Fantasy Sports Advice, Analysis and Projections | The Fantasy Fix
 
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Roy Oswalt
According to Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston, the Astros and Phillies have agreed in principle to a trade that would send Roy Oswalt to Philadelphia. 
 
Berman's sources report that all players and moneys that would be exchanged have been agreed on, but both teams await Oswalt's approval to waive his no-trade clause.

Oswalt is scheduled to take the mound for the Astros this Friday. 

Trade details and fantasy baseball spin to follow.

Follow us on Twitter for more updates @TheFantasyFix

Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Advice, Fantasy SPorts Blog, Fonzy Scheme, Roy Oswalt, Houston Astros, Trade, Philadelphia Phillies, J.A. Happ, MLB, Trade Rumors, Trade Deadline
 
 
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C.J. Wilson
Fantasy Baseball’s Pitching Line of the Week: 

C.J. Wilson (SP-TEX) 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, W 

C.J. Wilson chucked eight innings of four-hit baseball, striking out three batters and failed to surrender a walk in a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. Wilson retired 17 of the last 18 batters he faced before giving way to young Neftali Feliz, who saved his 27th game for the Rangers and helped Wilson improve to 9-5 on the season. 


See Live Win Probability Game Graph of C.J.'s outing below courtesy of  FanGraphs.
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Courtesy of Fangraphs (Click for Original Page)
Prior to the 1-0 victory over the Angels, Wilson was 8-5 with a 3.23 ERA and had accumulated a string of nine consecutive quality starts.  Wilson, the pride of Fountain Valley High School, attended Santa Ana Junior College, where he was named MVP of Orange Empire Conference and California’s Junior College Player of the Year Award in 2000. The following year, he was drafted in the fifth round (121st overall) by the Texas Rangers out of Loyola Marymount University.

While cruising through the minor leagues in 2003, Wilson suffered an elbow injury which required “Tommy John” surgery. C.J. needed the entire 2004 season to recover and returned to AA action in 2005. 

Wilson debuted for the Texas Rangers on June 10, 2005 at 24 years of age. He went 1-7 in 24 appearances, finished with a 6.94 ERA and a 1.67 K:BB ratio.  

From 2006-2009, C.J. primarily worked out of the bullpen. Following the Rangers trade of Eric Gagne in 2007, Wilson was asked to step into the closers role. He successfully converted his first 11 save opportunities for Texas. Wilson was once again named the Rangers closer in 2008 and converted in 24 of 28 attempts. Despite not being named the closer in 2009, Wilson still earned 14 saves.  

Wilson features a fastball, sinker, slider and change-up in his repertoire.  

C.J. Wilson is currently owned in 63% of Y! leagues. 
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Brandon Morrow
The “Double Dipper” is a starting pitcher who will get two starts in the same week. Each Sunday we will preview top three options in each league and highlight streaming options for players owned in less than 50% of Y! leagues.

The No Brainers in the NL:

Josh Johnson/FLA (@ SF, @ SD) - CY front runner. That’s enough.
Stephen Strasburg/WAS (vs. ATL, vs. PHI) - Tough match-ups, but take his K’s to the bank.
Chad Billingsley/LAD (@ SD, @ SF) - 2-0 in three starts against SD & SF this year.

The No Brainers in the AL:
Felix Hernandez/SEA (@ CHW, @ MIN) - 63:10 K:BB & 8 QS in last 8.
Francisco Liriano/MIN (@ KC, vs. SEA) - The “Mona Lisa” of match-ups..wait..she’s ugly?
CC Sabathia/NYY (@ CLE, @ TB) - Hasn’t lost since 5/23. 10 straight QS.

Warning: Streaming can be lethal. The following are owned in 50% or less of Y! leagues.

Jorge De La Rosa/COL (vs. PIT, vs. CHC) - Last start looked like the JDL we knew
Brandon Morrow/TOR (vs. BAL, vs. CLE) - 10.01 K/9 will get him the nod
Jon Niese/NYM (vs. STL, vs. ARI) - Three ER or less in last five outings
Joel Pineiro/LAA (vs. BOS, vs. TEX) - The Russian Roulette of “streaming”
Bronson Arroyo/CIN (@ MIL, vs. ATK) - Six QS in last nine.

Don’t Touch ‘Em

Ryan Rowland-Smith, Brad Bergeson, Zach Duke, Wesley Wright

Week 17 One Start Stars Owned in 50% or Less

Tommy Hunter/TEX 49% Y! - Saturday @ LAA (TBD)  - 8-0 in ten starts
Brett Cecil/TOR 30% Y! - Friday vs. CLE (Masterson) - Last three were QS. 
Daniel Hudson/CWS 5% Y! - Friday @ OAK (Mazzaro) - Tons of K potential

Who will win the pitching duel of the week: Josh Johnson or Matt Cain?
Who will be the best 2-Start Pitcher owned in 50% or less in week 17?
Leave a comment, or reply to us on Twitter @TheFantasyFix

Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Two Start Pitchers, Double Dippers, Fonzy Scheme, C.J. Wilson, Josh Johnson, Stephen Strasburg, Chad Billingsley, Fellix Hernandez, CC Sabathia, Francisco Liriano, Jorge De La Rosa, Brandon Morrow, Jon Niese, Joel Pineiro, Bronson Arroyo, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Brad Bergeson, Zach Duke, Wesley Wright, Tommy Hunter, Brett Cecil, Daniel Hudson
 
 
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Paul Maholm
Fantasy Baseball’s Pitching Line of the Week::

Paul Maholm (SP-PIT)  9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W 

Paul Maholm, beneficiary of the Pirates unusual offensive barrage on Sunday, pitched the team to a 9-0 victory over the Houston Astros. Maholm pitched a complete game shutout, allowing three hits, no walks and struck out one. The win marked Pittsburgh’s first shutout of the 2010 season, who has surrendered 489 runs to opponents thus far, second to only the Arizona Diamondbacks (524). 

Prior to Sunday’s winning effort, Maholm was just 5-7 in 18 starts for the Pirates with a 4.37 ERA. The twenty-eight year old Maholm is currently striking out a career low 4.8 batters per nine innings and is walking 3.43 batters per nine, the most since his 2006 season. 

Maholm was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2003 MLB Amateur Draft out of Mississippi State University. He debuted for the Pirates against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 30, 2005, pitched eight shutout innings and earned his first career victory.  

In 2007, Paul Maholm won a career high ten games, lost a career high 15 games and finished the season with a 5.27 ERA. Maholm’s best season in Pittsburgh came in 2008 when the southpaw finished 9-9 with career bests in ERA (3.71), strikeouts per nine (6.06) and walks surrendered per nine innings (2.75).  

Maholm features a fastball that hits 88-89 MPH (with the wind at his back), a curveball, slider and changeup in his modest repertoire.  

I can’t help to wonder what his career numbers would look like if he were playing anywhere else but Pittsburgh. 

Paul Maholm is currently owned in 17% of Y! leagues.  

The “Double Dipper” is a starting pitcher who will get two starts in the same week. Each Sunday we will preview top three options in each league and highlight streaming options for players owned in less than 50% of Y! leagues. 

The No Brainers in the NL: 

Chris Carpenter/STL ( vs. PHI, @ CHC) - Back to his self after two consecutive losses. 
Ubaldo Jimenez/COL (@ FLA, @ PHI) - Nice and rested.  
Clayton Kershaw/LAD (vs. SFG, vs. NYM) - Only lasted 4.1 innings last outing. Don’t be scared. 
Tim Lincecum/SFG (@ LAD, @ ARI)- 2-0, 15:3 K:BB in last two trips 

The No Brainers in the AL: 

Phil Hughes/NYY (vs. LAA, vs. KC) - Monitor to be sure they don’t skip him. 
Matt Garza/TB (@ BAL, @ CLE) - Three of last four starts were QS. 
Daisuke Matsusaka/BOS (@ OAK, @ SEA) - Two strong match-ups 

Warning: Streaming can be lethal. The following are owned in less than 50% of Y! leagues. 

Tommy Hunter/TEX (@ DET, vs. LAA) - Hunter is 6-0 in eight starts. Ride it. 
Kris Medlen/ATL (vs. SD, @ FLA) - Solid ratios and two decent match-ups 
Madison Bumgarner/SFG (@ LAD, @ ARI) - 2-0 in last two, allowing only one ER and logging a 11:3 K:BB ratio. 
R.A. Dickey/NYM (@ ARI, @ LAD) - Lost last two, but no support. 
Daniel Hudson/CHW (@ SEA, @ OAK)- Tons of K potential on MLB’s hottest team.  

Don’t Touch ‘Em 

J.D. Martin, Blake Hawksworth, Jeff Karstens, Luis Atilano

Who will win the pitching duel of the week: Lincecum or Kershaw? 
Who will be the best 2-Start Pitcher owned in 50% or less in week 16? 
Leave a comment, or reply to us on Twitter @TheFantasyFix

Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Two Start Pitchers, Double Dippers, Fonzy Scheme, Paul Maholm, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants, Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers, Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies, Chris Carpenter, St. Lois Cardinals, Phil Hughes, New York Yankees, Matt Garza, Tampa Bay Rays, Tommy Hunter, Texas Rangers, R.A. Dickey, New York Mets, Daniel Hudson, Chicago White Sox, Madison Bumgarner, Kris Medlen, Atlanta Braves
 
 
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Ike Davis
Justin Morneau has been placed on the 15-day disabled list “as he continues to recover from a concussion that he suffered on July 7th”, according to the Minnesota Twins official website. Morneau was attempting to break up a potential double play at second base, when he was accidentally kneed in the head. 

This is Morneau’s second trip to the disabled list with concussion symptoms in his career. In 2005, he was hit in the head by a Ron Villone pitch that subsequently landed him on the DL.  Justin will be eligible to come off the disabled list on July 23.  

Despite fantasy baseball owners only missing their starting first basemen for a week, it comes at a crucial time in the season. With week 15 shortened due to the All-Star break, head-to-head owners were hoping Morneau’s stellar first half numbers carried over into the shortened week, to cash in on a quick head-to-head victory.  Morneau currently leads the majors in on-base percentage (.437), is second to Miguel Cabrera (.346), with a .345 batting average, has blasted 18 homers and has driven in 56 runs.  

For those managers who don’t have a player to fill the void left by Morneau over the course of the next week, check out these potentially available first basemen in mixed leagues of ten or more teams:

Ike Davis - NYM (19% Y!) - 11 jacks, 43 runs and 43 RBI makes for a solid plug-n-play for the next week. Ike has hit the Giants and Dodgers well so far this season, .308 and .444 respectfully. 

Gaby Sanchez - FLA (33% Y!) - NL ROY candidate is batting .308 with nine homers. Marlins will be home vs. the Nationals and Rockies over the next week.

Matt LaPorta - CLE (16% Y!) - Since being recalled, he’s batted .357 with four blasts and 11 runs batted in.

Adam LaRoche - ARI (47% Y!) - Has hit in ten of his last 11 games. Oh...and he’s struck out 13 times in his last 11 games. 

Justin Smoak - SEA (9% Y!) - New scenery in Seattle + Branyan’s freak foot accident - pressure from Chris Davis in Texas = playing time in a less stressful environment.

Chris Davis- TEX (9% Y!)- The Cliff Lee for Justin Smoak trade has paved his way back to Texas. Davis hit .354 with 10 jacks and 56 RBI in 64 games for Oklahoma City, however, he struck out 60 times. Here's to hoping he continues his trend of being a second half hitter.

Troy Glaus - ATL (53%)- The big fella has cooled off a bit, but has fared well against the Brewers and Padres this season. Low risk, high reward if he’s available.

Lyle Overbay - TOR (4%)- Batting .299 over the last month in the surprisingly powerful Toronto lineup.


Who will you be slotting at first base while Morneau is seeing stars?
What type of replacements are available in AL-Only legaues?
Leave a comment on the top right of this article or hit us up on Twitter!



Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Sports Advice, Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins, Ike Davis, New York Mets, Ty Wiggington, Baltimore Orioles, Troy Glaus, Atlanta Braves, Aubrey Huff, San Francisco Giants, Justin Smoak, Seattle Mariners, Matt Laporta, Cleveland Indians, Gaby Sanchez, Florida Marlins, Lyle Overbay, Toronto Blue Jays
 
 
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Trevor Cahill
Yovani Gallardo of the Milwaukee Brewers, has been officially placed on the disabled list retroactive to July 5, with a strained left oblique he suffered in the bottom of the third inning on Sunday. Fantasy baseball owners will greatly miss the 8-4 Gallardo with his 2.58 ERA and 9.83 strikeouts per nine innings. Jordan Schelling, of Brewers.com noted (link) that despite being recently named to the National League All-Star team, Yovani will not take part due to the injury. Yovani will miss a minimum of two starts, and if all goes well, will be eligible to come off the disabled list July 20.  

In the meantime, if you need to fill the void left by Gallardo or even Clay Buchholz who was also recently sent to the disabled list, consider these ten options:

Gavin Floyd - CWS (65% Y!) - Over the last month, Gavin Floyd’s ratios have been filthy -- 1.27 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. In his last four outings, Floyd has gone 2-0, allowing four earned runs while displaying a 20:4 K:BB ratio. He is most likely taken in deep leagues, but if he’s floating on your wire, waste no time and click the add button now. 

Trevor Cahill - OAK (59% Y!) - Cahill has not lost since May 16th. Nine of his last ten trips to the mound have been quality starts. He’s 8-2 on the season with a 2.74 ERA, features a 1.05 WHIP and strikes out just over six batters per nine innings. Like Floyd, Trevor is likely owned in deeper leagues, but if he’s available, scoop him up.

Max Scherzer - DET (46% Y!) - Since returning to the big leagues, Mad Max has gone 4-2 in seven starts while striking out 56 opponents. Over the last month Scherzer is rockin’ 2.12 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. For the fantasy baseball owner missing out on Yovani’s strikeouts, look no further. Max is your answer.

Jonathon Niese - NYM (27% Y!) How is this guy owned in only 27% of Y! leagues? Since June 5, Jonathon has five wins, five quality starts and has posted a 32:9 K:BB ratio. His lone blowout came against Detroit during interleague play on June 22. 

Jason Hammel - COL (23% Y!) Hammel seems to have saved his rotation spot when Jorge de la Rosa returns from the disabled list. He has four wins in the last month while posting a stingy 2.04 ERA and a modest 1.24 WHIP. He is 5-0 in his last eight with six quality starts. Look for Hammel to provide a steady dose of the same medicine for the rest of the year. 

R.A. Dickey - NYM (28% Y!) - The former first round pick, and converted knuckleballer has been nothing less than spectacular addition to the Mets rotation thus far in 2010. Dickey is 6-1 in nine starts, all but two have been of quality and is striking out 6.48 batters per nine. A fill-in solid option in deeper leagues until he proves otherwise. 

Brandon Morrow - TOR (30% Y!) - Brandon Morrow, a starter for the Mariners, who was converted to a closer, has now been converted back to a starter by the Blue Jays. That’s a lot of converting! All this guy does is strike out batters. And can be a bit wild too. Morrow is embarrassing over 10.03 batters per nine innings,  but walking 4.22 as well. Despite getting pretty beat up his last two outings, Morrow still sports a 2.77 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP over the last month. Similar to Scherzer, if you need the K’s, convert Morrow to your roster immediately.

Kris Medlen - ATL (23% Y!) - Kris has yet to lose a game since being deployed to the starting rotation. Medlen is 4-0 in nine starts, seven of which were quality, and hasn’t surrendered more than two walks in one outing. Kris has posted a 4.21 K:BB ratio and is stranding more than 78% of those who reach base. 

Bronson Arroyo - CIN (37% Y!) - Arroyo is not a big strikeout guy, although if he got his cornrows back I think that would change. Bronson has accumulated eight wins so far in the first half. You can thank Joey Votto, the most talked about player in MLB this week for that. In the last month, Arroyo has three wins, a 3.07 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. Good enough for most of you in deep leagues to grab for a few starts until Clay and Yovani return.

Vin Mazzaro - OAK (1% Y!) - Mazzaro, the pride of Hackensack, New Jersey has accumulated three wins, a 2.97 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in the last month. Super deep league worthy. The “Situation” has nothing on Mazzaro.

Who do you plan to pick up in place of Clay or Yovani?
Do you even have any DL spots open?
Leave us a comment on the top of this blog, or let us know on Twitter!


Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, MLB, Yovani Gallardo, Clay Buchholz, Jonathan Niese, Trevor Cahill, Vin Mazzaro, Bronson Arroyo, Kris Medlen, Brandon Morow, R.A. Dickey, Jason Hammel, Max Scherzer, Gavin Floyd, DL, disabled list, starting pitcher, All-Star Game 2010
 
 
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Felix Hernandez
Fantasy Baseball’s Pitching Line of the Week:

Felix Hernandez (SP-SEA) 9 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K, W

Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners pitched a complete game two-hitter in the Bronx this Wednesday in what was hit best start of the 2010 season to date. He fanned every starter on the Yankees roster with the exception of first half MVP candidate, Robinson Cano. Additionally, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez each struck out twice against King Felix. 

This outing was Hernandez’s third straight game pitching at least nine innings, and third complete game of the season. Roy Halladay is the only pitcher in Major League Baseball who has eaten more innings than the King thus far in 2010.

Felix Hernandez was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2002 out of Valencia, Venezuela. After tearing his way through Minor League Baseball, he debuted for the Mariners on August 4, 2005 at the age of 19.In 2009, Hernandez’s brightest season, Felix earned seventeen wins, 200+ strikeouts and a trip to the MLB All-Star Game. Moreover, Felix finished second in the American League Cy Young voting and was rewarded handsomely with a five year $78 million dollar contract.

Since his debut, Hernandez has won more than ten games in three of his four full seasons in the bigs and is on pace to do so again in 2010. A career 8.17 K/9 pitcher, King Felix’s repertoire includes a fastball, changeup, curveball and slider. These tools have Hernandez on pace to surpass his career high for strikeouts in a season (217 in 2009). 

Notable Achievements:

Named number one pitcher prospect by Baseball America (2005)
Hit a Grand Slam off Johan Santana in his only plate appearance in 2008
Pitched for his native Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic (2009)
Named to the American League All-Star team (2009)
Finished second to Zack Greinke for the American League CY Young Award (2009)
Felix made history on June 3, 2010 when he struck out four Minnesota Twins’ in the eighth inning.

Felix Hernandez is currently owned in 98% of Y! leagues. 

The “Double Dipper” is a starting pitcher who will get two starts in the same week. Each Sunday we will preview top three options in each league and highlight streaming options for players owned in less than 50% of Y! leagues.

The No Brainers in the NL:

Roy Halladay/PHI (@SD, vs. SF) - Until he gives you a reason not to.
Mike Pelfrey/NYM (vs. CIN, vs. ATL) - He’s 10-2 and has a save!
Jonathan Sanchez/SFG (@ MIL, @ WAS) - Despite being just 6-6, he’s rockin’ decent ratios and a .211 BAA

The No Brainers in the AL:

CC Sabathia/NYY (@ OAK, @ SEA) - 6-0 in last six starts. 
Felix Hernandez/SEA (vs. KC, vs. NYY) - See the King’s Profile above
Jered Weaver/LAA (@ CHW, @ OAK) - 10.27 K/9, Leads MLB in K’s

Warning: Streaming can be lethal. The following are owned in less than 50% of Y! leagues.

John Ely/LAD (vs. FLA, vs. CHC) - Only two earned runs in last two.

Justin Masterson/CLE (@ TEX, @ TB) - One ER, 5:0 K:BB & Glimpses of the “Breakout” we’ve been waiting for last outing vs. Toronto.

Madison Bumgarner/SFG (@ MIL, @ WAS) -MadBum gets the nod on the road versus two mediocre offenses despite his 0-2 start.

Erik Bedard/SEA (vs. KC, vs. NYY) - First start in a year, but it’s the Royals! His second start depends on if his labrum is intact following Tuesday’s trip.

Vincente Padilla/LAD (vs. FLA, vs. CHC) - Just because his looks intimidate you enough to start him twice.

Don’t Touch ‘Em

Aaron Laffey, Jesse Litsch, Jeff Suppan, Kevin Slowey

Week 14 One Start Stars Owned in 50% or Less

Livan Hernandez/WAS 42% Y! - Wednesday vs. SD (Garland) - ERA under three.
Tommy Hunter/TEX 24% Y! - Thursday vs. BAL (Guthrie)  - 5-0, 1.98 ERA
Tim Wakefield/BOS 4% Y! - Wednesday @ TB (Price) - 

Who will win the pitching duel of the week: Strasburg or Cain?
Who will be the best 2-Start Pitcher owned in 50% or less in week 14?
Leave a comment, or reply to us on Twitter
Twitter.com/thefantasyfix


Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Week 14, Two Start Pitchers, Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners, CC Sabathia, New York Yankees, Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies, Tommy Hunter, Texas Rangers, Jered Weaver, Mike Pelfrey, New York Mets, Jonathan Sanchez, San Francisco Giants, Madison Bumgarner