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. Weather may be an issue in Chicago again today, but like the last few slates, all games should finish.
From the top of the playbook: Today’s seven-game early slate for Labor Day may not have the large number of runs scored that the afternoon and evening games could produce, but it does present a few routes to consider rolling with tonight. Houston has the top projected run total for the slate, but has dropped to under five runs, and some weather concerns in Chicago could eliminate a solid value pitcher in Lopez today as well. Overall, I would focus more on GPPs, as you’ll see plenty of hitters from the same core group of teams that make for solid targets, while the rest of the slate is best used for low owned, high risk, high reward plays.
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: Max Scherzer remains elite, with a solid group of hot pitchers also taking the mound today.
Thirty Second Cheat Sheet: Scherzer’s opponent in Jack Flaherty makes for a solid pivot, with another hot pitcher in Cole Hamels also checks in as a solid gpp pivot play. Trevor Williams and Vince Velásquez would be my preferred value pitchers, while Dallas Keuchel and Reynaldo López look to be in nice spots as well. The rest of the pitchers are likely best used for higher risk gpp plays.
It’s a pretty solid slate for pitching today, and feel that with the pricing on FD, taking Scherzer is your best play if playing cash games, while Williams price tag on FD should make him a popular value play route. On DK, I could still see Scherzer being used in cash games but could also get away from him if you want to pay up for hitting by targeting two out of the four under $10K plays in Hamels, Williams, Keuchel, or Velasquez. Lopez is in play, but Chicago could see some afternoon rain after being pelted with rain throughout the evening and this morning.
Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:
Our projections have Scherzer leading the way with his opponent Flaherty right behind him. Velasquez, Keuchel, and Fulmer round out the top five, with Urena the top value on FD, and Harvey 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: Plenty of routes to consider today, but the Astros, Cubs, Red Sox, and Pirates will likely be the popular team targets.
Thirty Second Cheat Sheet: Houston has dropped below the five projected runs mark, with makes it zero team for this slate projected for over five runs. Really will come down to which favorites you want to target, and where you want to take your spots to be different. Outside of those listed above, I do like the cheap Phillies bats, but overall, you will need to commit to the 3-5 teams you think will be the top run scoring ones tonight. Those teams for me look to be the Astros, Cubs, and Pirates as the favorites, and the Phillies vs Marlins game for salary relief.
Positional Thoughts
Catcher: Both the McCann’s in Brian McCann and James McCann are in play, while Wilson Ramos would be who I would pay up for. Rest of the options are best used in their team stacks.
First Base: I prefer going with Anthony Rizzo over Freddie Freeman if paying up, while Mitch Moreland and Carlos Santana are great pivot options for cheaper. Other routes were listed in the playbook.
Second Base: Personal preference play between José Altuve and Daniel Murphy at second and leaning more towards Murphy. Ian Kinsler is a solid value play, while Kevin Newman, Asdrubal Cabrera , and Logan Forsythe are pure punt options depending on the site you play on.
Third Base: I like Kris Bryant tonight, but not against Alex Bregman or Eugenio Suárez if wanting to pay up. Miguel Sano has been a trap play for me lately, but also has been highly owned for cheap. Plenty of other cheap options listed in the playbook if not wanting to spend up at third.
Shortstop: Javier Báez is too overpriced for me on DK, but like him on FD. On DK, I prefer to use this spot for salary relief, and will likely have plenty of options. Best to go with a SS from a team you already are targeting players from, with some possible options listed in the playbook.
Outfield: I’m not fully paying up for J.D. Martínez or Mookie Betts once again but wouldn’t talk you out of it. I would rather go to the other side of this game with Ronald Acuna , while Nick Castellanos works as a great standalone OF options. Hoskins being out is a disaster, but the Phillies and Marlins both check in with great OF price tags if looking to save salary, while George Springer and the Astros are solid pivot options if looking to go the mid-priced route. The Cubs vs Brewers game features plenty of power bats but prefer a Gregor Polanco or Starling Marte type player instead.
Thoughts from the FantasyAlarm Team:
Our hitting coach, Jon Impemba, likes Bryant if paying up, while Freeman would be his mid-priced target. Reyes from Detroit would be his value play.
Our projections have the Betts leading the way, followed by Baez, Yelich, and Moreland. Suarez and Castellanos are right up there leading the way in the next tier of options, while Nunez and the Cards lead the value route if looking to go against Scherzer.
GPP’s:
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. I mentioned my team targets above, but you may be able to get away with the stand-alone route over the full four by four team stacks play. Having said that, I still prefer the four by four, and will likely go with the Cubs or Houston, and then the Pirates or Phillies as my secondary stacks.
Our stacking coach, Brett Talley, likes the Astros as his top stack, with the Cubs as the pivot play.