MLB Grind Down: Monday, June 30th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2014-06-30 21:59:46

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

Colorado at Washington

Colorado					Washington
Yohan Flande		Vegas Moneyline			Jordan Zimmermann		Vegas Over/Under
LEFT		WAS (-200)			RIGHT		7.5
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left					SP vs. Left	0.259	0.686	0.302	17.6%
SP vs. Right					SP vs. Right	0.228	0.609	0.278	20.9%
Batter Splits	COL BvP		COL vs R		Batter Splits	WSN BvP		WSN vs L
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

• Yohan Flande – What’s up Grinders, hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. Time to get right back into with an 11-game slate on tap for Monday night. Flande is one of the few young lefties that the Rockies have called up from Triple-A. He will be making his 2nd career start tonight against the Nationals. While he’s not a recommended cash game play, he may be a nice GPP play at only $3,000 on FD. A price that cheap allows you to take your pick of the litter at every other position. Rating = 4

Salaries: $3000 FD, $9674 DS, $NA DD, $5200 DK, $67000 FF, $13000 SS, $NA FTD

• Jordan Zimmermann – Zimmermann is the biggest favorite of the night and may be the safest cash game play on the board. In the month of June, Zimmermann has posted a 1.18 ERA with 36 K’s over 38 innings of work. He’s also held batters to a .172 batting average during that stretch. The Rockies are a much different team away from Coors Field and you can safely roster Zimmermann in all leagues tonight. Rating = 8

Salaries: $8700 FD, $19133 DS, $15500 DD, $11100 DK, $114100 FF, $27400 SS, $15500 FTD

Batter Grind Down

Colorado

As mentioned above, the Rockies are a much different team offensively away from Coors. They are ranked 17th in road wOBA at .303. I’ll be avoiding all Rockies’ bats against Zimmermann tonight who has held both LHB’s and RHB’s under a .305 wOBA since the start of 2013.

Washington

Anthony Rendon – Rendon is one of my favorite plays tonight at 2B. He is facing a rookie southpaw that struggled in his debut. On the season, Rendon has a .420 wOBA against lefties with 9 of his 25 hits going for extra bases. Rendon has also been swinging a hot bat with 15 hits over his last 10 games.

Additional Plays: Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper (activated from the DL)

Tampa Bay at NY Yankees

Tampa Bay					NY Yankees
Chris Archer		Vegas Moneyline			David Phelps		Vegas Over/Under
RIGHT		NYY (-110)			RIGHT		8.0
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.244	0.703	0.318	20.5%	SP vs. Left	0.230	0.682	0.312	22.4%
SP vs. Right	0.228	0.575	0.270	18.9%	SP vs. Right	0.299	0.798	0.362	17.8%
Batter Splits	TBR BvP		TBR vs R		Batter Splits	NYY BvP		NYY vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

• Chris Archer – After an inconsistent start to the season, Archer has really turned it around in the month of June. In 5 starts this month, he has posted a 1.80 ERA with 27 K’s over 30 innings of work. He’s held batters to a .215 batting average during that stretch. Tonight he faces a Yankees’ offense that has been pretty mediocre offensively this season. They are ranked 15th in team wOBA against RH pitching and haven’t had that firepower in their lineup that they have in year’s past. Even in a hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium, Archer is in play on multi-pitcher sites. Rating = 5

Salaries: $7700 FD, $14432 DS, $14750 DD, $9200 DK, $87800 FF, $NA SS, $14750 FTD

• David Phelps – Speaking of inconsistent pitchers, Phelps takes the mound tonight against the Rays. Phelps has looked good at times this season, but is sporting a 4.35 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. While the Rays aren’t exactly an offensive juggernaut, Archer is the preferred play in this matchup. Phelps has just been a little too inconsistent to target in cash games. Rating = 4

Salaries: $5600 FD, $13756 DS, $9700 DD, $6100 DK, $69100 FF, $14200 SS, $9700 FTD

Batter Grind Down

Tampa Bay

Evan Longoria – Phelps is a reverse splits pitcher. He’s given up a considerably higher wOBA to RHB’s than he has to LHB’s. This could be a sneaky spot to target a few batters in this lineup. Longo’s price is depressed and it appears that he is coming out of his funk a bit with 10 hits over his last 9 games.

Additional Plays: Desmond Jennings, Ben Zobrist

NY Yankees

Mark Teixeira – Archer has been much better against LHB’s this season, but has been vulnerable to them in the past. Teix is boasting a .360 wOBA against RH pitching and is starting to see his power come back with 4 HR’s in his last 8 games.

Additional Plays: Jacoby Ellsbury

Texas at Baltimore

Texas					Baltimore
Joe Saunders		Vegas Moneyline			Ubaldo Jimenez		Vegas Over/Under
LEFT		BAL (-155)			RIGHT		9.5
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.239	0.589	0.263	20.2%	SP vs. Left	0.227	0.680	0.309	25.2%
SP vs. Right	0.335	0.933	0.410	10.9%	SP vs. Right	0.258	0.705	0.317	21.8%
Batter Splits	TEX BvP		TEX vs R		Batter Splits	BAL BvP		BAL vs L
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

• Joe Saunders – Saunders is one of the cheapest pitching options across the industry tonight and for good reason. Over his last 5 starts combined, he has given up 42 hits and 16 earned runs while only striking out 8 batters. He’s an over the hill pitcher that is facing an Orioles’ lineup that is proficient against LH pitching. The Orioles are ranked 7th in team wOBA against southpaws this season. Rating = 3

Salaries: $5000 FD, $3658 DS, $8750 DD, $5000 DK, $40000 FF, $13000 SS, $8750 FTD

• Ubaldo Jimenez – Ubaldo has had a forgettable month of June. In 5 starts this month, he has posted a 4.85 ERA while averaging less than 4 strikeouts per start. While the Rangers’ offense has been a blunder this season, they still have the potential to put runs up on the board. This game features the highest run total on the board (9.5) and you can safely avoid both starting pitchers in your cash games. Rating = 4

Salaries: $5900 FD, $8849 DS, $10400 DD, $6400 DK, $48800 FF, $14500 SS, $10400 FTD

Batter Grind Down

Texas

Adrian Beltre – Beltre has all of the splits in his favor tonight. He has a .379 wOBA against RH pitching this season, Ubaldo has struggled against RHB’s, and Beltre has a nice track record against him. Beltre has faced him 20 times in his career and has 8 hits with 4 XBH’s off of him.

Additional Plays: Shin-Soo Choo, Alex Rios

Baltimore

Nelson Cruz / Adam Jones – Sometimes it can be tough deciding between two great options so why not recommend both? Cruz is boasting a .493 wOBA against LH pitching this season while Jones has outdone him with a .522 wOBA. They should be considered two of the top OF plays on the board tonight as they are facing Saunders who has given up a .431 wOBA to RHB’s this season.

Additional Plays: J.J. Hardy, Chris Davis, Steve Pearce

Oakland at Detroit

Oakland					Detroit
Scott Kazmir		Vegas Moneyline			Anibal Sanchez		Vegas Over/Under
LEFT		DET (-120)			RIGHT		8.0
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.242	0.597	0.269	22.7%	SP vs. Left	0.226	0.612	0.277	26.2%
SP vs. Right	0.243	0.690	0.309	23.1%	SP vs. Right	0.205	0.558	0.250	26.7%
Batter Splits	OAK BvP		OAK vs R		Batter Splits	DET BvP		DET vs L
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

• Scott Kazmir – Kazmir is looking to bounce back after an extremely rough outing against the Mets in his last start. Even after that rough outing, he owns a 2.66 ERA on the season with a 1.01 WHIP and a K-rate of 7.7 per 9 innings. While I expect him to pitch better tonight, he’s going to have his hands full with this Tigers’ offense that is ranked 5th in team wOBA against LH pitching this season. With his expensive price tag, it may be wise to look elsewhere. Rating = 5

Salaries: $8300 FD, $16575 DS, $17100 DD, $8500 DK, $115800 FF, $24500 SS, $17100 FTD

• Anibal Sanchez – Sanchez has been extremely consistent all season long. He’s held batters under a .200 batting average in every month this season. While his matchup against the A’s may seem tough on paper, Sanchez mowed through this lineup earlier in the season. He only gave up 1 earned run in 8 and a third innings while striking out 9 batters. He may not be the safest play on single-pitcher sites, but his price is affordable and he can be targeted on multi-pitcher sites and GPP’s.

Salaries: $8500 FD, $16759 DS, $15850 DD, $9100 DK, $110700 FF, $25800 SS, $15850 FTD

Batter Grind Down

Oakland

The A’s have yet to figure out Anibal Sanchez. The current A’s roster is only 18/97 against Sanchez who has held both LHB’s and RHB’s under a .280 wOBA since the start of 2013. I’ll be avoiding all A’s hitters tonight.

Detroit

Victor Martinez – Even though Kazmir is one of the best lefties in the game, it’s going to be hard to pass on V-Mart tonight. V-Mart owns a .488 wOBA against LH pitching this season and has had Kazmir’s number throughout his career as he is 11/23 with 4 XBH’s off of him.

Additional Plays: Miguel Cabrera, Rajai Davis

NY Mets at Atlanta

NY Mets					Atlanta
Zack Wheeler		Vegas Moneyline			Alex Wood		Vegas Over/Under
RIGHT		ATL (-175)			LEFT		7.0
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.280	0.783	0.352	20.8%	SP vs. Left	0.286	0.674	0.305	26.6%
SP vs. Right	0.229	0.612	0.285	21.6%	SP vs. Right	0.259	0.688	0.310	23.3%
Batter Splits	NYM BvP		NYM vs L		Batter Splits	ATL BvP		ATL vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

• Zack Wheeler – Wheeler may lack consistency, but he certainly doesn’t lack upside. He’s topped 13 FanDuel FP’s in 3 of his last 6 starts. He makes a great tournament play tonight against the Braves who are ranked 27th in team wOBA against RH pitching. The Braves have also struck out the 4th most times of any team in baseball. The risk is certainly present with Wheeler, but so is the potential reward. Rating = 5

Salaries: $7000 FD, $12456 DS, $13000 DD, $7500 DK, $67000 FF, $20200 SS, $13000 FTD

• Alex Wood – Wood’s story this season has been a big confusing. He pitched well as a starter earlier in the season, was moved to the bullpen, then was demoted to the minors. Now the Braves have called him back up to the majors to be a part of the starting rotation again. Wood’s peripherals all look good as does his 3.07 ERA and his K-rate of 9 strikeouts per 9 innings. He’s a solid play on all sites tonight. Rating = 7

Salaries: $7500 FD, $18627 DS, $12700 DD, $8800 DK, $114400 FF, $23200 SS, $12700 FTD

Batter Grind Down

NY Mets

David Wright – Wright is a solid option at 3B tonight. He has always been one of the better hitters in baseball against LH pitching and this season is no different. He has a .431 wOBA against southpaws and is currently riding a 10+ game hitting streak.
Edit – David Wright is doubtful but has not been ruled out yet. Be sure to check his status before deploying him.
Edit #2 – David Wright Has Been ruled out for tonight’s game.

Additional Plays: Eric Campbell

Atlanta

Freddie Freeman – Freeman is one of the top wOBA plays tonight. Wheeler struggles vs. LHB’s (.352 wOBA given up to lefties since 2013) and Freeman crushes RH pitching (.377 wOBA this season). He is also 6/11 with 2 XBH’s against Wheeler in his career.

Additional Plays: Jason Heyward

MLB Grind Down Page 1 – Page 2