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, please monitor the weather, as the TB/BAL game could have some issues.

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.

Five Second Cheat Sheet:  Chris Sale over Max Scherzer with Zack Greinke as the cheaper pivot option.  Chris Archer if the weather clears up.

Thirty Second Cheat Sheet:  Pitching is stacked tonight, but feel like Chris Sale is worth the price tag more than Scherzer.  Carlos Carrasco and Clayton Kershaw are best for gpp’s, with Dallas Keuchel in play as a higher priced wild card option.  Some other average pitchers up against weak teams if you want to go that route as well.

I do like Chris Sale the most, but could see a case being made for Max Scherzer and Zack Greinke if playing cash games.  Carrasco and Kershaw are likely fades for me, as I think it will take a lot to outscore Sale tonight, and not thinking Kershaw has that in him yet.  Same could go for Dallas Keuchel , but I do like Chris Archer tonight, but unfortunately for him, weather could get in the way of a full start vs a weak O’s team.

Plenty of routes to take if looking to go away from those listed above, and hard to fully gauge where the field may turn towards tonight.  I like the possible low owned Nick Pivetta, but could see Marcus Stroman , Chase Anderson , Iván Nova , Wade LeBlanc , and Andrew Heaney all finding their way into gpp rosters.  I really don’t want to do it, but Nova’s price tag on DK makes him a playable #2 SP in order to pay up for some bats tonight over the extra $2K more for LeBlanc.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team:  Our pitching coach, Jon Impemba, likes Sale, Greinke, and Carrasco if paying up, while LebLanc and Stroman would be his mid-priced targets.  Anderson and Nova are his value priced targets.

Our projections have Scherzer ahead of Sale, with Greinke, Archer, and Folty rounding out the time five.  Perdomo checks in as the top value play.

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.

Five Second Cheat Sheet:  The OAK/COL game is joined by the Yankees and Red Sox as the top four projected scoring teams, but plenty of other teams to target in plus matchups.

Thirty Second Cheat Sheet:  Pick your 4-5 teams to target top hitters from, and maybe 1-2 to target for salary relief if looking to expand slightly more.  The Astros, Pirates, Indians, and Phillies are just some of the other top teams worth targeting, as I would also add the Blue Jays and Cubs to that mix.  Most positions are stacked tonight, and will have to pick and choose where to save salary with a value player.

Positional Thoughts:

Catcher: I like Salvador Pérez or Evan Gattis if paying up over Chris Iannetta , with Jonathan Lucroy as the cheaper option in this game. The rest of the options best used in team stacks.  Outside of stacking, I would look at Sandy León or Jeff Mathis if punting.

First Base: As mentioned in the playbook, first base is stacked tonight, and can make the case for plenty of options. Look for Ian Desmond to be a popular higher priced option, but I also like Anthony Rizzo and Greg Bird .  On FD, Yuli Gurriel is cheap, with other routes provided in the playbook.

Second Base: I would go cheap at 2B tonight with a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. , Garrett Hampson, or a slightly higher priced option like César Hernández or Jed Lowrie .  Javier Báez and Whit Merrifield work if paying up, while a few other punt options were listed in the paybook.

Third Base: Going to be hard to take another high priced player over Nolan Arenado , while Maikel Franco could be the popular mid-priced option.  David Freese will be the popular punt play, making third base extremely wide open, and could be your make or break position tonight.

Shortstop: SS is pretty stacked tonight with Trevor Story , Didi Gregorius , Francisco Lindor , Xander Bogaerts , and Trea Turner all top options, and could come down to a personal preference, or salary restrictions.  Could pivot to Gurriel Jr on DK if thinking Marwin González is a trap play.

Outfield: As mentioned in the playbook, OF is pretty stacked tonight with plenty of routes to go depending on your team targets. Khris Davis and Rhys Hoskins are on fire, while Charlie Blackmon , Mookie Betts , Giancarlo Stanton , Mike Trout , and Andrew Benintendi lead a long list of other top priced OF options in play tonight.  Stephen Piscotty would be my cheaper OF option from Coors, while Josh Reddick , Aaron Hicks , and Lorenzo Cain are all solid targets as well. Jordan Luplow remains a top FD value play leading off if targeting the Pirates tonight. Plenty of other routes mentioned in the playbook if looking to go elsewhere.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team:  

Our hitting coach, James Grande, likes both Nolan and Hoskins if paying up, with Smoak, Peralta, and Gurriel as his top mid-priced targets.  He likes Freese as a top value play, with Walker and Choi also on his value priced radar.

Our projections have Davis and Betts leading the way, with Ramirez, Goldschmidt, Story, and Benintendi all claiming top five spots across different sites tonight.  The Pirates take up the top three FD value plays with Cervelli, Freese, and Mercer, while Fletcher leads the list of top DK value options.

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 will likely be paying up for pitching, which means I’ll look towards the Pirates and Blue Jays for value, while hoping to have enough salary a solid four pack to pair up with the value stack.  The Nationals will likely be an overlooked target, but would rather with a Cubs and Phillies type stack to be different. With a large slate with plenty of options, you don’t really need to try to be different tonight, as no real team should end up highly owned tonight.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team:  Our stacking coach, Brett Talley, likes the top four teams in the game at Coors, as well as the Yankees and Red Sox bats.  If looking to be different, he likes the Blue Jays and Phillies.