After looking at all of the tools available at Fantasy Alarm, 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.

Even with a large number of top pitchers taking the mound, Max Scherzer is still worth paying up for if you can afford him.  The decision mainly lies in where do you want to try to beat your opponents. I can see Scherzer likely well over 50% owned in FD cash games.  After him, you’ll likely see some Ross Stripling and James Paxton exposure taking up a majority of the rest of the lineups, with some Corey Kluber and Noah Syndergaard sprinkled in. My strategy is usually to try to beat others through my value hitters, which means I’ll be in the majority with Scherzer for cash, and likely one of the pitchers I named above for gpp’s.

DK is a little more wide open due to Scherzer’s price tag, but the Scherzer and Stripling combo will likely be very popular.  Those two leaves you with $3.6K per hitter, which isn’t ideal, but you can still build in some decent hitters with that. Since this is just as good of a slate for hitting, I’m not fully opposed to fading Scherzer in order to grab a few extra bats.  For gpp’s I plan on using Stripling with Michael Fiers. I made the case for him in the playbook, but he’s not as “safe” as Stripling at all.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team: Our pitching coach, Tom Vecchio, likes Paxton discount on FD, as well as Syndergaard as his top priced pitchers.  Eflin and Richard as his mid-tier options, while Stripling and Lopez are his top bargain arms.

Our projections have Stripling at the top of the charts, followed then by Scherzer, Paxton, Severino, and then Eduardo Rodríguez to round out the top five.  

 

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.

You’ll see a solid mix of exposure to the game in Coors, the one in Texas, the Red Sox, and the Yankees throughout cash game lineups tonight.  Sprinkle in the Rays, and you’re looking at what I feel would be 75% plus of the hitters used in cash lineups tonight.

Gary Sánchez and Salvador Pérez check in as the top catchers if looking to pay up, but we should consider targeting Tony Wolters on DK if he's in the lineup for the Rockies, or Christian Vázquez from the Red Sox.  If paying up for pitching, it’s hard to go with a power catcher, so instead, I’d rather punt with one of the catchers from the teams with the two highest implied run totals for the slate. GPP wise, stack away with the catcher from a team you’re targeting, as they’ll likely be low owned.

Joey Votto leads the way if paying up, but prefer some Paul Goldschmidt over Ian Desmond if looking to go cheaper at first base.  Mitch Moreland and Brad Miller have solid FD price tags, while Tyler Austin receives the start over Walker if looking to save a bit on DK.

As mentioned in the playbook, Scooter Gennett is the better play over Ozzie Albies and José Altuve if paying up at second, but could also go with Whit Merrifield , Joe Wendle, Brock Holt , Asdrubal Cabrera , Rougned Odor , or another cheap option if not a Scooter fan.  Gleyber Torres would be my pivot off of Scooter.

Third base is wide open with Nolan Arenado and Eugenio Suárez likely being the top options if paying up over a sneakier Josh Donaldson or José Ramírez in gpp’s.  Rafael Devers provides cheap exposure to the Red Sox, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa for the Rangers.

Jean Segura is a steal on FD, and is the only plug and play I will state for tonight on FD.  It’s a little more wide open on DK, with Trea Turner or Xander Bogaerts preferred over Machado and Lindor.  Jurickson Profar is in play, but could also go back to Brook Holt in this spot on DK.

OF is always wide open in terms of routes to consider taking.  If you're 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 put it in bold at the top, but really no real reason to not target those games or teams listed above if playing cash games.  OF does provide plenty of cheap priced options to open up salary, and believe you should try to look at the games listed first. Having said that, Bryce Harper , Curtis Granderson , Brandon Nimmo , and Matt Kemp are just a few of the solid OF options to consider if you wanted to look elsewhere.

Mookie Betts and the Red Sox, as well as the Yankees outfield of Aaron Judge , Giancarlo Stanton , and Aaron Hicks could remain highly owned.  All are in solid spots, but thinking it may be best just to take the “block” with Charlie Blackmon , especially on FD. Jesse Winker , David Dahl , and Gerardo Parra , if in the lineup, all make for solid OF options as well.  Delino DeShields , Denard Span , and Mallex Smith are solid value OF targets if already looking at players from their teams.
 

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team: Our hitting coach, Brett Talley, likes Charlie Blackmon, as well as J.D. Martínez , Mookie Betts , and Bryce Harper if looking to pay up, while Mitch Moreland , Whit Merrifield , and Justin Turner are his top mid-priced options.  Robinson Chirinos , Denard Span , and Jean Segura are his top value plays.

Our projections have Blackmon, C.J. Cron, Nolan Arenado, J.D. Martinez, and Judge as the top five. Smith is the top value option on FD, while Chris Owings is at the top 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 mentioned all my top teams to target above, but if you read the playbook, then you know I also like a late night hammer Dodgers stack.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team:  Our stacking coach, Jon Impemba, like a Coors stack, as well as the Nationals and Cardinals tonight.  The Braves and Indians would be his contrarian routes.

 

Final Thoughts:  

FanDuel: I mentioned how I feel the pitching will likely go on FD above, and that I’ll be using Scherzer.  Segura is my plug and play SS, and taking one of the $2.4K 2B options. Still up in the air between using Blackmon, or just straight up going with a Winker, Dahl, Span/Granderson type OF.  Either way, taking Scherzer means leaving out more bats than you would like to.

DraftKings: On DK, I’m sticking with the Scherzer/Stripling combo, and filling it in with value hitters listed from the group of teams above for the most part.  Will use Wolters or Vazquez at catcher (likely Wolters), a mid-priced 3B (likely Devers), and go with either Valaika or another cheap bat at 2B. Will use Winker over Parra, but can go Dahl for not much more.  That at least will leave you with close to $4K left for the last few spots, and can play around with it to go with a big bat or two.