FANTASY BASEBALL 2012: Daily Starting Pitchers (WEEK 1)

FANTASY BASEBALL: Daily Starting Pitchers (WEEK 1)

By Muntradamus

Updated: 4/8/12

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Pre-Season is finally over, and now we can get into the swing of things with a new article.

Each day this article will publish pitchers that you should use in your lineup on a day-by-day basis.  At the end of each month we will analyze how well the starters I recommended ended up doing.

If you are new to Beast Dome, you can click the link below to see all the great pre-season content that was offered.

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Feel free to ask questions at the bottom of every article, and if you want to talk Fantasy Sports 24/7 Join out FREE CHAT.

*Just so you know.  I will be studying Pitchers all season long as I went with the Draft Strategy of.  Heavy Hitting.  Back-End Pitching.  I have been following all of these guys throughout Spring Training.

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(Thursday 4/5)

Guess That Save of the Day: (0-0)

Javy Guerra @ SD

 

Locks: (0-0)
*Anything but a Win, is a loss for my record.

1. Roy Halladay @ Pit- Halladay should start the season as the #1 Fantasy Pitcher hands down.  Pittsburgh does not have one bat that is intimidating.

2. Clayton Kershaw @ SD- Kershaw against a Padre team that you probably cannot name their #3, #4, #5 hitters off the top of your head.  Ya, it is going to be that type of opening day for the reigning CY Young winner.

3. Rickey Romero @ Cle- Romero is a solid choice for AL CY Young if you wanted to get some good odds.  His stuff was near unhittable all Spring, and the Indians do not stand a chance against his stuff.  Toronto also has a huge offense, so they should win easily in this one.

 

Start’em: (0-0)
*A QS or W= Win
*A Bad Start or Loss= Loss

4. Stephen Strasburg @ CHI-NL Stras needs to start off the season with a huge game as every INN is precious in his 160 INN limit.  The Cubs are an easy team, but his Spring stuff has not been electric and there is a small chance he is not as elite as everyone is expecting.  He is no Lock, but he is the second closest thing.

5. Justin Verlander vs. Bos- Despite facing the Red Sox, it is still Justin Verlander.  His stuff is scary and he can easily quiet this team with a fresh arm.

6. Tom Hanson @ NYM- Not the safest start, but the Mets offense does not look all that scary outside of the red hot Ike Davis, and the less than 100% David Wright.  Hanson should have his way.

7. Johan Santana vs. ATL- Santana had a solid spring and now takes on a team that has some hot bats.  If he can slow down Freddie Freeman who has been on fire lately, he should be fine.  Pitching at home does give him a bit of an edge.

 

50/50:
*A Win or ND = Win.
*A Bad Start = A loss.

8. Jon Lester @ DET- Lester is going to have a fantastic season, but on the road against maybe the best offensive team in the AL, and Verlander is the opposing pitcher.  I will pass on this start.  If he pitches well on this start, it will be hard not to put him as a Must-Start no matter who the matchup is going forward.

9. Ryan Dempster vs. Was- Dempster is a K machine.  The Nationals are less than 100% without Michael Morse, so now would be a great time to give the Wrigley fans some hope.  They are a darkhorse to win, especially against Strasburg.  Though there is that small Chicago Cub hope, especially @ Wrigley on opening day.

10. Mark Buehrle @ Cin- Mark’s move to the NL should be a better transition than most people are expecting.  Jay Bruce will have a tough time handling the Left Handed pitcher, so that takes care of the most dangerous bat in the lineup.  They Marlins are no lock to win, but I like their chances.

11. Johnny Cueto vs. Mia- Johnny Rocket will not get a lot of Ks.  He lives off of his low ERA, but against a small ball team like the Marlins, I do not like his chances.  The Marlins will run heavy on a rookie catcher, Devin Mesoraco and this could get ugly quick if he is not lights out.  Though Kyle Loshe made it look easy which gives him a lot of hope.

12. Edinson Volquez vs. LAD- The Dodgers do offer the type of offense that will wow you outside of Matt Kemp.  Volquez has looked like the pitcher of old without all those Ks over the Spring, so there is a good chance he can limit LA to 3 runs or less.  However he is facing Kershaw, so that should most definitely mean he will be on the wrong side of the pitching duel.  You should still get a quality start.

 

Bench’em: (0-0)
*A Loss for the SP=a win for my record.
*A Win for the SP= a loss for my record.
*IF NO WIN/LOSS=QS is a Loss for my record.  Bad Start is a Win for my record.

13. Erik Bedard vs. Phi- The Phillies offense is at less than 100%.  You can start him if you want some cheap Ks, but there is a very small chance he ends up with a “W” against Halladay.

14. Justin Masterson vs. Tor- Sometimes Justin has elite stuff, but against the Blue Jays, if it not elite he will get rocked.  Facing Romero is no easy task as well, there is no way I would start him in any league.

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(Friday 4/6)

 

Guess That Save of the Day: (1-0)

J.J. Putz vs. SF

 

Locks: (1-2)
*Anything but a Win, is a loss for my record.

1. Jered Weaver vs. KC- After a not so great opening day of picking locks,  I will make sure I get the easy one.  Weaver should mow down the Royals one after one.  Their offense is not as easy as it has been in the past, but Weaver should have no problems starting the season with a dominant Win.

 

Start’em: (5-0)
*A QS or W= Win
*A Bad Start or Loss= Loss

2. Ian Kennedy vs. SF- The Giants do have an intimidating lineup, so there is no reason to believe Kennedy will not start out his season with a  nice opening day victory.  If he is in a pitchers duel with Lincecum, I will take Kennedy and the D-Backs offense any day.  10 Ks will be his big target marker.

3. James Shields vs. NYY- There are going to be a lot of times where Shields is a lock.  Against the Yankees he is no lock, but he should start out the season exactly where he left off.  The Yankees lineup could hit James hard, but chances are Shields will be more than effective.  A QS is almost guaranteed every time he goes on the mound, even against the Yankees.  Should get a victory as well.

4. Jeremy Guthrie @ Hou- Houston has the most sorry offense in baseball.  It would not surprise me to see Guthrie get a win, but he is facing Wandy Rodriguez who could be on his A game.  If I had to guess he will be wild and inconsistent like he was all Spring.  A bit of a gamble, but a game worth taking as I do not see how the Astros will generate much offense at all this season.

5. Brandon McCarthy vs. SEA- McCarthy has legit stuff and the Mariners are not a huge threat to do much damage to it.  Pitching at home will be a huge advantage in that spacious ball park, anything more than 3 ER would be a huge disappointment.

 

50/50: (5-0)
*A QS or ND = Win.
*A Loss = A loss.

6. Tim Lincecum @ AZ- Timmy should be an elite pitcher all season, but against the D-Back in AZ I do not like his chances.  The Diamondbacks had a stacked lineup and Lincecum was far from dominant this Spring.  He may rack up the Ks, but I do not expect a win.

7. CC Sabathia @ TB- CC should be able to throw a decent game here, but there is no lock he will come away with the win against a red hot Jamie Shields who had a big Spring.  The Yankees lineup could carry CC in this one, but if it is a pitching duel, I will go with Shields who has been lights out.

8. Corey Luebke vs. LAD- Corey could come out of the gates as the most talked about pitcher in fantasy baseball.  Against the Dodgers would be a great way to start, and the only reason he is not Start’em is because he had a rough Spring Training.  He should start the season hot, though his offense may let him down in the end.  No lock to get a win, but he should get close.

9. Colby Lewis vs. Chi-AL – Colby needs to make a statement that he is the Rangers ace in this one.  He should be plenty motivated, but the White Sox are no easy feat as Adam Dunn is usually an opening day killer.  The Sox have enough power in their lineup to give Lewis a rough INN or two, or he could be elite.  He is the closest thing to Start’em, but I will not give him the complete edge as he was not so sharp this Spring.

10. Yovani Gallardo vs. Stl- Gallardo should be able to rack up near 8 Ks in this performance, but if he starts BBing people like he has at some points this Spring, he will unravel quickly.  STL is not easy team, and if he is not on, he will not be effective.

11. Jaime Garcia @ Mil- The Brew Crew on a home opener will be no easy task.  Garcia was feeling it this Spring, and there is a chance he gets a good start out of this.  If he does not get on top of hitters early, the wheels could fall off quickly.

12. Chad Billingsley @ SD- Chad had a terrible Spring and now faces a weak Padres offense.  There is a good chance he can come away with a win in this one, but there is a better chance he does not last long enough to factor in the decision.  You can start him since it is his first start, but in the future you will want to bench him.

13. Jason Vargas @ Oak- The fact that Vargas is facing Oakland gives me more than a better chance to get a QS.  Would I put money on it, definitely not.  Oakland does not offer much of a threat to score runs and it would not be the most surprising thing to see this end up in a heated pitchers duel.  I will give the edge to McCarthy, being the home team.

14. Jake Arrieta vs. Min- Usually Jake will be on the bench’em side of this list.  However with the Twins coming into town, there is a solid chance Jake can throw 5 decent INN and find a way to get a win.  A QS or ND is more likely, and I will place him in this category.  If Minnesota clobbers him, it is safe to not want him in any league for a very long time.

 

Bench’em: (1-1)
*A Loss for the SP=a win for my record.
*A Win for the SP= a loss for my record.
*IF NO WIN/LOSS=QS is a Loss for my record.  Bad Start is a Win for my record.

15. Carl Pavano @ Bal- Pavano has no offensive support, and faces a Baltimore team that has some talent offensively.  Pavano needs to get off to a quick start against the O’s or he will not be along round.  However Baltimore is not the most consistent team, and Jake Arrieta is not the most intimidating pitcher.

16. Wandy Rodriguez vs. Col- Wandy was far from consistent last season, and this Spring his control problems were just as bad.  Colorado is no walk in the park as a pitcher, Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez were 1^st and 2^nd round picks in most drafts this Spring.  I would not be surprised to see the wheels fall off for Wandy.

17. John Danks @ Tex- Danks is pretty overrated for a guy who people do not think very highly of to begin with.  Against Texas he could get pounded around early and there will be no way for him to gain momentum.  Texas wants the World Series this season, and they will come out with a bang in their home opener.

18. Bruce Chen @ LAA- Chen has no chance of getting a victory over the Angels.  Though he was dominate in his last Spring Start besides getting knocked around in all his other appearances.  His chances are not great on the road, and against Jered Weaver who could easily be this year’s CY Young.  If Chen makes it past the 6^th INN in this one, chances are he already exceeded expectation.

 

 

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(Saturday 4/7)

Guess That Save of the Day: (2-0)

Brandon League @ Oak

 

 

Locks: (2-2)
*Anything but a Win, is a loss for my record.

1. Dan Haren vs. KC- KC got nothing going only recording 4 Hits off of Weaver.  Dan Haren should not make it much easier, I like him as a lock.

2. Cliff Lee @ Pitt- Roy Halladay made it look easy against Pittsburgh, and Cliff Lee is not much easier.  He can easily record 10 Ks in this game.

3. Felix Hernandez @ Oak- Oakland is not hot at all, and they are coming off a game where Jason Vargas handled them pretty well.  I like King Felix to dominate a the weak Athletics offense.

 

Start’em: (8-1)
*A QS or W= Win
*A Bad Start or Loss= Loss

4. Gio Gonzalez @ Chi- Gio is a pitcher who will record 200+ Ks this season.  Strasburg dominated the Cubs, and I expect Gio to do the same.  He may not get the win because their offense is not 100% with Morse injured and nobody really hot.

5. Derrek Holland vs. Chi-AL – Holland takes on Jake Peavy which should mean plenty of run support.  Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko are the two big bats to worry about, and if Holland can get past them he should easily record the win in his first start.

6. Matt Latos vs. Mia- Miami is one of the coldest hitting teams in baseball.  Latos has a solid spring and will look to continue to shut down this prolific Miami offense.

7. Francisco Liriano @ Bal- The Orioles were limited by Carl Pavano as Nick Markakis was the only Oriole to do real damage.  Liriano is lefty, Markakis is lefty.  Liriano should dominate in this one after possibly the best Spring of any pitcher.  He faces Tommy Hunter as well.

8. Brandon Morrow @ Cle- Cleveland got all of their offense from Jack Hannahan on opening day.  He will not likely hit another HR and the Indians offense does not offer much more of a threat than him.  Morrow could be his worst own enemy if he loses his control.

9. Jair Jurrjens @ NYM- The Mets are one of the weakest hitting teams in the NL.  If he can get past David Wright and Ike Davis, then it should be smooth sailing for Jair Jurrjens who will be a popular add after this game.

10. Matt Garza vs. Was- Very unlikely Garza gets a win, but he should be a lock for a QS against a Nationals team that lacks Morse, and has no hot hitters.

11. Chris Capuano @ SD- The Padres are one of the weakest hitting teams in baseball without Carlos Quentin.  Capuano at times has no-hit type of stuff, and if Chad Billingsley can find it, then so can Capuano.  0 ER by Dodgers starting pitchers against SD so far in the series.

12. Madison Bumgarner @ AZ- Bumgarner may be one of those pitchers that are matchup proof, and I am willing to find out by listing him as a Start’em in his first game against a tough D-Backs offense.  This will be a great test to see if you got the player you think you drafted.

13. Daniel Hudson vs. SF- I expect Hudson to have a pretty easy time mowing down the Giants batters as they really have no power.  A few of the Giants are heating up a bit, but Hudson should be fine as the Giants usually do not have timely hitting.

14. Jamie Moyer @ Hou- If there was ever a time to start Moyer, it would be against Houston.  Besides Carlos Lee, there is no threat for Moyer to get knocked around.  On top of that he facing Lucas Harrell who I have rated as the worst pitcher of the day.  Run support should be there.

 

50/50: (11-3)
*A QS or ND = Win.
*A Loss or Bad Start = A loss.

15. Adam Wainwright @ Mil- Milwaukee does not have any hot batters to be afraid of, and the Cardinals offense is the best in baseball right now.  However he is facing Greinke, and this could turn into a pitcher’s duel where Wainwright is the worse of the two.  I do think Wainwright has a better chance of winning however.

16. Zack Greinke vs. STL- ST.Louis is the hottest team in MLB.  All of their players are hitting the ball well, and there will never be a safe part of the lineup for Greinke.  If he can shut down the Cardinals, then this CY Young race added a new candidate to start the year.

17. Hiroki Kuroda vs. TB- Tampa Bay has a lot of hot hitters, but Kuroda was great this Spring.  If Kuroda can turn this into a pitcher duel, he may have the edge as the Yankees offense can explode in any INN.

18. Josh Beckett @ Det- Beckett had a great Spring, but now faces a tough Tigers lineup that had problems against Lester.  If Beckett can find his A Game, he can escape with a hard victory against maybe the best team in the AL.

19. David Price vs. NYY- The Yankees hit James Shields pretty hard, and it would not be surprising for them to continue their success against Price.  Price is an elite pitcher, and he will look to make a big name for himself this season by shutting down the Yankees.  It is 50/50.

20. Doug Fister vs. Bos- Fister has a tough opening day challenge by slowing down the Red Sox.  If he can do it like Verlander did, his respect in fantasy baseball will start out at an all-time high.  We will see if he is up for the challenge.

21. Bartolo Colon vs. Sea- Colon has already shutdown the Mariners earlier this season in Japan.  Now he has at home, but the Mariners hitting really heat up against McCarthy and company.  It may be too much to handle for Colon, especially going up against King Felix.  He does have a chance for a QS, but a win is unlikely.

22. Ricky Nolasco @ Cin-  Nolasco is very inconsistent, and the Reds hitting is already feeling good as Jay Bruce already has a HR.  The Marlins offense will not carry Nolasco in this start, so unless he is perfect, there is a good chance he ends up with the loss.  The chances are, 50/50.

 

Bench’em: (4-2)
*A Loss for the SP=a win for my record.
*A Win for the SP= a loss for my record.
*IF NO WIN/LOSS=QS is a Loss for my record.  Bad Start is a Win for my record.

23. R.A. Dickey @ Atl- The matchup is not that tough, but R.A. Dickey is not a reliable pitcher.  I expect Jair Jurrjens to mow through the Mets lineup leaving it very tough for Dickey to pull out a victory in this one.  I am expecting a loss.

24. Jake Peavy @ Tex- Peavy was not solid this spring, and the Rangers offense is hungry for more after not getting enough off of Danks.  This could be a very ugly start to the season for Peavy, and it would be wise to leave him on your bench.

25. Ubaldo Jimenez vs. Tor- Ubaldo is maybe the most hated pitcher in baseball right now after plunking Tulo.  Facing Toronto will not be easy as their offense is stacked from top to bottom.  This could get ugly for Jimenez who had a terrible Spring.

26. Tommy Hunter vs. Min- Hunter will never be a recommended starter, and facing the Twins is his one and only chance to prove to the fantasy world he is not as terrible as everyone thinks he is.  He will have to pull a Jake Arrieta type performance, it is not likely but it is possible.

27. Dustin Mosely @ LAD- Run support will not come for Mosely, and the Dodgers front of lineup can do enough damage to make this a quick pull for Dustin.  I would not even think about owning him in any league at this point.

28. Luke Hochevar vs. LAA- He faces Dan Haren.  He also faces a tough Angels offense in LA where Albert Pujols is probably already licking his lips waiting to taste his first HR.  This one should not be even close.

29. Jeff Karstens vs. Phi- He could end up with a QS, but chances are if he gives up 1 ER the game is over as Cliff Lee will shut down the Pirates.  Karstens could be a solid ERA pitcher in the future, but I would not start him for this game.

30. Lucas Harrell vs. Col- A rookie pitcher against the Rockies.  This does not bode well for Harrell as Tulo and CarGo should both be ready to hit HRs in this one.  Harrell does go up against Jamie Moyer which gives him a chance, but I doubt Harrell lasts into the 6^th INN.

 

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(Sunday 4/7)

Sleeper(s) of the Day: (0-0)

*A QS or W= Win
*A Bad Start or Loss= Loss

Jason Hammel vs. Min- The Orioles should sweep the Twins.  Hunter and Arrieta have 0 ER in 14 INN, Hammel should continue to help that low ERA.

Randy Wolf vs. STL- Wolf is a win machine in the early part of the regular season.  Lance Lynn does not oppose to be a threat, I expect Wolf to start out 1-0 like he usually does.

Clayton Richard vs. LAD- The Dodgers offense is not that threatening, and Richard has a lot of potential to be huge this season.  I would not be surprised to see 8 Ks.

 

Guess That Save of the Day: (3-0)

Jordan Walden vs. KC

 

Locks: (3-4)
*Anything but a Win, is a loss for my record.

Matt Cain @ AZ- Cain goes up against Collmeneter.  If the Giants are going to win one game this series, it is against Josh who is not a reliable pitcher.  Cain was on fire this Spring.

 

Start’em: (11-9)
*A QS or W= Win
*A Bad Start or Loss= Loss

Vance Worley @ Pit- Worley had great stuff this Spring, and should exploit a weak Pirates lineup to kick things off.

Ervin Santana vs. KC- Santana could have a 20 Win, 200 K season.  Dominating the Royals in game 1 would be the perfect way to start.

Jordan Zimmerman @ Chi- The Nationals offense may not be clicking so well, but Zimmerman should do a good job of limiting the Cubs in an easy matchup.

 

50/50: (15-7)
*A QS or ND = Win.
*A Loss or Bad Start = A loss.

Matt Harrison vs. CWS- Harrison just has to do his thing and pitch 6 solid INN and get the Win.  I think he should be fine, and the Rangers should end up with the victory in this one.  Though with a pitcher that has the quality of Harrison, it drops to 50/50.

Bud Norris vs. Col- Norris is a K machine.  This could be his go-to-start, but the Rockies do have solid hitting and Norris will not get run support.  The chances of a win are 50/50, the chances for a QS are higher.

Jonathan Niese vs. ATL- Niese is a solid pitcher and is pitching against a cold Braves team.  He is a nice sleeper if you are looking for one.

Bronson Arroyo vs. Mia- Arroyo faces a hotter Miami team than he would have faced a couple days ago.  However going against Zambrano should make him realize his control is not that bad and he should pitch well.  Almost when you drink at a party and see someone else is more drunk, you sober up.

Mike Minor @ NYM- The Braves do not want to start 0-3, and Mike Minor is the pitcher for the job.  However the Braves offense is not very hot and the matchup against Niese is not as easy as it appears.  This is a roll of the dice play.

Gavin Floyd @ Tex- Anytime you face the Rangers there is a possibility for a bad game.  Floyd has potential, but I will pass on him in this one.  He is usually very inconsistent.

Aaron Harang vs. SD- Facing his former team, Harang should be amped.  Would I start him?  Only if I had to, the ERA should be solid but Clayton Richard will make it tough for Harang to get the W.

Max Scherzer vs. Bos- Scherzer does have control issues, but if he gets it all together against a tough Red Sox lineup, he will be a solid start in all leagues for any matchup.

James McDonald vs. Phi- McDonald may have a spectacular start, or he will disappoint.  So far the Phillies offense has disappointed, so now would be an interesting time to roll the dice.

Phil Hughes @ TB- Hughes had a great ERA during the Spring under 2.50.  The Yankees should give him enough run support to get the win, it is up to Phil to see if he can be the starter he was before the struggles last season.

Derek Lowe vs. Tor- Lowe is a solid pitcher who should have a good ERA when the season is sad and done.  However Toronto is not an easy team, but their offense is not in the zone yet.  The matchup against a rookie pitcher makes this more intriguing.

Jeff Samardzija vs. Was- The hard throwing Reliever is now a starter.  The Nationals offense is not 100% or looking that great.  Jeff could get by with a solid start here, or the Nationals will heat up against him.

Juan Nicasio @ Hou- The Astros offense is pretty easy, and if there was a game to trust Nicasio this is it.  The K’s should come, but everything else is a question mark.

 

Bench’em: (6-7)
*A Loss for the SP=a win for my record.
*A Win for the SP= a loss for my record.
*IF NO WIN/LOSS=QS is a Loss for my record.  Bad Start is a Win for my record.

Jonathan Sanchez vs. LAA- K’s are his specialty, if he is not getting them then his day is in trouble.  He walks too many hitters and the Angels are stacked with talented offense.  I do not see him being as effective as people are hoping for.

Clay Buchholz @ Det- After seeing Beckett get crushed, it is hardly encouraging to use Buchholz.  He is not a K pitcher, and that could be trouble against this team.

Carlos Zambrano @ Cin- Zambo was wild to finish the Spring.  Until he gets his BB under control, he will be worth using.

Jeremy Hellickson vs. NYY- Not a big K pitcher, and you do not want to give up contact outs to the Yankees.  Their lineup is too strong.

Lance Lynn @ Mil- Adam Wainwright had trouble, chances are Lynn will as well with the Brew Crew.

Josh Collmenter vs. SF- One of the most overrated pitchers in the game, Josh should be pitching in AAA.

Joel Carreno @ Cle- Not going to start a rookie in his 1^st start against the Tribe when Romero and Morrow failed to get victories.

Anthony Swarzak @ Bal- Not worth considering in any league even if he can slow-down the hot Orioles.