The daily grind: 5-22-13

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.

Yesterday, some commenters expressed an interest in increasing the ownership threshold to 70 percent for starting pitchers. Is there wider interest in seeing that change? Let’s have an informal poll/discussion in today’s comments.

Today’s grind

Pitcher (to start): Francisco Liriano is the top option available today. He is opposed by the Cubs.

Paul Maholm would fit here if I increased the ownership threshold. He will face the Twins.

Jorge de la Rosa has put together some solid numbers this season, but a low strike out rate is mildly concerning.

Pitcher (bum): The Braves offense against Vance Worley should help out Maholm.

The Tigers will face Ubaldo Jimenez. He is coming off a couple of strong outings, but it’s hard to weight a couple of good games over a couple of terrible seasons.

I said it yesterday and I’ll say it again: Jason Hammel turned back into a pumpkin. Which puts him on the All-Style team since he now matches the Orioles colors.

Today’s marquee match-up is Tyler Lyons versus Burch Smith, a.k.a. two guys whom very few people know anything about.

Hitter (power): Travis Hafner has cooled down, but Hammel could perk him back up.

Scott Hairston could run into a Liriano mistake. He’s known to throw his share of mistakes.

Cody Ross will face de la Rosa.

Hitter (speed):
Chris Denorfia gains the platoon advantage against Lyons.

Lorenzo Cain will see Jordan Lyles.

Tomorrow’s grind

Pitcher (to start): Kevin Gausman will get his first major league start tomorrow against the Blue Jays. His ownership rate is already up to 14 percent, so act fast.

Owners are quitting on Edwin Jackson’s poor ERA, but his FIP/xFIP are right around the expected 3.80 mark. The Pirates aren’t a walk in the park these days, but he seems to be a pitcher worth owning in way more than 30 percent of leagues.

Zach McAllister has a tough match-up against the Red Sox. He’s up to 31 percent owned.

Pitcher (bum):
Joe Blanton is getting smacked around like a … I think I’ll opt not to finish that joke.

I’m actively rooting against Rick Porcello because I want Drew Smyly to get an opportunity. Porcello’s peripherals suggest he’ll be his usual self going forward.

Hitter (power): Nate Schierholtz will face Jeanmar Gomez.

Travis Snider will see Jackson.

Oswaldo Arcia may enjoy Porcello.

Hitter (speed):
Hang onto Cain.

Aaron Hicks is still struggling mightily, but he’s a stretch option for tomorrow’s thin slate.

Noteworthy news

I’m not sure why, but Jose Bautista received a rare and much-coveted lifetime pass. He and a guest can attend any MLB game free for life.

Mike Trout hit for the cycle yesterday.

Chris Perez quit Twitter. Surprisingly, people are dicks on the internet. And I’m just being generous by adding that “on the internet” qualifier.

Weather watch

The Midwest has some impending storms, which could affect the Pirates, Cubs, White Sox, Red Sox, Tigers, and Indians.