MLB Daily Grind Down: Monday, August 26th

by Kyle Koch (Jackandsoda) Last Updated 2013-08-26 21:34:49

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.

Note: Any Fantasy Point Average Listed Uses FanDuel Scoring. For more info on FanDuel’s MLB Scoring System, check out the scoring systems section of our FanDuel Review

• FPAB – Fantasy Points Per At Bat
• K% – Strikeout Percentage
• K/9 – Strikeouts Per 9 IP

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Cincinnati vs. St. Louis

7:05 PM	Cincinnati – ROAD					St. Louis – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.249	0.718	20.10%	0.58		0.272	0.743	17.90%	0.61
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.243	0.707	20.10%	0.43		0.284	0.766	17.50%	0.49
SP STATS	Leake – RHP					Lyons – LHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.23	3.12	5.46	9.73		1.32	5.09	6.27	6.65
LAST 14 DAYS	1.44	4.50	5.00	7.67		1.00	0.00	9.00	4.00
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	CIN vs L		CIN BvP			STL vs R		STL BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 8.5

• Favored Team – STL -109

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Tyler Lyons had those 2 great starts to open the season and since then has been the death of many fantasy LUs. Vegas give him the slight edge today but he has thrown over 90 pitches only twice in his 8 starts and carries into this game a 5.09 ERA on the year. if you are the kind of daily player who likes to try and catch lightning in the bottle then he does have a K/9 in the upper 7s, he is left-handed, and CIN is not that great on the road but CIN already got to him once this year, cranking 2 HRs off of him, so I think I’ll take a pass. RG Start-Ability 3

• Away Mike Leake has been a sick run since the All-Star Break. He is 5-1 with a 1.47 ERA and .217 BAA. Pitching in STL will be a real test but I trust hot streaks for pitchers more than I do for hitters and he is red hot. STL is batting .277 at home, .283 versus right-handers, and .285 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 7

Batter Grind Down

• Home Carlos Beltran is 5-18 with 3 HRs versus Latos. Allen Craig is 5-18 with 1 HR. Yadier Molina is 11-26 with 1 HR. Jon Jay is 10-24 versus him also. Beltran, Carpenter, Holliday, Molina, and Craig have all been productive for STL. This is a hot offense meeting a hot pitcher. RG Stack Rating 5

• Away Jay Bruce hit one of those 2 HRs. Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier are the guys to look to versus a left-hander. Joey Votto has been productive and hits left-handrs for a high average. RG Stack Rating 7

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NY Yankees vs. Toronto

7:05 PM	NY Yankees – ROAD					Toronto – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.246	0.685	19.40%	0.55		0.252	0.733	18.00%	0.62
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.244	0.687	19.70%	0.41		0.255	0.748	17.90%	0.50
SP STATS	Hughes – RHP					Dickey – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.39	4.88	7.63	7.79		1.27	4.49	7.00	9.67
LAST 14 DAYS	1.33	3.75	8.25	9.00		1.09	4.50	8.59	10.67
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	NYY vs R		NYY BvP			TOR vs R		TOR BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 9

• Favored Team – TOR -115

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home R.A. Dickey cannot pitch inside a dome as evident by his 5.79 home ER. He has been pitching well since the Break but most of those starts have come on the road. NYY is batting .240 on the road, .245 versus right-handers, and .256 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 4

• Away Phil Hughes just held this TOR team to 2 ER over 7 IP. Hughes is having an up and down year but he certainly has the upside capable of winning GPPs. he has been a much better pitcher outside of Yankee stadium with a 3.67 ERA. The OU is a little too high for me to gamble on him, though. TOR is batting .258 at home, .255 versus right-handers, and .237 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 4

Batter Grind Down

• Home*Edwin Encarnacion is hot and is 11-32 with 1 HR versus Hughes. Adam Lind has 2 HRs in 35 AB versus him as well. Rajai Davis Maicer Izturis, and Jose Reyes have positive BvPs as well. *RG Stack Rating 6

• Away There is a good chance this one get ugly for R.A. Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, and Vernon Wells have positive BvPs versus Dickey. Cano has been super hot with 28.75 fp over the last 7 days. RG Stack Rating 7

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Oakland vs. Detroit

7:05 PM	Oakland – ROAD					Detroit – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.244	0.718	19.40%	0.59		0.282	0.785	16.90%	0.65
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.244	0.710	19.10%	0.46		0.286	0.787	16.30%	0.52
SP STATS	Griffin – RHP					Sanchez – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.17	3.84	7.13	10.15		1.14	2.45	9.83	13.51
LAST 14 DAYS	1.79	3.24	6.67	7.40		1.14	1.29	8.36	14.50
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	OAK vs R		OAK BvP			DET vs R		DET BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 8

• Favored Team – DET -175

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home There is absolutely no reason not to take Anibal Sanchez today. He is a srudd at home with a 1.92 ERA and he has a 1.51 ERA since the All-Star Break. His K/9 sits at 9.80 on the season and he has held this OAK team to .230 BAA. RG Start-Ability 9

• Away A.J. Griffin s a good young pitcher and his numbers do not take much of a dip on the road but he has a tough draw today both on the mound and against a DET team that is fierce at home. DET is batting .297 at home, .288 versus right-handers, and .341 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 5

Batter Grind Down

• Home I have started to use Miguel Cabrera in my LU everyday. There is no reason not to. Make him work. He is that good. RG Stack Rating 4

• Away Seth Smith is 6-16 with 2 HRs versus Sanchez. Coco Crisp and Brandon Moss have been hot for OAK. RG Stack Rating 2

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Philadelphia vs. NY Mets

7:10 PM	Philadelphia – ROAD					NY Mets – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.248	0.694	19.90%	0.52		0.239	0.683	22.20%	0.54
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.254	0.702	19.60%	0.41		0.245	0.693	22.60%	0.41
SP STATS	Lee – LHP					Wheeler – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.06	3.16	8.30	12.80		1.39	3.49	8.06	10.68
LAST 14 DAYS	1.00	3.00	7.20	11.00		1.39	2.84	12.54	14.60
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	PHI vs R		PHI BvP			NYM vs L		NYM BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 7

• Favored Team – PHI -130

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Zack Wheeler has given up 6 HRS in 5 starts at home. He is also allowing left-handers a .279 BAA. He is a good young pitcher but he has not been good at home so far this year and we know PHI has a few potent left-handed bats. PHI is batting .252 on the road, .253 versus right-handers, and .236 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 4

• Away Cliff Lee has been pretty darn good on the year when he is able to pitch outside of PHI. He has a 2.59 ERA and .211 BAA on the road. He is winless since the All-Star Break, however, and the Mets have had some success versus him with a .281 BAA. NYM is batting .225 at home,.245 versus left-handers, and .231 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 6

Batter Grind Down

• Home John Buck is 16-55 with 4 HRs versus Lee. Marlon Byrd is 10-28 with 1 HR. Daniel Murphy, and Ruben Tejada have positive BvPs as well. RG Stack Rating 3

• Away Domonic Brown (if he plays), Chase Utley, and Cody Asche are you best bets. Carlos Ruis has been hot with 29.5 fp over the last 7 days. Jimmy Rollins had a HR off of Wheeler the last time he saw him. RG Stack Rating 4

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Houston vs. Chicago White Sox

8:10 PM	Houston – ROAD					Chicago White Sox – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.239	0.683	25.60%	0.54		0.251	0.683	19.30%	0.51
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.237	0.678	25.30%	0.41		0.243	0.656	19.10%	0.37
SP STATS	Oberholtzer – LHP					Rienzo – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.09	2.91	5.82	8.14		1.33	3.56	6.28	8.62
LAST 14 DAYS	1.39	3.55	7.38	10.60		1.00	2.25	5.25	10.00
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	HOU vs R		HOU BvP			CHW vs L		CHW BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 8.5

• Favored Team – CHW -154

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Andre Rienzo has been a ground ball producing machine since joining the White Sox’s rotation. His K totals are a little low but the should get a boost today from HOU. He is not lasting very long in games but he is worth a look in a multiple pitcher site. HOU is batting .246 on the road, .237 versus right-handers, and .277 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 7

• Away Brett Oberholtzer has given up 6 ER in his last 5 starts and those numbers have come against TEX x2, BAL, BOS, and LAA. What do you think his chances are today against a CHW team that is statistically worse than HOU since the Break. CHW is batting .254 at home, .242 versus left-handers, and .252 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 7

Batter Grind Down

• Home Dayan Viciedo hits left-handers well and is the only hot CHW player. RG Stack Rating 3

• Away Jason Castro is super hot with 36 fp over the last 7 days. Robbie Grossman has been hot as well. Half of me thinks to exploit Rienzo’s 6.75 ERA at home with some cheap HOU bats. RG Stack Rating 4

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