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 may be an issue in Washington tonight, and is definitely worth monitoring leading up to lock time.
From the top of the playbook: Today’s 14-game MLB slate looks to be somewhat of a placeholder for those waiting for the weekend NFL and NCAAF slates, while also being on Tiger watch. This likely keeps MLB out of the conversations over these next few days, but plenty of action in the contest lobbies still. I do think that with no game currently projected for 10 or more runs, that it’s best to look at weekend satellites and gpp’s more than cash style games tonight. We do have some key playoff battle games, as well as ones that feature teams looking ahead to next season already. Finally, weather concerns in Washington is worth monitoring throughout the day, but the rest of the slate looks pretty safe heading into tonight. Don’t forget that with the expanded rosters, we could see spot starts from cheap bats, and if in the right situation, could make for solid value options in addition to those listed below.
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: Personal preference type of slate with plenty of solid pitching options to choose from, as this slate is best suited for gpp’s.
Thirty Second Cheat Sheet: Blake Snell would be my personal preference play, with Chris Archer as the #2 SP with his discount on DK. Aaron Nola and Carlos Carrasco are in solid spots on paper compared to Patrick Corbin , James Paxton , David Price , and Gerrit Cole , but wouldn’t talk you out of any of them. Clayton Kershaw ’s decreased price tag due to ballpark factors places him as a great GPP play.
It’s a pretty solid slate for pitching today, and up to you on how you want to approach it. I personally will likely stay away from the playoff hunt battles, but as mentioned above, it’s a GPP slate, so can’t go wrong with a Paxton type pivot play. If not paying up for pitching, a Kershaw and Archer combo makes for most sense, but Carlos Rodon , Felix Pena , and Austin Gomber are worth an extended look. Corbin is the one pitcher I’m most nervous about from the top group of options, and Snell, Carrasco, and Nola would be the ones I would pay up for.
Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:
Our projections have Corbin leading the crowded field, with Paxton, Snell, Cole, and Carrasco rounding out the top five. Archer is the top value play on both sites.
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: I’m a big fan of four by four stacks, but tonight is looking more like a stars and scrubs route for me.
Thirty Second Cheat Sheet: While no game is currently projected at 10 or more runs, the Dodgers, Indians, A’s, Twins, and Cubs are your five teams with over five implied run totals at the moment. Ideally, the Rays join the KC/MIN game for your best routes to find value bats, while the Indians and Dodgers will likely be the top teams to target bats from. The A’s are my sneaky team that I believe gets overlooked, while all four NL Central teams look to be in great spots tonight, with the Pirates my preferred route to take unless the skies clear up in Washington.
Positional Thoughts:
Catcher: Catcher is extremely weak tonight, and not a fan of paying up outside of stacking. Could see a large group of value priced catchers tonight, and if I had to choose one, I would go Roberto Pérez on the high projected scoring Indians team. Nick Ciuffo would be my gut cheap play.
First Base: I do like Max Muncy over Anthony Rizzo if paying up, but one of the Tampa players is likely your best bet. James makes the case for Choi in the hitting coach, and I make the case for C.J. Cron in the playbook, which then means Bauers is the one that blasts off. Other routes are in the playbook, with Ryan O'Hearn and Rowdy, Rowdy Tellez being my gut plays if in their lineups.
Second Base: Second base is very wide open for me, and best to use a player from a team you already have players targeted from. Kevin Kramer sneaks into the scrubs side if targeting the Pirates, while Joe Panik , Brandon Phillips , Starlin Castro , and Joey Wendle are some of the other cheaper options to consider.
Third Base: I like paying up at third and have plenty of options to choose from tonight. Justin Turner , Alex Bregman , and Matt Carpenter are slightly above Nolan Arenado , Kris Bryant , and José Ramírez for me, but won’t talk you out of any of them. Other routes are listed in the playbook, including Adrián Béltre , Matt Chapman and Evan Longoria .
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor should be the play if sticking with cash games, but Manny Machado over Trevor Story , Javier Báez , and Trea Turner for me if not on Lindor. Other routes are mentioned in the playbook, including Elvis Andrus from a hot hitting Texas team.
Outfield: As mentioned in the playbook, it’s hard to get exposure to all the OF options tonight unless going the 150 max lineups route. I do like the Pirates OF in Starling Marte and Grégory Polanco , as well as Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson from Coors. Khris Davis and Nomar Mazara could be under owned, while Mikie Mahtook could be a sneaky pivot from the cheap KC/MIN options, as well as Tommy Pham and the Rays. Other routes were listed in the playbook.
Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:
Our hitting coach, James Grande, likes Davis and Edwin if paying up, while Bryant and Castellanos would be his mid-priced targets. Choi and Bruce would be his value routes to consider.
Our projections have the Ramirez leading the way, followed by Machado, Lindor, Harper, and Bregman. Kepler leads the value options on FD, while Bauers leads it on DK if starting.
GPP’s:
If playing GPPs, 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 above, but I really do like the stars and scrubs route more in order to pay up for the big bats. I also don’t mind that Kershaw and Archer DK pairing, as well as a Pena sprinkling if wanting to go the full four by four stack route. Oakland is my sneaky stack, while the Dodgers would be my team to score some runs finally.
Our stacking coach, Brett Talley, likes the Indians and Dodgers as the more popular stacking route, while the Royals and Pirates would be his lower owned stack routes.