Week 12 Fantasy Pitching Planner

We go around baseball's rotations every Sunday of the season in our weekly Pitching Planner. We highlight every matchup, recommended two-start options, sleepers and busts and much more. The means we consider them a recommended start. The means we suggest you consider a replacement option. The teams have if we deem their week's matchups favorable and if their week's matchups are deemed unfavorable.

Arizona Diamondbacks

1. Dan Haren vs. NYY Pettitte
2. Edwin Jackson at TB Niemann
3. Ian Kennedy at TB Price
4. Rodrigo Lopez vs. NYY Burnett, at TB Davis
5. Dontrelle Willis vs. NYY Vazquez

Two-starter(s): Lopez. Loser of four consecutive decisions, including his last three starts, Lopez (2-6) doesn't figure to have a good week ahead of him with starts against the Yankees and at Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Jackson. Pitching against his former team, Jackson has a career 10-14 record at Tropicana Field. That said, he's 1-0 in one start in Tampa since joining the D-Backs. Plus, Jackson has given up just nine runs in his last four starts covering 29 1/3 innings and has 19 Ks over that span with three no-decisions and a win.
One-week bust: Lopez. Starting twice doesn't always make you a recommended start. Lopez has struggled and has made it hard to trust him outside NL-only Fantasy leagues.

Atlanta Braves

1. Tommy Hanson at CHW Danks, vs. DET Verlander
2. Tim Hudson at CHW Buehrle
3. Derek Lowe at CHW Floyd
4. Kenshin Kawakami vs. DET Scherzer
5. Kris Medlen vs. DET TBD (Gonzalez?)

Two-starter(s): Hanson. The Braves' ace, winner of his last four decisions and 7-3 on the season, is always an advisable start. Especially when he pitches twice as he does in Week 12.
Who is getting skipped: None. Jair Jurrjens is currently rehabbing his hamstring at Triple-A Gwinnett. The rehab is going fairly well but he will not rejoin the rotation until Week 13 (June 28-July 4) at the earliest.
One-week sleeper: Medlen. There is a reason that the Braves have won nine of the last 10 games in which Medlen has appeared. Medlen (4-1) has won his last three decisions and is going deeper in games.
One-week bust: Hudson. He might be too good to sit, but Hudson's splits are bad against the Sox. Hudson is 3-2 for his career against Chicago but has a 5.19 ERA over seven appearances -- most of that came while pitching for the A's.

Baltimore Orioles

1. Kevin Millwood vs. FLA Robertson
2. Brian Matusz vs. FLA Nolasco
3. Jeremy Guthrie vs. FLA Sanchez, vs. WAS Hernandez
4. Jake Arrieta vs. WAS Martin
5. Brad Bergesen/ Chris Tillman vs. WAS Lannan

Two-starter(s): Guthrie. The Orioles starter hasn't won in his last three starts and is just 3-8 on the season. He's pitched better than his record suggests but he's only a low-end option among two-start pitchers for Week 12. The Orioles just don't win consistently enough. Start Guthrie if you have no other viable options.
Who is getting skipped: Bergesen/Tillman. MLB.com is reporting that the Orioles are expected to recall Bergesen to start on Saturday against Lannan. If not Bergesen, the start will more than likely go to Tillman. If Bergesen gets the start, Tillman could be ticketed for the minors.
One-week sleeper: Bergesen. If the Orioles do, indeed, start Bergesen, he could have a pretty good outing. Although he struggled when he was sent down this last time, Bergesen had already been sent down and returned in late April this season. The first time he returned to the rotation, he won his next three starts and looked sharp before beginning to struggle again.
One-week bust: Millwood. Granted, he finally earned his first victory of the season in his last start in San Diego, but he wasn't even all that sharp in that outing. You know what they say about blind squirrels and we just don't believe he'll start winning all of a sudden now that he's got his first under his belt.

Boston Red Sox

1. Jon Lester at COL Chacin, at SF Lincecum
2. John Lackey at COL Jimenez
3. Clay Buchholz at SF Martinez (Wellemeyer)
4. Tim Wakefield at SF Sanchez
5. Daisuke Matsuzaka at COL Hammel

Two-starter(s): Lester. He might be facing the two-time defending NL Cy Young Award winner, but Lester is working on a Cy Young himself and hasn't lost since April 18 with eight straight winning decisions. If Lester is starting twice, he is always a must-start in Fantasy play.
Who is getting skipped: Felix Doubront. With Josh Beckett not ready to return and Dice-K on the DL, Felix Doubront won his major-league debut against the Dodgers. Still, the Sox expect to have Matsuzaka back on the hill for Thursday's start in Colorado.
One-week sleeper: Buchholz. Not exactly a sleeper with a 9-4 record and 2.67 ERA, this one-start pitcher on the road in San Francisco still has a good matchup as he faces a pitcher making only his second major-league start.
One-week bust: Matsuzaka. The Japanese hurler is expected to come off the DL and start on Thursday, but owners might want to wait and see how he does before activating him. He won't get a minor-league rehab start and being thrown back into the rotation at Colorado's Coors Field is never easy.

Chicago Cubs

1. Carlos Zambrano at CHW Garcia
2. Ryan Dempster at SEA Vargas, at CHW Danks
3. Ted Lilly at CHW Peavy
4. Carlos Silva at SEA Hernandez
5. Randy Wells at SEA Lee

Two-starter(s): Dempster. With 31 strikeouts over his last 32 innings -- and a 3-1 record over that span -- Dempster is pitching well and definitely deserves to be active during his two-start week.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Zambrano. Working his way back from being relegated to a relief role, Zambrano has gone deeper into the game in each of his last three outings. Zambrano has improved his numbers with each outing and that should continue in Week 12 in the interleague rivalry start against the White Sox.
One-week bust: Wells. With Chicago threatening to possibly take his rotation spot away, Wells responded with a solid performance on Thursday against Oakland. That may be enough to keep him in the rotation, for now at least, despite his last victory coming way back on April 30 against Arizona. Facing Seattle's Lee, however, it isn't enough to keep him from being someone to avoid in Week 12.

Chicago White Sox

1. Jake Peavy vs. CHC Lilly
2. Mark Buehrle vs. ATL Hudson
3. John Danks vs. ATL Hanson, vs. CHC Dempster
4. Gavin Floyd vs. ATL Lowe
5. Freddy An. Garcia vs. CHC Zambrano

Two-starter(s): Danks. The winner of his last two starts with two runs and five hits allowed spanning 15 innings with 10 strikeouts, Danks is pitching well and is more than just an advisable start for Week 12's two-start scoring period.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Garcia. He owns interleague, has been pitching well and his history against the Cubs is too good to ignore. Garcia (7-3, 4.94 ERA) is 4-0 against Chicago over five starts with a pristine 1.25 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 36 innings.
One-week bust: Floyd. He has been pitching well of late with little to show for it. He's allowed three earned runs -- one run in each -- over his last three starts spanning 22 innings. He's allowed just 13 hits over that span with 22 strikeouts but is just 0-1 to show for it. The White Sox are not scoring behind him and he might need them to this week. Floyd is 1-1 against the Braves over four career starts with a 9.95 ERA with 17 walks allowed over just 19 innings.

Cincinnati Reds

1. Aaron Harang vs. CLE Masterson
2. Johnny Cueto at OAK Mazzaro
3. Bronson Arroyo at OAK Braden
4. Mike Leake at OAK Gonzalez, vs. CLE Talbot
5. Sam LeCure vs. CLE Huff

Two-starter(s): Leake. The youngster has put together two consecutive poor starts and could be hitting the rookie wall right now. Still, with his solid second matchup for Week 12 against the Indians, he remains an advisable start with a 5-1 record and 3.02 ERA.
Who is getting skipped: None. Homer Bailey is still on his way back from a shoulder injury and doesn't figure to make a start during Week 12.
One-week sleeper: LeCure. His opponent, Huff, is 1-8 over his last 11 starts and is reeling at the moment. Ignore LeCure's four straight defeats and concentrate on the fact that he's given the Reds a chance to win just about every time he's taken the mound.
One-week bust: Harang. The last time Harang faced Cleveland, last season, he dropped the start and allowed seven runs -- five earned -- on 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings. Harang (5-6, 5.44 ERA) also lost his last time out with five runs allowed over 4 1/3 innings against the Dodgers at home.

Cleveland Indians

1. Fausto Carmona at PHI Blanton
2. Jake Westbrook at PHI Kendrick
3. Mitch Talbot at PHI Moyer, at CIN Leake
4. Justin Masterson at CIN Harang
5. David Huff at CIN LeCure

Two-starter(s): Talbot. At 7-5 with a 4.21 ERA, Talbot continues to be exactly what we'd expect from a rookie: Inconsistent. That said, incredibly, Talbot has been poor at Cleveland's Progressive Field, going 3-3 with a 5.64 ERA at home. On the road, however, Talbot has been sensational with a 2.56 ERA to go with a 4-2 record. With two starts coming on the road, go ahead and give Talbot a whirl.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Talbot. We already told you about Talbot's home and away splits. With two starts coming up in Week 12 and both on the road, Talbot seems like a sure bet for a solid Fantasy week.
One-week bust: Huff. Granted, the last time Huff faced the Reds, on May 23 at home, he beat them. That win, however, was Huff's only victory over his last 11 starts as he's 1-8 over that span.Cincinnati is playing solid baseball and this time the game is a road contest for Huff, who doesn't figure to turn his season around anytime soon.

Colorado Rockies

1. Ubaldo Jimenez vs. BOS Lackey
2. Jeff Francis at LAA Weaver
3. Aaron Cook at LAA Saunders
4. Jason Hammel vs. BOS Matsuzaka
5. Jhoulys Chacin vs. BOS Lester, at LAA Santana

Two-starter(s): Chacin. Unless Jorge De La Rosa somehow makes it back by Sunday of Week 12, Chacin will see two starts. Still, coming in with four straight losses, he doesn't figure to be a very solid play in Fantasy against the Red Sox and on the road in Los Angeles against two very good opposing pitchers.
Who is getting skipped: De La Rosa. De La Rosa is currently rehabbing from a torn tendon in his finger and says he is feeling good. However, Chacin remains in his rotation spot, at least for now, as there is no exact timetable for De La Rosa to return just yet.
One-week sleeper: Cook. Despite his 2-4 record and 5.15 ERA, Cook has the splits on his side for his Week 12 matchups. In two career starts against the Angels, Cook has gone 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA.
One-week bust: Hammel. He has to give up a run sometime, doesn't he? Hammel is 3-0 without giving up a single run spanning 22 2/3 innings over his last three starts. Still, Boston will provide a tougher test than any of those matchups and Hammel is 0-2 against the Red Sox with a 5.50 ERA for his career spanning eight appearances with 11 walks in 18 innings.

Detroit Tigers

1. Justin Verlander at NYM Niese, at ATL Hanson
2. Jeremy Bonderman at NYM Dickey
3. Max Scherzer at ATL Kawakami
4. TBD ( Enrique Gonzalez is leading candidate) at ATL Medlen
5. Armando Galarraga at NYM Takahashi

Two-starter(s): Verlander. With three straight wins and an 8-4 record with a 3.54 ERA, Verlander is a must-start Fantasy option in Week 12 regardless of the matchups due to his two-start status.
Who is getting skipped: Rick Porcello. After his latest start, in which he thought he pitched well, the Tigers decided to send Porcello back to Triple-A to work on his stuff. The team has yet to tab a replacement but the leading candidate seems to be Gonzalez.
One-week sleeper: Scherzer. Prior to Sunday, Scherzer had 33 strikeouts over his last 24 innings pitched and is just blowing hitters away.
One-week bust: Bonderman. If facing a 35-year-old knuckleballer who has won five straight starts and has a 2.82 ERA on the season isn't enough for you to keep Bonderman grounded, how about the fact that he's 1-1 with an ERA over 7.00 over his only two starts against the Mets? Bonderman also has a 5.03 ERA in his last three starts overall this season, making him tough to start this week.

Florida Marlins

1. Josh Johnson vs. SD Garland
2. Ricky Nolasco at BAL Matusz
3. Anibal Sanchez at BAL Guthrie, vs. SD Latos
4. Nate Robertson at BAL Millwood
5. Chris Volstad vs. SD Richard

Two-starter(s): Sanchez. Sanchez hasn't been great recently but the Orioles never provide a tough matchup and the last time he faced the Padres, on April 27, he allowed just two runs over 6 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and took the loss. He'll be looking for some vindication this time around. He's probably still worth starting in a solid amount of mixed Fantasy leagues.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Robertson. He has allowed three earned runs over his last two starts spanning 11 2/3 innings with 11 strikeouts over that span and is 1-0 to show for it. Facing a pitcher (Millwood) who is 0-8 on the season with a 5.16 ERA, Robertson seems to have an excellent shot at coming away with a win.
One-week bust: Volstad. With a 7.27 ERA over his career against the Padres in two starts with just two Ks over that span, Volstad doesn't have the splits in his favor for his Week 12 matchup.

Houston Astros

1. Roy Oswalt vs. SF Lincecum, at TEX Hunter
2. Wandy Rodriguez vs. SF Cain
3. Brett Myers vs. SF Zito
4. Felipe Paulino at TEX Wilson
5. Brian Moehler at TEX Lewis

Two-starter(s): Oswalt. The ace of the Houston staff should be active just about every week. With two starts, he is a no-brainer.
Who is getting skipped: None. The Astros could bring back Bud Norris as soon as he's ready, which could be this week. Manager Brad Mills said he expects Norris to return as soon as he's ready and to take Moehler's place in the rotation.
One-week sleeper: None. Outside of Oswalt's two-start scoring period, none of Houston's pitchers have favorable matchups in Week 12.
One-week bust: Moehler. He's 0-4 with a 5.86 ERA and now his manager is threatening to take his rotation spot away. He might not pitch at all this week and that means you need to stay away.

Kansas City Royals

1. Zack Greinke vs. STL Suppan
2. Anthony Lerew at WAS Atilano
3. Brian Bannister at WAS Strasburg
4. Kyle Davies vs. STL TBD (Ottavino?)
5. Bruce Chen at WAS Hernandez, vs. STL Garcia

Two-starter(s): Chen. He is 2-1 in his last three starts with 10 runs allowed spanning 17 innings with 17 Ks. Those are pretty solid numbers for a guy who has bounced around the majors like a super bouncy ball. We still don't trust him in most mixed Fantasy leagues unless you absolutely have no other viable options.
Who is getting skipped: None. Luke Hochevar remains on the shelf with a sprained right elbow and Lerew continues to pitch in his place.
One-week sleeper: Lerew. He struck out seven over six innings in a no-decision in his season debut against the Astros and continues to pitch for the injured Hochevar. Atilano is another fill-in starter right now for the Nationals and we like Lerew's chances of coming away with a W.
One-week bust: Bannister. He's facing Strasburg. Enough said.

Los Angeles Angels

1. Jered Weaver vs. COL Francis
2. Scott Kazmir vs. LAD TBD (Vargas?)
3. Ervin Santana vs. LAD Kershaw, vs. COL Chacin
4. Joe Saunders vs. COL Cook
5. Joel Pineiro vs. LAD Ely

Two-starter(s): Santana. He is coming off back-to-back defeats with 10 runs allowed over 10 innings to drop to 6-5 on the season with a 3.91 ERA. That said, Santana has been very good at times and should still be active in most formats for his two-start week.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Pineiro. Everything says this is going to be a solid performance for Pineiro. He is 3-0 with a 2.35 ERA in his last three starts and is 3-0 with a 2.67 ERA over four career starts against the Dodgers.
One-week bust: Saunders. Saunders is making his Week 12 start at home. That is not good as he's 1-6 with a 6.75 ERA pitching at home this season. In his last home start, on June 14 against the Brewers, Saunders gave up six runs over 5 2/3 innings and took the loss.

Los Angeles Dodgers

1. Clayton Kershaw at LAA Santana, vs. NYY Burnett
2. Hiroki Kuroda vs. NYY Sabathia
3. John Ely at LAA Pineiro
4. Vicente Padilla vs. NYY Hughes
5. TBD ( Claudio Vargas ?) at LAA Kazmir

Two-starter(s): Kershaw. Those are two tough matchups for Kershaw but at 7-3 with a sub-3.00 ERA on the season with wins in his last three decisions, Kershaw remains a viable start in any Fantasy format.
Who is getting skipped: Carlos Monasterios/Claudio Vargas. Monasterios was placed on the disabled list due to blisters on his throwing hand and the Dodgers have yet to decide who will start on Saturday against the Yankees. Manager Joe Torre said it could possibly be a bullpen-by-committee approach but Vargas, signed two weeks ago, is another possibility. Also, keep in mind, the Dodgers could end up completely changing their rotation as Torre has said he's going to take things day to day.
One-week sleeper: Kuroda. Facing Sabathia is never easy but Kuroda is 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in his last three starts. In fact, he didn't allow a single run in his last two starts spanning 12 innings with just seven hits allowed and 14 strikeouts.
One-week bust: Ely. Any way you slice it, Ely doesn't figure to have a good week. He gave up four runs in five innings and lost his only start against the Angels in his career. That start came earlier in June this season and came at Dodger Stadium. Pitching on the road doesn't seem like it is going to help.

Milwaukee Brewers

1. Yovani Gallardo vs. MIN Blackburn
2. Randy Wolf vs. SEA Fister
3. Dave Bush vs. SEA Rowland-Smith
4. Manny Parra vs. MIN Liriano
5. Chris Narveson vs. MIN Baker, vs. SEA Vargas

Two-starter(s): Narveson.The Brewers decided to tinker with the rotation and it left Narveson with two starts. This definitely raises his Fantasy value but it wasn't very high to begin with. The Twins are a tough test and the Mariners a little easier. Start him in mixed leagues if you have no other viable options.
Who is getting skipped: Bush. Manager Ken Macha did not want Bush pitching in the Minnesota series due to poor matchups so he moved him to begin the series against the Mariners starting on Friday. Bush was "bumped" but will still get one start during the Week 12 scoring period.
One-week sleeper: Bush. Bumped due to poor numbers against the Twins, Bush doesn't exactly have the best numbers against the Mariners, either, having not faced them since 2005. Still, he actually won his last start at the Angels as he allowed just one run over 7 1/3 innings. Plus, there is the fact that Rowland-Smith is struggling right now for Seattle.
One-week bust: Parra. Liriano, his opposition this week, has been outstanding and Parra is coming off back-to-back losses to Texas and at Colorado. Despite an ERA under 4.00, Parra is just 1-5 on the season and his lone victory -- in Minnesota -- came while pitching in relief.

Minnesota Twins

1. Francisco Liriano at MIL Parra
2. Kevin Slowey at NYM Pelfrey
3. Carl Pavano at NYM Santana
4. Scott Baker at MIL Narveson, at NYM Niese
5. Nick Blackburn at MIL Gallardo

Two-starter(s): Baker. Coming off seven shutout innings of two-hit ball with 12 strikeouts in a win over Colorado and entering a two-start week, Baker can be active in any Fantasy format in Week 12.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Pavano. Pavano is 3-0 over his last four starts against the Mets with eight runs allowed over 27 2/3 innings. Of course, he last faced them back in 2005. Pavano is a sleeper this week because he's gone at least seven innings in nine of his last 10 starts and is coming off back-to-back victories over the Rockies and Royals.
One-week bust: Blackburn. Loser of his last three decisions and coming off a loss in Philadelphia in which he allowed eight runs -- including three walks and two homers -- over 1 2/3 innings, Blackburn clearly isn't going in the right direction. Oh, and he faces the Milwaukee ace as well.

New York Mets

1. Johan Santana vs. MIN Pavano
2. Mike Pelfrey vs. MIN Slowey
3. Jonathon Niese vs. DET Verlander, vs. MIN Baker
4. R.A. Dickey vs. DET Bonderman
5. Hisanori Takahashi vs. DET Galarraga

Two-starter(s): Niese. There is a reason he's one of the most added players in Fantasy right now. Niese has won three consecutive outings and even just missed pitching a no-hitter on June 10 against the Padres. He has allowed four runs with 15 Ks over his last 23 innings pitched.
Who is getting skipped: John Maine.Takahashi seems to have taken Maine's spot and it could be for good, even when Maine's healthy enough to return.
One-week sleeper: Takahashi. He's allowed one run over his last two starts, both wins, spanning 13 innings and manager Jerry Manuel said there is no way he's coming out of the rotation anytime soon. With that confidence boost behind him, we expect him to continue pitching well for the Mets.
One-week bust: Santana. Pavano has been pitching well of late and Santana not so much. He's allowed eight runs in his last two starts spanning 13 2/3 innings and is beginning to show a wild side with 11 walks in his last three outings. This marks Santana's first time pitching against his former team, but that doesn't figure to be enough to overcome his recent struggles.

New York Yankees

1. CC Sabathia at LAD Kuroda
2. A.J. Burnett at ARI Lopez, at LAD Kershaw
3. Andy Pettitte at ARI Haren
4. Phil Hughes at LAD Padilla
5. Javier Vazquez at ARI Willis

Two-starter(s): Burnett. He has given up 16 runs and six homers in his last three starts and lost all three, lasting just 3 1/3 innings against the Phillies in his last start. Burnett is 2-0 against the D-Backs in his last two starts against them but they both came back in 2005. Burnett could always turn things around at a moment's notice so he remains recommended despite recent struggles.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Vazquez. Clearly preferring to pitch in NL ballparks, Vazquez is 2-1 with four runs allowed over 20 innings in three interleague starts this season. He has a winning record for his career against Arizona, one of his former teams, and is facing a pitcher on the ropes (Willis).
One-week bust: Pettitte. If any of the Yankee pitchers will be busts in Week 12, Pettitte could be the guy. He's 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA for his career in Arizona and is 2-5 with a 4.24 ERA against the Diamondbacks overall. Plus, Pettitte (8-2) is coming off a loss to Philadelphia.

Oakland Athletics

1. Ben Sheets vs. PIT Lincoln
2. Dallas Braden vs. CIN Arroyo
3. Gio Gonzalez vs. CIN Leake, vs. PIT Ohlendorf
4. Trevor Cahill vs. PIT Duke
5. Vin Mazzaro vs. CIN Cueto

Two-starter(s): Gonzalez. He has two fairly solid matchups in the upcoming scoring period. He's struggled over his last two starts but remains an advisable start in his two-start week.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Cahill. He'll be facing a pitcher who was already bumped back in the rotation once this week and Cahill has won his last five straight decisions and has been a consistently advisable start this season for the A's.
One-week bust: Braden. He actually pitched well in his last start, allowing just one run against the Cubs in a no-decision. Still, Braden said that he threw just one breaking ball in that entire start and is not expected to practice much before making his Week 12 appearance. That makes him a very shaky start this scoring period. He hasn't been pitching all that well of late anyway.

Philadelphia Phillies

1. Roy Halladay at TOR Litsch
2. Cole Hamels at TOR Marcum
3. Joe Blanton vs. CLE Carmona
4. Jamie Moyer vs. CLE Talbot, at TOR Cecil
5. Kyle Kendrick vs. CLE Westbrook

Two-starter(s): Moyer. He has sandwiched two superb starts around an abomination against Boston. Still, he's been mostly consistent and is a viable start in his two-start scoring period.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Kendrick. Coming off a win in New York over the Yankees in which he allowed just one run on four hits, Kendrick should keep it going against Westbrook and the Tribe.
One-week bust: Blanton. He's 2-5 with a 4.30 ERA over eight starts against the Indians for his career. Blanton also has an ERA over 10.00 in his last three starts.

Pittsburgh Pirates

1. Zach Duke at OAK Cahill
2. Paul Maholm at TEX Nippert
3. Ross Ohlendorf at TEX Hunter, at OAK Gonzalez
4. Brad Lincoln at OAK Sheets
5. Jeff Karstens at TEX Feldman

Two-starter(s): Ohlendorf. Coming off a loss to the White Sox, Ohlendorf dropped to 0-5 on the year with a 5.22 ERA. With two road starts against tough opponents, it doesn't seem like the best time to start this two-start hurler.
Who is getting skipped: Duke. Manager John Russell decided to skip Duke's scheduled start on Tuesday with a minor muscle strain near his pitching elbow. Monday's off day allows the Pirates to just push everyone up a day with Duke being re-scheduled to start on Saturday in Oakland. Duke would have started twice in the scoring period and now that honor belongs to Ohlendorf.
One-week sleeper: Maholm. He's been pitching better of late for the Pirates and is expected to face an inexperienced starter against the Rangers, likely Dustin Nippert or Guillermo Moscoso.
One-week bust: Ohlendorf. If his recent history and tough matchups weren't enough, maybe the fact that he's won just four career games on the road and is 0-2 this season with a 5.50 ERA pitching away from PNC Park will make you keep him reserved this week. Also, his second start could be stolen by Charlie Morton if he's ready to come off the DL.

San Diego Padres

1. Jon Garland at FLA Johnson
2. Kevin Correia at TB Shields
3. Mat Latos at TB Davis, at FLA Sanchez
4. Clayton Richard at FLA Volstad
5. Wade LeBlanc at TB Garza

Two-starter(s): Latos. Winner of six of his last seven decisions, Latos is definitely an advisable start for his two-start scoring period.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: LeBlanc. Pitching in Tampa will be tough, but LeBlanc has been on fire recently. He's 2-0 with a 0.92 ERA over his last three outings.
One-week bust: Correia. The pitcher is really struggling of late as he's 0-1 with an 8.53 ERA over his last three starts. Plus, he's facing a tough matchup against Shields in Tampa.

San Francisco Giants

1. Tim Lincecum at HOU Oswalt, vs. BOS Lester
2. Matt Cain at HOU Rodriguez
3. Barry Zito at HOU Myers
4. Jonathan O. Sanchez vs. BOS Wakefield
5. Joe Martinez (Todd Wellemeyer?) vs. BOS Buchholz

Two-starter(s): Lincecum. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has tough matchups this week but remains a must-start in Fantasy.
Who is getting skipped: Martinez. He's being used out of the bullpen until the team needs a fifth starter again on Saturday against the Red Sox and Clay Buchholz. He could end up getting skipped altogether if Todd Wellemeyer returns from the DL to make that start.
One-week sleeper: Zito. He's struggled a bit over his last three starts with a 4.35 ERA, but Zito is 3-1 for his career against the Astros with a 3.69 ERA.
One-week bust: Martinez. He lost to the Orioles in his first start, had his second start skipped and gets one of the hottest pitchers on the Red Sox as an opponent in Week 12. It doesn't look good for the youngster, if he even gets to make the start at all.

Seattle Mariners

1. Felix Hernandez vs. CHC Silva
2. Cliff Lee vs. CHC Wells
3. Jason M. Vargas vs. CHC Dempster, at MIL Narveson
4. Ryan Rowland-Smith at MIL Bush
5. Doug Fister at MIL Wolf

Two-starter(s): Vargas. His last loss came way back on May 4 against the Rays and Vargas has given the Mariners a chance to win in every start since. He should be a fine play in Week 12.
Who is getting skipped: Luke French. The Mariners sent French back to Triple-A after his most recent start and manager Don Wakamatsu said he expects Fister to rejoin the rotation.
One-week sleeper: Vargas. He really shouldn't be a sleeper due to his solid performances over the last month-plus. Still, he's only owned in 52 percent of Fantasy leagues and with two starts in Week 12, you should be getting him active.
One-week bust: Rowland-Smith and Fister. The Mariners can't get Erik Bedard back into the rotation fast enough. These guys are struggling and/or coming off injury and will be making their next starts on the road. We simply cannot recommend either guy at the moment.

St. Louis Cardinals

1. Chris Carpenter at TOR Romero
2. Adam Wainwright at TOR Morrow
3. Jaime Garcia at TOR Cecil, at KC Chen
4. Jeff Suppan at KC Greinke
5. TBD ( Adam Ottavino ?) at KC Davies

Two-starter(s): Garcia. He's been great and doesn't have the toughest matchups, especially his second start in K.C. against Chen. Garcia is an advisable start for Week 12.
Who is getting skipped: Brad Penny/Kyle Lohse. Neither starter is ready to return and the Cardinals need a starter for Saturday. Speculation suggests it will be Ottavino, who has the most experience and was recently demoted when Suppan joined the rotation.
One-week sleeper: Suppan. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was thrilled after Suppan's first start with his new old club. With Greinke struggling for much of the season and the fact that Suppan is 2-0 against the Royals in his last three starts against them, Suppan could be a solid start in deeper Fantasy leagues.
One-week bust: Ottavino. If you count Suppan, the Cardinals have some good matchups this week. Ottavino, if he makes the start Saturday, does not. He's been poor over three starts this season with a 7.53 ERA and an 0-2 record with eight walks over 14 1/3 innings pitched.

Tampa Bay Rays

1. James Shields vs. SD Correia
2. Matt Garza vs. SD LeBlanc
3. David Price vs. ARI Kennedy
4. Jeff Niemann vs. ARI Jackson
5. Wade Davis vs. SD Latos, vs. ARI Lopez

Two-starter(s): Davis. He could be pitching for his job this week because the Rays have other options and he's cold as ice with an 0-3 record and an 8.22 ERA over his last three starts to drop his record to 5-7 overall this season with a 4.94 ERA.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Price and Niemann. This duo are looking like the aces of the Tampa staff of late. Since June of '09, Price and Niemann are a combined 34-10 over 68 starts.
One-week bust: Shields and Garza. The supposed aces of the Tampa staff have been anything but over their last six starts apiece before Saturday. Shields was 1-5 over that span, losing his last five consecutive before winning on Saturday night, and Garza is 2-4, having allowed 26 runs over his last 32 innings pitched.

Texas Rangers

1. C.J. Wilson vs. HOU Paulino
2. Colby Lewis vs. HOU Moehler
3. Tommy Hunter vs. PIT Ohlendorf, vs. HOU Oswalt
4. Scott Feldman vs. PIT Karstens
5. Dustin Nippert vs. PIT Maholm

Two-starter(s): Hunter. He could be risky coming off an injury to his hip in his previous start. Plus, he's facing a tough matchup in Oswalt in his second start of the week.
Who is getting skipped: Rich Harden. With Harden on the DL, the Rangers still haven't 100 percent committed to his replacement to pitch on Wednesday against the Pirates. MLB.com is reporting the spot will either go to Dustin Nippert or Guillermo Moscoso. Nippert appears to be the favorite at the moment.
One-week sleeper: Lewis. Coming off his first career complete-game and currently on a three-start winning streak, Lewis is an advisable start in all Fantasy leagues facing the Astros.
One-week bust: Nippert/Moscoso. Whichever player makes the start, neither is advisable. The rest of the Rangers have solid matchups this week.

Toronto Blue Jays

1. Shaun Marcum vs. PHI Hamels
2. Ricky Romero vs. STL Carpenter
3. Brandon Morrow vs. STL Wainwright
4. Brett Cecil vs. STL Garcia, vs. PHI Moyer
5. Jesse Litsch vs. PHI Halladay

Two-starter(s): Cecil. He struggled in his previous start, losing in San Diego. Still, he had won his previous five starts, including the last two over the Yankees and in Tampa Bay, and has been pitching extremely well. With two starts in Week 12, Cecil can be active in any Fantasy format.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Litsch. Coming back from Tommy John, Litsch was blasted in Colorado in his first start back. The Blue Jays gave him another shot and he responded by having a superb second outing on Saturday at home against San Francisco. Pitching Friday against the Phillies, Litsch is definitely worth thinking about in deeper leagues as a sleeper.
One-week bust: Morrow. The right-handed starter has never won an interleague start and is 0-3 with a 4.62 ERA over 19 appearances against the National League. Morrow is already 0-2 against the NL this season in three starts with a 5.06 ERA. Plus, facing Wainwright (9-4, 2.41 ERA) is never an easy task.

Washington Nationals

1. Stephen Strasburg vs. KC Bannister
2. Livan Hernandez vs. KC Chen, at BAL Guthrie
3. John Lannan at BAL TBD (Bergesen/Tillman)
4. Luis Atilano vs. KC Lerew
5. J.D. Martin at BAL Arrieta

Two-starter(s): Hernandez. He may have given up eight runs in a loss at Detroit to fall to 5-4 on the season in his last start, but Hernandez's upcoming matchups in Week 12 are begging you to get him active in the majority of Fantasy formats.
Who is getting skipped: None. Martin remains in the rotation to face the Orioles while Scott Olsen, Jason Marquis and Jordan Zimmermann remain on the shelf.
One-week sleeper: Lannan. The hard-throwing lefty has given up 10 runs and 20 hits over 8 2/3 innings in his last two starts against Pittsburgh and Detroit. The Orioles' offense is more pathetic than each of those teams and Baltimore hits just .245 on the season against left-handed pitchers. If there were ever a start for Lannan to shine, facing Baltimore on Saturday is his best chance yet.
One-week bust: Martin. At 0-3 with a 3.55 ERA after four starts, Martin is probably realizing his time in the rotation is running out. That said, he's facing the one Orioles starter who has actually won in recent weeks, as the rookie Arrieta has shined in two wins in his first two big-league starts.

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