The Fantasy Baseball Hitting Planner is your guide to setting your lineup for the upcoming scoring period. Every week, we'll give you the latest on injuries, lineup changes, streaks and matchups, highlighting the players at each position who might surprise or disappoint as a result. NOTE: The Planner will be updated with the latest information every Sunday prior to lineup deadlines.
Any players not listed here fall into the "status quo" category, meaning you should take your usual approach with them.
All statistics are updated through Saturday, Aug. 27.
Joe Mauer, who has been out since Tuesday with a stiff neck, reported feeling better Sunday and will likely return to the lineup Monday. Even with his loss of power this year, he has still been one of the more productive players at the weak catcher position since the beginning of July, so you'll probably want to give him the benefit of the doubt coming off this injury. David Ortiz was able to return from his heel injury Wednesday, which means catcher prospect Ryan Lavarnway's stint in the majors is over. The 24-year-old had been filling in for Ortiz at DH. Lavarnway could return in September to split at-bats with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but considering his bat is much more advanced than his glove at this stage of his career, it's hardly a given. Lavarnway is only worth stashing in AL-only leagues.
Must-Start Options: Brian McCann, Carlos Santana, Victor Martinez, Alex Avila, Mike Napoli, Miguel Montero, Matt Wieters
Heating up
Alex Avila: .436
(17 for 39), 4 HRs, 1.419 OPS, 7 BBs, 11 Ks during 11-game hit streak
Russell Martin: .440 (11 for 25), 5 HRs, 11 RBI, 1.603 OPS in eight
games
Matt Wieters: .462 (12 for
26), 3 HRs, 10 RBI, 1.510 OPS in seven games
Carlos Ruiz: .407 (11 for 27), 1 HR, 1 SB, 1.041 OPS in seven games
Rod Barajas: .500 (11 for 22), 4 HRs, 10 RBI, 1.658 OPS, 1 BB, 2 Ks
in seven games
Cooling off
Ramon Hernandez:
.172 (5 for 29), one extra-base hit, .407 OPS in 10 games
Ryan Doumit: .071 (1 for 14), .143 OPS, 1 K in four games
Worth a second look
Kurt Suzuki (48 percent started): Don't look now, but Suzuki is suddenly a
reliable Fantasy option again. He's batting .278 (25 for 90) with five
homers since July 24, which doesn't sound like much, but it's good
enough for him to rank ninth in Head-to-Head points among catchers
during that stretch. Suzuki plays more consistently than most catchers,
so now that his numbers are halfway respectable again, he deserves more
attention than he's getting in Fantasy.
Ryan Doumit (12 percent): Doumit wasn't the Pirates' primary
catcher when he fractured his ankle in late May, but he has been since
returning in early August. He hasn't scored a ton of Fantasy points in
the role, but he has shown he can still be a productive offensive
player, batting .271 (16 for 59) with three homers in 18 games. He may
not be on your radar considering his poor performance over the last few
days, but he could have a big week ahead against the Astros and Cubs
rotations. If you're desperate for a halfway productive catcher, Doumit
is worth a look.
Approach with caution
Geovany Soto (56 percent started): Yeah, Soto had a bit of a power surge
earlier in August, but he has cooled off again, going hitless in his
last 19 at-bats. He's batting under .230 on the season and has an almost
unfathomable 32 strikeouts in 22 games this month. With more tough
matchups this week against pitchers like Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong, Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Karstens,
Soto's struggles are likely to continue.
Chris Iannetta (48 percent): True, most Rockies hitters
struggle away from Coors Field, but Iannetta takes it to a whole new
level. He's batting .316 with a 1.012 OPS at home compared to .145 and
.535 on the road. Unless you expect his walks alone to carry him, you
should bench him for the Rockies' six games on the road this week, which
include three at PETCO Park.
Injury concerns
A.J. Pierzynski,
who is on the DL for the first time in his career, is apparently anxious
to return. Despite breaking his wrist on Aug. 12, he'll begin a rehab
assignment Tuesday and could return to the majors as early as Friday.
He's just a borderline option in mixed leagues even when healthy, but
the prospect of him playing half a week at least means something for
AL-only owners. Unfortunately, it also means Tyler Flowers is on his way back to the bench.
After some initial concern that he might not be able to overtake Conor Jackson, Brandon Allen has emerged as the clear starter at first base for the Athletics. He has taken advantage of his 15 consecutive starts at the position, batting .327 (18 for 55) with three homers and a 1.021 OPS. Looking at his minor-league numbers, he could conceivably become a viable mixed-league option before season's end, but you'll want to see a little more from him before taking a flier on him in standard formats.
Must-Start Options: Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, Joey Votto, Mark Teixeira, Ryan Howard, Lance Berkman, Paul Konerko, Michael Young, Alex Gordon
Heating up
Joey Votto: .425
(17 for 40), 6 HRs, 13 RBI, 1 SB, 1.458 OPS, 12 BBs, 6 Ks in 13 games
Adrian Gonzalez: .375 (15 for 40), 5 HRs, 11 RBI, 1.247 OPS in 10 games
James Loney: .577 (15 for 26), 3 HRs, 1.646 OPS, 2 BBs, 2 Ks in six
games
Lucas Duda: .409 (9 for 22), 2
HR, 9 RBI, 1.277 OPS, 0 BBs, 7 Ks in six games
Cooling off
Adam Lind: .162
(21 for 130), 4 HRs, .462 OPS, 3 BBs, 28 Ks in 32 games
Gaby Sanchez: .135 (10 for 74), 3 2Bs, 1 SB, .376 OPS in 22 games
Casey Kotchman: .209 (9 for 43), one extra-base hit, .518 OPS in 13
games
Ryan Howard: .167 (5 for 30), 1
HR, .552 OPS, 5 BBs, 13 Ks in eight games
Worth a second look
Mark Reynolds (74 percent started): The ever-streaky Reynolds is at it again,
homering in each of his last three games and nine of his last 27. Though
he does face a couple of high-end pitchers this week, he has enough
softball matchups against pitchers like Brett Cecil, Henderson Alvarez and Luis Perez for the hot hitting to continue. Unless you just don't
need power numbers, you'll want Reynolds active in Fantasy.
Eric Hosmer (66 percent): Hosmer got off to a rough start in
August, but the rookie seems to be righting the ship with a .364 (8 for
22) batting average and two homers over his last five games. Left-handed
pitchers are part of what's holding him back -- he's batting .226 with
no homers and a .552 OPS against them -- so the six righties on tap this
week should help his cause. You could do worse at your utility spot this
week.
Approach with caution
Carlos Pena (62 percent started): Not only is Pena in yet another one of his
offensive droughts, batting just .176 (6 for 34) over his last 10 games,
but he and the Cubs have some of the toughest matchups this week,
squaring off against pitchers like Tim Lincecum,
Ryan Vogelsong, Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Karstens.
The boom-or-bust Pena doesn't have much room for boom with that schedule.
Justin Morneau (40 percent): Granted, Morneau has been a
non-factor in Fantasy virtually all season, but when he performed so
well during a minor-league rehab assignment before returning from neck
surgery in mid-August, Fantasy owners held out hope for a rebound.
Instead, Morneau is batting .191 (9 for 47) in 13 game since returning.
If you keep starting him, you're in denial.
Injury concerns
Carlos Lee left
Sunday's game after spraining his ankle on a slide into second base in
the ninth inning. The team considers the injury minor, so if you rely on
Lee on an every-week basis, he should still be able to contribute for
you. Then again, the prospect of him missing a game or two combined with
the Astros' righty-heavy schedule makes Lee a candidate to sit in
standard mixed leagues ... Justin Smoak,
who has been out since Aug. 12 with a fractured nose, will begin a rehab
assignment Monday and could return before the end of the week. He might
be less than an everyday player, though, given the way Mike Carp has performed in his absence. As poorly as Smoak was
hitting before his injury, you shouldn't be anxious to get him back
outside of AL-only leagues.
The Diamondbacks and Blue Jays swapped second basemen on Tuesday, with Kelly Johnson going to Toronto and Aaron Hill going to Arizona. The move doesn't really affect either party that much since each is leaving one favorable hitting environment for another. Still, the change of scenery can't hurt. Both Johnson and Hill had clearly fallen into a rut. They're worth monitoring, but you shouldn't necessarily rush to activate them in Fantasy.
Must-Start Options: Dustin Pedroia, Robinson Cano, Ian Kinsler, Chase Utley, Ben Zobrist, Michael Young, Dan Uggla, Brandon Phillips
Heating up
Orlando Hudson:
.338 (23 for 68), 1 HR, 18 runs scored, 3 SBs, .896 OPS in 19 games
Brandon Phillips: .442 (19 for 43), 1 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SBs, 1.036 OPS
during 10-game hit streak
Howard Kendrick:
.375 (15 for 40), 5 HRs, 1 SB, 1.269 OPS in 10 games
Cooling off
Kelly Johnson:
.149 (13 for 87), 1 HR, 2 SBs, .474 OPS, 8 BBs, 27 Ks in 24 games
Gordon Beckham: .130 (6 for 46), two extra-base hits, 1 SB, .374 OPS
in 14 games
Aaron Hill: .129 (4 for
31), one extra-base hit, 1 SB, .318 OPS in eight games
Ben Zobrist: .154 (4 for 26), 2 2Bs, 1 SB, .416 OPS in six games
Worth a second look
Howard Kendrick (80 percent started): Kendrick didn't need long to make me eat my
words. After I pointed out last week just how miserable he had been
since returning from a hamstring injury in early June, Kendrick
responded with his most productive scoring period since April. With
favorable matchups this week against the makeshift Mariners and Twins
rotations, he should be able to keep it going, especially since three of
the pitchers on tap are left-handers. Kendrick is batting .322 with six
of his 13 homers and a .928 OPS against lefties this year.
Brett Lawrie (66 percent): Safe to say this Lawrie kid can
play. I had my doubts given the way his numbers spiked in a hitter's
environment at Triple-A Las Vegas, but they've been just as spectacular
at the major-league level. He'll slump at some point, but I wouldn't
count on it this week with pitchers like Jeremy Guthrie, Jo-Jo Reyes, Tommy Hunter and Bartolo Colon on the
schedule. Roll with Lawrie at either second or third base.
Approach with caution
Darwin Barney (52 percent started): The more Barney appears in the "approach
with caution" category, the more he defies it with unconventionally
productive numbers. The man can't continue to thrive on singles alone.
When they stop coming in bunches, he'll stop producing. Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong, Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Karstens
will make sure of that this week.
Aaron Hill (39 percent): Hill's starting percentage has increased with his
move to Arizona, but again, you shouldn't count on it turning his season
around. It's possible, yeah, but considering how much success Toronto
has had with so many other underachieving hitters, Hill's issues might
not be so easy to fix. Even if he manages to salvage his season, it
likely won't happen in a six-game week with Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Ryan Vogelsong on the schedule. He remains just a low-end Fantasy
option.
Injury concerns
Alexi Casilla,
who has played only one game since July 27 because of a hamstring injury
that has twice landed him on the DL, began a rehab assignment Sunday and
might need only three games before returning. Manager Ron Gardenhire is
talking about bringing him back for the weekend series at the Angels, so
he's a candidate to activate in deeper AL-only leagues. Naturally, he'll
be playing only half the week, but keep in mind he was becoming relevant
in mixed leagues before the injury. With a hot performance at Anaheim,
he might emerge as a sleeper in all leagues again.
The Rockies acquired castoff Kevin Kouzmanoff from the Athletics on Tuesday and immediately inserted him into the lineup on Wednesday, sending Chris Nelson to the minors. Kouzmanoff will likely continue to steal at-bats from Ty Wigginton, but the exact distribution between the two is unclear at this point. Kouzmanoff, a former 20-homer man, could certainly resurrect his career in a favorable hitter's park, but he bombed with the Athletics for a reason -- specifically, his poor plate discipline and declining batting average. You should leave him for NL-only leagues.
Must-Start Options: Albert Pujols, Jose Bautista, Evan Longoria, Ryan Zimmerman, David Wright, Michael Young, Aramis Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval
Heating up
Evan Longoria:
.284 (19 for 67), 8 HRs, 18 RBI, 1.003 OPS in 17 games
Aramis Ramirez: .508 (32 for 63), 4 HRs, 14 RBI, 1.319 OPS, 7 BBs, 6
Ks during 16-game hit streak
Chipper Jones:
.396 (21 for 53), 4 HRs, 10 RBI, 1.100 OPS in 15 games
Mike Moustakas: .514 (18 for 35), 5 2Bs, 1.221 OPS, 4 BBs, 4 Ks
during 10-game hit streak
Cooling off
David Freese:
.156 (5 for 32), 1 HR, .432 OPS in eight games
Ryan Zimmerman: .120 (3 for 25), .314 OPS, 1 BB, 10 Ks in six games
Martin Prado: .105 (2 for 19), .348 OPS in five games
Worth a second look
Mike Moustakas (17 percent started): Just when you were about ready to write him
off for the season, Moustakas went and got hot, putting together a nice
little hitting streak. True, he still has only one home run in more than
200 at-bats, but if you're desperate for help at third base, he could be
a sneaky pickup this week. Helping his cause is the one left-hander on
the schedule. Moustakas hasn't been able to muster anything against
lefties all season, batting .172 with a .462 OPS.
Kyle Seager (9 percent): Seager went from being a non-factor
in Fantasy to an advisable pickup in the span of two days, going 6 for 9
in a doubleheader on Tuesday and following it up with a 4-for-4
performance on Wednesday. His hot hitting has only continued since then.
In fact, over his last 10 games, he's batting .500 (19 for 38) with two
homers. He doesn't have a ton of power for a corner infielder, but he
was a career .328 hitter in the minors. With seven right-handers on the
schedule this week, the left-handed hitter could once again make an
impact in mixed leagues.
Approach with caution
Danny Valencia (48 percent started): Valencia has managed to attract a good
amount of attention in Fantasy despite his .250-ish batting average, but
you should keep in mind his most productive weeks have been when he was
facing a bunch of left-handers. He's batting only .229 with a .638 OPS
against righties, so the one lefty on tap this week probably won't be
enough to make him worth starting in mixed leagues.
David Freese (44 percent): You could argue staying on the
field is a victory in and of itself for Freese, but for him to be the
sleeper you hoped he'd be in Fantasy, he has to perform better than he
has lately. He has been a .300 hitter at every level of professional
ball, so he's sure to bounce back at some point. But his chances aren't
so great this week against pitchers like Shaun Marcum, Yovani Gallardo and Johnny Cueto.
Injury concerns
Kevin Youkilis,
who has been out since Aug. 17 with a tight back, resumed baseball
activities Friday and is eligible to come off the disabled list Friday.
He'll begin a rehab assignment Tuesday, making such a return possible,
but even so, he'd be playing at best three games this week. Outside of
AL-only leagues, it's just not worth it ... Adrian Beltre, who is working his way back from a July 22 hamstring
injury, should begin playing games for Triple-A Round Rock on Monday.
The team still doesn't have an exact timetable for his return, but it
could potentially happen sometime this week. Leaving him on your bench
is the safe call. Even if he does return midway through the week, giving
him a few at-bats to shake off the rust isn't such a bad idea.
Jose Reyes, who has been out since Aug. 7 with a strained hamstring, began a rehab assignment at Double-A Binghamton on Thursday. The Mets plan to activate him on Monday, which means he'll be available for the full week. Considering Reyes' numbers this year and the lack of high-end options at shortstop, you'll want to get him active right away in Fantasy. With injuries to Denard Span and Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Trevor Plouffe seems to be becoming a regular part of the Twins lineup. He has started 13 straight games, including six straight at shortstop. Though he's anything but a surefire contributor in the majors, he has shown good pop in the minors, hitting 15 homers in 192 at-bats for Triple-A Rochester this year. In deeper leagues, he's worth a shot. John McDonald, who also came over from the Blue Jays in the Kelly Johnson-Aaron Hill deal, figures to split time at shortstop with Willie Bloomquist in Arizona, which is bigger news for Bloomquist than McDonald. McDonald doesn't hit well enough to matter in Fantasy, regardless of his role.
Must-Start Options: Troy Tulowitzki, Asdrubal Cabrera, Starlin Castro
Heating up
Troy Tulowitzki:
.422 (35 for 83), 8 HRs, 20 RBI, 1 SB, 1.292 OPS in 23 games
Derek Jeter: .475 (29 for 61), five extra-base hits, 1 SB, 1.105 OPS,
5 BBs, 5 Ks in 14 games
J.J. Hardy:
.357 (15 for 42), 2 HRs, .934 OPS, 2 BBs, 2 Ks during nine-game hit
streak
Ian Desmond: .407 (11 for 27),
1 HR, 1.076 OPS in seven games
Cooling off
Yunel Escobar:
.120 (6 for 50), 1 HR, .350 OPS, 2 BBs, 12 Ks in 12 games
Elvis Andrus: .097 (3 for 31), no extra-base hits, 1 SB, .297 OPS in
nine games
Alexei Ramirez: .167 (5
for 30), no extra-base hits, .379 OPS in eight games
Worth a second look
Emilio Bonifacio (71 percent started): Even though Bonifacio's bat may have cooled
off a little from his big start to the second half, his Fantasy
productivity hasn't suffered all that much. As far as Head-to-Head
points go, he has continued to score in double figures every week, which
is more than you can say for any shortstop you'd find on the waiver
wire. As long as he remains aggressive on the base paths, he'll always
be a safe start in Fantasy. In an eight-game week, how could he not
produce?
Erick Aybar (64 percent):
Yup, about the time his Fantasy owners had given up on him, Aybar
decided to pick it up again, hitting safely in seven straight games.
He's a decent contact hitter, so he was due to snap out of it sooner or
later. With matchups this week against low-end hurlers like Anthony Vasquez, Charlie Furbush, Brian Duensing and Kevin Slowey, he
could be primed to make up for lost time. Aybar remains worth starting
more weeks than not.
Approach with caution
Yuniesky Betancourt (56 percent started): OK, so Betancourt had a
nice little run at the beginning of the second half. It was cute. It was
fun. But it made believers out of too many people. Betancourt has a .684
OPS over his career. He has a .648 OPS on the season. And he's no
base-stealer, remember. Hitting is all he has, and as far as everyday
players go, he's one of the worst at it. Now that he has cooled off with
a .115 (6 for 52) batting average over his last 13 games, why would you
stick with him?
Ian Desmond (40
percent): Desmond has looked pretty good lately, batting .407 (11
for 27) over his last seven games. But we've seen him put together
similar streaks in the past, and in the end, he comes out looking like
the same .230 hitter as always. With a three-game series at Atlanta to
open the week, the pattern will most likely continue. As anything more
than a desperation play, Desmond is going to disappoint.
Injury concerns
Hanley Ramirez,
who has been out since Aug. 2 with a shoulder injury, began a rehab
assignment this weekend and is hoping to return Wednesday. Other reports
have speculated that he'll return Thursday, when rosters expand beyond
25 players. Either way, Ramirez isn't likely to play a full week, and
though half a week from him is better than a full week from most
shortstops off the waiver wire, the lingering uncertainty over his exact
return date makes Ramirez a player you should bench in more leagues than
not this week ... Dee Gordon has spent
more than the minimum 15 days on the DL with a shoulder injury, but the
team decided to hold off on his rehab assignment until Sunday. He could
potentially return Tuesday, but considering the way fellow rookie Justin Sellers has performed in Gordon's absence, the two might be in
for a timeshare going forward. You can leave both for deeper Fantasy
leagues.
Andre Ethier has been in a free fall since the All-Star break, batting .224 with one home run in 134 at-bats, and he seems to have a reasonable explanation for it. He has a knee injury that will require offseason surgery and says the Dodgers are pushing him to play through it rather than shut it down early. Not only that, but they seem skeptical he's hurt at all. Given his current physical -- not to mention emotional (he seems pretty angry) -- state, Ethier might have trouble bouncing back over the final month and might ultimately have to end his season early, despite the Dodgers' wishes. He has high-end potential, but he's looking like a risky start in mixed leagues right now. Carlos Beltran returned from a DL stint for a strained hand Tuesday, but neither he nor the Giants seem confident he's 100 percent healthy. He homered in his second game back, though, so he looks like he should be able to contribute for your Fantasy team again. He's not without risk, but he's back to being a high-end option. Even with Beltran's return, Brandon Belt has continued to get regular at-bats, starting four straight games in the outfield. The question is will it continue now that Andres Torres is back from a leg injury? As much as the Giants need offense, you'd think so -- Belt has finally begun to perform up to his potential, after all -- but until you see how it all shakes out, you should leave Belt on your bench in mixed leagues.
Must-Start Options: Jose Bautista, Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp, Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Holliday, Josh Hamilton, Carlos Gonzalez, Lance Berkman, Andrew McCutchen, Shane Victorino, Justin Upton, Nelson Cruz, Melky Cabrera, Michael Bourn, Ben Zobrist, Alex Gordon, Mike Stanton
Heating up
Ryan Braun: .411
(23 for 56), 4 HRs, 16 runs scored, 9 SBs, 1.253 OPS in 16 games
Matt Kemp: .377 (26 for 69), 5 HRs, 16 RBI, 4 SBs, 1.040 OPS, 3 BBs,
20 Ks in 16 games
Carlos Gonzalez:
.393 (22 for 56), 8 HRs, 26 RBI, 1 SB, 1.370 OPS, 9 BBs, 9 Ks in 14 games
Peter Bourjos: .377 (20 for 53), 4 HRs, 2 3Bs, 2 2Bs, 3 SBs, 1.106
OPS in 12 games
Ichiro Suzuki: .356
(16 for 45), 1 HR, 3 SBs, .818 OPS during 10-game hit streak
Corey Hart: .381 (16 for 42), 2 HRs, 10 runs scored, 2 SBs, 1.028 OPS
during 10-game hit streak
Desmond Jennings:
.440 (11 for 25), 1 HR, 1.173 OPS in seven games
Vernon Wells: .500 (10 for 20), 1 HR, 1 SB, 1.515 OPS in seven games
Nick Swisher: .375 (6 for 16), 4 HRs, 7 RBI, 1.688 OPS in four games
Cooling off
Josh Reddick:
.135 (7 for 52), 1 HR, .432 OPS, 8 Ks in 19 games
B.J. Upton: .167 (10 for 60), 2 HRs, 3 SBs, .542 OPS, 5 BBs, 23 Ks
in 18 games
Andre Ethier: .104 (5 for
48), no extra-base hits, .375 OPS, 11 BBs, 10 Ks in 14 games
Hideki Matsui: .193 (11 for 57), two extra-base hits, .445 OPS in 14
games
Jason Bay: .053 (2 for 38),
.222 OPS, 9 Ks in 10 games
Josh Hamilton:
.156 (5 for 32), 2 HRs, 1 SB, .618 OPS in nine games
Jay Bruce: .121 (4 for 33), 1 HR, 1 SB, .499 OPS, 5 BBs, 12 Ks in
nine games
Brett Gardner: .111 (4
for 36), no extra-base hits, 1 SB, .286 OPS in nine games
Curtis Granderson: .136 (3 for 22), 2 HRs, 1 SB, .776 OPS, 6 BBs, 7 Ks
in six games
Worth a second look
Angel Pagan (60 percent started): Quick, who's the 16th-highest scoring
outfielder in Head-to-Head leagues since May 27? If you said Pagan, your
deductive reasoning skills are finely tuned. You're probably still
surprised, though. Since returning from an oblique injury on May 27, he
has been just as good as he was last year. He's also batting .363 with
three homers and eight steals in August. With favorable matchups against
the Marlins and Nationals in an eight-game week, he deserves to be
starting in far more Fantasy leagues than he is.
Delmon Young (49 percent): Young has gotten off to a good start
with the Tigers, likely benefiting from the protection that goes along
with batting in front of Miguel Cabrera.
In nine games since coming over from the Twins, Young is batting .308
(16 for 52) with two homers, looking much like he did a year ago. It's a
small sample size, of course, but with good matchups this week against
the Royals and White Sox, it should continue for at least a little bit
longer.
Peter Bourjos (46 percent):
Bourjos is having an impossibly hot August, so you might not want to get
too attached to him in mixed leagues. Still, this week looks like a good
week for him to keep the good times rolling. Not only do the Angels have
favorable matchups against pitchers like Anthony Vasquez, Charlie Furbush, Brian Duensing and Kevin Slowey, but
they're facing three left-handers. Like many young right-handed hitters,
Bourjos destroys lefties, batting .333 with a .950 OPS against them
compared to .253 and .691 against righties. If you've made a point to
start him already, don't stop now.
Jose Tabata (41 percent): Tabata must have learned something during his two
months on the DL with a strained quadriceps. Since returning, he has
been unstoppable, batting .340 (17 for 50) with a homer and two steals
in 12 games. He was nearly a .300 hitter as a rookie last season, so you
shouldn't necessarily expect him to come down to earth, especially when
he's facing the Astros and Cubs pitching staffs.
John Mayberry (6 percent): With 39-year-old Raul Ibanez nursing a sore groin, Mayberry has stepped in and
continued to hit for the same power he showed as a part-timer, batting
.367 (11 for 30) with three homers in eight games. His numbers look so
good now that manager Charlie Manuel has talked about playing him over
Ibanez even when Ibanez returns. With seven games on the schedule this
week, Mayberry should get plenty of at-bats, so if you need cheap power,
give him a look.
| | ||
| | ||
| Player | % increase | |
| 1. | Peter Bourjos, OF, Angels | 22 |
| 2. | Kyle Seager, 3B, Mariners | 13 |
| 3. | John Mayberry, OF, Phillies | 9 |
| 4. | J.D. Martinez, OF, Astros | 8 |
| 5. | Kyle Blanks, OF, Padres | 8 |
| 6. | Lucas Duda, 1B, Mets | 7 |
| 7. | Brandon Allen, 1B, Athletics | 7 |
| 8. | Jose Tabata, OF, Pirates | 7 |
| 9. | James Loney, 1B, Dodgers | 6 |
| 10. | Orlando Hudson, 2B, Padres | 6 |
Approach with caution
Adam Jones (84 percent started): Jones was taken to the hospital with mild
chest pains and shortness of breath Tuesday. He checked out fine, but
then he left Wednesday's game with soreness in his chest and shoulder.
Nothing seems to be seriously wrong with Jones, who ultimately returned
Sunday, but you have to think the Orioles will take it easy with him
this week. Add the fact that they're facing three left-handed pitchers,
and you have all the excuse you need to sit the normally high-end
option. Jones is batting only .244 against lefties compared to .313
against righties.
Drew Stubbs (70
percent): Stubbs does most of his damage against left-handed
pitchers (.931 OPS) and at home (.808 OPS). The Reds face four righties
this week, and their four games at home are all brutal matchups against
the Phillies pitching staff. With Stubbs' batting average in steady
decline because of his high strikeout rate, he's already not the
high-end option he used to be. This week, provided you don't need his
speed, you might just want to sit him.
Matt Joyce (44 percent): Any time Joyce shows signs of life,
as he has recently with a .391 (9 for 23) batting average and a homer
over his last six games, you probably feel tempted to start him, hoping
he can recapture the form he showed in May. But those left-handed
pitchers always seem to come at the worst possible time. The Rays face
four this week, and considering Joyce is batting .191 against them
compared to .300 against righties, he just won't have enough of a chance
to contribute for mixed-league owners.
Seth Smith (38 percent): As usual, Smith is at his best in a
platoon role, homering six times in his last 16 games. But when the
homers stop, the Fantasy points will be fewer and farther between. The
Rockies are at PETCO Park for three games this week, so those homers
might be harder to come by. And considering Smith figures to sit at
least two of the six games anyway, you should probably leave him for
NL-only leagues.
Logan Morrison (26
percent): After serving his 10-day sentence in the minor leagues,
Morrison is back starting in left field for the Marlins. He homered in
his first game back and should be plenty motivated for a big finish. But
even in an eight-game week, he might have trouble recapturing the form
Fantasy owners have come to exepct from him. Three of those games are
against Phillies aces Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay, and the
other five are at expansive Citi Field. Let's give Morrison a week and
see just how motivated he is.
Injury concerns
Shin-Soo Choo,
who missed two games earlier in the week with left trunk soreness,
continued to feel soreness in the area when he returned to the lineup
Saturday. The Indians are talking about him potentially needing to go on
the DL now, so he's clearly too risky to start in standard mixed
leagues, despite his hot hitting since returning from a broken thumb. Shelley Duncan figures to see more playing time in Choo's absence, but
his power hitting is only relevant in AL-only leagues ... Michael Cuddyer has been dealing with one injury after another lately,
the latest being a sore left wrist that kept him out of the lineup both
Saturday and Sunday. Cuddyer thinks he'll be able to return Monday and
"won't have to worry about it again," but he has been in and out of the
lineup so much lately that he's less than an automatic start even with
those assurances. If you have comparable options at each of the
positions he's eligible, you wouldn't be crazy to go with them instead
... Cameron Maybin sat out both
Saturday and Sunday after dealing with a sore wrist for several days.
The injury doesn't seem particularly serious, but then again, the Padres
haven't offered a clear timetable for Maybin's return either. Because
he's just a borderline mixed-league option when healthy, you should
probably reserve him ... Carlos Quentin
finally had to go on the disabled list Saturday with a strained AC joint
in his left shoulder. He had been out since Aug. 20 with the injury. Alejandro De Aza has been swinging a hot bat in Quentin's absence, though
the White Sox also called up power-hitting prospect Dayan Viciedo to help fill the void. Both are worth adding in AL-only
leagues ... Brennan Boesch has had to
sit since Wednesday with a lingering thumb injury. Manager Jim Leyland
would like to get him back soon so he doesn't get too rusty, but then
again, a few days of rest wasn't enough to heal the injury the first
time. Keep Boesch reserved for now. Magglio Ordonez
will see more at-bats in his absence ... Jason Bay
jammed his shoulder Tuesday and decided to rest it over the weekend. An
MRI showed no damage, and he's talking like he should be able to return
for the start of this week. As cold as he has been lately, though, you
wouldn't want to give him the benefit of the doubt outside of NL-only
leagues ... Colby Rasmus injured his
wrist Tuesday and had to go on the DL over the weekend. The Blue Jays
will likely fill his spot in the outfield with some combination of Mike McCoy and Dewayne Wise, neither
of whom has much Fantasy appeal ... The Indians finally got to the
bottom of Michael Brantley's lingering
wrist injury. He has a broken hamate bone that will require surgery,
ending his season. Brantley hadn't offered Fantasy owners much since the
first two months of the season, so his absence isn't a major loss. His
replacement, Ezequiel Carrera, offers
enough speed to factor in deeper Rotisserie leagues.
| | |||||||||
| Team | 8/29 | 8/30 | 8/31 | 9/1 | 9/2 | 9/3 | 9/4 | ||
| Mets | FLA (x2) | FLA | FLA | FLA | @WAS | @WAS | @WAS | ||
| vs. Sanchez, Nolasco | vs. Vazquez | vs. Volstad | vs. Hensley | vs. Detwiler | vs. Peacock | vs. Hernandez | |||
| Not only do the Mets play eight games, but they face two of the weakest starting rotations in the NL. | |||||||||
| Tigers | KC | KC | KC | KC | CHW | CHW | CHW | ||
| vs. Hochevar | vs. Francis | vs. Paulino | vs. Duffy | vs. Danks | vs. Floyd | vs. Buehrle | |||
| Four games against the Royals is always a good thing. White Sox lack a true ace themselves. | |||||||||
| Angels | @SEA | @SEA | @SEA | @SEA | MIN | MIN | MIN | ||
| vs. Beavan | vs. Vasquez | vs. Hernandez | vs. Furbush | vs. Pavano | vs. Duensing | vs. Slowey | |||
| Hernandez the one sore spot on list of relative no-names. Even if Pavano steps up, Halos should tee off. | |||||||||
| Blue Jays | TB | @BAL | @BAL | @BAL | @NYY | @NYY | @NYY | ||
| vs. Davis | vs. Guthrie | vs. Reyes | vs. Hunter | vs. Colon | vs. Nova | vs. Garcia | |||
| Yankees trio has its moments, but not strong enough to make up for three games at Baltimore. | |||||||||
| Pirates | @HOU | @HOU | @HOU | LAD | @CHC | @CHC | @CHC | ||
| vs. Rodriguez | vs. Sosa | vs. Happ | vs. Billingsley | vs. Dempster | vs. Coleman | vs. Wells | |||
| Rodriguez, Billingsley, Dempster have their moments, but Pirates should be able to beat up on the rest. | |||||||||
| | |||||||||
| Team | 8/29 | 8/30 | 8/31 | 9/1 | 9/2 | 9/3 | 9/4 | ||
| Reds | PHI | PHI | PHI | PHI | @STL | @STL | @STL | ||
| vs. Hamels | vs. Halladay | vs. Lee | vs. Worley | vs. Carpenter | vs. Lohse | vs. Garcia | |||
| Seven-game week, but the pitchers on tap are just ridiculous. Imagine if Garcia was still pitching well. | |||||||||
| Cardinals | -- | @MIL | @MIL | @MIL | CIN | CIN | CIN | ||
| -- | vs. Marcum | vs. Wolf | vs. Gallardo | vs. Cueto | vs. Bailey | vs. Arroyo | |||
| No true aces on schedule, but Marcum, Gallardo, Cueto close. Not like the other three are duds either. | |||||||||
| Cubs | @SF | @SF | @SF | -- | PIT | PIT | PIT | ||
| vs. Lincecum | vs. Vogelsong | vs. Bumgarner | -- | vs. Karstens | vs. Ohlendorf | vs. Morton | |||
| If you like Karstens, that's a nasty top four. If not, three games at Giants is still tough for any lineup. | |||||||||
| Rangers | -- | TB | TB | TB | @BOS | @BOS | @BOS | ||
| -- | vs. Hellickson | vs. Shields | vs. Niemann | vs. Bedard | vs. Wakefield | vs. Lackey | |||
| Rangers get to play in hitter's parks, but vs. two of top rotations in AL. Even Niemann looks like ace lately. | |||||||||
| Rockies | @ARI | @ARI | @ARI | -- | @SD | @SD | @SD | ||
| vs. Hudson | vs. Miley | vs. Collmenter | -- | vs. Harang | vs. Luebke | vs. Latos | |||
| Rockies hitters struggle away from Coors. PETCO the polar opposite. Plus, Miley the only cupcake matchup. | |||||||||
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