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.   

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 you should set yourself some type of “floor” when it comes to how you select your pitchers.

Corey Kluber is the top-priced option, and likely also the best pitcher taking the mound tonight.  The issue with Kluber is his price tag. You can find value options if wanting to take Kluber, but I also feel that the next pricing tier of options are in play.  Aaron Nola and Luis Severino are solid pivots off of Kluber, as well as Lance McCullers Jr. and James Paxton . I can see others going with a Rich Hill , or even cheaper play, but Blake Snell would likely be the cheapest I’ll look at if playing cash games.  

All of the above pitchers work in all formats, but you could take some others in GPPs if thinking those above may struggle.  Iván Nova is in a nice spot, and although Jeremy Hellickson hasn’t been bad, I would rather just fully punt with Lucas Giolito .

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our pitching coach, Jon Impemba, likes Kluber, Nola, and Paxton as top-priced plays, with the Zack Godley vs Hill matchup as mid-priced targets.  Jon Gray and Hellickson are his top value plays.

Our projections have Severino leading the way above Kluber and Nola.  Rich Hill and Jon Gray round out the top-five on both FD and DK. On DK, Giolito is the top value play, while Stroman and Castillo sit at the top on FD.  

Top Hitting Targets:

There are plenty of other routes to take with details given in the playbook, and our other tools if wanting to look elsewhere.

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. Gary Sánchez of course is a solid play if paying up, and not wanting Votto or Freeman.  On DK, if not punting, Chris Iannetta will be a popular mid-value play, but I don’t mind Robinson Chirinos at a similar price point. Devin Mesoraco and J.T. Realmuto work best in their team stacks, and if looking to punt, I like Caleb joseph slightly more than Lobaton and Lopez if all in their team lineups.

As mentioned in the playbook, first base is wide open tonight, and I don’t feel that there is the need to fully pay up.  Having said that, Ian Desmond , at worst, is worth a “block” play on FD, with Paul Goldschmidt for $100 less being a great pivot option.  Edwin Encarnación is my favorite first base play, while players like Joey Votto , Carlos Santana , Anthony Rizzo , and Justin Bour all work best for me in team stacks.

May have to wait for lineups to come out to see if any value stands out at second.  Currently, I’m leaning towards saving some salary in this spot with a cheap 2B eligible option from Texas on DK, but I do like César Hernández across the board from the Phillies.

As mentioned in the playbook, third base is stacked tonight.  I prefer Eugenio Suárez tonight, but can’t go wrong if you can afford Nolan Arenado , Kris Bryant , or Ramirez tonight.  I do like Danny Valencia and Miguel Andujar as value plays if looking to be different.

SS is stacked once again today, and if paying up, I’m leaning Francisco Lindor and Manny Machado over the other top priced options.  If not paying up, José Peraza leading off for the Reds will be a popular value play, but thinking Trevor Story will be the highest owned SS tonight.  

OF is always wide open in terms of routes to consider taking.  If not stacking, I prefer to pay up for one spot, punt the other, and use the last spot to pick a player from a team that I’m already targeting.  Mike Trout is clearly the top option, but his price is ridiculous, and as mentioned in the playbook, I usually wait a game in order for teams to get adjusted to Coors.  The Texas bats provide some value options, as well as the Indians and Orioles. Michael Conforto was a popular value play last night, and is in another good spot if targeting that full game in Cincy tonight.  Finally, George Spring, Charlie Blackmon , and Bryce Harper are solid plays, as well as the Yankees tonight, but may be hard to fit them in if paying up elsewhere.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our hitting coach today, James Grande, likes Trout and Nolan in the Coors game, as well as Lindor as top priced options.  Castellanos leads his mid-priced options, with a Tampa combo of Dickerson and Duffy also in play. For value options, he like Conforto, as well as a Padres combo of Cordero and Jankowski.

Our projections have some surprises tonight, but I do feel the slate is pretty wide open.  On DK, Lindor checks in with the top projected score, followed by Donaldson and Upton, with Trout checking in fourth.  Whit and Mous both make the top-seven, while Pompey and Gentry are the top value plays.

GPPs:  

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 spoke about the stacks I like, and my approach throughout the playbook.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our stacking coach, Brett Talley has the Rockies as the top team stack, with the Angels on the opposite side being a solid contrarian stack.  After that game, the DET/TEX game is worth a look from both sides, while both the Indians and Cubs are his other stand alone stack options.

 

Final Thoughts:  With 28 teams playing tonight, ownership levels should be spread out, so don’t feel like you have to “make a move” to be different tonight.  With the weather warming up, we have seen a solid number of multi-homer games this week, and wouldn’t be shocked to see a few double dong players tonight.

FanDuel:  I would go either Kluber, Severino, or Nola, with a $1K price gap between each option.  With Nola, I went with Desmond and Story for Coors exposure, and then Suarez and Peraza for Ciny exposure.  If you punt an OF spot, that leaves you with roughly $3K for the final three spots. Going with a different pitcher may mean punting an extra spot.

DraftKings:  I feel like there’s definitely more strategy tonight when choosing your two DK pitchers.  I’m leaning against Kluber, and more towards either Nola and Severino, or one of those two with Snell.  I’m not sure how much the roughly $1K discount with Snell will allow me to upgrade, so best to see how your lineup looks with each combo.  I’m sticking with Suarez at third, but more of a toss-up between Story and Peraza for SS. Encarnacion will be my play at first, and if you punt the catcher spot, you’ll have roughly $3.4K for your final four spots.  Although I’m not on him, Rich Hill ’s price tag, and Vegas’s line, may gravitate many into taking him in order to pay up for an extra bat or two.