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.  Also, make sure to monitor any potential weather concerns leading up to lock time.

 

Top Pitching Targets:  

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 feel that tonight is one of those slates in which you don’t need to pay up for pitching.  Having said that, this means that taking the right pitcher could be more critical when it comes to your Coors stack. If looking to pay up tonight, I prefer Sean Newcomb , but Patrick Corbin could be in play as well. After those two, the sites had different thoughts in terms of how to price tonight’s pitchers.

On FD, I can see a cheap Alex Wood , Chris Stratton , Steven Wright , and even a few of the wild cards listed in the playbook as options for both cash and gpp’s tonight.  On DK, I like the price tag for Dallas Keuchel , as well as Stratton. Could also go with our pitching coach Grande, and use Wade LeBlanc .

I listed some other pitchers like Júnior Guerra , CC Sabathia, and Shane Bieber as some options with solid price tags if looking elsewhere from those listed above.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team:  Our pitching coach, James Grande, likes Newcomb and Wood as his top options, with Keuchel, Wright, and Richard as his mid-priced targets.  LeBlanc would be his value pitcher.

Our projections have Newcomb, Wood, and Gray as the top three, with Corbin and Keuchel rounding out the top five.  Wood is the top value option on FD, while Nova checks in as the top one for 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 options in the playbook, with some additional thoughts below.

The game in Coors will be your best spot to target hitters from, and prefer the Rockies first, but the Marlins make for top targets as well.  After that game, the Indians and Astros look to be your best teams to pivot to if looking for top priced options not in Coors.

This doesn’t mean the other teams aren’t in play, as I mentioned plenty of other teams in the playbook, but it does help when trying to decide between players from different teams if playing cash games. 

Catcher is starting to become a tough position to read, as FD combines it with first base, and DK is starting to tighten their pricing for catchers.  I typically use this spot for salary relief, but could use any number of the top options depending on which teams you are targeting. J.T. Realmuto and Tom Murphy provide exposure to Coors, while a Evan Gattis , Max Stassi , and Buster Posey work as solid pivots.  If looking to punt, Chris Gimenez and Austin Barnes seem to be in solid spots.

Paul Goldschmidt leads the way if you can afford him at first, with Freddie Freeman right up there for me as well.  Can go back to Coors with Justin Bour for cheaper, while both Greg Bird and Eric Thames have solid FD price tags.

José Altuve and DJ LeMahieu are my top options, but plenty of other routes to take depending on which teams you are targeting.  Brian Dozier has a cheap price tag on DK, while Difo works as a punt option on FD in a Nats stack.

Nolan Arenado is the top third base option, and will likely go with him over José Ramírez , Kris Bryant , Alex Bregman , Justin Turner , and others if stacking.  If looking to go cheap at third, Luis Valbuena and Pablo Sandoval are my preferred options.

Trevor Story leads a loaded ss position, and could use most of the top priced options in their teams stacks.  If looking to go cheaper, Marwin González would be my preferred FD play, with Ehire Adrianza as a pivot.

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. OF is open today in terms of routes to take.  If paying up, I do prefer sticking with Mike Trout, but can go back to Coors with Derek Dietrich , Charlie Blackmon , Brian Anderson , or a cheaper option in Brinson. On FD, I feel that Joc Pederson is a steal, but plenty of other value routes listed in the playbook and hitting coach.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team:  Our hitting coach, Howard Bender, likes a Ramirez/Lindor combo from the Indians, Springer/Bregman combo from the Astros, and Freeman from the Braves if paying up, and not looking at the options from Coors.  Soto and Peralta would be his mid-value options, but could also go with their teammates as well. Suarez, Choo, and Mazara are his other mid-priced targets. Meadows, Taylor, and Heyward are his top value plays.  

Our projections have Story, Nolan, and Springer as the top three, with Trout and Betts rounding out the top five.  Joc and Zunino are the top FD value plays, while Dyson checks in at the top for 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 you are better off finding a Coors stack, and placing a few different SP options, over going the other oute.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team:  Our stacking coach, Tom Vecchio, likes the Astros, Cubs, and Twins for stacking tonight.

 

Final Thoughts:  

FanDuel:  I would take a SP at $7.5K or cheaper, go Nolan, DJ, Bour, and Dietrich for my Coors exposure, but could always add more.  I used a $2.5K or cheaper SS (Marwin or Adrianza), and Joc as a punt OF. That leaves roughly $3K or so for the last two spots, but can def play around with SP as well.

DraftKings:  I would go cheaper with pitching, and spend under $17.5K for the two spots.  Can stick with Coors exposure with Nolan, but not a fan of the rest of their price tags unless going with cheap Marlins.  Pairing Nolan with Trout, Dozier, and a cheap catcher leaves you with over $4K per hitter for the last four spots.