The daily grind: 6-5-13

The Daily Grind provides daily match-up advice for tinkerers and daily fantasy players. I welcome advice to help make this column more effective, including notice of impending weather events, new injuries, and changes to platoon situations. Ownership rates are from Yahoo!

The daily picks are a mixture of Daily League specific advice and information for the more typical fantasy owner.

Today’s grind

Pitcher (to start): Dan Haren has the best stream start if he’s available in your league. Bartolo Colon is a solid second choice, although his low strikeout totals can be damaging.

Alexi Ogando versus John Lackey is an interesting match-up of stream-worthy starters. It’s hard to make a recommendation for either given the strength of their respective lineups, but they’re worth mentioning.

Pitcher (bum): The A’s strike me as a lineup that can systematically pick Yovani Gallardo apart.

R.A. Dickey isn’t the same pitcher he was last season. He’s been making adjustments to continue pitching rather than taking a stretch of time to recuperate.

Dallas Keuchel will have trouble keeping the Orioles off the scoreboard.

Hitter (power): Scott Hairston will face Jason Vargas, who is coming off some strong outings.

Brandon Belt will see Dickey.

I still have a feeling that the Cardinals will work Matt Adams into the lineup today against Wade Miley. It’s just a hunch.

Hitter (speed): On the other side of that Cardinals match-up, Gerardo Parra has a strong match-up against Joe Kelly.

Drew Stubbs doesn’t have an easy assignment against CC Sabathia, but he does turn into a usable hitter against lefties.

Tomorrow’s grind

Pitcher (to start): Miguel Gonzalez could be an interesting gamble for daily fantasy owners. He’ll face the Astros.

Shaun Marcum is showing signs of finding his groove. Be wary against the Nationals.

Andrew Cashner is relatively available at 33 percent owned.

Pitcher (bum): Mike Pelfrey versus Wade Davis spells r-u-n-s. Runs. Lots of them.

A Hardball Times Update
Goodbye for now.

Tyler Cloyd and Wily Peralta are in the same spelling bee as Pelfrey and Davis.

The Yankees and Dodgers both have TBA listed for tomorrow.

Hitter (power): Ryan Doumit has played well lately and is up to 37 percent owned. He’s a solid option to hold at catcher.

Hitter (speed): Craig Gentry will face Jon Lester, who has been inconsistent lately.

Try Aaron Hicks against Davis or Lorenzo Cain against Pelfrey.

Will Venable faces contact-oriented Jhoulys Chacin.

Noteworthy news

MLB is supposedly pushing for roughly 20 suspensions in connection to the Biogenesis scandal. This strikes me as a bit of a witch hunt and making the move in-season is rather damaging considering that there is only circumstantial evidence available. I hope this is a case of the media overreacting and that the commissioner’s office has the good sense to act over the offseason.

Weather watch

Thunderstorms are possible at the Grind Headquarters in Atlanta. Games in St. Louis and Kansas City could also see rain. The risk is currently below 50 percent in all cases.


You can follow me on twitter @BaseballATeam
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Kubrick
10 years ago

You are starting Cashner at Coors?  That’s pretty brave.

Brad Johnson
10 years ago

I consider Cashner to be outright own-able. And for such players, I use almost every start. It’s certainly not without risk.

ABSkippers
10 years ago

So what’s your take on Domonic Brown going forward?  I remember your being a fan/Phillies homer.  He’s hit .328-15-4 for me so I’m no grouch, but the articles are circulating decrying the increased swing%, the hr/fb rate, the pull-happy & just enough hrs, and of course the 0 walks in May, and suggesting sell high.  I’m in a keeper league so he could fetch a good price, but I also see the track record there for a top notch hitter, so I’m willing to believe he’s a talent worth holding on to.  What say you?

Brad Johnson
10 years ago

You have to consider what’s on offer and in particular, what those offers do to your odds of winning. Obviously he’s not as good as his last month, but he’s a physically gifted athlete.

I expect Brown to be quite streaky. He’s demonstrated plus plate discipline in the past, so I have little doubt in his ability to revert to a more patient approach.

ABSkippers
10 years ago

I think I remember your full season projection for Brown being something like .270-20-12.  That pace ROS season would be something like .270-14-8.  Is that what you see going forward, or would you up the power projection?

He just homered btw.

Brad Johnson
10 years ago

That seems about right. You might want to lower the average a tad a raise the power a bit. So like .260/16/8