MLB Daily Grind Down: Monday, August 5th

by Kyle Koch (Jackandsoda) Last Updated 2013-08-05 19:45:14

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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Detroit vs. Cleveland

7:05 PM	Detroit – ROAD					Cleveland – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.280	0.781	17.40%	0.65		0.256	0.744	21.50%	0.65
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.286	0.788	16.80%	0.53		0.254	0.739	22.10%	0.50
SP STATS	Sanchez – RHP					Kluber – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.19	2.68	10.30	13.18		1.23	3.69	9.09	10.44
LAST 14 DAYS	1.33	0.75	6.00	11.50		0.90	0.00	11.07	15.60
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	DET vs R		DET BvP			CLE vs R		CLE BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 7.5

• Favored Team – DET -110

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Corey Kluber has been solid at home with a 2.98 ERA. If there were not so many other really good pitching options going tonight I might be willing to say he was worth a look but why take a risk on him versus a very good DET team that has knocked him around already 3 times on the season? DET is batting .261 on the road, .283 versus right-handers, and .278 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 4

• Away Anibal Sanchez numbers do not take that big of a dip on the road. He has been fantastic in July with a 2.15 ERA. The thing that I do not like about him is that his K/9 is only a 5.88 since returning from injury so I am not sure he is worth his price. CLE is batting .258 at home, .254 versus right-handers, and .278 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 6

Batter Grind Down

• Home Michael Bourne is 7-21 versus Sanchez. Asdrubal Cabrera is 4-13 with 1 HR versus him also. Ryan Raburn has been hot with 22.5 fp over the last 7 days.RG Stack Rating 2

• Away Alex Avila and Tori Hunter have been hot for DET. The whole team hits right-handers for a high averages and DET owns a .301 BAA versus Kluber. Consider everyone playable. Miguel Cabrera is a sick 7-14 with 3 HRs versus Kluber if he starts. RG Stack Rating 7

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Atlanta vs. Washington

7:05 PM	Atlanta – ROAD					Washington – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.251	0.735	22.70%	0.60		0.240	0.682	21.00%	0.52
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.254	0.744	22.80%	0.49		0.212	0.621	21.20%	0.35
SP STATS	Minor – LHP					Strasburg – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.07	2.98	8.52	12.30		1.07	2.85	9.29	11.56
LAST 14 DAYS	0.93	2.40	9.00	15.00		1.12	5.29	10.59	9.00
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	ATL vs R		ATL BvP			WSN vs L		WSN BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 7

• Favored Team – WAS -110

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Stephen Strasburg has been ridiculously good at home with an ERA of 1.68 and a BAA of .197. Today he draws an ATL braves team that has recorded the second most Ks on the season. They come into this game hot with a 9 games winning streak and own a .313 BAA as a team versus him. There is risk in the play but Strasburg has the biggest ceiling out of any player going tonight. ATL is batting .240 on the road, .256 versus right-handers, and .304 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 8

• Away Mike Minor has been good no matter where he has pitched this year but I think he is a safer play on the road. He has given up 15 HR on the year and 10 of those came at home. He is on a nice run here in July with a 2.18 ERA for the month. WAS is batting .263 at home, .212 versus left-handers, and .275 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 9

Batter Grind Down

• Home Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa, and Ryan Zimmerman have positive BvPs versus Minor. I would avoid the left-handed bats because Minor is holding left-handers to a .198 BAA. RG Stack Rating 2

• Away Justin Upton is a streaky hitter and right now he is hot with 42.25 fp over the last 7 days. Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward have each produced over 30 fp in the last 7 and Brian McCann and Chris Johnson have produced over 20 fp. Dan Uggla is 11-24 with 2 HRs versus Strasburg, Jason Heyward is 7-15 versus him as well. Freddie Freeman is 5-13 with 1 HR. Brian McCann is 6-16 with 1 HR. RG Stack Rating 3

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LA Dodgers vs. St. Louis

7:05 PM	LA Dodgers – ROAD					St. Louis – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.262	0.715	18.30%	0.55		0.276	0.751	17.30%	0.61
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.263	0.715	18.10%	0.42		0.287	0.765	17.60%	0.49
SP STATS	Greinke – RHP					Wainwright – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.27	3.49	6.89	10.44		1.03	2.44	8.00	14.34
LAST 14 DAYS	0.91	2.05	6.55	12.33		1.36	3.86	7.07	11.50
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	LAD vs R		LAD BvP			STL vs R		STL BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 7

• Favored Team – STL -149

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Adam Wainwright is awesome at home with a 1.83 ERA. The best thing about him when he pitches in STL is that his K/9 Jumps up to 8.99. LAD does not K very much so I think his ceiling is a little lower than Strasburg but they are much colder than ATL so Wainwright is probably the safer play. LAD is batting .273 on the road, .264 versus right-handers, and .232 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 9

• Away Zack Greinke is pretty average on the road with a 4.57 ERA and .289 BAA. He is allowing left-handers to bat .298 versus him and STL loves hitting right-handed pitching. STL is batting .281 at home, .284 versus right-handers, and .272 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 7

Batter Grind Down

• Home Matt Carpenter, Jon Jay, and Matt Adams (if he starts) are your best plays. Matt Holliday is 5-17 with 2 HRs versus Greinke. RG Stack Rating 3

• Away Andre Either is 8-27 with 2 HRs versus Wainwright. Yasiel Puig, Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez are all batting over .300 versus right-handers. Both Puig and Ramirez are considered DTD. I do not think Hamley will play but Puig will. RG Stack Rating 2

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NY Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox

8:10 PM	NY Yankees – ROAD					Chicago White Sox – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.244	0.683	19.50%	0.54		0.250	0.687	20.30%	0.53
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.236	0.649	19.80%	0.39		0.232	0.641	19.50%	0.36
SP STATS	Pettitte – LHP					Quintana – LHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.37	4.39	6.29	8.96		1.23	3.61	7.10	9.26
LAST 14 DAYS	1.32	4.38	4.46	6.05		1.70	3.09	7.23	10.10
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	NYY vs L		NYY BvP			CHW vs L		CHW BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 7.5

• Favored Team – Pick’em

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Jose Quintana struggles to get left-handers out even though he is left-handed. That is not what you want to see when facing this very left-hand heavy NYY team. Plus, NYY owns a sick .346 BAA versus him as a team. NYY is batting .235 on the road, .239 versus left-handers, and .212 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 5

• Away Andy Pettitte has been halfway decent on the road with a 3.63 ERA. He draws a struggling CHW team so he is worth a look today on a multiple pitcher site. He has a very low K/9, though, so do not expect too much from him. CHW is batting .239 at home, .235 versus left-handers, and .212 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 5

Batter Grind Down

• Home The team BAA makes everyone playable and a stack considerable. Alfonso Soriano is a batting .346 versus left-handers since joining the Yankees. Iciro Suzuki is batting .342 versus them*RG Stack Rating*

• Away Paul Konerko is 13-35 with 2 Hrs versus Pettitte. Alex Rios is 9-29 with 1 HR. Gordon Beckham is 4-5 versus him as well. Phegley, De Aza, Konerko, and Rios are all hitting left-handers for a high average. RG Stack Rating 4

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Minnesota vs. Kansas City

8:10 PM	Minnesota – ROAD					Kansas City – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.243	0.696	21.10%	0.54		0.255	0.684	17.20%	0.53
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.239	0.695	21.00%	0.43		0.251	0.680	17.30%	0.39
SP STATS	Correia – RHP					Guthrie – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.41	4.56	4.95	7.56		1.41	4.27	4.70	8.49
LAST 14 DAYS	1.67	9.39	3.75	3.10		1.58	5.21	6.63	10.00
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	MIN vs R		MIN BvP			KCR vs R		KCR BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 8.5

• Favored Team – KAN -156

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Jeremy Guthrie has been the same pitcher at home as on the road. He is not bad but lacks GPP winning upside and does not give you all that many fp even in his better starts. The main problem with him today is that he is allowing left-handers to bat .306 versus him and MIN best bats are left-handed. MIN is batting .229 on the road, .239 versus right-handers, and .228 over the last 7 days RG Start-Ability 4

• Away Kevin Correia ‘s splits are even worse than Guthrie’s and that is why Guthrie is the nice sized favorite. Correia has a 6.11 ERA on the road and he is allowing left-handers a .339 BAA versus him. Like MIN, KAN best hitters are lefties. KAN is batting .249 at home, .253 versus right-handers, and .257 over the last 7 days RG Start-Ability 2

Batter Grind Down

• Home KAN owns a .346 BAA versus Correia so everyone is playable. The left-handed bats are your best options. Moustakes, Gordon, and Hosmer have been productive for KAN. RG Stack Rating 8

• Away Josh Willingham, Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer and Ryan Doumit all have positive BvPs versus Guthrie. Morneau’s 9-25 with 6 XBH in the best set. He is also the hottest Twin with 22.5 fp over the last week. RG Stack Rating 6

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