Week 5 Fantasy Hitting Planner

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, April 30.

Wilson Ramos' two-homer game Tuesday could initiate a changing of the guard at catcher for the Nationals. Ramos, who opened the season alternating starts with future Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez, has started four of the last five games. The most he had played previously was two games in a row. The Nationals have all but said he's going to take over as the starting catcher at some point this season, and when that happens, he has the upside to make a contribution even in mixed leagues. This could be the start of it.

Must-Start Options: Buster Posey, Brian McCann, Carlos Santana, Miguel Montero, Russell Martin

Heating up
Wilson Ramos: .359 (14 for 39), 2 HRs, 1.050 OPS in 13 games
Yadier Molina: .395 (17 for 43), 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB in 12 games
Miguel Olivo: .364 (8 for 22), 2 HRs, seven runs scored in five games

Cooling off
Jorge Posada: .057 (2 for 35), 1 HR, 10 Ks in 11 games
Geovany Soto: .111 (3 for 27), 1 HR in eight games
John Buck: .087 (2 for 23), 1 HR in eight games
Nick Hundley: .120 (3 for 25), .414 OPS in seven games

Worth a second look
Alex Avila (68 percent started): Avila hasn't made much noise in Fantasy since his three homers in four games back in early April, but he hasn't faded either, batting .379 (11 for 29) over his last eight games. A favorable schedule against pitchers like Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, Kyle Drabek, Jesse Litsch and Jo-Jo Reyes during a seven-game week only gives you more incentive to start a high-upside player like him.
Kurt Suzuki (59 percent): No team has better matchups this week than the Athletics, who draw the Indians pitching staff, which is sure to fade sooner or later, and the Royals pitching staff, which already has. Suzuki entered the season as a top-10 Fantasy catcher for a reason, so he's going to come around sooner or later. Now seems like an opportune time, especially after he hit his first homer Saturday.

Approach with caution
Matt Wieters (91 percent started): Wieters has been putting up good numbers since altering his batting stance, batting .324 (12 for 37) with three home runs over his last 11 games, and is seemingly on the verge of must-start status. But this week will be a tough test for him. He has always struggled against left-handers, posting an OPS 180 points lower against them last year and 134 points lower for his career. The Orioles face four left-handers this week. That doesn't necessarily mean you should bench Wieters, but if you already have a dilemma at the position, that could be your tiebreaker.
Jorge Posada (63 percent): Posada has six homers this season, which is what's keeping him in Fantasy lineups, but he has only nine hits total, which is what should take him out. He's a DH now, so if he continues to struggle, the Yankees can experiment with other options. You shouldn't necessarily give up on him, but you should keep an eye out for viable alternatives.

Injury concerns
Victor Martinez, who has been on the DL since April 19 because of a groin injury, will begin a rehab assignment Monday and should be able to return from the DL when eligible Wednesday. Unless that timetable changes over the weekend, you should plan on activating him in Fantasy. He's a proven stud at the catcher position, so five games from him is better than six or seven games from an alternative off the waiver wire ... Carlos Ruiz left Wednesday's game with a tight lower back. The injury isn't considered serious enough for him to go on the DL, but it could sideline him into this week. As cold as he's been lately, this injury just gives you another reason to sit him in mixed leagues.

More and more, the Rangers are moving toward playing Mitch Moreland every day, starting him 18 of the last 20 games. Seven of his last 11 starts have come in the outfield, which is a product of Josh Hamilton's injury, but it's still a promising development. Moreland's percentages would make him an instant hit in mixed leagues if given the opportunity to play every day, so perhaps now is the time to make a move for him. Meanwhile, Mark Trumbo has been losing at-bats with the promotion of Alexi Amarista in Los Angeles. Amarista has gotten some starts at second base, moving Howard Kendrick to first and bumping Trumbo out of the lineup. Trumbo's recent slump might have something to do with it, but this is just another reason why he's strictly an AL-only option. Steve Pearce has been spelling Lyle Overbay against left-handers in Pittsburgh lately, more or less ruining whatever little mixed-league appeal Overbay had.

Must-Start Options: Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Mark Teixeira, Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, Buster Posey, Ryan Howard, Lance Berkman, Ike Davis, Alex Gordon

Heating up
Ike Davis: .419 (18 for 43), 4 HRs, 1.283 OPS in 12 games
Brett Wallace: .571 (16 for 29), 7 2Bs, 1.377 OPS in 10 games
Adrian Gonzalez: .480 (12 for 25), 5 2Bs, 1.180 OPS in six games
Adam Lind: .429 (9 for 21), 3 HRs, 9 RBI in five games

Cooling off
Adam Dunn: .120 (6 for 50), one extra-base hit, 22 Ks in 14 games
Aubrey Huff: .097 (3 for 31), .300 OPS in nine games
Adam LaRoche: .053 (1 for 19), .205 OPS in five games

Worth a second look
Adam Lind (77 percent started): Just when some people were ready to write off Lind, he exploded with two homers Tuesday and followed that performance with another homer Thursday. If he's back on the right side of streaky, he has a good opportunity to continue the run this week. Left-handers are his kryptonite, and the Blue Jays have only one on the schedule, facing the back end of the Rays and Tigers pitching staffs.
Justin Smoak (41 percent): Smoak, who homered in his last game before taking a personal leave, homered in each of his two games back. He has been one of the more underrated players in Fantasy this season, posting a .920 OPS. As a former elite prospect, he's worth a shot while hot.
Brett Wallace (28 percent): Wallace has more hits than some players have at-bats over the last week, and he's doing it against righties and lefties. He's seeing the ball better after moving back in the batter's box and is living up to the potential that made him the prize of the three-way Roy Oswalt deal last year. He hasn't been hitting many homers, which might scare some mixed-league owners away, but he's a sleeper for all formats.

Approach with caution
Justin Morneau (83 percent started): Morneau has a couple multi-hit game since returning from the flu April 23, but before you declare his early-season slump over, keep in mind he has only one extra-base hit during that seven-game stretch. He still has yet to homer and still has plenty of questions to answer as he works his way back from last season's concussion. In a five-game week, with pitchers like John Danks, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester on the schedule, you might want to give him a little more time to prove himself.
Freddie Freeman (37 percent): Freeman has been up and down so far in his rookie season, and it seems to have little to do with the matchups. But during this latest down period, during which he's batting .100 (3 for 30), he's set to face Yovani Gallardo, Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels (or Roy Oswalt). Sounds like plenty of reason to bench him.

Injury concerns
None.

Michael Young, who has played all over the Rangers infield in between DH duty, has gained eligibility at second base in standard CBSSports.com leagues -- something he hasn't had since 2004. You're more likely to start him at third base than second, probably, but the versatility only improves his value. Alexi Amarista, who has hit over .300 throughout his minor-league career, has come up from the minors and gotten a couple starts for the Angels. He's unlikely to play every day since doing so means bumping Mark Trumbo from the lineup, but he's an intriguing source of speed and gap power for AL-only owners.

Most Added Hitters
* as of April 29
	Player	% increase
1.	Darwin Barney, SS, Cubs	36
2.	Ryan Roberts, 2B, D-Backs	33
3.	Alex Avila, C, Tigers	24
4.	Sam Fuld, OF, Rays	21
5.	Jeff Francoeur, OF, Royals	19
6.	Chris Coghlan, OF, Marlins	15
7.	Brett Wallace, 1B, Astros	14
8.	Johnny Damon, OF, Rays	12
9.	Brennan Boesch, OF, Tigers	11
10.	Jed Lowrie, SS, Red Sox	10

Must-Start Options: Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia, Ian Kinsler, Dan Uggla, Rickie Weeks, Brandon Phillips, Michael Young, Ben Zobrist

Heating up
Brandon Phillips: .378 (14 for 37), 2 HRs, 1.101 OPS in nine games
Ben Zobrist: .448 (13 for 29), 4 HRs, 3 SBs, 1.521 OPS in seven games
Rickie Weeks: .417 (10 for 24), 2 HRs, .833 SLG in six games
Howard Kendrick: .500 (10 for 20), 3 2Bs in five games

Cooling off
Gordon Beckham: .089 (4 for 45), no extra-base hits, .198 OPS in 13 games
Dustin Pedroia: .094 (3 for 32), no extra-base hits, 2 SBs in eight games
Danny Espinosa: .083 (2 for 24), .269 OPS in six games

Worth a second look
Freddy Sanchez (42 percent started): Sanchez has landed on this list so many times already that he's in danger of getting more attention than he deserves. He has little power or speed and, therefore, little upside. But he's a hit machine when he gets going and has already had a couple hot streaks this year. With good matchups this week against pitchers like Tom Gorzelanny, R.A. Dickey, Chris Capuano, Mike Pelfrey and Esmil Rogers, he could be in line for another.
Ryan Raburn (39 percent): Raburn, like Michael Young, has gained eligibility at second base in standard CBSSports.com leagues over the last week, and it's a bigger development for him since he was previously just an outfielder. Now that he's playing every day, splitting time with Will Rhymes and Casper Wells between second base and the outfield, his power potential gives him plenty of sleeper appeal, and you have to like his matchups against the back end of the Yankees and Blue Jays staffs.

Approach with caution
Danny Espinosa (39 percent started): Espinosa has cooled off after his hot start, and considering his strikeout rate in both the majors and the minors, his cold streaks could last a while. A player with his profile likely has some growing pains ahead, so he's only worth starting when hot.
Daniel Murphy (10 percent): Murphy isn't widely owned yet, but just in case his hot streak -- he's batting .342 (13 for 38) with two homers over his last 11 games -- had you thinking of adding him to your lineup, think again. Granted, he has shown enough offensive ability over his career to deserve a look in Fantasy at some point, but with Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez, Hiroki Kuroda and Clayton Kershaw on the schedule, this week isn't the time.

Injury concerns
Aaron Hill, who recently went on the DL with a strained right hamstring, is eligible to return later this week. The Blue Jays haven't given an official timetable for his return, though, so you shouldn't be particularly optimistic about him making a Fantasy contribution. He was off to a slow start this season anyway, so just keep him reserved.

After playing less than two full games so far this season, Evan Longoria is finally ready to contribute for the many Fantasy owners who invested a first-round pick in him. He has begun rehabbing from a strained oblique at Double-A Montgomery and will return from the disabled list Tuesday for the start of the Rays' six-game week. Obviously, given his potential as the consensus No. 1 third baseman in Fantasy, you'll want to get him active right away. No need to wait for him to prove healthy and effective first.

Must-Start Options: Alex Rodriguez, David Wright, Adrian Beltre, Michael Young

Heating up
Placido Polanco: .410 (41 for 100), 2 HRs, 3 SBs, .995 OPS in 25 games
Michael Young: .378 (31 for 82), 1 HR, 1 3B, 9 2Bs, 3 SBs in 20 games
Jack Hannahan: .355 (11 for 31), 2 HRs, 1 SB, 1.057 OPS in nine games
Chone Figgins: .409 (9 for 22), 1 3B, 1 2B, 1 SB, 1.004 OPS in five games

Cooling off
Mark Reynolds: .075 (3 for 40), 1 HR, 12 Ks in 12 games
Chris Johnson: .129 (4 for 31), 1 HR, .387 OPS in eight games
Alex Rodriguez: .130 (3 for 23), .405 OPS in six games

Worth a second look
Mark Reynolds (58 percent started): Reynolds' slow start isn't such a surprise considering his high strikeout rate, but his BABIP so far is more than 100 points lower than usual. He's due to break out in a big way, and with four left-handers on schedule -- ones like Mark Buehrle, Jeff Francis and Bruce Chen -- this week could be the time. His OPS was .913 against lefties last year compared to .694 against righties.
Chone Figgins (50 percent): For a non-power hitter, Figgins has been awfully streaky over his career, as his .322 (37 for 115) batting average last September shows. He has been a non-factor in Fantasy so far, but coming off four straight multi-hit games, he could be on the verge of turning it around. With the injuries mounting at third base, time to turn back to Figgins in Fantasy.

Approach with caution
Pedro Alvarez (47 percent started): Alvarez's struggles are well-documented. He's striking out every third at-bat and has only one homer. The Pirates have already sat him a couple times for Steve Pearce against tougher left-handers and now have another platoon option in Brandon Wood. With three left-handers on the schedule this week, Alvarez might not get as many opportunities to break out for his Fantasy owners.
Alberto Callaspo (34 percent): Callaspo has shown some signs of life over the weekend, but he's still batting just .261 (18 for 69) with one extra-base hit over his last 19 games. With Maicer Izturis back from a hamstring injury and Erick Aybar back from a strained oblique, the Angels infield is suddenly more crowded than ever. If Callaspo plays less than every day, his modest production won't be nearly as intriguing in mixed leagues.

Injury concerns
Kevin Youkilis hurt his left hip on a slide Thursday and aggravated the injury Saturday. The Red Sox sat him on Sunday but don't think the injury will linger. Still, if Youkilis ends up sitting out another game or two, it wouldn't be the biggest surprise in the world. Because the Red Sox have seven games on the schedule this week, he still has a chance of playing five or six, so you should probably keep the elite player active ... Ryan Zimmerman, who hasn't played since April 9 because of an abdominal injury, needs surgery and will miss about six weeks. You have to keep an elite player like him stashed, obviously, but his return isn't as close as you were orginally led to believe ... Pablo Sandoval fractured his right wrist on a swing over the weekend and will miss 4-6 weeks. Mike Fontenot figures to take his place in the lineup, but he hasn't offered much in his past opportunities to play every day. You can leave him for NL-only leagues ... David Freese fractured his left hand when he got hit by a pitch Sunday and is almost sure to go on the DL. Daniel Descalso, who was spelling him regularly anyway, will likely start in his absence, but he doesn't have enough upside for mixed-league use ... Juan Uribe will move to third base with Casey Blake going on the DL with an infection in his right elbow, opening the door for Aaron Miles to play second base regularly. He's a light hitter who isn't worth owning outside of NL-only leagues ... Ty Wigginton is in line for more at-bats with Ian Stewart in the minors and Jose Lopez struggling, but he hurt his oblique on a slide Tuesday. The injury seems like a minor one right now, but oblique injuries often turn out worse than initially expected. Since he's more of a sleeper than an every-week option, you should plan to reserve him ... Scott Rolen, who is on the DL with a strained left shoulder, could return for the weekend of Fantasy Week 5 (May 2-8), but since he's just a fringe option even when healthy, you wouldn't want to start him for only half a week. Miguel Cairo has been starting in his absence.

Former elite prospect Brandon Wood, whose disappointing stay with the Angels came to an end when he was designated for assignment April 19, has signed on with Pittsburgh and gotten plenty of looks so far. He started the first game at third base and the next three at shortstop. The Pirates already have a long-term solution at third in Pedro Alvarez, so Wood has no hope of regular at-bats there, but he could certainly bump Ronny Cedeno at shortstop if he shows even a fraction of the power he did in the minors. He has renewed sleeper appeal, even if just in NL-only leagues. Maicer Izturis returned from a hamstring injury Saturday after missing about a week, but he got the start at third base, not shortstop. He was out of the lineup Sunday, so he's looking like he'll be just a part-time player with Erick Aybar back getting regular at-bats. Clint Barmes, who had been out all year with a broken left hand, returned to the lineup Friday, sending hot-hitting Angel Sanchez to the bench. Barmes isn't the best replacement for Fantasy purposes. He struggled his last two years in Colorado, and if you can't hit there, you can't hit anywhere. Robert Andino has replaced another glove-first shortstop, Cesar Izturis, which probably doesn't matter to anyone outside of Baltimore. Neither figures to start once J.J. Hardy returns from a strained oblique.

Must-Start Options: Hanley Ramirez, Troy Tulowitzki, Jose Reyes, Jimmy Rollins, Starlin Castro

Heating up
Stephen Drew: .327 (16 for 49), 2 HRs, .981 OPS in 13 games
Yuniesky Betancourt: .359 (14 for 39), 1 HR, 3 2Bs in 10 games
Jimmy Rollins: .370 (10 for 27), 1 HR, 1 SB, .987 OPS in seven games

Cooling off
Hanley Ramirez: .152 (7 for 46), two extra-base hits, 2 SBs in 13 games
Miguel Tejada: .154 (6 for 39), no extra-base hits in 12 games
Troy Tulowitzki: .185 (5 for 27), two extra-base hits, 1 SB in seven games

Worth a second look
Miguel Tejada (38 percent started): Tejada isn't the greatest Fantasy sleeper given his slow start and declining skills, but he's still enough of a contact hitter at this stage of career to take advantage of favorable matchups. He has some this week with four games against the Nationals and Mets and three games against left-handers, against whom he posted an .836 OPS last year. If you're desperate at shortstop, now wouldn't be the worst time to give him a look.
Cliff Pennington (14 percent): Pennington doesn't have a ton of upside, but as he showed last year, when he gets hot, he can make an impact in Fantasy. He was miserable to begin the season, batting .195 (8 for 41) over his first 15 games, so this recent upswing could be the beginning of a course correction. With good matchups against Jeanmar Gomez, Sean O'Sullivan, Luke Hochevar and Jeff Francis, he has some sleeper appeal this week.

Approach with caution
Asdrubal Cabrera (81 percent started): Cabrera has come back down to earth after his hot start, batting .222 (12 for 54) over his last 13 games. He isn't stealing bases, and he's unlikely to have a second power surge with pitchers like Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, Dan Haren and Jered Weaver on the schedule. Don't be afraid to look into other options in mixed leagues.
Yuniesky Betancourt (10 percent): Betancourt might seem like a sneaky waiver claim given his recent hitting streak, but the pitchers the Brewers face this week -- Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson, Brandon Beachy, Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse and Kyle McClellan -- are likely to slow him down. His poor plate discipline gives him little to fall back on if he's not hitting for average or power, so you can leave him for NL-only leagues.

Injury concerns
None.

Just when Matt Joyce began to heat up, the Rays did their best to make sure he wouldn't become a viable Fantasy option, keeping him out of the lineup three times during a four-game stretch. He's apparently still a platoon player, sitting for second baseman Sean Rodriguez (who bumps Ben Zobrist to right field) against lefties, which more or less ruins his mixed-league appeal. Same goes for Seth Smith, who appeared to have the starting right field job locked up in Colorado before sitting for Ryan Spilborghs in four of the last five games against lefties. At least Michael Saunders, who isn't far removed from top-prospect stats, appears to have reclaimed the starting center field job from Ryan Langerhans in Seattle. Unfortunately, he has yet to hit a lick in the majors, making him useless in mixed leagues as well.

Must-Start Options: Carlos Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Ryan Braun, Matt Holliday, Shin-Soo Choo, Andrew McCutchen, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth, Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Andre Ethier, Nelson Cruz, Matt Kemp, Ichiro Suzuki, Carlos Quentin, Lance Berkman, Alex Gordon, Drew Stubbs

Heating up
Andre Ethier: .400 (40 for 100), 3 HRs, 1.059 OPS during 26-game hit streak
Lance Berkman: .475 (29 for 61), 8 HRs, 1.497 OPS in 16 games
Ryan Braun: .420 (21 for 50), 6 HRs, 14 RBI, 2 SBs, 1.324 OPS in 12 games
Jose Bautista: .455 (15 for 33), 6 HRs, 2 SBs, 1.822 OPS, 16 BBs, 4 Ks in 11 games
Grady Sizemore: .378 (17 for 45), 4 HRs, 8 2Bs in 11 games
Jason Heyward: .400 (14 for 35), 3 HRs, 1.162 OPS during eight-game hit streak
Ichiro Suzuki: .457 (16 for 35), 4 SBs, 0 Ks in eight games
Juan Rivera: .455 (10 for 22), 2 HRs, 1.328 OPS in six games
Alfonso Soriano: .417 (5 or 12), 4 HRs, 1.417 SLG in three games

Cooling off
Vernon Wells: .174 (19 for 109), five extra-base hits, .463 OPS in 26 games
Carl Crawford: .155 (15 for 97), 1 HR, 4 SBs, .431 OPS in 24 games
Alex Rios: .081 (3 for 37), 1 HR, 1 SB, .329 OPS in 11 games
Jose Tabata: .111 (4 for 36), one extra-base hit, 1 SB in 11 games
Jonny Gomes: .118 (4 for 34), one extra-base hit, 3 SBs, 5 BBs, 14 Ks in 11 games
Carlos Lee: .100 (4 for 40), 1 HR, 1 SB, .388 OPS in 10 games
Carlos Gonzalez: .100 (3 for 30), .310 OPS in nine games
Nick Swisher: .138 (4 for 29), 1 HR, 9 Ks in eight games
Sam Fuld: .043 (1 for 23), .301 OPS in six games

Worth a second look
Jason Bay (66 percent started): Bay has shown pretty good pop since returning from a rib cage injury April 21, hitting a homer and two doubles in his first three games. He did slow down a little over the weekend, but considering the Mets were facing the Phillies, you can cut him some slack. The guy has been a 30-homer man and must-start Fantasy option for most of his career, so if he's showing signs of returning to that form, you have to get him active.
Brennan Boesch (60 percent): Boesch's performance certainly isn't in question. He's batting .366 (15 for 41) over his last 11 games. He could go back to sitting against lefties once DH Victor Martinez (groin) returns from the DL, but the Tigers face five righties this week. And they're not exactly aces in Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, A.J. Burnett, Kyle Drabek and Jesse Litsch.
Chris Coghlan (49 percent): Coghlan left Wednesday's game with a sore shoulder, but that's more the residual effect of a spring injury than a brand new one. He'll play through it, and if his recent power surge (three homers in seven games) is a sign of things to come, he's worth starting even in mixed leagues. You have to like him facing the Nationals three times as part of a six-game week.
Cody Ross (7 percent): Ross seems to have the right-field job secured, starting nine straight games there since returning from a strained calf. Mixed-league owners probably aren't ready to take a leap of faith on him, but deeper-league owners should take note he has a career .936 OPS against lefties. The Giants are facing three lefties this week, and their first four games are against the Nationals and Mets pitching staffs.

Approach with caution
Nick Swisher (73 percent started): Prior to last season, Swisher was the king of streakiness, putting up a .600 OPS one month and a 1.000 OPS the next, so his current numbers shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. He'll still be a pretty productive outfielder when all is said and done, but his one home run over the weekend isn't justification enough to activate him.
Carlos Lee (69 percent): Hard to fathom why Lee's starting percentage is still so high. He's hitting under .200 coming off a season when he was nothing short of a Fantasy bust. He also could miss a couple games to start the week after taking a knee in the gut Sunday. You could still own him based on his track record, but you wouldn't want to start him until he gets on a hot streak.
Juan Pierre (56 percent): Not only is Pierre hitting poorly, but he's running poorly as well, getting caught stealing more times (seven) than he has succeeded (five). For someone whose entire Fantasy worth is dependent on stolen bases, that's not a good sign. Until the 33-year-old gets his legs back under him (assuming that happens), he's a player to avoid outside of Rotisserie leagues.
Denard Span (56 percent): Span is off to a good start, but given his lack of power, he's not the kind of player who can score tons of points in a short period of time. His productivity comes through the accumulation of stats, so the Twins' five-game week will hurt him more than most of their players. And with those killer pitching matchups, chances are he won't hit so well anyway.
Alex Rios (51 percent): Rios is far from a lost cause in Fantasy, but when you look at his splits over the last few seasons, you can't feel particularly optimistic about his immediate future. He had a .684 OPS in the second half last year, a .623 OPS in the second half in 2009, and a .737 OPS in the first half in 2008. He's a one-half type of player, and it's pretty clear which type of half he's having so far. He's not beyond sitting in mixed leagues.

Injury concerns
Jose Bautista left Sunday's with neck tightness, but considering he drew a walk just before the Blue Jays pulled him, the injury doesn't sound all that serious. He'll have an off day to rest the injury Monday, so chances are he won't even miss a game. Unless something changes in the next 24 hours, you should keep the Fantasy stud active ... Jose Tabata, who has recently struggled at the plate, is also dealing with a hamstring injury. He isn't expected to miss much time, but he was out of the lineup Sunday. He's still plenty intriguing for Fantasy purposes, but his recent slump is probably reason enough not to give him the benefit of the doubt ... Logan Morrison, who hasn't been out of a hard cast even a week, thinks he'll be able to return from his Lisfranc sprain in the latter half of Fantasy Week 5 (May 2-8), though he won't have a clear timetable until he takes batting practice. Even in the most optimistic of scenarios, he'd play only half a week, so in standard leagues, you wouldn't want to take a chance on him ... Rajai Davis, who had been out since early April with an ankle injury, returned over the weekend. He's not so productive in Fantasy that you have to get him active right away, but if you need steals, you could justify it. Corey Patterson hasn't gotten to play much since Davis' return, so you should avoid him outside of deeper AL-only leagues ... The Twins finally had to put Delmon Young (rib) on the DL when he couldn't get loose before Wednesday's game. Considering he had already missed five games before then, he won't have to miss the full 15 days. Rene Tosoni, who had been putting up nice numbers in the minors, has been getting some starts in his absence, but he doesn't have enough upside for mixed-league use.

Best 5 Hitting Schedules for Week 5
Team	5/2	5/3	5/4	5/5	5/6	5/7	5/8
Athletics	TEX	CLE	CLE	CLE	@KC	@KC	@KC
	vs. Holland	vs. Carmona	vs. Tomlin	vs. Gomez	vs. O'Sullivan	vs. Hochevar	vs. Francis
Even if Tomlin and Carmona keep it going, they're the toughest competition the Athletics face all week.
Tigers	NYY	NYY	NYY	NYY	@TOR	@TOR	@TOR
	vs. Colon	vs. Sabathia	vs. Garcia	vs. Burnett	vs. Drabek	vs. Litsch	vs. Reyes
This ranking hinges on expected regression for Colon and Garcia. Easy matchups other than Sabathia.
Giants	@WAS	@NYM	@NYM	@NYM	COL	COL	COL
	vs. Gorzelanny	vs. Dickey	vs. Capuano	vs. Pelfrey	vs. Jimenez	vs. Rogers	vs. De La Rosa
Pitcher's park to begin week, but Giants are used to that. Only Jimenez should get the better of them.
Orioles	@CHW	@KC	@KC	@KC	TB	TB	TB
	vs. Buehrle	vs. Francis	vs. Davies	vs. Chen	vs. Price	vs. Shields	vs. Davis
Royals rotation looking like cakewalk again. Should be enough hits early to make up for Rays series.
Marlins	@STL	@STL	@STL	@STL	WAS	WAS	WAS
	vs. Lohse	vs. McClellan	vs. Carpenter	vs. Westbrook	vs. Zimmermann	vs. Gorzelanny	vs. Hernandez
Matchups get tougher here, but enough soft spots in Nats series for Florida to make most of a seven-game week.

Worst 5 Hitting Schedules for Week 5
Team	5/2	5/3	5/4	5/5	5/6	5/7	5/8
Twins	--	@CHW	@CHW	--	@BOS	@BOS	@BOS
	--	vs. Jackson	vs. Danks	--	vs. Lackey	vs. Buchholz	vs. Lester
Five-game week is reason enough for this one to take the cake. Danks, Lackey and Lester only clinches it.
Indians	--	@OAK	@OAK	@OAK	@LAA	@LAA	@LAA
	--	vs. Ross	vs. Cahill	vs. Anderson	vs. Chatwood	vs. Weaver	vs. Haren
Weaver, Haren, Cahill and Anderson might be the current leaders for AL Cy Young. Feel bad for the Indians.
Mets	--	SF	SF	SF	LAD	LAD	LAD
	--	vs. Vogelsong	vs. Lincecum	vs. Sanchez	vs. Kuroda	vs. Garland	vs. Kershaw
About the last of the tough six-game weeks. Two legit aces and Sanchez, Kuroda, Garland haven't been bad.
Braves	MIL	MIL	MIL	MIL	@PHI	@PHI	@PHI
	vs. Gallardo	vs. Estrada	vs. Greinke	vs. Marcum	vs. Halladay	vs. Lee	vs. Hamels
Seven-game week, but will have to scrape for hits in Phillies series. Brewers rotation is not so bad either.
Brewers	@ATL	@ATL	@ATL	@ATL	@STL	@STL	@STL
	vs. Jurrjens	vs. Hanson	vs. Hudson	vs. Beachy	vs. Garcia	vs. Lohse	vs. McClellan
All seven pitchers, particularly Atlanta's four, are on a roll right now. Only good news is Brewers miss Carpenter.

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