 Yovani Gallardo (credits below) _ Hitters to Start Adam LaRoche |Washington Nationals| (94.6%) – Adam LaRoche has the pleasure of facing three of the weakest pitching staffs in baseball this week all at home. First he faces San Diego. Against the two San Diego starters LaRoche is hitting .500 with half of his hits going for extra bases. After San Diego, LaRoche will take on the Pirates at home. In 85 career at-bats against the Pirates LaRoche is hitting.341 with a .429 OBP. Half of those hits have gone for extra bases as well. LaRoche will cap the week and face the Baltimore Orioles. Against the Orioles during his career LaRoche is hitting .375 through 40 at-bats. Denard Span |Minnesota Twins| (33.4%) – Denard Span could be a steal from the waiver wire for this week. He has great split numbers against the pitchers he’ll be facing which could lead to more stolen bases for the speedster. He starts off the week at home against the Indians facing Gomez and Lowe. Against the two he’s hitting .333. Span will then move to Detroit and take on Fister and Porcello. Against those two Span is hitting .389 in 36 at-bats. Next, Span will face the Brewers in Milwaukee. He doesn’t have much experience against their staff, but he will be facing nothing but right-handed starters from them. Against righties this year Span is hitting 42 points higher than their southpaw counterparts. Hitters to Sit Yunel Escobar |Toronto Blue Jays| (65.3%) – Yunel Escobar starts his week off facing the powerhouse Tampa Bay Rays pitching staff. Against the two starters he’ll face from them Escobar is hitting .172 in 29 at-bats. Escobar will then face the Yankees at home. Over the last three years against the Yankees staff, Escobar has compiled an unimpressive .253 BA and paltry .634 OPS. Escobar will then face the Mets’ pitching staff whom he has yet to get a hit off of. Jay Bruce |Cincinnati Reds| (100%) – Jay Bruce will face a tough week ahead playing anywhere but home. First up for him is Atlanta. Away games have been brutal for Bruce. In away games Bruce is hitting 130 points lower than at home. In 21 at-bats at Turner Field Bruce is hitting .143. After Atlanta Bruce and the Reds fly to New York to take on the Mets. In 23 at-bats at Citi Field Bruce is hitting only .217 with a .250 OBP. Bruce is only hitting .214 throughout his career against the two Mets starters that he’ll face. Bruce will move across town and take on the Yankees to end his week. Against the three Yankees starters that he’ll be facing, Bruce is only hitting .148 through 14 at-bats. Also, in 23 at-bats against the Yankees, Bruce has 3 hits. Two-Start Pitchers to Start Ross Detwiler |Washington Nationals| (54.9%) – It’s a surprise to me that Ross Detwiler is only owned in roughly 50% of the leagues. The man is sporting nearly a 2.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. Detwiler starts his week against the weak San Diego lineup which is cause enough for a start and a celebration. After his start against San Diego he faces the visiting Orioles. Detwiler has improved his GB/FB ratio so well this year that he’s 11th in the league in the category. While pitching at home this year Detwiler has held hitters to a .197 BAA and has kept a 1.04 ERA. BONUS: Don’t start any lefties against Detwiler. They’re hitting .069, 2 hits in 29 at-bats against him. Yovani Gallardo |Milwaukee Brewers| (99%) – Yovani Gallardo is one of the most suspenseful pitchers in baseball. He can either be a one-man wrecking crew or a fantasy team saboteur. This week he’ll pitch against two of the league’s worst offenses, the Mets and Twins. The first start takes place at Citi Field. The entire current Mets lineup is hitting a combined .241 against Gallardo. Their superstar, and league-leader in batting average, can only muster a .241 career average against him as well. Gallardo comes back home to make his next start against the Twins. The Twins lineup is hitting a combined .222 with only 3 extra-base hits in 72 at-bats against him. In 4 starts against the Twins Gallardo has a 2.48 ERA and 1.10 WHIP Two-Start Pitchers to Sit Jason Vargas |Seattle Mariners| (39.5%) – Now is the perfect time to sell high on Jason Vargas’ season. He faces two teams this week that stand to alter his stats and possibly your fantasy team’s standings. Both starts come on the road this week and Vargas has proven to be a home-sick pitcher throughout his career as well as this year. While pitching away this year, Vargas has a 3.86 ERA, more than 3 times higher than his home ERA split. In 3 career starts against Boston, hitters have a .311 BAA. The worst has yet to come. His next opponent of the week is the Colorado Rockies. In three career starts against Colorado, Vargas has given up 19 earned runs in only 10.1 innings. In those three starts the Rockies are hitting .500 against Vargas. Ryan Dempster |Chicago Cubs| (100%) – Statistically speaking, Dempster has been putting up a stellar year. However, it looks like the Cubs haven’t noticed since he has yet to be awarded a win even after only surrendering 4 earned runs in over 35 innings. Dempster’s first start of the week takes place at Busch Stadium against the Cardinals. Cardinals batters a hitting a combined .302 with a .395 OBP against Dempster. In 157 innings at Busch Stadium, Dempster has a 4.52 ERA. Dempster and the Cubs end the week against their cross-town rivals the White Sox. In 42 innings against the Sox, Dempster has a 4.89 ERA and .311 BAA. Adam Dunn has a 1.261 OPS against Dempster.Written by James Bryce exclusively for TheFantasyFix.comFollow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfixor for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team!(May 1, 2012 - Source: Denis Poroy/Getty Images North America)
 Nolan Reinmold (credits below) Two-Start Pitchers to Start
Randy Wolf |Milwaukee Brewers| (1.8%) – The crafty lefty has a strong week ahead against one anemic lineup and another that is a historically weak matchup. Wolf’s first start takes place in San Diego against the senior circuit’s third-worst hitting team when it comes to left-handed pitching. The Padres are collectively hitting .216 against lefties this year. Wolf’s stays on the road for his next start in San Francisco. The heart of the Giants lineup is hitting .200 with no homeruns against Wolf.
Tommy Milone |Oakland A’s| (9.1%) – Milone has been one of the league’s best pitchers against right-handed hitters. He’s holding them to a BAA of .213 and an OBP of .250. This will sure serve him well against the Tampa Bay lineup that he’ll face this week and to a lesser extent, the Red Sox lineup that he’ll face as well. However, don’t let Boston’s power lefties Gonzalez and Ortiz intimidate you. Left-handed hitters have yet to get a hit against Milone through 13 at-bats this year.
Two-Start Pitchers to Sit
Jason Hammel |Baltimore Orioles| (39.7%) – If you’re like me then you’re guilty of reaching out to the waiver wire for Jason Hammel and his hot start. He won’t be able to keep up the pace but he could have a breakout year nonetheless. Be wary of his upcoming week though when setting your roster. He’ll be facing two of baseball’s most notorious lineups, the Yankees and the Red Sox. Both teams have dominated Hammel throughout his career. Yankees batters have 7 homeruns in only 69 career at-bats against Hammel. At Fenway Park Hammel has a 6.94 ERA and Boston hitters have a .429 batting average against him.
C.J. Wilson |Texas Rangers| (100%) – C.J. Wilson’s first start of the week will be against the Minnesota Twins. The Twins have the 5th-best lineup in baseball against left-handed pitchers. In 58.1 innings against Minnesota, Wilson has an ERA of 4.32. Wilson stays at home for the final series of the week against the Blue Jays. In 25.1 innings against the Jays, Wilson has an ERA of 4.26 and a WHIP of 1.58. Don’t expect Wilson to put up his usually dominant numbers this week.
Hitters to Start
Nolan Reimold |Baltimore Orioles| (90%) – Nolan Reimold’s stock has been climbing and now could be your last chance to get in on the action. Reimold will be facing the Red Sox and Yankees for 6 games this week, all on the road. Fortunately, Reimold is one of baseball’s best road hitters so far this year. Through 25 at-bats on the road Reimold is hitting an amazing .480 with an OBP of .500. In 17 games hitting at Yankee Stadium Reimold is hitting .294 with an OBP of .393. Half of those hits were for extra bases and approximately one-third of his hits there have left the yard. The week gets better when Reimold and the O’s travel to Boston. In 14 games at Fenway Park Reimold has a batting average .340 and an OBP of .400.
Bryan La Hair |Chicago Cubs| (59.5%) – Bryan LaHair is making the most of his starts with the Cubs so far this year. He has been used as a righty-killing bat for them. Against right-handed pitching this year LaHair is hitting .386 with a .481 OBP through 44 at-bats. LaHair will face the Reds’ front three of Arroyo, Bailey and Leake to start off his week. Against left-handed hitters, these three have a weak BAA of .307. The trio of Dodgers that LaHair will face have given up 8 homeruns in only 133 at-bats. LaHair is available in nearly half of all leagues and could be a cheap source of power if your team has stumbled out of the gate.
Hitters to Sit
Mark Reynolds |Baltimore Orioles| (61.7%) – Mark Reynolds has been off to a tremendously slow start, even by his accord. This week Reynolds and the Orioles have 6 games all of which are on the road. This is bad news for Reynolds’ owners. He owns the worst away game batting average split out of any major leaguer this year with at least 25 plate appearances. In 31 at-bats on the road this year Reynolds has a batting average of .097 and an OBP of .200. The first away series of the week for Reynolds is against the Yankees. He’ll be facing Hughes, Nova, and Kuroda. Against these three pitchers Reynolds has a .176 batting average in 34 at-bats. Only 1 of his 6 hits in those at-bats has gone for extra bases. Reynolds ends the week in Boston against the Red Sox and their three starting pitchers of Lester, Beckett, and Bucholz. Against these three starting pitchers Reynolds is hitting .200 through 25 career at-bats.
Hanley Ramirez |Miami Marlins| (100%) – If there was ever a week to sit Hanley Ramirez this is it. Ramirez is suffering from the same homesickness as described above in Mark Reynolds. Maybe it’s the air, maybe it’s the new stadium, who knows. Ramirez is just a notch below Reynolds on the worst away-game splits. In 39 at-bats away Ramirez is hitting .103 with a .239 OBP. Ramirez is hitting .194 against the three Giants starters that he’ll face this week. Ramirez also has a paltry .236 career batting average at AT&T Park. Ramirez and the Marlins will move down the coats for their next series of the week against the Padres.
(April 16, 2012 - Source: Brian Kersey/Getty Images North America)
 Bartolo Colon (credits below) Two-Start Pitchers to Start
Bartolo Colon |Oakland Athletics| (28.8%) – Bartolo Colon has rekindled the fire that once burned bright in his belly. Whether he’s throwing down the calories or fastballs, Colon should be in for another great week. He faces the White Sox at home to start the week off. In his current resurrection, Colon has only faced the White Sox once. In that start Colon gave up only one run in eight innings garnering a win in the process. Current White Sox hitters are only hitting a combined .255 in 110 at-bats along with a .308 OBP. Colon next pitches in Baltimore against the Orioles. Much like the White Sox, the Orioles are hitting a combined .252 against Colon. Only 25% of those hits against Colon went for extra bases.
Brandon Morrow |Toronto Blue Jays| (97.8%) – Brandon Morrow typically serves as a one or maybe two category pitcher serving up strikeouts and wins while towing a ballooning ERA and WHIP. This week Morrow might be able to keep his ERA and WHIP down while bringing home the strikeout bacon. His first start of the week comes against the Kansas City Royals. Current Royals hitters are batting a meager .245 against Morrow throughout his career. Over the last three years in three starts Morrow has held the Royals to a .239 BAA. The week gets easier for Morrow when he travels to Safeco Field to face the Mariners. In 100.2 innings pitched at Safeco, Morrow has a K/IP ratio of 11.52, an ERA of 2.95, and an amazing .177 BAA. In 69 career at-bats against Morrow, Seattle hitters are hitting .232 and striking out at a blazing rate of 33%.
Two-Start Pitchers to Sit
Jair Jurrjens |Atlanta Braves| (22%) – Jurrjens is a free-falling knife. Make sure your team is not the one that suffers by catching him on waivers. Jurrjens faces a formidable challenge this week against both the Dodgers and the Pirates. The Dodger’s lineup is hitting .303 and has a .411 OBP against Jurrjens through 76 at-bats. Jurrjens has historically fared well against his next opponent, the Pirates. However, his historical day-game splits or horrendous. Throughout his career Jurrjens has started 29 games during the day. In those games Jurrjens has a 4.80 ERA and 1.41 OBP.
Ervin Santana |Los Angeles Angels| (91.4%) – Ervin Santana pitches against two of the strongest lineups in baseball this week. First, he faces the Tampa Bay Rays in Tampa. In 8 starts at Tropicana Field Santana has a 6.60 ERA and a 1-8 win-loss record. Hitters have a .316 average against Santana at Tropicana Field. Santana won’t be able to escape his troubles this week when he moves to Rangers Ballpark. In 14 career starts at the Ballpark in Arlington Santana has a disgusting 7.19 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. In the 82 inning of those stats Santana has given up an alarming 23 homeruns.
Hitters to Start
Dan Uggla |Atlanta Braves| (100%) – Make sure you get Uggla in your lineup this week if you’ve been hesitant with his tepid start. His first series of the week takes place in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. At Dodger Stadium Uggla has a lifetime batting average of .276 and a .375 OBP. These are 17 and 33 points higher than his career average. The week gets better when Uggla and the Braves take on the Pirates. Against the Pirates, Uggla has a career batting average of .284, an OBP of .355, and 7 homeruns. More specifically, against the three starts that he’ll be facing he has 2 homeruns in only 22 at-bats.
Kelly Johnson |Toronto Blue Jays| (100%) – Kelly Johnson should round out a nice duo of middle infielders to start this week. His first opponent of the week is the Baltimore Orioles. Johnson has 22 at-bats at Camden Yards and a .364 average to show for it. Better yet, half of those hits were for extra bases. Johnson returns home to the Rogers Centre to take on the Mariners after he’s done mopping up Baltimore pitching. Against the Mariners Johnson is hitting .333. If you’re not sold on him yet look at his monthly splits. Johnson has 27 career homeruns in the month of April. His next closest month only has 16 homeruns.
Hitters to Sit
Ike Davis |New York Mets| (83.2%) – Ike Davis’ start has been abysmal. Don’t count on picking up any slack with his 8 game schedule this week. Davis and the Mets will be facing 4 left-handed pitchers. Last year, against left-handed pitching, Davis hit .158 with an OBP of .200. Davis is hitting .167 in 18 at-bats against the Marlins’ starters that he’ll face this week. Against Colorado, Davis is hitting .231 with only 1 extra-base hit in 26 at-bats.
Michael Bourn |Atlanta Braves| (100%) – Michael Bourn has been tearing up the bases to start his 2012 campaign. However, you should think twice about starting him for your team’s weekly speed fix. Bourn will face the Dodgers for his first series of the week. Bourn has a .250 average in 56 at-bats against the three Dodgers starters he’ll face (Capuano, Lilly, Harang). The rest of Bourn’s week doesn’t get any better after his trip to LA. Over the last three years, Bourn is hitting 31 points below his career average against Pittsburgh. Not to mention, Bourn will face left-handed pitcher Erik Bedard. Against left-handed pitching Bourn hits 47 points lower than against his right-handed counterparts.
(February 26, 2012 - Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images North America)
 James McDonald (credits below) Two-Start Pitchers To StartHenry Sosa | Houston Astros | (0.5%) – Sosa has not been anything to write home about so far this season, but his matchups this week should pad his stats. His first start comes against the Pirates. If the past is any indication of the future then Sosa should fare well. Last week against the Pirates Sosa gave up only one run and allowed only three base runners through six innings and struck out seven. His next start of the week comes against the anemic Washington Nationals lineup. Playing in away games the Nationals are hitting a league-worst .230.
James McDonald | Pittsburgh Pirates | (5.0%) – The one-time Dodgers prospect has been rolling under the radar lately. Over the last 30 days McDonald has thrown four quality starts and posting a 3.64 ERA. Both of his starts this week come at home which should help keep his streak on track. Pitching at home this year McDonald has a 3.20 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and .232 BAA (compared to 5.04 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, and .300 BAA away). McDonald will face previously mentioned Sosa in his first start. This may seem like a conflict of interest, but with the underwhelming offense of each lineup the game will come down to the bullpens. His next start of the week comes against the Marlins. Current Marlins hitters are hitting .257 against McDonald through 35 career at-bats. The heart of the Marlins’ order (Stanton, Ramirez, and Sanchez) are hitless in 11 career at-bats against McDonald.
Two-Start Pitchers To SitDoug Fister | Seattle Mariners | (51.1%) – Fister has been rolling lately, however he faces two obstacles in his two starts this week. First, he’s pitching away when facing the Indians. Away from Safeco Field Fister has a 3.92 ERA, 1.21 points higher than his at home ERA. Fister’s next start of the week comes against the Twins. His career against the Twins amounts to a 0-4 win-loss record, 4.10 ERA and .272 BAA.
Tim Hudson | Atlanta Braves | (100%) – Hudson faces two of the strongest lineups this week and should bring fear to the best fantasy owner’s eyes. Both of his starts this week come on the road. On the road Hudson has a 4.04 ERA as opposed to his 2.45 ERA at home. His first start of the week comes against the Phillies in Philadelphia. In five starts at Citizens Ballpark Hudson has a 3.98 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. Hudson’s next start takes place in St. Louis against the Cardinals. Historically the Cardinal’s sluggers have dominated Hudson. Pujols, Berkman, and Holliday are hitting a combined .414 through 58 career at-bats against Hudson. Pujols has three homeruns in only 29 career at-bats. In four career starts at Busch Stadium Hudson has an alarmingly high 7.06 ERA and hitter-friendly 1.80 WHIP.
Written by James Bryce exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com
Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix
or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team!(August 30, 2011 - Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images North America)
Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Advice, Fantasy Baseball News, Fantasy Baseball Tips, Sit Em/Start Em, James Bryce
 Dexter Fowler (See Credits Below) Start ‘Em Matt Wieters |Baltimore Orioles| (93.5%) – Wieters has suffered from streak-itus all year long. He’ll play hot for a week then take a couple weeks off and repeat. It looks like this next week might by the peak of his current hot streak. Over the last 15 games Wieters is hitting .317 with three homeruns. Fortunately for Wieters, of the seven games next week, four come against left-handed starters. Against lefties this year the switch-hitting catcher has a .340 average (101 points higher than vs. righties) and .417 OBP (122 points higher than vs. righties). Against lefties Wieters’ slugging and OPS splits are nearly double that of his vs. righties splits. Wieters is hitting .371 through 35 career at-bats against the three Rays starters that he faces this next week. Dexter Fowler |Colorado Rockies| (27%) – Fowler has turned his season around since the break hitting 62 points higher and posting an OBP of .400. He is one of the few Rockies that actually shows regression in his stats while playing at home which is good news for this upcoming week. All six of Fowler’s games this week are on the road. First stop is Chase Field. While playing at both Chase Field and PETCO Park this year, Fowler is hitting .351 through 37 combined at-bats. Fowler could be a nice waiver pick-up for the week offering your lineup speed and hits to help close the standings gap in your league. Sit ‘Em Jose Tabata |Pittsburgh Pirates| (57.2%) – Since coming off the DL Tabata has not only signed a long-term extension, but proved that he’s worth the money as well. A closer look at his splits might help you prepare for the inevitable, a regression to his means. This week Tabata and the Pirates play seven games, with only one being at home. The other six will be played at both Houston and then Chicago. On the road this year Tabata is a different person. Away from PNC Tabata is hitting only .219 with a .303 OBP. Those are drop-offs of nearly 100 points in each category. Between home and away games his OPS drops nearly 250 points. In 122 combined career at-bats against both Houston and Chicago Tabata is hitting .246 with a .308 OBP, 32 points lower than his career batting average and 44 points lower than his career OBP. At both Minute Maid Park and Wrigley Field combined, Tabata is hitting .215. Wait for a string of home games before giving him the green light again. Adam Jones |Baltimore Orioles| (100%) – The same reasons that make Jones’ previously mentioned teammate Wieters a savvy pick this week, are the same reasons why Jones should be benched for the week. Against left-handed pitchers Jones is hitting 69 points lower (.244). Furthermore, of his 22 total homeruns, only four have come against left-handed pitchers. This is evident in the 140 point drop in his slugging percentage against lefties. Against the three Toronto starts that Jones faces, he’s hitting .213. In 43 career at-bats against the Rays starters, Jones is hitting .233. Furtering the case to bench Jones is his horrendous average at Tropicana Field. While playing there Jones is hitting .202 in 94 career at-bats.Written by James Bryce exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com
Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix
or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team!(July 24, 2011 - Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty Images North America)Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Advice, Fantasy Baseball News, Fantasy Baseball Tips, Sit Em/Start Em, James Bryce
 A.J. Pierzynski (credits below) Start ‘EmA.J. Pierzynski | Chicago White Sox | (16.4%) – Chances are if you’re like me you have let A.J. Pierzynski sneak by silently recently. Over the last 30 days Pierzynski is hitting .296 with an OPS of .853. Further helping his week are his splits while playing at home. The first series of Pierzynski’s week comes against the Indians. Against current Indians pitchers Pierzynski is hitting .303 with a .330 OBP through 99 at-bats. Throughout his career against Texas, Pierzynski is hitting .278 with a .340 OBP, standard in comparison to his career numbers.
Casey Kotchman | Tampa Bay Rays | (33.4%) – Much like Pierzynski, Kotchman has been quietly heating up as of late. Over the last 30 days Kotchman has a batting average of .333 and an OPS of .914 with five home runs. First series of the week for Kotchman comes against his former team the Red Sox at Fenway. Against current Red Sox pitchers Kotchman is hitting .315 with a .361 OBP in 124 at-bats. The real fireworks will happen with his return to Tropicana for the next series against the Mariners. At home this year Kotchman is hitting .352 with an OBP of .431. Two of the Mariners pitchers that Kotchman faces this week are right-handed. Against righties Kotchman is hitting .342, and has hit all but one of his home runs at home. In 46 at-bats against Mariner pitchers Kotchman is hitting .348.
Sit ‘EmMike Stanton | Florida Marlins | (100%) – I never thought I would have Mike Stanton on the sit ‘em portion of this article. However, his splits this week favor starting another player. Stanton and the Marlins face a week full of away games. On the road Stanton is hitting .238 and has an OBP of .296. These are 45 and 101 points lower than his home stats. Against current Rockies pitchers Stanton is hitting .263 with seven strikeouts in 19 at-bats. Stanton then travels to San Diego for the next series. Against current San Diego pitchers Stanton is hitting .182 with an astounding 10 strikeouts in 22 at-bats.
JJ Hardy | Baltimore Orioles | (100%) – Hardy suffers from the same homesickness that Stanton suffers from. Hardy’s batting average away is 72 points lower than at home and his OBP is 91 points lower as well. First road trip of the week for Hardy comes in Oakland. Against current Oakland pitchers Hardy is hitting .204 in 54 at-bats with only three extra base hits. The next trip of the week takes Hardy and the Orioles to Anaheim. Against current angels pitchers Hardy is hitting .244 in 41 at-bats with only three extra base hits. Written by James Bryce exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com
Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix
or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team!(August 7, 2011 - Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images North America)Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Advice, Fantasy Baseball News, Fantasy Baseball Tips, Sit Em/Start Em, James Bryce
 Two-Start Pitchers to Start
Huroki Kuroda |Los Angeles Dodgers| (99.7%) – Huroki has been dominating as of late and it looks like he should be able to continue his current rend this week against the Phillies and Astros. Current Phillies hitters are only hitting .144 through 90 career-at bats. The heart of the order (Howard, Pence, Utley) have a combined six hits through 38 at-bats. Against the Phillies, Kuroda has a 0.84 ERA and 0.66 WHIP through 32 innings. Current Astros hitters are only hitting .228 and have a combined .267 OBP. In 37.2 innings against the Astros, Kuroda has a 1.91 ERA and 1.01 WHIP while holding Houston batters to a .196 avg.
Wandy Rodriguez |Houston Astros| (83.6%) – Rodriguez’s faces a two-start week against the Diamondbacks and Dodgers with both starts away from home. The Diamondbacks are one of the worst teams when facing left-handed pitchers. They are ranked 24th in baseball, hitting .241 against left-handed pitchers. His next opponent, the Dodgers, should be easier. Current Dodger’s hitters have a combined .236 average and .282 OBP against Rodriguez. In five career starts at Dodger stadium, Rodriguez has a 1.15 ERA.
Two-Start Pitchers to Sit
Matt Garza |Chicago Cubs| (95.9%) – Garza faces terrible splits this week against the Nationals and Braves. In 43 at-bats against Garza, current Nationals hitters are hitting .372 with a .400 OBP. In 7.2 career innings against the Nationals, Garza has a 10.57 ERA and a 2.60 WHIP. The competition gets tougher as the week goes on. Garza’s next start is in Atlanta against the Braves. This season, Garza’s away ERA stands at an alarming 5.20 ERA (compared to his 2.70 home ERA).
Justin Masterson |Cleveland Indians| (100%) – Masterson’s been living up to his potential this season and things shouldn’t change too much for the rest of the season. However, this week might be a challenge as Masterson faces two lineups that have given him some trouble throughout his career. First up for Masterson this week is the Detroit Tigers at home. In 117 career at-bats against Masterson, Tigers hitters have a combined .299 average and .368 OBP. In 34 innings against the Tigers, Masterson has a 4.76 ERA and 1.59 WHIP and has 0-3 win-loss record. Masterson stays home for his next start and faces the Twins. In 53 innings against the Twins, Masterson has a 3.74 ERA and 1.40 WHIP and 0-4 win-loss record. In 165 combined career at-bats against Masterson, current Twins hitters have a .291 average and .341 OBP. Nearly 25% of those hits are for extra bases.
 Casey McGehee Sluggers To StartCasey McGehee | 3B | Milwaukee Brewers - McGehee has been one of the biggest fantasy disappointments this year. Playing at a fairly shallow position McGehee’s production has dipped dramatically this season. The good news is since the All-Star break he has improved his numbers. In 19 games since the break McGehee is hitting .323 and has 12 RBI.
On the heels of a stellar series against the Cardinals McGehee once again gets to face the division rival with the NL Central title possibly up for grabs. In 94 career at-bats McGehee is hitting .287 with 5 home runs and 21 RBI. If that wasn’t enough evidence for you McGehee also gets to face Edwin Jackson again who he recently took deep 3 times in one game.
The Brewers end the week against another team in the NL Central race. In 61 at-bats against the Pirates McGehee is hitting .311 with a .394 OBP 2 hrs and 8 RBI. His second series of the is at home where McGehee is hitting .262 with 7 home runs and 30 RBI where his road splits are .218 Average with 1 home run and 18 RBI.
Jason Kipnis | 2B | Cleveland Indians - You gotta strike while the iron is hot and Kipnis is on fire. Cleveland’s young second baseman is hitting .280 with 4 home runs and 4 RBI in the last 7 days. Both series this week will be away from Pregressive Field were Kipnis is hitting only .136 as opposed to .375 on the road.
In his first matchup of the week Kipnis get to face Detroit. The Tigers have the 5th worst team ERA in the AL and the Indians will not have to face both Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
In his second series of the week Kipnis gets the Minnesota Twins. Being as he has only played 11 games in the big leagues he has not faced the Twins before and does not numbers against any of their pitchers. However, Minnesota has 3rd worst team ERA in the AL and there is no sign of that getting any better.
Sluggers To SitBrett Gardner | OF | New York Yankees - Gardner is one Yankee who actually hits better on the road (.295 ) than he does at Yankee Stadium (.261). For a player whose fantasy value is dependent on him getting on base to collect steals and runs a week full of home starts hurts his value.
Against the Angels pitching staff Gardner is hitting only .156 with 0 home runs and 2 RBI. The Angels also carry catchers who can’t hit a lick but are stellar behind the plate. These catchers will further diminish Gardner’s value if he can’t steal bases.
Against the Rays Gardner is hitting only .258 without a home run and only 3 RBI. He hits better against the Rays but will not face the starters that he hit best against. I would assume that Andruw Jones gets a start or two against the Rays.
Jon Jay | OF | St. Louis Cardinals - After the trade of Colby Rasmus to the Blue Jays Jay has become the premier Center Fielder in St. Louis. In his last 7 days Jay is hitting an awful .095 with 0 RBI or Stolen Bases.
In his career against the Brewers Jay is hitting just .118 and is only 2-18 against the three starting pitchers he’ll face in the series. With numbers like that against the Brewers I’d be surprised if LaRussa starts him more than once in the series.
There are not a lot of numbers to go by in Jay’s matchup with the Rockies. Jay only has 4 at-bats against the Rockies starter he will face so the suggestion comes from how Jay has hit in the past week.
Written by James Bryce & JJ Omar exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com
Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix
or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team
 Jason Bourgeois Start ‘Em
Jason Bourgeois |Houston Astros| (10.9%) – It’s surprising that a man with 20 steals on the year in only 119 at-bats is on the waiver wires in 90% of the leagues. The skepticism is understandable especially when his trip to the DL broke up his hot streak. If your team has the need for speed, Bourgeois is the man to look at. All six of his games this week come at home. His first opponent is the Cincinnati Reds. Bourgeois is hitting .265, but has a solid .342 OBP against their staff, critical to setting up his speed. His next series of the week comes against the Milwaukee Brewers. While he has little exposure to the Brewers, at home this year he’s hitting .400 in 40 at-bats. In his 17 at-bats since coming off the DL, Bourgeois is hitting .471 and has a three stolen bases. He has showed no signs of slowing down, jump on him now.
Dustin Ackley |Seattle Mariners| (73.5%) – Ackley is another player that I’m surprised sis not at 100% ownership. While the second base position is deep this year there’s still no excuse to not own him. This week Ackley will face Oakland at home and then the Angels in Anaheim. Two of the Oakland starters are righties which favors Ackley. Against righties, Ackley is hitting 26 points higher and has an OPS nearly 100 points higher than against lefties. Against the three Angels starters that he’ll face, Ackley is hitting .300 in 10 at-bats. If you need second base help pounce on Ackley. He has one-third of the at-bats as Neil Walker, but when projected out, he would out-produce Walker in every category except RBIs, and that’s only by four RBIs.
Sit ‘Em
Mark Reynolds |Baltimore Orioles| (98.1%) – Reynolds started off the season struggling from the same stage-fright that as Uggla and Dunn. Like Uggla, Reynolds has been able to slowly correct himself to what his career numbers would dictate. Reynolds quietly hit .299 in the month of June. Since the All-Star Break Reynolds has reverted to his earlier self, hitting .199. This week Reynolds has three games away against the Royals and then three at home against Toronto. Against the three Kansas City starters, Reynolds is hitting .167, sub-standard even for him. Two of those starters are left-handed. Against lefties this year Reynolds is hitting .195. Against the Toronto starts, Reynolds is hitting .154. While hitting at home this year Reynolds is hitting .173, nearly 100 points lower than his home split.
Pablo Sandoval |San Francisco Giants| (100%) – Sandoval faces a gauntlet of strong pitching this week. His first three games of the week come against the Diamondbacks at home. Sandoval is hitting .259 through 27 at-bats. 23 of those at0bats have come this year at Chase Field. His next series of the week comes against the pitching heavy Phillies. He will have to face the gauntlet of pitching that is Lee, Worley, Hamels, and Kendrick. Against these four Sandoval is hitting .217 through 23 at-bats. In 59 career at-bats against the Phillies, Sandoval is hitting .237 and has a meager .266 OBP. Look at other options this week before you choose to start Sandoval.Start 'EmCory Luebke | SP | San Diego Padres - Luebke is a young pitcher that the Padres have handled differently this season. The Pads wanted to keep Luebke in the minors and as a starter but injuries forced the lefty into the big league bullpen. If his first 6 starts are any indication of what he can do I would say pick him up if he is available in your league. This week Luebke has two starts against teams that should be good matchups for him. First he gets the Dodgers. In his brief big league career Dodger hitters are only hitting 2-19 against the southpaw while striking out 8 times.His next start is against the Pirates. The Pirates are pesky and win a lot of low scoring games which bodes well for Luebke and the Padres as they win in a similar fashion. In limited action against the Bucs Luebke has a BAA of .125. Luebke has fared well as a starter and has given up 2 runs or fewer in 5 of his 6 starts this season.John Lannan | SP | Washington Nationals - The Nationals John Lannan quietly having a nice season. The southpaw has a low strikeout rate which brings down his value. This week Lannan gets teams hes had some success against. First he gets the Braves who have added another lefty to their lineup in Michael Bourn. A .250 BAA is respectable and without the Braves best bat in the lineup the damage against him can be minimunilized. The next matchup is against the Rockies who are not having the late season surge that people have come to expect from them. Lannan will face a team that has seemingly waived the white flag on the season. Sit 'EmPaul Maholm | SP | Pittsburgh Pirates - One of the reasons for the Pirates rise in the NL Central has been starting pitching but this week I would avoid the two start southpaw. Maholm has had struggles all season away from PNC Park as his splits would indicate. At home this season Maholm has been really good going 5-5 with a 2.37 and a 1.17 WHIP. On the road Maholm is less than stellar with a record of 1-5 and a ballooning ERA of 4.10. With two road starts this week Maholm is a strong sit candidate. Phil Hughes | SP | New York Yankees - In my personal opinion the Yankees are not doing themselves or Hughes any favors by keeping him in the big leagues. Since Hughes was diagnosed with a dead arm in spring training he has been battling his way back to the bigs. Desperate for rotation help the Yankees brought him up when his arm strength was sharp but his command hasn’t been. This week Hughes is scheduled to face the White Sox and the Red Sox. Usually I regurgitate numbers to you but the only numbers I think you need are his 8.24 ERA and 1.89 WHIP for the season. Hughes has also not reached the 5th inning in 4 of his last 7 starts leaving him ineligible for a win. There are rumors that Hughes may lose his rotation spot to Ivan Nova and may not even get two starts this week. Written by James Bryce & JJ Omar exclusively for TheFantasyFix.comFollow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfixor for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your teamTags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Advice, Fantasy Baseball News, Fantasy Baseball Tips, Sit Em/Start Em, James Bryce, JJ Omar, Two-Start Pitchers, Jason Bourgeois, Michael Bourn, Phil Hughes, Paul Maholm, John Lannan, Cory Luebke, Pablo Sandoval, Mark Reynolds, Dustin Ackley
 Cody Ross Sluggers to Start
Cody Ross | OF | San Francisco Giants
One of the heroes of the 2010 postseason for the Giants, Ross isn’t exactly having the season expected from him when the Giants resigned him in the offseason. This week Ross gets away from monstrous AT&T Park and gets to hit at two friendly hitters parks.
It is not often that I would recommend anyone going against the Phillies rotation but Ross is the exceptions. In his career against Phillies pitchers Ross is hitting .280 with 7 home runs and 17 RBI in 100 at-bats. Group that with his 7 career home runs as well as a .851 OPS at Citizens Bank Ballpark in 109 at-bats and I’d say that’s enough to give him the start.
His next opponent is the Cincinnati Reds. Against Reds pitchers, Ross is hitting a respectable .264 with a .890 OPS. His numbers at The Great American Ballpark are not good (.162 2 HR 4 RBI in 37 ABs) but I am banking on his road splits to help him improve on those numbers.
Todd Helton | 1B | Colorado Rockies
A week away from Coors Field generally does not seem like a time to start a Rockies hitter but Helton may be an exception. Having a really good year Helton looks to keep that going against NL West foes. Although he does not have the massive power he once had Helton is proving that he can still be a productive fantasy player.
In his first matchup of the season Helton will face the Dodgers. This season at Dodger Stadium Helton is hitting a healthy .333 with a home run and RBI in 12 at-bats. Against Dodger starters Helton is hitting .326 with 5 home runs and 14 RBI in 86 at-bats.
His second opponent of the week Helton will get the Padres. The Padres possess one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and play in what is considered the best pitcher park in the league but Helton isn’t buying into that. In 12 at-bats at Petco this season Helton is hitting a robust .583 with a homer. In his career against Padre pitchers Helton has a .313 average and an OPS of .927.
Sluggers to Sit
Carlos Santana | C | Cleveland Indians
Carlos Santana is one of the rising prospects in the bigs for the Indians. He is having a bit of a sophomore slump this season some of that could be attributed to bad luck as evident by his .244 BABIP. This week Santana faces two teams he has struggled against.
First Santana gets the Angels. The Angels possess one of the best rotations in the Majors. In his career Santana had been really bad against the Halos. Against Angels pitches Santana is hitting .133 with only one RBI. Scheduled to face the duo of Weaver and Haren hopefully you have a backup catcher.
Next Santana and the Indians will face the Royals. The Royals have been a thorn in Santana’s side. Against Royal pitchers Santana is hitting a dreadful .188 with a homer and 3 RBI. One good thing about Santana is that he has a good eye and if your league is an OBP league he still have some value this week.
Adam Jones | OF | Baltimore Orioles
This week Jones is facing divisional opponents in the toughest division in all of baseball. This week he is to face the Blue Jays and the Yankees. Jones will be on the road for the week which isn’t good considering he is only hitting .268 with 3 home runs and 17 RBI on the road while hitting .302 with 13 home runs and 39 RBI at home.
Jones has had some trouble in his career against the Jays hurlers. His career numbers against the Blue Jay pitchers is .229 with 2 home runs and 11 RBI in 96 at-bats. This season at the Rogers Centre in Toronto Jones is 0-12.
The second series against the Yankees he seems to have better numbers. Against Yankee pitchers Jones is hitting .286 with 6 home runs and 25 RBI in 119 at-bats. These numbers seem good but this is where the stats can be deceiving. Jones is hitting only .125 this year at Yankee Stadium and does not have an extra base hit or an RBI.
A solid player all season, Jones is a player worth sitting this week.
 Vance Worley Two-Start Pitchers to StartRubby De La Losa |Los Angeles Dodgers| (2.0%) – De La Rosa has been similar to Nicasio in showing promise as a fantasy option in deeper leagues. His two starts this week come against the Rockies and Diamondbacks both at home. De La Rosa’s splits indicate that home is where he is weakest, however, the Rockies and Diamondbacks hitters splits on the road indicate that De La Rosa can turn it around. The Rockies are ranked 27th in baseball when hitting away from Coors Field, batting .232. The Diamondbacks are nearly just as bad, hitting .245, ranked 20th in baseball. He has limited career experience against the teams. In seven innings against the Rockies, batters are hitting .180 and De La Rosa was able to come away with the win.
Vance Worley |Philadelphia Phillies| (72.8%) – Worley has been a pleasant surprise for the Phillies and fantasy owners everywhere. His sub-3 ERA and the great Phillies offense behind him have proved to be a great combination. His starts this week come against San Francisco and Pittsburgh, both at home. Against righties, San Francisco is hitting .241, ranked 27th in baseball. Pittsburgh is hitting .246 against righties, ranked 24th in baseball. Worley has been getting better as the season progresses as well. In July, he’s 3-0 and has a 0.89 ERA while batters are only hitting .149 against him. While pitching at home his ERA is 1.50, a full run lower than at home. Batters are only hitting .171 at home against him in contrast with his .248 BAA in away games.
Two-Start Pitchers to SitJuan Nicasio |Colorado Rockies| (1.4%) – Juan Nicasio has given some owners the hope of finding a diamond in the rough. Over the last 30 days he’s had nearly a sub-3 ERA. However, after investigating his splits, this is definitely a week you should not start him. Nicasio has ironically been dominant at home this year. In six games started he has a 4-0 win/loss record and a 1.58 ERA. Away games are a different story for him though. In four games started he has a 9.00 ERA and a 0-2 record. That spells trouble for this week’s two starts which come away (at Los Angeles and San Diego).
Aaron Harang |San Diego Padres| (27.2%) – Harang has been a strong fantasy option for deeper leagues this year. This week might be a time to look for other options though. Harang faces the Phillies away first. Current Phillies hitters are batting .311 with a .367 OBP against him through 135 career at-bats. Against the Phillies for his career, Harang has a 5.02 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in 10 career starts. His second opponent of the week is against Colorado at home. Colorado hitters are hitting .343 with a .434 OBP in 70 career at-bats against Harang. The entire team is slugging 1.105 against him. In 45.2 innings against Colorado, Harang has a 4.73 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. Harang has already been racked once this year by Colorado, giving up seven runs in 4 innings.
Written by James Bryce & JJ Omar exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com
Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix
or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your teamTags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Advice, Fantasy Baseball News, Fantasy Baseball Tips, Sit Em/Start Em, JJ Omar, Two-Start Pitchers, Vance Worley, Rubby de la Rosa, Aaron Harang, Juan Nicasio, Adam Jones, Carlos Santana, Cody Ross, Todd Helton
 Jordan Zimmerman (see credits below) Jordan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals
Zimmerman is one of the league’s most underrated fantasy players. Losing an All-Star bid to teammate Tyler Clippard will hopefully fuel the fire for Jordan. This week Zimmerman has two favorable matchups that would earn him two-start worthy.
First up for Zimmerman is the Houston Astros. One of the worst teams in all of baseball right now is Houston. Although Astro hitters are a respectable 4-11 against Zimmerman, his last start against the team was his rookie season and Zimmerman is much improved since then.
His second start is against the Dodgers. Everyone knows the year Matt Kemp is having, but besides him and Andre Either the Dodger bats are silent. In his career against the Dodgers, Zimmerman has held the boys in blue to a .214 batting average. As long as he avoids trouble with Kemp and Either he should have a solid week.
Jeremy Hellickson - Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays rookie sensation Jeremy Hellickson has a tough task this week but that’s why he is considered a top contender for AL rookie of the Year honors.
In his first scheduled start of the week Hellickson is to toe the slab against the division rival Yankees. Hellickson will get some relief in the fact that he does not have to face A-Rod but the Yankee lineup is as dangerous as they come. This year Hellickson has a home ERA of 2.80 and has held Yankee batter to a BAA of .250. If he is given some run support, Hellickson has a good chance of a victory.
In his second start of the season the youngster gets the Kansas City Royals. There are no real numbers to back up my suggestion as Hellickson has only faced the Royals in one inning of scoreless relief. My hunch however is a well thrown ballgame by the young right hander.
Derek Lowe - Atlanta Braves
When asked what pitchers make 15 million dollars a year Derek Lowe’s name isn’t on the tip of my tongue. The fact of the matter is in an offseason where the Yankees spent a quarter of a billion dollars on free agents, the Braves needed a starter and ended up overpaying for Lowe. This season Lowe has a home ERA of 5.04 and a road ERA of 3.82 however this week I suggest sitting him during his two road starts.
His first start of the week comes at Coors Field where Lowe’s numbers are awful. In 10 starts in Colorado, Lowe has compiled only 55.1 innings and has an ERA of 5.53. In those 10 starts Lowe has also given up 7 home runs and a robust 1.68 WHIP. The high altitude may have negative effects on his sinker which he needs down to be successful.
In his second scheduled start of the season Lowe will be facing the Reds in Cincinnati. At The Great American Ballpark, Lowe has a career 4.50 ERA in 18 innings. In those 18 innings he has also given up 3 long balls. Unless what you are looking for is a “quality start” letting Lowe start for your fantasy team will do more harm than good.
Scott Baker - Minnesota Twins
This is more of an injury concern than anything else. Like I would with any player fresh off the DL, I would sit Baker his first start since leaving a game with elbow problems. The fact that it is an elbow injury only magnifies the significance of this injury. Baker is having the type of season the Twins envisioned him having when he first got to the show and now that he is living up to his potential look for the Twins to be overly cautious with the right hander limiting his pitch count and innings. (July 3, 2011 - Photo by Ned Dishman/Getty Images North America)
Written by JJ Omar exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com
Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix
or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team
Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Sports Advice, Fantasy Baseball News, Fantasy Baseball Tips, Sit Em/Start Em, JJ Omar, Two-Start Pitchers
|
RSS Feed