Week 16 Hitting Planner

The Fantasy Baseball Hitting Planner is the essential guide to setting your lineup for the upcoming week. Every Saturday, we provide you with favorable and unfavorable matchups, along with news and notes on lineups. The Pitching Planner, complete with upcoming two-start pitchers, will be posted on Sunday.

Don't forget to check out our Weekly Planner page, under the stats tab on your league pages. It has the weekly matchups for each team broken down by day, the number of games ahead for each team, and finally, the hitting and pitching stats for each team (broken down by home and away).

Weather planner: Taking into account all games with at least a 50 percent chance of precipitation according to Weather.com, the following games are in danger of being rained out: Philadelphia at Florida (60 percent chance) on Friday.

Editor's note: The Week 16 edition of the Pitching Planner will run later this week once post-All-Star break rotations become more certain.

Shortened week ahead

Because of the All-Star break, Fantasy Week 16 will last only four days, with most teams playing only three games. Just like in a normal seven-game week, though, a handful of teams will play an extra game, and an extra game during a four-day week has a bigger impact than one during a seven-day week. During a seven-day week, a player who plays one less game loses only 14 percent of his opportunities, but during a four-day week, that same player loses 25 percent of his opportunities.

The following teams play four games, meaning you can expect 25 percent more production from their players: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Colorado, Detroit, N.Y. Mets, Pittsburgh, San Diego and St. Louis.

This week's news and notes for each team:

Arizona Diamondbacks: Justin Upton has already missed a few games with a strained oblique, but since the Diamondbacks haven't put him on the DL yet, he'll probably return after the All-Star break. Of course, you probably wouldn't want to use him outside of NL-only leagues because of his poor hitting ... Chris Snyder, out with a testicular fracture, also might return after the break, and if he does, he deserves a starting spot even in mixed leagues. Remember, he hit .292 with an .886 OPS in the second half last year.

Atlanta Braves: Yunel Escobar's left shoulder, which forced him to miss five games around the turn of the month, has started barking again, forcing him to take a cortisone shot and sit out for a spell. He had a four-hit game since his return, so the injury hasn't affected him too much at the plate, but he doesn't look like the safest start right now ... Chipper Jones has struggled since his latest bout with a strained quadriceps, hitting only .235 (8-for-34) since his return. A little rest over the break would do him some good, but he won't get it because the fans voted him into the All-Star game. He could get hot at any time, so keep him active in mixed leagues.

Baltimore Orioles: Nick Markakis just had a 17-game hitting streak end during which he hit .397 (27-for-68) with two home runs. He's hit .325 and .311 in the second half each of the last two seasons, so expect the emerging 24-year-old to have his best three-month stretch yet. He should perform like a Fantasy stud the rest of the way ... The Orioles recently promoted Adam Jones to the No. 2 spot in the batting order, which should mean better all-around numbers. The 22-year-old rookie is hitting .331 (44-for-133) with three home runs and three stolen bases since the beginning of June and deserves a pickup in mixed leagues.

Boston Red Sox: Julio Lugo went on the DL with a strained left quadriceps Saturday and will miss at least the next two weeks, meaning prospect Jed Lowrie gets another chance to show off his all-around superior skill set. If you play in an AL-only league, pick him up and pray he can displace Lugo permanently ... The Red Sox have said Jason Varitek will sit more in the second half, which only gives mixed-league owners another excuse not to use him. Shoot, he's hitting only .221 ... Dustin Pedroia's hitting streak finally ended at 17 games, but he hit .474 (36-for-76) during it and established himself as a must-start second baseman. Continue to think of him that way ... David Ortiz has begun upping his batting practice, but he still won't return until later in July. Keep him reserved.

Chicago Cubs: Mike Fontenot is good, and the Cubs have taken notice, playing him at second base every day. Fantasy owners need to take notice too. He entered Saturday with three home runs in his last seven games, lifting his season slugging percentage to .511 and his OPS to .876 -- magical numbers for a second baseman. He might not keep the job once Alfonso Soriano returns from the DL, moving Mark DeRosa back to second base, but don't hesitate to use him as a one-week stopgap ... Aramis Ramirez is making a last-ditch effort to justify his All-Star berth, hitting .421 (8-for-19) with three home runs over the last seven games ... Soriano (broken left hand) looks like he won't return until July 21, so keep him reserved for one more week.

Chicago White Sox: Take heart: Jim Thome is back. The thumping 37-year-old who looked finished in April and May is hitting .304 (31-for-102) with seven home runs since the beginning of June. Start him in all mixed leagues ... Paul Konerko returned from a strained left oblique and, in his first four games heading into Saturday, hit only .133 (2-for-15). His miserable season continues, and until he gets hot, you have to reserve him in mixed leagues.

Cincinnati Reds: The ever-streaky Adam Dunn has begun to power up at the plate again, connecting Saturday for his fourth home run in six games. When he gets on a roll, he can dominate in Fantasy, so make sure you have him active ... Rookie Jay Bruce continues to putter at the plate, hitting only .226 in his last 137 at-bats (of 156). You obviously don't want to start him right now, but releasing him isn't unthinkable in shallower one-year mixed leagues.

Cleveland Indians: Ben Francisco hadn't had a multi-hit game since June 15 before picking up three hits in two consecutive games Thursday and Friday. If he continues to hit well over the weekend, get him back active for Fantasy Week 16 ... After homering only once in June, Jhonny Peralta needs to play catch-up to meet his quota. He's apparently doing just that, homering three times over the last five games. Continue to start the power-hitting shortstop in all formats.

Colorado Rockies: During the last four-game series at Coors Field, the Rockies and Marlins combined for 79 runs -- or nearly 20 per game. The stadium, formerly a catalyst for arcade-like hitting numbers before the humidor leveled them in recent years, goes through stretches every year where it starts to play like its old self. If the Marlins series began such a stretch, look for all Rockies hitters to put up better numbers than usual during their four-game series against the Pirates ... Jeff Baker, a power hitter who qualifies at second base, returned from a jammed right wrist Friday and will continue to start with Todd Helton (back) and Troy Tulowitzki (hand) on the DL. Use him as a stopgap in all leagues ... Garrett Atkins, typically a second-half player, is hitting over .400 in July. He remains a must-start, as always.

Detroit Tigers: Magglio Ordonez, on the DL since June 28 because of a pulled right oblique, expects to return Thursday for the start of the Tigers' four-game series at Baltimore. He's more of a No. 2 Fantasy outfielder than the No. 1 option he made himself out to be last year, but go ahead and get him active ... Manager Jim Leyland recently moved Miguel Cabrera to the cleanup spot, and the former Marlin has responded with a .378 batting average (14-for-37) and five home runs in nine games. Perhaps Leyland found the key to getting him back to his old form.

Florida Marlins: Cody Ross hasn't exactly followed up his monster 15-RBI series at Colorado with another week of huge numbers, but he did take a 15-game hitting streak into Saturday. He's batting .403 (25-for-62) during the streak and has emerged as no less than a No. 4 Fantasy OF ... Josh Willingham, meanwhile, has taken a turn for the worse since coming off the DL with a sore back. He's batting .172 (10-for-58) and isn't a better Fantasy option than Ross right now ... Hanley Ramirez remains one of the hottest players in baseball, batting .424 (25-for-59) with six home runs over his last 13 games.

Houston Astros: The Astros have begun using Hunter Pence in the leadoff spot, but it hasn't helped the struggling sophomore's hitting. He's batting .260 overall and .205 (30-for-146) since May. Feel free to reserve him in shallower mixed leagues until he gets going again ... Speedy Michael Bourn has returned to the lineup, but he hasn't done anything worthwhile, hitting only .103 (3-for-29) in July. If you start him in Fantasy, start him only for stolen bases (and he has only one of those in his last 10 games).

Kansas City Royals: Jose Guillen's stiff neck Friday isn't a concern for Fantasy owners, but his poor hitting is. After batting .345 with seven home runs in June, he's off to a 7-for-34 (.206) start in July. Reserve him in mixed leagues until he finds his stroke again ... Ross Gload has at least one hit in 19 of his last 20 games, batting .386 (27-for-70) during that stretch. He still doesn't have enough power for a first baseman, but he's obviously a serviceable option in AL-only leagues right now ... John Buck looks like a power hitter again, entering Saturday with two home runs in his last five games. Consider using him as a No. 2 option in mixed leagues.

L.A. Angels: The Angels have maintained control of the AL West virtually all season despite ranking 23rd in runs scored. In order to boost their offensive output, they've tweaked their lineup a bit recently:

1. Chone Figgins, 3B -- The Angels had to place Figgins on the bereavement list Saturday because his father suffered a stroke. He can spend a maximum of seven days on the list, meaning he'll likely return in time for Fantasy Week 16. But if he needs more time, you have to expect the Angels will give it to him. Considering he's hitting only .154 (8-for-52) since June 25, you might want to go ahead and bench him.
2. Casey Kotchman, 1B -- The Angels recently moved Kotchman, who has only two home runs since April and only a .225 batting average since May, out of a power spot and into the No. 2 hole. It hasn't paid off. He came into Saturday hitting only .229 (8-for-35) in his new position.
3. Vladimir Guerrero, RF -- After a slow start, Guerrero has gone back to playing like the Vlad of old, hitting .356 (42-for-118) with eight home runs since the beginning of June. Start him, obviously.
4. Torii Hunter, CF -- Hunter has started to power up again with three home runs in July, but he's still hitting only .252 since April.
5. Garret Anderson, DH -- Anderson has come out of the gate hot in July, and don't forget the second half he had last year, hitting .305 with 13 home runs and an .891 OPS.
6. Juan Rivera, LF -- With Gary Matthews struggling, the Angels have begun giving Rivera everyday at-bats. He has three home runs since the beginning of July and deserves a pickup in AL-only leagues.
7. Howie Kendrick, 2B -- Like Anderson, Kendrick has begun to heat up in July, and like Anderson, he had a monster second half last year, hitting .357. Expect him to become a No. 1 mixed-league option.
8. Jeff Mathis, C -- With Mike Napoli on the DL with a shoulder injury, Mathis has assumed everyday duty and has the potential to take hold of it for good. Consider him a sleeper No. 2 catcher.
9. Maicer Izturis, SS -- Izturis recently had a relapse of his strained right hamstring and might lose a few games to Erick Aybar. Leave both for AL-only leagues.

L.A. Dodgers: Matt Kemp has surfaced as the Dodgers leadoff hitter with Juan Pierre on the DL and is batting .255 (12-for-47) in the role. His 20 stolen bases and power potential make him a great option for Rotisserie leagues ... Andruw Jones is batting .208 (5-for-24) since coming off the DL, actually improving his season mark of .172. He still looks as finished as any former All-Star can.

Milwaukee Brewers: Bill Hall, who lost his starting job -- at least against right-handed pitchers -- to Russell Branyan in June, has seemingly regained it with an eight-game stretch during which he's hitting .480 (12-for-25) with two home runs. He likely won't stay hot for long, but feel free to use him as a stopgap right now ... Streaky sophomore Ryan Braun has gotten back to swinging a hot bat, hitting .429 (12-for-28) with three home runs over the last seven days. He remains a must-start.

Minnesota Twins: Alexi Casilla hasn't slowed down since the end of his 15-game hitting streak, clubbing three more hits Friday at Detroit. He likely can't sustain a batting average over .300, but he remains a decent stopgap in mixed leagues ... Nick Punto has assumed the everyday shortstop job, leaving third base to Brendan Harris and Brian Buscher, and entered Saturday with a 10-game hitting streak. He's batting .429 (15-for-35) during that stretch and has enough stolen-base potential to start in AL-only leagues ... With Michael Cuddyer (finger) on the DL and his return still up in the air, the Twins haven't missed a beat with Denard Span. The 24-year-old rookie is batting .455 (15-for-33) since Cuddyer's injury, so get him active in AL-only leagues.

N.Y. Mets: With Moises Alou (hamstring) out for the season and Ryan Church (post-concussion syndrome) potentially out for the season, Endy Chavez and Fernando Tatis become everyday outfielders for the Mets. Chavez can steal bases and Tatis can hit homers, but neither will do enough to use outside of NL-only leagues ... Tatis, though, did enter Saturday batting .435 (10-for-23) with three home runs over the previous seven days. Remember, he hit 34 home runs with St. Louis in 1999.

N.Y. Yankees: Johnny Damon is eligible to return from a shoulder injury at the end of Fantasy Week 16 and says he feels better. Since he'll play one game at most, though, keep him reserved for one more week ... Rookie Brett Gardner hasn't exactly thrived in Damon's absence, but he did get two hits Saturday to raise his batting average to .182. Expect him to go back to a reserve role or maybe even the minor leagues once Damon returns ... After a monster May and June, Jason Giambi has cooled off in July, batting only .160 (4-for-25). He might have a cold week or two ahead just to normalize his stats, so consider benching him in shallower mixed leagues.

Oakland Athletics: Ryan Sweeney has a dislocated left pinkie, but the Athletics expect him to return after the All-Star break. He's hitting .321 since April and has started to gain low-end mixed-league viability ... The Athletics called up Matt Murton, acquired in the Rich Harden trade, on Friday, and he should get semi-regular at-bats with his new team. Pick him up in all AL-only leagues because of his OPS potential.

Philadelphia Phillies: Ryan Howard has finally started to wake up. He entered Saturday's game with a 14-game hitting streak during which he's batting .357 (20-for-56) with nine home runs. Get him back active in all leagues if you haven't already ... Chase Utley continues to struggle in July, batting only .255 (12-for-47). In fact, he's batting only .261 (65-for-249) since April, but he remains an elite Fantasy second baseman and a must-start in all leagues.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates visit the Rockies for four games in Fantasy Week 16, meaning they get a crack at the rejuvenated Coors Field. Expect slightly better numbers from all their hitters this week ... Adam A. LaRoche doesn't need any ballpark boost lately. He's hitting .444 (16-for-36) with three home runs over his last 11 games and, as a second-half player, deserves an immediate add in mixed leagues ... Breakout player Nate McLouth, who slumped to a .214 batting average and two home runs in June, has rediscovered his power stroke lately. He entered Saturday with three home runs in his last five games and could have a monster series at Coors. Make sure you have him active.

San Diego Padres: Scott Hairston had a ridiculous six-game stretch entering Saturday, hitting .522 (12-for-23) with five home runs. You obviously have to give someone that hot a look in mixed leagues, but for a guy of his anonymity, how much longer can it last? ... Brian Giles, who has missed four straight games with a sore right hamstring, will probably have enough time to recover over the All-Star break. Go ahead and keep him active in NL-only leagues.

San Francisco Giants: Believe it or not, John Bowker is hitting .321 in July and .314 (53-for-169) since April. He might have below-average power for a first baseman, but he deserves a look in all mixed leagues.

Seattle Mariners: Adrian Beltre entered Saturday's game with three multi-hit games in his last five, batting .450 (9-for-20) over that stretch. His low overall batting average makes him more of a last-resort starter in mixed leagues, but he tends to perform better in the second half.

St. Louis Cardinals: Rick Ankiel continues to put on a power display, hitting .391 (9-for-23) with three home runs over the last seven days. He has 12 home runs since the beginning of June and should start in all Fantasy leagues ... On Saturday, Ryan Ludwick connected for his fourth home run in six games, but he has only six hits during that stretch. Expect the journeyman-turned-All-Star to cool off in the second half, but he remains a No. 3 Fantasy outfielder for now.

Tampa Bay Rays: Jason Bartlett, on the DL with a sprained right knee, still hasn't regained 100 percent lateral movement. Manager Joe Maddon thinks he might not return immediately after the break. Considering Bartlett doesn't offer much other than stolen bases, play it safe and keep him reserved ... Carlos Pena might never regain the form that allowed him to hit 46 home runs last year, but he did take a six-game hitting streak into Saturday's game, batting .375 (9-for-24) with two home runs during that stretch. Keep him active as a corner infielder in Rotisserie leagues.

Texas Rangers: The Rangers expect Gerald Laird, on the DL since June 20 because of a hamstring injury, to return immediately following the break. He should regain starting duties behind the plate, relegating the highly disappointing Jarrod Saltalamacchia to the bench and the equally disappointing Max Ramirez to the minor leagues. Get Laird active as a No. 2 Fantasy catcher ... The Rangers also expect Hank Blalock to return after the break, but he's had so many setbacks in his time on the DL that you'll want to see him play before you commit to activating him. Still, he's a decent sleeper for the rest of the season ... David Murphy, who had cooled off with a .239 June, entered Saturday with three home runs in his last five games and looks to continue his run as a dark horse Rookie of the Year candidate. Consider him a No. 4 Fantasy outfielder.

Toronto Blue Jays: With Vernon Wells going on the DL because of a strained right hamstring, Brad Wilkerson will once again get regular at-bats. However, with a .656 OPS, you have no reason to target him in any league ... Alex Rios recently left the team to attend the birth of his first child, but in the six games leading up to his departure, he hit .385 (10-for-26) with seven stolen bases. He continues to disappoint power-wise, but he's hitting .321 (43-for-134) since the end of June and deserves to start in all Fantasy leagues.

Washington Nationals: Austin Kearns, plagued by injury and inconsistency this season, has finally started to come around over the last seven days, hitting .400 (8-for-20) with a home run. Pick him up in NL-only leagues and monitor him in mixed ... Ronnie Belliard barely has his batting average over .230, but he's putting up impressive power numbers. After a two-homer game Friday, he has nine home runs in 155 at-bats, putting him on pace for 15 in 270. If the Nationals continue to play him every day, he might deserve a pickup even in mixed leagues, especially since he plays the weak second-base position.

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