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.  Weather is worth monitoring up to lock time, but thinking all games should be played.

Top Pitching 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:  An overall solid group of pitchers to choose from tonight, with different options being top plays depending on your site.

Thirty Second Cheat Sheet: Gerrit Cole is priced well above the field on DK, but is my top FD play if paying up.  Zack Wheeler leads a long list of mid-priced options that have plus matchups, and a late Bryse Wilson debut adds some extra intrigue to the slate.

If playing cash games, I think Cole is the play on FD, and would use Wheeler with an even cheaper option on DK over paying up.  Chris Archer , Alex Wood , and Mike Fiers are all in play, with Chase Anderson and the others more suited for gpp’s. Bryse Wilson makes his MLB debut, and could look at it in two ways.  Either he shuts down a team that has scored five runs over their past four games, or he gets hammered as someone without any prep time that won’t last five innings.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team: Our projections have Cole leading the way, followed by Wood, Wheeler, Archer, and Fiers.  Wood is towards the top of the value list on FD, and is the top value play 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 options in the playbook, with some additional thoughts below.

Five Second Cheat Sheet:  The Brewers are your top team target, but don’t overlook some of the late night options.

Thirty Second Cheat Sheet:  Colon was scratched yesterday, but if good to go, the A’s will join the Brewers as a top team to target.  The Twins and Blue Jays are your other over five implied run total teams, and as mentioned above, the Pirates could be in a great spot vs the call-up tonight.  I’m likely fading most of it, but hard to ignore two top offenses vs two top pitchers in the CLE/BOS game, as I would rather look that way than the Mariners or Giants bats.

Positional Thoughts

Catcher:  Catcher is open tonight, so your best bet may be to pair up your catcher with a team you are already targeting.  Manny Piña , Evan Gattis , and Russell Martin are solid options that aren’t top priced. Jonathan Lucroy would be my punt option.  

First Base: I think your best bet at first is to either pay up for Jesus Aguilar or punt the position.  I listed plenty of routes in the playbook, with Kendrys Morales , the two Tampa options, and Joe Mauer are some of my preferred options.

Second Base:  I prefer using second to save some salary over paying up, and there are plenty to choose from as usual tonight.  Jed Lowrie has a great FD price tag, and can see Jonathan Schoop and Jonathan Villar both being used as cheap DK options.  Scooter Gennett is my top option if paying up, with plenty of other routes listed in the playbook.

Third Base: Wide open tonight, but would rather look at Miguel Sano , Justin Turner , or Alex Bregman over fully paying up for José Ramírez .  Plenty of cheap routes mentioned in the playbook, but also like the mid-priced options in Mike Moustakas and Matt Chapman .

Shortstop: Carlos Correa works if not wanting to fully spend up for Machado or Lindor, but cheap leadoff options like Tim Anderson and Amed Rosario may be the better route in order to spend up elsewhere.  Elvis Andrus or Marwin González would be my pivots for cheap on DK over a BAL/TOR/PIT option.

Outfield:  Outside of Melky Cabrera , I’m staying away from the players in that game, but if wanting to go that route, pay up for Mookie Betts and J.D. Martínez .  Khris Davis will likely be a popular FD option, and the Brewers OF of Ryan Braun , Christian Yelich , and Lorenzo Cain are all in play, with the Pirates likely best used as gpp pivots, unless going the Wilson SP route.  Mallex Smith , Billy Hamilton , and Nick Martini lead the list of cheap FD options, with some other routes mentioned in the playbook.

Thoughts from the Fantasy Alarm Team:  Our projections have Betts leading the way, with Ramirez also in the top five.  The other three all come from the Brewers in Mous, Aguilar, and Yelich. Ji-Man Choi is the top FD value play, with Longoria leading the DK list.

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. The slate is pretty wide open tonight for gpp’s and will likely stick to the mid-priced pitching.  Can’t go wrong with multiple combos of Brewers, and can pair them up with any number of options. I would go with the A’s or Astros.

Our stacking coach, Tom Vecchio, likes the Brewers as his top stack, with the Twins and A’s as his other top stacks.