MLB Daily Grind Down April 17th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2013-04-19 17:47:25

The RotoGrinders MLB Grind Down article will give you an in-depth analysis into the MLB schedule. This article will break down the numbers for every single game and give you analysis on which trends you can exploit.

While matchups are a major factor in daily fantasy baseball, there are plenty of other factors to consider such as injuries, weather, and salaries. The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. No sport has more variance than baseball. The best choice is not always the right choice but following the trends will win you money over time.

The weatherman just won’t leave us alone. Yesterday, we had another 2 games called due to the rain and it’s looking like there may be a few more today. While changing your lineup due to weather is never fun, it can only help you if your opponents forget to check the weather. Today’s grind down will point out the possible rain-outs and point out some players that should be on your radar.

Kansas City at Atlanta

BATTER SPLITS BREAKDOWN
KCR BvP		KCR vs L		ATL BvP		ATL vs R
Note: Batter Splits Above Open in Pop Up Window

Las Vegas

• OU 7.5

• Atlanta -178

Pitchers

• Home Wade Davis gets the start for the Royals today, but he has a really tough matchup against the Braves in Atlanta. Wade has been a very good reliever and now is getting the chance to start. In two starts this year, he has only lasted a combined 9 innings. Avoid him today.

• Away I love taking Mike Minor when he pitches at home, especially against a team that has never faced him before. Minor is off to a terrific 2-0 start with an ERA under 1 and is a solid option if you are playing in early leagues.

Batters

• Home Wade Davis probably won’t pitch too deep into this one, so you have to remember that the Braves hitters will be facing quite a few different pitchers. I think both of the Upton brothers make good plays and Jason Heyward has been racking up fantasy points over the last week.

• Away The Royals offense is running into a buzz saw that is Mike Minor. Pass on the Royals hitters today.

Houston at Oakland

BATTER SPLITS BREAKDOWN
HOU BvP		HOU vs R		OAK BvP		OAK vs R
Note: Batter Splits Above Open in Pop Up Window

Las Vegas

• OU 8.0

• Oakland -174

Pitchers

• Home Bartolo Colon is off to a decent start this season. He struggled a bit against the Astros the first time he saw them, but pitched well against the Tigers. I think he is a great option today against the Astros. You know what they always say, the second time’s the charm. The Astros sport the highest strikeout rate in the league and Colon is heavily favored.

• Away Bud Norris fared well against the A’s a short while ago and has only allowed 4 earned runs over his first 3 starts. I think he pitches well in this one, but that the A’s get to him a little bit. Without any consistent run support, he is hard to recommend.

Batters

• Home The A’s are really hitting the ball well right now, but unfortunately that makes them a lot more expensive to take. Coco Crisp and Jed Lowrie both have a decent matchup, but only take them if the price is reasonable.

• Away The Astros have such an inconsistent option that it makes taking any of them tough. The only guy I would consider here is Jose Altuve. The guy can hit.

Arizona at NY Yankees

BATTER SPLITS BREAKDOWN
ARI BvP		ARI vs L		NYY BvP		NYY vs L
Note: Batter Splits Above Open in Pop Up Window

Las Vegas

• OU 7.5

• NY Yankees -155

Pitchers

• Home C.C. Sabathia takes the mount tonight and could be in for a big night against the D-Backs. He has been very good against them in the past and faces them at home where C.C. is usually very sharp, last year he posted a 2.69 ERA with more K’s than innings. I expect him to get close to double digit strikeouts tonight and pick up the win.

• Away Wade Miley is a really good young pitcher is off to a hot start this year. He is 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA and 13 strikeouts in his first two starts. Not the best position here though, Yankee stadium is a tough place to pitch, especially when you have C.C. going for the Yanks.

Batters

• Home Kevin Youkilis is the play today for the Yankees. Even though he is off to a slow start against lefties this season, he has been one of the best hitters in the game against lefties. Cano, Ichiro, and Gardner could all struggle with the lefty/lefty matchup.

• Away C.C. has dominated the Diamondbacks in the past. I don’t think I am going to take any of their hitters, but if you must, then take a look at Paul Goldschmidt, he crushes lefties and will be the one that does the damage if there is any.

St. Louis at Pittsburgh

BATTER SPLITS BREAKDOWN
STL BvP		STL vs R		PIT BvP		PIT vs R
Note: Batter Splits Above Open in Pop Up Window

Las Vegas

• OU 7.0

• St. Louis -111

Pitchers

• Home Last night’s game was looking like it was going to be a shootout, but then it got rained out. Tonight’s game should the opposite of that. Low scoring and no rain out. A.J. Burnett is a K machine this season and has been really good pitching in PNC park. I think he gives up a couple of runs, but makes up for it with K’s.

• Away Young Shelby Miller has started this season off with a bang. He is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA and 12 K’s in two starts. He is not afraid of anyone and a matchup with the Pirates makes me think that he keeps it up. Good option today on site’s where he is cheap.

Batters

• Home Don’t expect a ton of offense in this one. Miller is a solid young pitcher and the Pirates don’t have many good at bats. Maybe ride the hot bat of Starling Marte, but don’t take too many Pirates today.

• Away BvP has been terribly misleading this season, but if you are still a believer, then Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday both have good BvP against Burnett. I’m not trusting the numbers, especially on sites that penalize you for strikeouts.

Tampa Bay at Baltimore

BATTER SPLITS BREAKDOWN
TBR BvP		TBR vs R		BAL BvP		BAL vs L
Note: Batter Splits Above Open in Pop Up Window

Las Vegas

• OU 8.0

• Tampa Bay -110

Pitchers

• Home Chris Tillman had a solid year last season, but has struggled in his first two starts of the season. The Rays offense hasn’t looked great early either though so something has to give. I think Tillman will pitch well and could be a good sleeper if he is cheap enough. Watch out for Longoria though, he already has 3 HR’s off of Tillman.

• Away Matt Moore has yet to allow a run this season and has struck out 13 batters in the process. He is a high K rate pitcher, but runs into a tough matchup against the Orioles. I think he is a little too overpriced for a matchup on the road against the Orioles.

Batters

• Home Matt Moore is a tough matchup, but I always like to take Matt Wieters against lefties. His OPS is through the roof. Throw in the fact that he is 5/8 against him with 2 HR’s and he is going to be hard to pass up today.

• Away Here is the BvP stat that will probably end up costing people again: Evan Longoria has 3 HR’s off of Tillman in only 12 at bats. Not only that but Longo has homered in back to back games.

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