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 should set yourself some type of “floor” when it comes to how you select your pitchers.
As mentioned in the playbook, I believe Chris Sale , Gerrit Cole , and Luke Weaver are the three cash game pitching targets tonight. All three are heavy favorites with their opposing teams having the three lowest implied run totals of the slate. Between Sale and Cole, I’m learning more towards Cole, but really can’t go wrong with either of them. Weaver will be my #2 SP on DK as I don’t believe you can create a workable lineup with both Cole and Sale. On FD, Weaver is at a price point in which I think you can consider taking him in cash games. While I believe there is enough value out there tonight in hitting in order to afford a Cole or Sale, Weaver is extremely underpriced on FD, and users could take advantage of that in order to grab a few extra bats.
I think all three remain in play for gpp’s, but if looking to go a different route, I would rather go cheaper with Jeremy Hellickson , Brandon McCarthy , Zack Wheeler, or Jameson Taillon over a Trevor Bauer or Garrett Richards tonight. There are a few others I mentioned in the playbook as well, but if you aren’t on any of the top three, then most of the rest of the slate’s pitchers are in play in gpp’s.
Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team: Our pitching coach, Jon Impemba, likes both Cole and Sale at the top, with Gausman, Hellickson, and Weaver as his mid-priced plays. Smith and Bettis are his top bargain pitchers.
Our projections have Sale in the top spot, followed by Cole, Weaver, Happ, and Bauer as the top five. Weaver and Faria are the top FD value options, with Leake as the top value option 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. I provided my overall slate breakdown throughout the playbook, which will provide you with extra thoughts on other routes to consider taking tonight.
On FD, I’m only using a catcher if in a team stack unless you feel strongly about Gary Sánchez over the similar priced 1B options. Nothing changes from yesterday in terms of the Yankees, and Sanchez is the top catcher tonight on both sites. If paying up for pitching, catcher is a strong position to save some salary if not on Sanchez. Again, for the second straight night, Pedro Severino and Francisco Peña both work for cheap if you plan on targeting other players from their teams. Francisco Cervelli batting third and Evan Gattis are solid mid-tier options for stacking.
I think first base is a spot in which you can save some salary tonight. Mark Reynolds is a hot bat at an affordable DK price tag, while Yulieski Gurriel would be a solid FD pivot for $1K less than Reynolds. FD is a little more wide open overall, as I feel you have a few positions tonight in which you can find some punt options in some solid spots tonight. Chris Davis , J.D. Davis , Wilmer Flores , Neil Walker , and Ji-Man Choi all fit that role at first base for cheap, with Josh Bell as a solid mid-priced play. I’m not going to name a bunch at players at every spot, but used first base as an example of how wide open FD looks to be tonight.
Brian Dozier was a popular play last night, and faces another lefty pitcher tonight. José Altuve doesn’t cost you much more if you can afford him, and prefer him over the other top priced options. Asdrubal Cabrera is in play with a solid DK price tag, but could also sneak Matt Carpenter in at second base on DK if you have other plans at third. I mentioned some solid FD punt options if looking to use second base to save salary. If paying up for Trout, I suggest using Ian Kinsler in this spot.
Matt Carpenter was the popular DK play at a cheap price tag last night and nothing will likely change in a similar spot for tonight. Similar to first base, Alex Bregman works as a solid pivot in the $3K range on DK if off of Carp and Reynolds. As mentioned in the playbook, nothing wrong with Travis Shaw , but gut is saying Jake Lamb for cheaper on FD tonight.
There’s a few positions where I can copy and paste last night’s thought, and SS is one of them. It’s another tough call between paying fully up for Manny Machado , going slightly cheaper for Trea Turner , or using Carlos Correa as the even cheaper option (think Didi from last night). Will leave that up to you depending on how you structure your lineups, and I made a case for them and others in the playbook. I’m likely sticking with paying up at SS, but can see some Jurickson Profar and Chris Taylor ownership on DK 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. I spoke a little about it in the playbook, but feel like you can get away with not spending fully up in the OF tonight. Having said that, the Yankees OF of Aaron Judge , Giancarlo Stanton , and Aaron Hicks could remain highly owned, and personally learning towards Mike Trout over the Boston OF or Bryce Harper tonight. All are elite options though.
Tyler O’Neill, Juan Soto , Domingo Santana , and Austin Meadows are all in play for cheap, but can also spend up a little more for players like Fowler, Joyce, and Adam Jones who are all in solid spots. George Springer and Christian Yelich both have great FD price tags, and prefer targeting the Astros over the Brewers. Rhys Hoskins is a little too cheap on DK if looking to be different.
Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team: Our hitting coach, Brett Talley, likes both Stanton and Judge from the Yankees, as well as the Houston combo of Altuve, Correa, and Springer from the Astros as his top priced plays. He likes the solid group of mid-priced 3B in Rendon, Bregman, and Carp, and adds in Dickerson as his favorite Pirates OF option. Santana, Peterson, and Cozart are his value options.
Our projections have Judge, Lindor, Trout, Harper, and Sanchez as the top five on FD. Freeman replaces Sanchez on the top five on DK, but the Yankees bats take up four of the top eight spots tonight on FD. Chris Davis is the top FD value option, with Jace Peterson the top value on DK.
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 think the Yankees remain a top target, but will be heavy on Houston personally. For those that are still reading, I will provide a Houston stack route below.
Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team: Our stacking coach, James Grande, likes the Nationals as his top stack, with the Braves and Reds as his contrarian stacks.
Final Thoughts:
FanDuel: If going with Cole or Sale, I would use 2-3 of the cheap OF options mentioned above, then use a Springer and Correa combo, and take the shot with Lamb for cheap at third. Leaning Soto and Meadows now that Gardner is out of the Yankees lineup, but pretty sure I’ll stick with O’Neill in at least one spot. That’ll leave you with a roughly $2.6K left for the last 3-4 spots, but can use a punt option at first and second, or continue to load up on cheap OF plays in the util spot.
Bonus: Using Weaver, can go with a Altuve, Correa, and Springer Houston combo, with Trout and Judge as your big OF bats, and C. Davis as your FD punt.
DraftKings: On DK, I mentioned possible routes above for gpp pitching, but likely sticking with Cole or Sale, and then Weaver if entering only a few lineups. Severino and Reynolds form the Nationals will once again be in my lineups, as well as Carpenter this time tonight. Can go cheaper at second, but likely going Dozier, and then you have your pick of plenty of $3.2-$3.6K OF options, many of which have been mentioned above or in our tools. Soto has a solid DK price take if not on O’Neill, but should take one of the Cards OF options unless rolling with Hoskins. I know that’s jumbled a bit, but can’t really say play this cheap player over another unless knowing your other targets. If going a similar to above route, you’ll have roughly $3.7K for your final 3-4 spots.