After looking at all of the tools available of 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 features to share your thoughts, and receive any feedback leading up to first pitch.  Good luck!

With a large slate, there are plenty of routes to take, and therefore, not every player in a good spot will be mentioned below.

 

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.

The pitching I feel is centered around Garrett Cole and Kenta Maeda.  Both are top priced options that will be popular cash game plays.  After those two, Tanner Roark will likely lead the mid-tier options, but the option to pivot elsewhere, or go even cheaper is available tonight.  I wouldn’t fully go cheaper if playing cash games, but can take a chance or two if you want in gpp’s. Taking both Cole and Maeda on DK leaves you with $3.4K left per hitter.  It’s doable, but can see many taking a possible cheaper #2 SP.\

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our pitching coach today, Howard Bender likes Cole and Maeda if paying up, while Roark is joined by Jordan Montgomery and Chad Kuhl as mid-priced options in play.  Kyle Freeland is his bottom tier pitcher to take a risk with.

Our projections have Kenta at the top, but a surprise with Eduardo Rodriguez in the second spot over Cole. 

 

Top Hitting Targets:  

On FD, I think avoiding a catcher outside of stacks due to the deep first base options is the way to go on most nights.  On DK, the catcher spot is wide open, I don’t think you have to pay fully up for Sanchez, but can go slightly cheaper with Evan Gattis or Jonathan Lucroy.   Christian Vazquez is in play for cheaper on a high projected scoring Red Sox team.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see plenty of the cheap Mitch Moreland on FD lineups tonight, as well as a returning Yulieski Gurriel for Houston.  The top priced bats are in play if you want to go that route as well.

Ian Kinsler is in a great spot if you want to continue the ride with him and the Angels, but can also pay up for Robinson Cano, and Jose Altuve.  Howie Kendrick or Whit Merrifield makes for lower owned pivots.

Plenty of routes to take, but leaning Anthony Rendon at third.  This is a spot with tons of options though, and could be best used from a team with players already in your lineups.

I would suggest either Manny Machado or Trea Turner over Didi Gregorius, but don’t mind him in a Yankees stack once again tonight. Francisco Lindor works great as a lower owned pivot play, as well as Jean Segura or Corey Seager in gpp’s.

OF is always wide open, as I feel the sites want you to punt with one of the three spots, as well as pay up for one of them.  Bryce Harper and Mike Trout are the top priced options to target if paying up, but the Boston bats are worth will likely be heavily targeted. I don’t think you fully have to pay up tonight, as there are some solid upper-mid to lower-mid priced options in play.  OF does provide the most flexibility, and sometimes best to wait to see what your salary restrictions could be before filing that last OF spot.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our hitting coach today, Tom Vecchio, likes Ian Kinsler and Adam Jones if paying up, as well as Evan Gattis in the catcher spot.  Mitch Moreland will be his value 1B play, while Neil Walker and Adrian Gonzalez are his possible lower owned targets.

Our projections have Mike Trout once again taking up the top spot, with J.D. Martinez behind him in second.  The surprise at the top for me was Brett Gardner.  He was third on FD, and jumped over JD for second on DK.   DK likes Whit, as well as Teoscar Hernandez as top value plays, while Jesus Aguilar is listed as the top FD value play.

 

GPP’s: 

If playing gpp’s, your best approach is stacking.  Pick a game, or two teams that you think will blast off, and 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. Small slate you’ll see stacking combos from every team in your gpp’s tonight.  Boston will likely be the top stack option tonight, and I listed a few other four packs in the playbook.  Cleveland and the cheap Boston bats would be my favorite stack tonight.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our stacking coach today, Tom Vecchio, is high on the Red Sox tonight. He also likes the option to target the power bats of the Yankees, and a Nationals stack with a sneaky Michael Taylor.

 

Final Thoughts:

FanDuel:  Cole or Kenta for a little less, Moreland, Kinsler or Kendrick, Rendon, and a SS over $4K leaves you with roughly $3K per player to fill your OF and util spot. Jackie Bradley Jr would be a solid start.

DraftKings:  Tough with pitching but going Cole and Kenta for example. Using three cheaper Boston bats in Vazquez, Moreland, and Bradley Jr leaves you with roughly $3.6K per player for the other five spots.  Not the greatest but doable if you go Whit, Kendrick, and Freese.  Best bet may be to save a few grand by pivoting to a cheaper #2 SP to grab a few extra bats.