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.  

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.

On an eight-game MLB slate, Justin Verlander checks in as the top option by a solid margin in both price and possible production tonight.  If playing cash games, he’s pretty much a plug and play for me on FD, and almost feel the same way with him on DK. Johnny Cueto is your pivot option that is also in a great spot both on paper, as well as in the mind of Vegas.  

After those two, it’s very wide open in my opinion.  I spoke about some price variations for pitchers tonight between the different sites in the playbook, but if sticking with Verlander for cash games, you’ll still need a #2 SP on two pitcher sites.  For DK, I really think it’s pretty open if looking at anyone in the $7K range, but for cheaper, Shelby Miller may end up the popular number two tonight with his matchup vs the Padres. I prefer Jeremy Hellickson slightly more, but will likely roll with Marco Gonzales .  For GPPs, I don’t mind sticking with Verlander on FD due to the cheap hitting options available, but on DK, I would lean Max Fried , and possibly will pair him with another cheaper option listed in the playbook or above.
 

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our pitching coach, Tom Vecchio, likes both Verlander and Cueto if paying up, and Weaver and Boyd if going mid-priced.  For value, he likes Gonzales and Miller.

Our projections have Verlander leading the way, followed by Miller, Gonzales, and Hellickson.  Aaron Slegers checks in as a surprise fifth overall, while also being the top projected value pitcher.

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.

This slate is wide open tonight for hitting, and really comes down to how you see the games being played out.  The Twins and Nationals have the highest implied run totals tonight, with the Astros leading the pack of the second tier of teams that could all blast off vs their opposing pitchers.  Today is a solid day to go with your gut a little more than usual.


Catchers ae pretty weak tonight, and although you can pay up for Evan Gattis or Buster Posey , it’s likely best to just punt with Pedro Severino , or a catcher from Bal/Min game.  J.R. Murphy and Tyler Flowers are some mid-priced options I like.

If paying up, I like Paul Goldschmidt , with Freddie Freeman as a solid cash pivot play, and José Abreu for GPPs.  Plenty of cheap value options at first, with Yulieski Gurriel and Matt Adams my top options, but feel like the higher owned option will be the even cheaper Logan Morrison .

Second base has José Altuve and Ozzie Albies available if looking to pay up, with Brian Dozier a solid play for slightly cheaper.  Dee Gordon works as a late night option, with plenty of value plays with Jonathan Schoop , José Pirela , and Nate Orf being my top targets.

As mentioned in the playbook, 3B looks to be a salary relief position for me.  A post root canal Adrián Béltre on FD/DK, and Eduardo Escobar on FD is about the highest priced I’ll go.  Tim Beckham leading off, or Hernán Pérez in the middle of a Brewers lineup would be my preferred plays. Perez is 2B/OF on DK.   Anthony Rendón and Alex Bregman are both solid options if deciding to fully pay up.

I prefer Manny Machado if going with an O’s stack, but like the discount with Trea Turner or Elvis Andrus depending on which teams you are targeting.  Jorge Polanco , Nick Ahmed , and David Fletcher are value plays.

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. If paying up, I mentioned a few different routes to take in the playbook, and really comes down to which teams you want to target. Mike Trout and Bryce Harper are the popular names to target, but I also like  Nicholas Castellanos , A.J. Pollock , Shin-Soo Choo , Eddie Rosario , and Mark Trumbo . Mikie Mahtook will be a popular value play leading off for the Tigers.
 

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our hitting coach, James Grande, likes  Goldschmidt and Rosario if paying up, while Brandon Crawford and Beltre are his mid-priced plays.  Ahmed and Ian Kinsler are his top value plays.

Our projections have Bregman as the top play, followed by Machado, Rendon, Cruz, Springer, and Trout.  Perez checks in as the top FD value play, while Davidson checks in as the top DK one.

 

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. If paying up for pitching, I like the O’s for salary relief.  If paying up for hitting, I like the Nationals and Astros.

Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:  Our stacking coach, Brett Talley, likes the Astros and Braves as his top stacks. The Mariners would be his sneaky stack tonight.  
 

Final Thoughts:

As mentioned above, today is a solid day to lean more on your gut.  My gut plays are to fade the Twins, take a shot on Max Fried or Cashner in a GPP, and sneak in a Nationals stack with Verlander.