Padres easily besides for a mammoth solo home run by Jackson Merrill. It was no matter though, as they rarely threatened otherwise and Fried continued to find his strikeout stuff. This was his fourth outing of the year with at least seven strikeouts, a mark he only hit 10 times last season in 29 starts. Fried with a strikeout rate that’s better than league average – which is where he’s at right now – is a clear top-10 pitcher in fantasy baseball. He’s set for a two-start week coming up against the Mariners and Mets.