The Lineup
August 8, 2008
BY CHRIS STARBONELL
UPDATE! Writer
Every week, The Lineup will help you figure out who to start, sit and watch. Facts don’t lie and The Lineup is full of ‘em. Here is your weekly digest of everything fantasy baseball. Projections for the week of Aug. 11-17. All stats up to and including August 7.
Who’s Hot
BATTERS
MATT HOLLIDAY
Colorado Rockies, OF
Stats: .379 AVG, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 10 R, 2 SB
Comment: Holliday is in the midst of a nine-game hitting streak and his batting average has risen each month since the start of the season.
RYAN LUDWICK
St. Louis Cardinals, OF
Stats: .480 AVG, 6 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 0 SB
Comment: Ludwick enjoyed a five-game home run streak that ended on Thursday.
MANNY RAMIREZ
Los Angeles Dodgers, OF
Stats: .565 AVG, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R, 0 SB
Comment: With the way he’s re-energized a sagging Dodgers team, LA would be foolish not to keep him around past ’08.
PITCHERS
JEFF KARSTENS
Pittsburgh Pirates, SP
Stats: 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 6 SO
Comment: While he is not going to keep it up, it’s hard to imagine a better start for a middle-of-the-pack pitcher switching teams and leagues.
TIM LINCECUM
San Francisco Giants, SP
Stats: 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 19 SO
Comment: The fact that he has 12 wins on a pathetic Giants team is enough to warrant CY Young consideration.
BRIAN WILSON
San Francisco Giants, RP
Stats: 0-0, 4 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 3 SO
Comment: Say what you will about Wilson, but the man gets his saves.
Who’s Not
BATTERS
JIMMY ROLLINS
Philadelphia Phillies, SS
Stats: .182 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB
Comment: J-Roll is destined to finish the season with numbers closer to his 2006 and 2005 seasons instead of his blockbuster ’07 campaign.
BRANDON PHILLIPS
Cincinnati Reds, 2B
Stats: .192 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 0 SB
Comment: Streaky Phillips has been rather boring since the All-Star break.
GRADY SIZEMORE
Cleveland Indians, OF
Stats: .118 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 R, 0 SB
Comment: Given a rare night off Wednesday by manager Eric Wedge in an attempt to awaken his bat.
PITCHERS
RAFAEL BETANCOURT
Cleveland Indians, RP
Stats: 0-0, 0 SV, 40.50 ERA, 4.50 WHIP, 1 SO
Comment: Remember early in the season when he seemed like a potential elite closer with the injury of Joe Borowski? Neither does Betancourt.
SCOTT KAZMIR
Tampa Bay Rays, SP
Stats: 0-0, 7.00 ERA, 2.33 WHIP, 9 SO
Comment: Has not pitched 6 full innings in 8 out of his last 10 starts.
DEREK LOWE
Los Angeles Dodgers, SP
Stats: 0-1, 21.60 ERA, 3.90 WHIP, 2 SO
Comment: Gave up 13 hits against St. Louis on Wednesday, including a grand slam by Albert Pujols.
Start ‘Em
A.J. PIERZYNSKI
Chicago White Sox, C
Comment: Pierzynski has been seeing the ball well since the All-Star break: .294 AVG, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 5 R in 68 at-bats.
KURT SUZUKI
Oakland Athletics, C
Comment: Suzuki should swing a sound bat this week based on his home numbers in 2008: .324 AVG, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 26 R, 2 SB in 57 games.
BILLY BUTLER
Kansas City Royals, 1B
Comment: Butler’s .348 batting average since the All-Star break makes him worth starting if your team needs a hitting boost.
DOUG MIENTKIEWICZ
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1B
Comment: Don’t laugh. He’s getting regular playing time filling in for Adam LaRoche and Mientkiewicz has been worth using since July 23rd: .389 AVG, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R.
AKINORI IWAMURA
Tampa Bay Rays, 2B
Comment: Iwamura has been on a roll lately and he is batting .326 against the Rangers and Athletics this season.
JOSE LOPEZ
Seattle Mariners, 2B
Comment: Has raked the ball this season against the Angels and Twins: .396 AVG, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 10 R in 10 games.
STEPHEN DREW
Arizona Diamondbacks, SS
Comment: Drew, the forgotten sleeper of ’07, has quietly put together a nice season and is in the middle of a 10 game hit streak.
DEREK JETER
New York Yankees, SS
Comment: Over the past week, Jeter has picked up his offensive output: .370 AVG, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB.
EVAN LONGORIA
Tampa Bay Rays, 3B
Comment: Though he was hit by a pitch on the right wrist on Thursday night, X-rays are negative and the All-Star rookie third baseman feels fine. Do not have any qualms about starting Longoria this week as he continues to carry the Rays.
TY WIGGINTON
Houston Astros, 3B
Comment: Has been on fire over his past 5 games: .471 AVG, 2 HR, 3 doubles, 4 RBI, 3 R.
MIKE CAMERON
Milwaukee Brewers, OF
Comment: Streaky Cameron is on the cusp of a breakout this week and with the Brewers playing with some fire, he could be a great addition to fantasy rosters.
BRANDON MOSS
Pittsburgh Pirates, OF
Comment: Moss has hit the ground running in Pittsburgh and fantasy owners should take advantage while he’s feeling it.
SKIP SCHUMAKER
St. Louis Cardinals, OF
Comment: Over his past 11 games, Schumaker is batting at a terrific .405 clip
FERNANDO TATIS
New York Mets, OF
Comment: Is in the middle of an 11 game hit streak right now and has been a key player for the Mets lately. Keep him active until he slows down.
RANDY JOHNSON
Arizona Diamondbacks, SP
Comment: Over his past 6 starts, he’s been vintage Johnson: 5-1, 1.59 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 32 SO in 39.2 innings.
GIL MECHE
Kansas City Royals, SP
Comment: Since the All-Star break, it’s been a different Meche on the mound: 4-0, 1.71 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 27 SO in 26.1 innings.
MIKE MUSSINA
New York Yankees, SP
Comment: Moose gets a rather mediocre Minnesota offense this week, which he is 22-6 against lifetime.
JAVIER VAZQUEZ
Chicago White Sox, SP
Comment: He’s struggled plenty in 2008, but Vazquez two starts versus the light-hitting Royals and Athletics this week.
Sit ‘Em
GERALD LAIRD
Texas Rangers, C
Comment: While Laird has been cruising at the plate of late, expect his offensive production to screech to a halt this week based on his career stats versus Boston and Tampa Bay: .208 AVG, 0 HR, 13 RBI, 16 R, 2 SB in 39 games.
BRIAN McCANN
Atlanta Braves, C
Comment: Struggling since returning to action after his mild concussion. As a precaution, fantasy owners should bench the All-Star catcher until he looks right.
CASEY KOTCHMAN
Atlanta Braves, 1B
Comment: Kotchman has been a bust since arriving in Atlanta: .152 AVG, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R in 9 games.
DERREK LEE
Chicago Cubs, 1B
Comment: Lee’s second-half, where he has batted .225, has been bad enough to warrant a benching this week.
JEFF BAKER
Colorado Rockies, 2B
Comment: Bat has gone cold recently and with so many infield options in Colorado, Baker’s playing time could be in jeopardy the rest of the season unless he heats back up in a hurry.
IAN KINSLER
Texas Rangers, 2B
Comment: Kinsler has fallen into a slump in the second-half and fantasy owners would be wise to wait it out before installing him back into their lineup.
EDGAR RENTERIA
Detroit Tigers, SS
Comment: Is actually losing at-bats to Ramon Santiago now and if manager Jim Leyland is losing faith in Renteria, fantasy owners should abandon ship.
MIGUEL TEJADA
Houston Astros, SS
Comment: Continues to frustrate fantasy owners with his inconsistent play and it looks like he will fail to top 20 homers for the second year in a row.
CHIPPER JONES
Atlanta Braves, 3B
Comment: Chipper is due to come back this weekend, but manager Bobby Cox had indicated that Jones could pinch-hit for a few games and with that tender hamstring, who knows how effective he will be this week?
RYAN ZIMMERMAN
Washington Nationals, 3B
Comment: Despite returning to the starting lineup, a poor offense, recovering shoulder and sore wrist all point to a troubling week for Zimmerman.
DAVID DeJESUS
Kansas City Royals, OF
Comment: If you own DeJesus, it may be time to drop the fragile outfielder whose ankle injury may keep him out this week. Even if he does play, the ailment could derail his production.
JUAN RIVERA
Los Angeles Angels, OF
Comment: Just when it looked like he was set to get regular at-bats with Gary Matthews in the dog-house, Rivera’s struggles have sent him back to more of a reserve role.
CODY ROSS
Florida Marlins, OF
Comment: Has come back to Earth and is a candidate to lose at-bats, cut ties with him now.
DELMON YOUNG
Minnesota Twins, OF
Comment: Batting at a mere .214 over the past week and has just 1 homer run since July 4th.
JOSH BECKETT
Boston Red Sox, SP
Comment: Bench Beckett? When you consider his recent struggles and his life-time ERA marks versus the White Sox (4.64) and Blue Jays (4.92), how could you not?
FELIX HERNANDEZ
Seattle Mariners, SP
Comment: His 4.79 career ERA against the white-hot Angels is more than enough reason to sit the Mariners ace.
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA
Boston Red Sox, SP
Comment: While he is 2-0 since last year versus Texas, Dice-K’s 6.97 ERA against the Rangers should give his fantasy owners cause for concern this week.
OLIVER PEREZ
New York Mets, SP
Comment: In 6 career starts against Washington, Perez has not fared well: 2-3, 5.74 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 26 SO in 31.1 IP.
Go Figure
130- Pitches thrown by Detroit Tigers SP Justin Verlander on Wednesday night in an effort to preserve the bullpen, which was exhausted after a 14 inning game on Tuesday.
17- Wins totaled by the Texas Rangers this season when SP Vicente Padilla is on the hill. They have lost just 5 games in 2008 when Padilla starts.
1- Monday’s game against Seattle marked the first time in Minnesota Twins C Joe Mauer’s career that the All-Star catcher allowed two passed balls in a contest.
.612- OPS of Seattle Mariners DH Jose Vidro, good for fifth-lowest in baseball. Vidro was designated for assignment Tuesday.
Prospect Watch
CHRIS TILLMAN, Baltimore Orioles, SP
Comment: Part of the haul in the Erik Bedard trade, Tillman gives the Orioles fan base reason for hope. Tillman features a biting, hard fastball and a nasty knee-buckling power curve. Like most young pitching prospects, he has to work on developing a major-league worthy change-up. The 20-year old right-hander has gone 7-3 for Double-A Bowie this year with a 3.63 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. His control is clearly an issue as he’s issued 55 walks in 106.2 minor-league innings in 2008, but his strikeout potential is evident as he’s whiffed 114 already this year. Problems with his command stem from his lack of a third pitch as even the filthiest of pitchers cannot survive on a healthy diet of strictly fastballs and curveballs. This one caveat appears to be the only thing standing in his way of being a top-of-the-rotation starter in the majors. He’s not likely to get a call in 2008, though entering Spring Training; Tillman will be one prospect that should have the attention of fantasy owners everywhere.
Key Match-up
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Colorado Rockies
To the naked eye observing today’s standings, the Colorado Rockies appear to be a team just playing out the end of the season. But considering the lack of quality teams in their division and the comeback they staged late last season, this week presents a tremendous opportunity for them to get right back into this thing. The D-backs, who currently still hold first in the NL West, were toppled by Colorado last year in the playoffs and the Rockies have the chance to turn the tide with a big series in Coors Field. Arizona is dominating the season series so far, however, leading 8-1. The scheduled starters for Colorado are Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez and Glendon Rusch and they will be opposed by Randy Johnson, Yusmeiro Petit and Doug Davis.
The Lineup
July 18, 2008
BY CHRIS STARBONELL
UPDATE! Writer
Every week, The Lineup will help you figure out who to start, sit and watch. Facts don’t lie and The Lineup is full of ‘em. Here is your weekly digest of everything fantasy baseball. Projections for the week of 7/21/08-7/27/08. All stats up to and including 7/17/08.
*Note: Due to the minimal number of games over the past 7 days, this week’s edition of The Lineup will not feature a Who’s Hot/Who’s Not section.
Start ‘Em
GERALD LAIRD
Texas Rangers, C
Comment: Saltalamacchia failed to seize the no. 1 job while Laird was out. Expect Laird to perform well this week based on his 2008 road numbers: .330 AVG, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 17 R in 25 games.
YADIER MOLINA
St. Louis Cardinals, C
Comment: Molina has been heating up in July, batting .405 this month.
PAUL KONERKO
Chicago White Sox, 1B
Comment: Konerko should be of use this week as he has put up good numbers against the Tigers and Rangers this year: .282 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R over 11 games.
ADAM LaROCHE
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1B
Comment: Over his past 13 games, LaRoche has put up gaudy stats: .455 AVG, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 10 R.
RAY DURHAM
San Francisco Giants, 2B
Comment: His 2008 performance thus far versus Arizona and Washington make him start-worthy this week: 325 AVG, 1 HR, 7 RBI, and 8 R in 40 at-bats.
AKINORI IWAMURA
Tampa Bay Rays, 2B
Comment: Worth a look this week based on his career numbers against Kansas City and Oakland: .339 AVG, 6 RBI, and 9 R in 14 games.
MIKE AVILES
Kansas City Royals, SS
Comment: Has been tremendous at home this season: .342 AVG, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 11 R, and 3 SB in 19 games.
DAVID ECKSTEIN
Toronto Blue Jays, SS
Comment: Productive numbers this season when facing Baltimore and Seattle: .381 AVG, 6 RBI, 6 R, and 1 SB in 12 contests.
PEDRO FELIZ
Philadelphia, Phillies, 3B
Comment: If nothing else, Feliz should be able to provide a power boost as he has hit 4 homers with 9 RBI this season in 19 games against the Mets and Braves.
TROY GLAUS
St. Louis Cardinals, 3B
Comment: Glaus has had his way with the pitching of the Mets and Brewers in 2008: .368 AVG, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R in 13 games.
BEN FRANCISCO
Cleveland Indians, OF
Comment: Bat finally starting to come around as evident by his past 12 games: .319 AVG, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R.
ADAM LIND
Toronto Blue Jays, OF
Comment: Lind is raking in July: .385 AVG, 1 HR, 11 RBI, and 7 R in 11 games.
SHANE VICTORINO
Philadelphia Phillies, OF
Comment: He’ll be a handy player to have this week based on his numbers this season against the Mets and Braves: .271 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 14 R, 3 SB in 16 games.
RANDY WINN
San Francisco Giants, OF
Comment: Good week to trot him out there based on his 2008 numbers against Arizona and Washington: .298 AVG, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R, 4 SB in 12 games.
ZACK GREINKE
Kansas City Royals, SP
Comment: Has dominated Detroit this season, allowing just 3 earned runs in 2 starts this season while owning a 7-4 record and 3.14 ERA lifetime against the Tigers.
JEREMY GUTHRIE
Baltimore Orioles, SP
Comment: In 5 career starts against Toronto, Guthrie is just 1-0, but he has also twirled a 2.65 ERA and 0.88 WHIP against the Blue Jays.
ANDY PETTITTE
New York Yankees, SP
Comment: Expect Pettitte to deliver against the Red Sox this week as he is 15-7 lifetime against Boston with a 3.61 ERA.
JERED WEAVER
Los Angeles Angels, SP
Comment: Weaver can be maddeningly inconsistent at times, but when he faces the Orioles, it’s all gravy: 2-1, 1.71 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 16 SO in 21 IP.
Sit ‘Em
JASON VARITEK
Boston Red Sox, C
Comment: In 44 at-bats against the Yankees and Mariners this season, Varitek is hitting a paltry .182 with 0 homers and 11 strikeouts.
KURT SUZUKI
Oakland Athletics, C
Comment: 2008 numbers versus Tampa Bay and Texas do not bode well for Suzuki this week: .205 AVG, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, and 0 SB in 12 games.
RYAN GARKO
Cleveland Indians, 1B
Comment: Batting .222 with 0 homers, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored this year in 11 games against the Angels and Twins.
KEVIN MILLAR
Baltimore Orioles, 1B
Comment: Hitting just .209 against the Blue Jays and Angels this season and is batting at just a .244 clip in July.
ROBINSON CANO
New York Yankees, 2B
Comment: Cano is hitting just .222 against Boston and Minnesota in 2008 with 0 homers in 13 contests.
JOSE LOPEZ
Seattle Mariners, 2B
Comment: Has mustered a .156 batting average this year against the Blue Jays and Red Sox with 14 strikeouts in 11 games.
YUNEL ESCOBAR
Atlanta Braves, SS
Comment: On the road in 2008, Escobar has been somewhat of a dud: .253 AVG, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 18 R, 1 SB in 40 games.
MIGUEL TEJADA
Houston Astros, SS
Comment: Tejada’s early season dominance is an afterthought and he is batting just .179 in 15 games against the Pirates and Brewers this year.
EDWIN ENCARNACION
Cincinnati Reds, 3B
Comment: Batting .230 at home this season and is scheduled to see right-handed starting pitchers in all but one game this week (he sports a .237 batting average against righties).
ALEX GORDON
Kansas City Royals, 3B
Comment: Hitting just .129 this year against the Tigers and Rays with 8 strikeouts in 31 at-bats.
DAVID DeJESUS
Kansas City Royals, OF
Comment: He’s having a very good season, but avoid him this week as he has struggled with Detroit and Tampa Bay in 2008: .192 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, and 0 SB in 8 games.
KOSUKE FUKUDOME
Chicago Cubs, OF
Comment: He started the season off so well, but many are giving him a pass based on his recent struggles despite a .167 average and 20 strikeouts over his past 15 games.
MARK KOTSAY
Atlanta Braves, OF
Comment: Pathetic stat-line this season versus Florida and Philadelphia: .152 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 4 R, 0 SB in 9 games.
GARY SHEFFIELD
Detroit Tigers, OF
Comment: We’ve all seen how streaky (for better or worse) Sheffield can be. Unless/until he gets it going, leave him off your active roster.
JON LESTER
Boston Red Sox, SP
Comment: In 4 career starts against the Yankees and Mariners, Lester has discouraging numbers: 1-0, 6.35 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 20 SO in 22.2 IP.
RICKY NOLASCO
Florida Marlins, SP
Comment: Nolasco was shelled in his two starts against Atlanta this season, taking losses in both with a 11.32 ERA and 7 homers allowed in 10.1 innings.
ERVIN SANTANA
Los Angeles Angels, SP
Comment: Santana has never won against the Indians in 6 starts while posting a 6.59 ERA and 1.83 WHIP.
JUSTIN VERLANDER
Detroit Tigers, SP
Comment: In 11 career starts against the White Sox, Verlander is just 2-6 with a 5.45 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 40 strikeouts in 67.2 innings.
Go Figure
17- Total number of saves this season for Los Angeles Dodgers RP Takashi Saito. He is going to be shut down for at least 6 weeks and is yet another example of why you do not invest too much into closers during fantasy drafts.
10- Kyle Lohse became the third hurler in St. Louis Cardinals history to have 10 wins by the All-Star break.
3- Errors committed and strikeouts made by Florida Marlins 2B Dan Uggla in Tuesday night’s All-Star game.
1- Chicago Cubs SP Ryan Dempster took his first loss at home on Sunday after opening the season 10-0 at Wrigley Field.
Prospect Watch
CARLOS CARRASCO, Philadelphia Phillies, SP
Comment: Carrasco has the tools to be an ace in the majors for years to come. Pitching in the first inning of the Futures Game over All-Star weekend, Carrasco fanned two in an impressive showing. The 21-year old top prospect has impressed scouts with a fastball that can touch 94-95 (a velocity he has reached even in late innings) and he is even working on improving a slider, but his main weapon in his repertoire is his change-up. Carrasco can baffle hitters with his change and has shown the propensity to become a strikeout pitcher with it. The main knock on him, as with many young pitchers, is control. He’s walked 39 batters in 99 Double-A innings in 2008 and will need to improve his command in order to reach his full potential. He is still a year or two away from the majors, but has made strides this season in his eventual ascension to the big-leagues. This is a talent you are going to be hearing more about in 2009 and beyond.
Key Match-up
Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Mets
They are virtually neck-and-neck right now and this week, the Mets and Phillies will do battle as each team tries to gain an edge in the NL East division race. The Mets have been surging of late as the Phillies starting pitching woes are starting to catch up to them. Unlike last season, when Philadelphia owned New York during their regular season match-ups 12-6, the Mets are the ones dominating, leading the season series this year 7-3. This rivalry has reached a boiling point as anyone who has been to a game between these two clubs recently can attest to and these teams should be amped up for this series. Adam Eaton, Brett Myers and Jamie Moyer toe the hill for the Phillies while the scheduled starters for the Mets are Mike Pelfrey, Johan Santana and John Maine.
The Lineup
July 11, 2008
BY CHRIS STARBONELL
UPDATE! Writer
Every week, The Lineup will help you figure out who to start, sit and watch. Facts don’t lie and The Lineup is full of ‘em. Here is your weekly digest of everything fantasy baseball. Projections for the week of 7/14/08-7/20/08. All stats up to and including 7/10/08.
Who’s Hot
BATTERS
SCOTT HAIRSTON
San Diego Padres, OF
Stats: .550 AVG, 5 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, 0 SB
Comment: What is it with guys named Hairston going on sick tears this season?
MATT HOLLIDAY
Colorado Rockies, OF
Stats: .414 AVG, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R, 3 SB
Comment: If Colorado still plans on trading him, he’s certainly doing a fantastic job of driving his value up.
ALEX RIOS
Toronto Blue Jays, OF
Stats: .385 AVG, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R, 7 SB
Comment: Stole 5 bases against the Angels this week and fantasy owners hope this uptick in production continues as he has been disappointing overall this season.
PITCHERS
JUSTIN DUCHSCHERER
Oakland Athletics, SP
Stats: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.22 WHIP, 4 SO
Comment: With his complete game shutout of the Mariners this week, Duchscherer has now pitched past the 7th inning 5 times this season in 15 starts.
MIKE PELFREY
New York Mets, SP
Stats: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.43 WHIP, 5 SO
Comment: Pelfrey did not allow a walk this week against the Giants, the first time he’s done that all season.
CARLOS ZAMBRANO
Chicago Cubs, SP
Stats: 2-0, 0.64 ERA, 0.50 WHIP, 10 SO
Comment: Despite all the noise surrounding the acquisition of Rich Harden, Big Z showed that he’s still the ace of this Cubs rotation.
Who’s Not
BATTERS
ALEX GORDON
Kansas City Royals, 3B
Stats: .125 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 R, 0 SB
Comment: He’s striking out a ton and can’t hit left-handed pitching to save his life, is it too early to call him a bust (at least when one considers his tremendous hype)?
EDGAR RENTERIA
Detroit Tigers, SS
Stats: .087 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB
Comment: His awful week included an 0-for-7 performance Sunday against the Mariners and a tweaked left hamstring that forced him to leave Wednesday’s game early.
MIGUEL TEJADA
Houston Astros, SS
Stats: .111 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB
Comment: While he scored his 1,000th run this past week, Tejada’s production at the plate has been slipping noticeably since his hot start.
PITCHERS
BOOF BONSER
Minnesota Twins, RP
Stats: 0-0, 16.87 ERA, 2.62 WHIP, 3 SO
Comment: Boof has been a spoof of a major-league pitcher these days.
JOSE CONTRERAS
Chicago White Sox, SP
Stats: 0-0, 7.94 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, 1 SO
Comment: Kansas City rapped 10 hits off him this week as Contreras continues to stumble.
SCOTT LINEBRINK
Chicago White Sox, RP
Stats: 0-0, 1 SV, 12.00 ERA, 2.33 WHIP, 1 SO
Comment: His struggles of late have kept him from being the defacto closer with Bobby Jenks on the DL.
Start ‘Em
DIONER NAVARRO
Tampa Bay Rays, C
Comment: Has owned the Blue Jays this season, batting .455 with a home run, 7 RBI and 6 runs in 6 games.
A.J. PIERZYNSKI
Chicago White Sox, C
Comment: Expect the All-Star snubbed Pierzynski to come back after the All-Star break with a bang. He’s batting .364 against the Royals this season with a homer and has been playing well of late.
CARLOS DELGADO
New York Mets, 1B
Comment: Delgado has been much better of late and he played well against Cincinnati this season in their previous meeting, batting .455 with a homer in 3 games.
ROSS GLOAD
Kansas City Royals, 1B
Comment: Gload makes for a pretty good stopgap option in the short-term as he has been surprisingly effective since June 21st: .388 AVG, 1 HR, 11 RBI, and 16 R in 19 games.
DAMION EASLEY
New York Mets, 2B
Comment: Since the start of June, Easley has been a batting average beast, hitting .360 over that span.
HOWIE KENDRICK
Los Angeles Angels, 2B
Comment: Kendrick has been picking up his production at the plate in July: .387 AVG, 4 RBI, 6 R, and 2 SB in 8 games.
STEPHEN DREW
Arizona Diamondbacks, SS
Comment: Drew owns a .375 batting average with a homer and 3 runs in 4 games this season against the Dodgers, whom he also sports a career-.295 average against with 8 homers in 32 games.
NOMAR GARCIAPARRA
Los Angeles Dodgers, SS
Comment: Sure he’s a brittle shell of his former self, but now that’s he starting at shortstop on a resurgent Dodgers team, he could put up some good numbers for your fantasy squad.
KEVIN KOUZMANOFF
San Diego Padres, 3B
Comment: Kouzmanoff has been hitting the ball well over the past week, batting .333 with 5 doubles over the past 6 games.
MARK REYNOLDS
Arizona Diamondbacks, 3B
Comment: Powered 3 bombs with 7 RBI in 5 games against the Dodgers earlier this season.
JACOBY ELLSBURY
Boston Red Sox, OF
Comment: Against the Angels earlier this season, Ellsbury teed off for 2 bombs in a three game series, hitting .333 to boot.
CARLOS GOMEZ
Minnesota Twins, OF
Comment: In a five-game series against Texas earlier this season, Gomez batted .500 with a homer and 6 runs scored.
TORII HUNTER
Los Angeles Angels, OF
Comment: Has accrued some pretty good lifetime numbers against Boston: .318 AVG, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 22 R, 10 SB in 55 games.
MARK TEAHEN
Kansas City Royals, OF
Comment: While Teahen has been underwhelming in 2008, he’s worth a start against the division rival White Sox this week as he swatted 3 homers in 5 games against them this season.
MARK BUEHRLE
Chicago White Sox, SP
Comment: Buehrle would love to pitch every game against the Royals, just look at his lifetime numbers against Kansas City: 16-6, 3.40 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 113 SO in 214.1 IP.
FELIX HERNANDEZ
Seattle Mariners, SP
Comment: The King is due back and fantasy owners should have no reservations starting him fresh off the DL.
TED LILLY
Chicago Cubs, SP
Comment: Has proven to be useful against the Astros in 4 career starts against Houston: 2-1, 3.55 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 19 SO in 25.1 IP.
GREG MADDUX
San Diego Padres, SP
Comment: His offense has been struggling to give him support, but his career stats versus St. Louis suggest he will at least hold up his end of the bargain: 26-20, 2.74 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 272 SO in 401.1 IP.
Sit ‘Em
RAMON HERNANDEZ
Baltimore Orioles, C
Comment: In 43 career games against Detroit; Hernandez has 0 homers and a .205 batting average.
JORGE POSADA
New York Yankees, C
Comment: Posada has been terrible against the A’s this year (.143 with 0 runs) and owns a .244 career batting average against Oakland.
BILLY BUTLER
Kansas City Royals, 1B
Comment: Over the past week, Butler has demonstrated that he cannot be trusted yet in fantasy leagues: .115 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 R, and 0 SB.
DERREK LEE
Chicago Cubs, 1B
Comment: He’s only homered twice away from Wrigley. This is a trend that has continued from last season, where he swatted just 6 dingers on the road in 2007.
MARK ELLIS
Oakland Athletics, 2B
Comment: Immersed in a slump as he has batted just .063 over his past 8 games.
KELLY JOHNSON
Atlanta Braves, 2B