2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Advice & Analysis
 
As desperation grows in the tightest of fantasy leagues fewer options for a boost to your team remain.  The slightest of adjustments can raise or drop you in the current standings.  Players like Yadier Molina and Ryan Raburn offer great available help this week.  Sitting players like Garrett Jones and even the talented Michael Young in favor of other stronger starters could prove to be the winning push your team needs.
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Sit Em

Garrett Jones | Pittsburgh Pirates | 82.1 percent
Jones has been on a steady decline in the last half of the season (.211 average since the break).  This week he faces both the Cardinals and the Astros.  Two of his opposing pitchers are left-handed.  This is extremely important due to his poor performance against lefties (.216 average against).  This year the Cardinals and the Astros have held Jones to a combined .190 average in 84 at-bats.  His current shoulder ailments also warrant some second-guessing on starting him.

Michael Young | Texas Rangers | 100 percent
This is the “guts” pick of the week.  The Ballpark in Arlington has had a Coors Field effect on Michael Young.  Good for him, except all of his games this week are on the road where he experiences a huge power drop-off (his OPS drops from .893 to .682).  His two opponents this week, Oakland and LA Angels, have held Young to a .264 average in 110 at-bats this year, which is sub-par for him.

Start Em

Yadier Molina | St. Louis Cardinals | 71.1 percent
Yadier has been picking up steam lately, hitting .476 through his last seven games.  All of his games will come on the road this week where he hits 50 points higher.  He fairs well in his previous matchups against both opponents (Cubs, Pirates).  Against the Pirates this year Yadier is hitting .438 with a 1.017 OPS through 32 at-bats.  Against the Cubs this year he is hitting .303 through 30 at-bats.

Ryan Raburn | Detroit Tigers | 85.7 percent
If your league is close and your team is shallow on hitters, then Raburn should be your waiver wire acquisition in mind.  So far in September he’s scorching opposing pitching at a .404 clip with an OPS of 1.167.  He owns the KC pitching staff with a career .315 average and four home runs in only 54 at-bats against.
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Two-Start Pitchers To Avoid

Phil Hughes | New York Yankees | 85 percent
Hughes will be facing a battery of hitters this week against the Rays and Red Sox.  Unfortunately for him, both of his starts this week come at Yankee Stadium where his ERA balloons nearly a point and a half to 4.88.  Since the All-Star Break, Hughes has been spiraling down while his ERA climbs higher (from 3.65 to 5.37).  In previous outings this year Hughes was hit by the Rays, leaving him with a 4.97 ERA against.  Also, against the Red sox this year, Hughes has 4.50 ERA through three starts.

Mike Pelfrey | New York Mets | 47.5 percent
Pitching on the road spells trouble for Pelfrey this week.  On the road this year, Pelfrey’s ERA climbs from a superb 2.87 to a horrendous 5.30…what a difference a field makes.  Both of his starts this week will come on the road, first against the Marlins, and then against the Phillies.  Earlier this year Pelfrey was racked, giving up four runs in 4.2 innings against the Marlins.  Historically, the Phillies line-up has a .277 average and a .341 OBP against Pelfrey.


Two-Start Pitchers To Use

Gavin Floyd | Chicago White Sox | 66.2 percent
Through a couple outings this year and historically, Floyd has held this week’s opponents in check.  Against the A’s, Floyd held them to one run in 7.1 innings earlier this year.  The collective A’s lineup hits a meager .150 through 80 at-bats against him.  Earlier this year Floyd was also able to keep the Angels limited to one run in 7.1 innings.  Much like Oakland, Floyd has limited the Angels lineup to a weak .244 average against through 123 career at-bats.

J.A. Happ | Houston Astros | 65.8 percent
Happ runs into two weak offensive teams this week in Washington and Houston.  Happ has faired poorly away from home this year, posting a 4.97 ERA.  However, look for him to build on his dominance against both of these scrawny lineups this week.  In previous action this year Happ has held the Nationals to three hits in five innings and has also kept the Pirates to only two runs in six innings, limiting both teams to a combined .176 average.

All Statistical Information was obtained through ESPN.com 



Written exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com by James Bryce.  James is a Grad student at UCSD and is currently in his 13th year of fantasy sports. Follow James on Twitter @BoltLife4Me

Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Sports Blog, Two-Start Pitchers, Sit Em, Start Em, MLB, James Bryce, Garrett Jones, Michael Young, Yadier Molina, Ryan Raburn, Phil Hughes, Mike Pelfrey, Gavin Floyd, J.A. Happ, Pittsburgh Pirates, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros
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Forecasting for the upcoming week brings relief to your infield.  Three of the must-start players for the upcoming week can be had on the cheap and play some of the most vital positions and hardest to come by.  Pitching help this week will come in the form of two new faces to baseball and will rely on their dominance against lefties and their ability to keep runners off the bags.
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Neil Walker
Start ‘Em

Neil Walker | Pittsburgh Pirates | 25.1% - Four of the six pitchers that Walker will be facing this week are right-handed pitchers.  Against righties Walker’s hitting .303 with a .346 OBP and .777 OPS.  Against both the Cubs and Nationals, Walker has gone eight for 25 this year.  His last seven games have yielded seven RBI and a .280 avg. as well.

Erick Aybar | Los Angeles Angels | 78.1% - All of Aybar’s games this week come away from home where he’s hitting .303 (78 points higher than at home) on the year.  His stats against both the Mariners and Athletics on the year are a combined .318 average, .358 OBP with 37% of his RBIs on the year.  With an increased probability to get on base Aybar is increasing his stolen base potential as well.

Chase Headley | San Diego Padres | 90.8% - Chase has the stars aligning for him in this week’s matchups.  First up are the Diamondbacks at Chase Field where, ironically, Chase Headley is hitting .301 for his career (33 points above his career average) and is hitting .356 against the current pitching staff.  Second, Chase will face the Rockies at home.  This year Chase has hit .314 with a.386 OBP against the Rockies.  He wont provide much power (his ISO is a horrible .125) but he will rake in some hits this week.

Sit ‘Em

Dexter Fowler | Colorado Rockies | 32.1% - Coming into this week Fowler has been heating up, hitting .305 in the last seven games.  Look for this to change to a cooling trend.  With the exception of a make-up game against the Phillies, all of his games will be coming on the road this week where he hits 96 points lower away from Coors Field.  He’ll be facing the Padres for three of the seven games this week which is more bad news for Fowler.  They put the “K” in “Keep Dexter Fowler on the bench.”  Through 43 at-bats this year against the Padres, Fowler has only five hits and has struck out 21 times (nearly 50% of his ABs against the Padres).

James Loney | Los Angeles Dodgers | 95.8% - Loney is facing the gauntlet of pitchers this week.  He faces both Halladay and Oswalt of the Phillies and Zito, Cain and Sanchez of the Giants.  Collectively throughout his career against all of the starting pitchers that he will face this week, Loney is hitting .260 in 104 at-bats (he is two for 26 lifetime against Zito!).  Another disturbing fact for Loney, he’s hitting .197 during the second-half of the season.

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Brian Duensing
Two-Start Pitchers To Use

Brian Duensing | Minnesota Twins | 39% - Duensing has been a dominating force against lefties this season.  He is taking the bat out of their hands holding them to a .138 average.  This should help neutralize the threats he faces this week against the Tigers and Rangers.  The Ranger’s key player, Josh Hamilton, bats lefty while nearly half of Detroit’s lineup is left-handed.  Both games are coming at home at Target Field for Duensing, where he has 1.36 ERA this year.  Strengthening his case to start is Target Field’s weak HR-factor of .580 (worst in the majors).

Travis Wood | Cincinnati Reds | 23.3% - Travis Wood is facing two strong opponents this week in Milwaukee and St. Louis.  His stats show that he can likely overpower these teams though.  His BAA for lefties is even stronger then Duensing’s previously mentioned .138 (Wood’s is .109!).  This neutralizes Fielder’s big bat.  Right-handed bats aren’t fairing much better, hitting only .209 against Wood.  By keeping runners off the bases Wood has been able to afford the occasional long-ball.  His WHIP is a stellar 0.98.

Two-Start Pitchers To Avoid

Phil Hughes | New York Yankees | 100% - Hughes has been more of himself in the second-half of this year.  He’s posted a 5.19 ERA since the all-star game.  Look for him to continue his bad second-half pace this week against Oakland and Toronto.  Both games come at home in the most HR-happy place in baseball, Yankee Stadium.  Toronto is the number one team for homeruns too.  Hughes has also pitched bad numbers against Toronto in three previous starts this year.  He has 6.60 ERA through 15 innings, giving up four homeruns, good if your fantasy position players are on Toronto.

Jair Jurrjens | Atlanta Braves | 77.1% - Jurrjens has been fairly decent lately, a trend that you can expect to meet a speed bump with this week.  Jurrjens has been Jekyll and Hyde this season in home and away starts.  At home his ERA is a phenomenal 1.81.  However, away, his ERA is 6.62.  Collectively Florida is hitting .347 against him in 72 at-bats.  Use caution when deploying Jurrjens this week.

All Statistical Information was obtained through ESPN.com 


Did you start Ian Desmond last week like James suggested?
Which of this week's suggested infielders were available in your league?
Leave us a comment, or let us know on Twitter @TheFantasyFix 

Written exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com by James Bryce.  James is a Grad student at UCSD and is currently in his 13th year of fantasy sports. Follow James on Twitter @BoltLife4Me

Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Sports Blog, Two-Start Pitchers, MLB, James Bryce, Jair Jurrjens, Atlanta Braves, Phil Hughes, New York Yankees, Travis Wood, Brian Duensing, James Loney, Dexter Fowler, Chase Headley, Erick Aybar, Neil Walker, Week 22
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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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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
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Yovani Gallardo
Fantasy Baseball’s Pitching Line of the Week: 

Yovani Gallardo (SP-MIL) 9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K, W 

According to reports out of Milwaukee, there has been another sighting of “El Chupacabra” at Miller Park. This legendary creature, who traditionally lives in the minds of Latin American’s, is said to attack an array of wild stock and leave them for dead after consuming their blood.  

I know that Yovani Gallardo serves his victims a steady diet of fastballs, sliders, curveballs and changeups, but I’m not sure how this (or something else he has done in the past) has earned him a nickname who’s literal translation is “The Goat Sucker.”  Regardless, Yovani recorded his most impressive win to date in this 2010 MLB season this past week in Milwaukee against the Minnesota Twins, which prompted us to take a closer look into his young career. 

Originally drafted in the second round of the 2004 draft, Yovani started making noise when he led all minor league pitchers with 188 strikeouts in 155 innings in 2006 for Single-A Brevard County and Double-A Huntsville. 

In 2007, “El Chupa” was in and out of the starting rotation for the Brewers, filling in for the oft injured Chris Capuano and Ben Sheets. We saw flashes of brilliance in the 17 games Yovani started that season as he finished 9-5 with a 3.67 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 101 strikeouts in 110.1 innings pitched.  

Brewers management had high expectations for Gallardo heading into the 2008 season. However, Yovani spent the majority of the year on the disabled list with a torn meniscus in his left knee and a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. Gallardo only saw action in six Major League games in 2008, finishing 0-0 with a 1.88 ERA.  

Following the injury plagued 2008 season, Gallardo once again gave the Brewers’ brass reason to believe he was going to be the next ace in Milwaukee. In 2009 Yovani pitched his first career complete game, threw three two-hitters and struck out eleven or more batters on three occasions. Gallardo finished the season with a modest 13-12 record but struck batters at an impressive rate of 9.89 per nine innings and boasted a .233 BAA. 

Thus far in 2010, “El Chupa” is 7-3 with a 2.36 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and a 10.05 K/9 rate in 16 starts. He has recorded ten or more strikeouts on five occasions while allowing more than two earned runs only four times in sixteen starts. In comparison to his career numbers, Yovani has increased his K/9 and LOB%, while decreasing his ERA, BB/9, WHIP and BAA in 2010. 

This is the breakout year the Brewers management expected in 2008.  

Yovani Gallardo is currently owned in 97% 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. 

Top 3 NL Double Dippers: 

Ubaldo Jimenez/COL (@SD, vs. SF) - Frontrunner for NL CY right now. 13-1, 1.60 ERA  
Chris Carpenter/STL (vs. ARI, vs. MIL) - 5-0 in last eight. 7.80 K/9, 2.63 ERA 
Yovani Gallardo/MIL (vs. HOU, @STL) - 9 or more strikeouts in each of his last three starts. 

Top 3 AL Double Dippers 
  
Cliff Lee/SEA (@NYY, @DET) - Last Two: 2 W, 2 CG, 1 ER, 16:0 K:BB. Contract Year. 
Phil Hughes/NYY (vs. SEA, vs. TOR) - 5-0 in last five. Great match-ups, well-rested. 
Francisco Liriano/MIN (vs. DET, vs. TB) - 9.71 K/9, 3.11 ERA, 1.22 WHIP 

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

Brandon Morrow/TOR (@CLE, vs. NYY) - Two or less ER allowed in last five. 9.86 K/9 
R.A. Dickey/NYM (@ FLA, @ WAS) - 6-0 in seven starts, 2.33 ERA  
Jason Hammel/COL (@ SD, vs. SF) - 5-1 in last eight. Solid match-ups. 

Don’t Touch ‘Em 

Nick Blackburn, Paul Maholm, Manny Parra, Bud Norris 

Week 13 One Start Stars Owned in 50% or Less

Jon Garland/SD 50% Y! - Thursday vs. HOU (Moeller)  - 14 Consecutive Scoreless Innings & 3 Wins vs. Houston
Trevor Cahill/OAK 35% Y! - Friday @ CLE (Talbot) - 6-0 in last eight. Plus ratios. .212 BAA 
Jonathon Niese/NYM 15% Y! - Friday @ WAS (Atilano) - 4-0/2.71 ERA in five June starts 
 
Is the Chupacabra real? Watch Video here, and here.
Who will be the best 2-Start Pitcher owned in 50% or less in week 13? 
Leave a comment, or reply to us on Twitter 
Twitter.com/thefantasyfix 


Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Two Start Pitchers, Double Dippers, Fonzy Scheme, Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers, Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies, Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals, Cliff Lee, Seattle Mariners, Phil Hughes, New York Yankees, Francisco Liriano, Minnesota Twins, Brandon Morrow, Toronto Blue Jays, R.A. Dickey, New York Mets, Jason Hammel, Jon Garland, San Diego Padres, Trevor Cahill, Oakland Athletics, Jonathon Niese, Nick Blackburn, Paul Maholm, Manny Para, Bud Norris
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Colby Lewis
Fantasy Baseball’s Pitching Line of the Week: 

Colby Lewis (SP-TEX) 9 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, W 

Colby Lewis pitched his first career complete game on Saturday 6/19 against the Houston Astros. He picked up his third consecutive win while allowing only one earned run on two hits, striking out nine and walking none. Straight dealing! 

Originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round of MLB’s amateur draft in 1999, Colby saw action with the Rangers, Tigers and Athletics before heading to Japan. Colby seemed to reinvent himself while playing for the Hiroshima Carp of Japan’s Central League. Lewis led the league in strikeouts and finished second in wins and ERA in 2008. In 2009, he led the Central League in strikeouts for the second consecutive year.  

Instead of playing a third year in Japan, Colby Lewis was given another chance in MLB by the team that originally drafted him, the Texas Rangers. He has been a pleasant surprise for the Texas and fantasy baseball owners alike. His numbers are filthy. Colby is sporting a 3.01 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, .193 BAA, , .233 BABIP and striking out 8.6 batters per nine. Colby Lewis is currently owned in 69% 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. 

Top 3 NL Double Dippers: 

Tim Lincecum/SF (@HOU, vs. BOS) - The Freak is Groovin’ Again, 2-0 & 17K in last two  
Clayton Kershaw/LAD (@ LAA, vs. NYY) - The New Ace in LA has a 10.27 K/9, Won three of last four 
Jaime Garcia/STL (@TOR, @KC) - Filthy 1.59 ERA & 84.4 LOB%.  

Top 3 AL Double Dippers: 

Jon Lester/BOS (@ATL, @FLA) - Hasn’t lost in last 11. 9.39 K/9. In the race for CY? 
Justin Verlander/DET (@ NYM, @ ATL) - Won last three, 17:& K/BB over that span. 
John Danks/CWS (vs. ATL, vs. CHC) - Won Last two, Sporting a .229 BAA 

Warning: Streaming can be lethal. The following are owned in less than 50% of Y! leagues. 
 
Anibal Sanchez/FLA (@BAL, vs. SD) - Won five of last seven. Two nice match-ups. 
Gio Gonzalez/OAK (vs. CIN, vs. PIT) - Two excellent match-ups, .239 BAA 
Jonathon Niese/NYM (vs. DET, vs. MIN) -  Won last three, 15:3 K:BB over that span. 

Don’t Touch ‘Em 

Rodrigo Lopez, Bruce Chen, Zach Duke 

Week 10 One Start Stars Owned in 50% or Less 
 
Trevor Cahill/OAK 25% Y! - Saturday vs. PIT (Lincoln) - Hasn’t lost in last seven. Helpful ratios. 
Kris Medlen/ATL 16% Y! - Friday vs. DET (TBA)  - Hasn’t lost in seven starts since being moved to the rotation. 
Kyle Kendrick/PHI 1% Y! - Wednesday vs. CLE (Westbrook) - Solid vs. NYY on 6/17. Deep mixed league use only. 
 
Who will win the pitching duel of the week: Lester vs. Lincecum? 
Who will be the best 2-Start Pitcher owned in 50% or less in week 12? 
Leave a comment, or reply to us on Twitter 
Twitter.com/thefantasyfix 


Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Two Start Pitchers, Double Dippers, Fonzy Scheme, Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants, Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers, Jaime Garcia, St. Louis Cardinals, Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox, Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers, John Danks, Chicago White Sox, Anibal Sanchez, Florida Marlins, Gio Gonzalez, Oakland Athletics, Jonathon Niese, New York Mets, Trevor Cahill, Kris Medlen, Atlanta Braves, Kyle Kendrick, Philadelphia Phillies, Colby Lewis, Texas Rangers
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Justin Masterson
Fantasy Baseball’s Pitching Line of the Week: 

Stephen Strasburg (SP-WAS)  7 IP, 4H, 2R, 0 BB, 14 K, W

The long awaited Major League debut of Stephen Strasburg is officially over. The dust has settled, but some fans have yet to pick their chins off of the ground from the amazement that was a dominating fourteen strikeout performance. Strasburg schooled the Pirates with remote like control of his blazing fastball, changeup and a curveball that had the Bucs' knees bucklin'. What may have been more impressive was the velocity on his pitches as he progressed into the later innings, it never changed. The only runs Stephen surrendered came on a two-run home run by Delwyn Young in the top of the fourth inning for Pittsburgh that also scored Neil Walker. Strasburg was awarded the National League Player of the Week award in his first full week in the Major Leagues. He started 2 games, went 2-0, pitched 12.1 innings while posting a 2.19 ERA and striking out 22 batters. Good luck trying to acquire this guy in most fantasy baseball formats. He is currently owned in 92% of Y! Leagues. I wonder what the idiots in the other 8% of Y! leagues are waiting for? 

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. 

Top 3 NL Double Dippers: 

Roy Halladay/PHI (@NYY, vs. MIN) - He starts regardless of match-ups. 
Josh Johnson/FLA (vs. TEX, vs. TB) - 1 ER allowed in last 5 starts. Insanity. 
Adam Wainwright/STL (@SEA, @OAK) - 8.71 K/9, Ludicrous Ratios. 

Top 3 AL Double Dippers:

David Price/TB (@ATL, @FLA) - 1 ER in last 2 Starts. LOB% 81.3 
Clay Bucholz/BOS (vs. ARI, vs. LAD) - 2 Starts @Home. 3 ER in last 3. Breakout. 
CJ Wilson/TEX (@FLA, @HOU) - 2-0 in last 2. .226 BAA. 

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

Carl Pavano/MIN (@NYM, vs. SEA) - Decent ERA & WHIP. 3.69 K:BB
Justin Masterson/CLE (vs. NYM, @PIT) - 2-0 in last 3 including 2 hitting the BoSox. 
Freddy Garcia/CWS (vs. HOU, vs. TOR) - 3-0 in last 3. 15:4 K:BB in that span.  

Don’t Touch ‘Em 

Brad Lincoln, Ian Snell, Kyle Davies, John Lannan  

Week 10 One Start Stars Owned in 50% or Less 

Clayton RIchard/SD 48% Y! - Saturday vs. BAL (Millwood) - 4-1 w/2.29 ERA over last 9   
Fausto Carmona/CLE 26% Y! - Friday @PIT (Maholm)  - Tossed a CG, 3 H, 1 ER Gem last turn. 

Who will be the best 2-Start Pitcher owned in 50% or less in week 11? 
Will Stephen Strasburg continue to live up to the hype? 
Leave a comment, or reply to us on Twitter 
Twitter.com/thefantasyfix 


Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Two Start Pitchers, Double Dippers, Fonzy Scheme, Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals, Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies, Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals, Clay Bucholz, Boston Red Sox, CJ Wilson, Texas Rangers, David Price, Tampa Bay Rays, Josh Johnson, Florida Marlins, Carl Pavano, Minnesota Twins, Freddy Garcia, Chicago White Sox, Justin Masterson, Cleveland Indians, Clayton Richard, San Diego Padres
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Armando Galarraga
Fantasy Baseball’s Pitching Line of the Week:

Armando Galarraga (SP-DET) 9 IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 3K

Armando made headlines across the world in week nine when his bid for a perfect game came up one out *cough* short. Galarraga faced the minimum twenty-six batters before Jason Donald reached base on a questionable call at first base by umpire Jim Joyce. (See it here) Despite the near perfect game, Galarraga is still chasing his 2008 campaign in which he went 13-7 and finished in the top 5 in the American League Rookie of the Year balloting. His numbers are modest at best. Galarraga owns a career ERA of 4.50 and has seen his K/9 decline in each of the last three seasons. Maybe this near perfect game is a sign that Armando has turned a corner. Not in the new Corvette GM awarded him, in his baseball career. Galarraga gets two starts this week, and I will monitor closely before I decide whether to buy or not. Armando is currently owned in only 8% of Y! fantasy baseball 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. 

Top 3 NL Double Dippers: 

Mike Pelfrey/NYM (vs. SD, @BAL) - .232 BAA, 4-0 in last 6 trips to the hill. 
Yovani Gallardo/Milwaukee (vs. CHC, vs. TEX) - 9+ K/9. Hasn’t lost in last 10 starts. 
Matt Cain/San Francisco (@CIN, @OAK) - Allowed only 1 ER in last 17 IP while striking out 14. 
 
Bonus Double Dipper:  
 
Stephen Strasburg/Washington (vs. PIT, @CLE) - The wait is finally over. The most hyped draft pick in MLB history will debut Tuesday, June 8th against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Strasburg finished his brief minor league career with a 1.30 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and a 10.6 K/9 ratio. He’s still only owned in 86% of Y! leagues, so if he’s available on your wire, grab him. If you currently have him on your roster you may want to consider selling now.  

Top 3 AL Double Dippers 
 
Cliff Lee/Seattle (@TEX, @SD) - 12.5 K:BB = Ridiculi, 0.95 WHIP 
Felix Hernandez/Seattle (@TEX, @SD) - Last 2: 1-0, 16 IP, 16K - Nobody Benches the King, Nobody. 
Phil Hughes/NYY (@BAL, vs. HOU) - 9 K/9, 2.54 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 2 Sexy Match-ups. 

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

Clayton Richard/San Diego (@NYM, vs. SEA) - 4 QS in last 5. 
Kris Medlen/Atlanta (@ARI, @MIN) - Last 4: 2-0, 16:6 K:BB, Modest Ratios 
Jason Hammel/Colorado (vs. HOU, vs. TOR) - Last 2: 1-0, 12 IP, 13:2 K:BB 

Don’t Touch ‘Em 

Brad Bergeson, Sam LeCure, Wandy Rodriguez, Wade LeBlanc 

Week 10 One Start Stars Owned in 50% or Less John Ely/LAD 42% Y! - Saturday vs. LAA (Kazmir) - Has surrendered 2 ER or less in last 6 starts 
Jason Vargas/SEA 26% Y! - Friday @SD (Correia)  - Solid Ratios & .215 BAA 

Who will be the best 2-Start Pitcher owned in 50% or less in week 10? 
Will Stephen Strasburg live up to the hype? 
Leave a comment, or reply to us on Twitter 
Twitter.com/thefantasyfix 

Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Two Start Pitchers, Double Dippers, Fonzy Scheme, Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals, Armando Galarraga, Detroit Tigers, Kris Medlen, Atlanta Braves, Clayton Richard, San Diego Padres, Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals, Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee, Seattle Mariners, Phil Hughes, New York Yankees, Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers, Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants, John Ely, Los Angeles Dodgers, Jason Vargas, Jim Joyce
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Roy Halladay
Fantasy Baseball's Pitching Line of the Week:
Roy Halladay (SP-PH) vs Florida: 9 IP, 0 ER, 0BB, 11K
Doc Halladay didn't take lightly to Matt Cain trying to steal his thunder. Halladay pitched the 2nd perfect game of the season and the 20th in history. Roy bounced back with a vengeance after his worst start of the season against Boston (6ER, 1K) . You've just proven once again why you are the top dog in baseball!

Matt Cain (SP- SF) vs Arizona: 9 IP 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
The Giants rewarded perennial hard luck loser Matt Cain with a run in the 1st inning, and he handled the rest. Cain allowed a 2nd inning double to Mark Reynolds and held the Diamondbacks without a base runner the rest of the way. Since allowing 17 walks in a 4 start stretch between May 1st and May 17th, Cain has only issued one free pass in his last 17 innings of work. When he makes the opposition hit their way aboard he's been devastating: .197 BAA and 1.01 WHIP.

Top 3 NL Double Dippers:
Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado(@ SF & Lincecum, @ Arizona) 8 more scoreless inning for the master (0.88 ERA), but strikeouts are down in recent outings.

Tim Lincecum, SF (vs Colorado & Jimenez, @ Pittsburgh) Trying to straighten himself out after consecutive poor efforts. 9 2/3 innings, 11 ER and 10 BB.

Tim Hudson, Atlanta (vs Philadelphia, @ LA) Reliving past glory with 8 of 10 quality starts and 2.24 ERA

Top 3 AL Double Dippers:
Matt Garza (@ Toronto, @ Texas) Reached the 8 inning plateau in 5 of 10 starts. 55 hits allowed in 69 2/3 innings.

Justin Verlander (vs Oakland, @ KC) 1 run CG victory at Oakland on May 19th.

Ervin Santana (@ KC, @ Sea) 3-0 last 3 starts. 22 IP, 5 ER and 22 K.

Only If You're Streaming
Hisanori Takahashi, NYM (@ SD, vs Florida) 12 scoreless innings over first two starts vs. Yankees and Phillies.

Jeremy Bonderman,Detroit (vs Cleveland @ KC) 21 K, 13 hits 3 ER over last 20 innings.

Luke Hochevar, KC (vs Anaheim, vs Detroit) Consecutive successful, deep performances. 2 W, 17 IP, 10 H 5 ER.

Don't Touch 'Em
Brian Matusz/ Balt, Chris Narveson/ Milw, Nate Robertson/Fla, Mitch Talbot/Clev

Week 9 One Start Stars Owned in 50% or Less
Jeremy Guthrie (vs Boston) 3 W in last 4 starts while allowing only 6 ER.
Derek Holland (vs TB) 2.95 ERA through 3 GS in 2010.

Who will come out triumphant - Jimenez or Lincecum?
Leave a comment  or reply to us on Twitter. 
Twitter.com/thefantasyfix

Tags: Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, MLB, Two Start Pitchers, Double Dippers, Fonzy Scheme, Matt Cain, Ubaldo Jiminez, Tim Lincecum, Tim Hudson, Matt Garza, Justin Verlander, Ervin Santana, Hisanori Takahashi, Jeremy Bonderman, Luke Hochevar, Brain Matusz, Chris Narveson, Nate Robertson, Mitch Talbot, Jeremy Guthrie, Derek Holland, San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, Kansas City, Anaheim Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers
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