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..