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 could be an issue tonight, and worth monitoring up to lock time. There are some weather concerns worth monitoring, with the game in Philly looking to have the largest concern.

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.

If paying up, Corey Kluber , James Paxton , and Luis Severino are all in play, but I may want to fit some top bats into my lineups today.  If that’s the case, I like Kyle Hendricks , and Sean Newcomb . Jacob deGrom and Aaron Nola could both be sneaky pivots, as well as a Dallas Keuchel or Blake Snell play.  

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our pitching coach, Howard Bender, likes Severino and Kluber if paying up, and prefers Nola over deGrom in their pitching matchup.  Hendricks and Keuchel are his top mid-priced options, while Nova is his top value pitcher of the slate.

Our projections have Kluber at the top, followed by Severino, deGrom, Nola, and then Hendricks and Paxton tied for the fifth spot on FD.  On DK, Keuchel sneaks in above Paxton. Hendricks is the best value play for FD, while Nova checks in for that spot on DK.

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.  As mentioned in the playbook, I felt like this was a harder slate to read than those I’ve recently broken down in the playbook and construction pieces.

On FD, I think Willson Contreras is a plug and play for his price tag.  On DK, I still like Contreras if paying up, Kurt Suzuki or Evan Gattis as a mid-priced play, and Vasquez if looking to punt.

I like both, but prefer Freddie Freeman over Anthony Rizzo if looking to pay up at first base today. There are plenty of solid first base options like Miller, Austin, and Gurriel for team stacks, while Ryon Healy works as a solid stand alone mid-priced play.  Edwin is also a great play if you want to go different.

I’m thinking Javier Báez will be higher owned than Ozzie, but don’t mind taking the pivot to José Altuve on FD if rolling with the Astros. Brock Holt and Joseph Wendle work if looking to punt, or for cheap exposure to their team stacks.

Can’t go wrong with Nolan or Ramirez, but best to stick with Kris Bryant if paying up at third.  Mous and Donaldson work as sneaky gpp pivots, while Matt Duffy is a solid value play if targeting Bundy.  Andujar and Bregman work best in their team stacks.

Tough to recommend which SS to take, as the list of ones capable of going deep is a long one today.  Francisco Lindor and Trevor Story remain hot, while Xander Bogaerts , and Carlos Correa are in play as well.  Didi Gregorius is due to break out today, and hopefully in a big way.

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.  I mentioned plenty of options to consider in the playbook, and likely will come down to which pitcher you feel like picking on tonight. Mookie Betts is my top option, but can’t go wrong with Aaron Judge .  Giancarlo Stanton and J.D. Martínez will likely be the lower owned pivots, with the Cubs bats being solid options for stacking. The Houston OF provides some cheaper bats, while Brandon Guyer is a top value play.  Don’t sleep on Seattle or Atlanta bats if looking to be different

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our hitting coach, Jonhenry Holt, likes Rizzo if paying up at first, with Olson as his wild card pivot.  His favorite OF plays are Nelson Cruz , Michael Brantley , and Jackie Bradley Jr.

Our projections have Betts, Bryant, Freeman, J.D., and Correa making up the top five on FD, while Blackmon and Story check into the top five on DK.  Osuna dn Maybin lead the FD value plays, while Marisnick checks in as a top DK value option.

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 mentioned my thoughts on who I like my stacking in the playbook, but looking like the Cubs, Yankees, Astros, and Red Sox will all be  popular options.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our stacking coach, Tom Vecchio, has the Cubs as his top stack, with the Pirates and Astros also being in play for stacking.

Final Thoughts:  

FanDuel:  I won’t talk anyone out of paying up for pitching, but feel like paying up for hitting, and hoping you pick the right ones to go deep is the better move.  Taking a top priced pitcher will leave you with roughly $3K per hitter, but dropping down to a Hendricks opens up plenty of extra salary. Contreras, Betts, and Guyer will all be in my lineup, and will likely punt one other spot in order to grab another big bat or two.  While I do like Altuve and Baez, sneaking in Holt could be that pivot play.

DraftKings:  Similar to FD, I’m taking the cheaper pitchers today, and currently leaning Hendricks and Newcomb.  That leaves you with just under $4K per hitter. One cheap OF play from Cleveland or Houston, and possibly a low priced Tampa option will allow you some big bats.