The daily grind: 7-11-13

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): Wade Miley is the top pick for today by virtue of being a known quantity. He’ll face the Brewers.

You also have a couple options with less certainty and more upside in Erasmo Ramirez and Danny Salazar. Both pitchers face difficult lineups.

Pitcher (bum): Mike Pelfrey had his best fastball last time out, averaging over 93 mph. So it’s possible that he’s taken another step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and is no longer completely flammable. Or it was just a one outing blip.

Drew Pomeranz faces Chris Capuano today in a game that could yield oodles of runs.

Hitter (power): Justin Smoak is the lone power pick for the day.

Hitter (speed): Gerardo Parra could help with runs, Leonys Martin is a multi-dimensional threat, and Lorenzo Cain is more of a high floor type option.

Tomorrow’s grind

Pitcher (to start): The Corey Kluber bandwagon continues to empty out despite some strong recent starts with solid peripherals. He’s at merely 18 percent owned, but I’m happy to use him against all but the toughest offenses.

This isn’t a recommendation, but I did want to point out that Jarred Cosart is making his major league debut against the Rays. I expect the Astros to give him every chance to settle in as a starter, but most franchises would prefer to use him as a relief ace. Suspect command and control will be a challenge for Cosart to overcome at the big league level.

John Lackey is 64 percent owned and will face the A’s. He’s opposed by 67 percent owned Jarrod Parker.

Pitcher (bum): The Yankees will throw that venerable ace TBA.

Juan Nicasio is returning from the disabled list to face the Dodgers.

Sean O’Sullivan is getting a spot start against the Giants.

Hitter (power): Roll Brandon Belt against O’Sullivan.

Try Cody Ross. Tom Gorzelanny has been good in a couple spot starts this year, but he faced much weaker offenses than the Diamondbacks.

A Hardball Times Update
Goodbye for now.

Kelly Johnson has become quite platoony with eligibility at second, third and outfield. He might be worth pairing against Cosart’s fastball.

Hitter (speed): Will Venable will face Chad Gaudin, who just has to turn back into a pumpkin eventually.

Rajai Davis doesn’t have the platoon advantage, but Chris Tillman is just hittable enough to use him anyway.

Martin should be owned outright in the majority of leagues. He’s at 45 percent owned today.

Eric Young Jr. will see Charlie Morton.

Drew Stubbs likes lefties, especially non-elite ones like Bruce Chen.

Noteworthy news

Yu Darvish has hit the disabled list with a strained trapezius muscle. The Rangers are calling the issue fatigue and hope to start Darvish on July 22. If it’s a more serious injury, expect the Rangers to become very active in the starting pitching market. This is purely speculation on my part, but if Darvish is out for any length of time, I would expect the Rangers to push hard for Matt Garza or Cliff Lee.

Weather watch

Guess where there are scattered storms expected this afternoon…the Northeast. Games in Philadelphia, New York (AL), and Baltimore could be affected. Atlanta is also facing possible storms, but the Braves aren’t located in the Northeast so they get their own sentence.


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TB
10 years ago

Nice call on Nova, thanks. Although all of those guys you mentioned had nice games.
Thanks again!
TB

James Shue
10 years ago

Who is Martin? Leonys? He’s useless on the road, hits ninth…

Will cost you one at bat or so every few games, like last night.

Brad Johnson
10 years ago

Four category production more than makes up for it. But you’re right to point that out as a drawback.

ben
10 years ago

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