Studs & Duds-August 1st

It has been a wild week of MLB trades and all the craziness in the NFL.  Here is a look at a few players who you may want to add to your fantasy baseball team as we head down the home stretch. 



Bourgeois finds himself in a spot to
play everyday after the trade deadline

 With the trades of Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn the door is wide open for Jason Bourgeois to step up and play everyday.  If Bourgeois can stay healthy he has great speed and can help your team out with batting average and stolen bases.  He has been plagued by leg injuries that have kept him sidelined for much of the year, so monitor his status closely.

While OF is a very deep position you may want to consider adding Hideki Matsui and latch on the hot streak that he is on.  Matsui is hitting nearly .500 with 11 runs and 16 RBI in the last two weeks.  He has been on a tear since the All Star break and deserves consideration for an outfield spot on your team. 

If you are hurting at catcher a good addition for your team would be Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  Salty is hitting .333 while driving in ten runs and hitting three home runs.  He will occasionally give way to Jason Varitek behind the plate, but this time of year virtually every catcher is getting time off from time to time.

Jeff Nieman was rumored to be on the trading block but has not yet been moved.  All he has done in the last two weeks is rack up 25 Ks with a sub one ERA and WHIP.  If you are in need of a starter or are streaming your pitchers down the stretch, Nieman is a guy to have on your radar and likely your roster!



Jackson's latest call is to St. Louis and
the contending Cardinals

 Edwin Jackson made a solid start in his debut for the Cards against the Cubs.  Expect Jackson to be the beneficiary of a renewed focus in a playoff race and the softer hitting NL lineups.  Jackson is a solid option for strikeouts and has managed to put together a solid couple of weeks pulling his ERA and WHIP down to respectable levels.

Keep an eye on the trades that materialize and don't underestimate post deadline deals and how they will effect teams.  Contending teams may add some pieces that end up only being platoon players on their new team and you need to be open to making daring moves to climb the standings. 

Studs & Duds-July 23

Studs and Duds will take a look at the players who you may look to pick up to give your baseball team the shot in the arm they need and the others that it may be time to give up on.

Here is this week's edition

Studs-
Edwin Encarnacion-3B, 1B Toronto Blue Jays
Encarnacion has been very hot over the last two weeks and is still available in many leagues.  He is an attractive option at either corner infield position and could be a fill in option for teams looking for a replacement for Alex Rodriguez or Chipper Jones.  Encarnacion has hit .436 the last two weeks while driving in five runs and swiping three stolen bases.



Cameron Maybin's hot streak has
earned him consideration for your
fantasy baseball roster

 Cameron Maybin-OF San Diego Padres
Maybin has been on fire lately and may be the best player on the Padres right now.  He was phenomenal compiling nine hits in a three game series against the Florida Marlins.  Maybin has good speed and will be a good option to sneak a couple of steals in if you can plug him in positive match ups. 

Alexi Casilla 2B, SS Minnesota Twins
If you were unfortunate enough to have lost Stephen Drew to the DL earlier in the week you may be scrambling for middle infield help.  Casilla has come on strong of late and his numbers are actually very similar to Drew's with a trade off for RBI for stolen bases.  His seventeen hits in the last two weeks ties him for third in the majors.  His ability to get on base and score runs make him a valuable fantasy option. 

Brandon Morrow SP Toronto Blue Jays
Morrow has not been spectacular but he registers a good number of Ks and has logged two solid starts since the All Star break.  His next start is against Texas so be careful, but he could provide you with some starter help down the stretch. 

The next guy in line RP...potentially, lots of teams
This isn't an endorsement of any one individual player, but rather a call to be on the look out at the moves that develop in MLB at the trade deadlines.  Several relief pitchers are being shopped and are expected to find new homes in the next week.  Make sure you are on top of how this might effect your current staff and who the key guys are to step in, in the event that a team trades it's current closer.  Here are the guys I would take note of and have on my radar. 
Edward Mujica-Florida
Mike Adams-San Diego
Luke Gregerson-San Diego (if Bell & Adams get traded)


Duds
Jason Bay-OF New York Mets
Bay evidently turned back into a pumpkin when the calender hit July.  His hot streak is gone and he is battling through some injuries that have kept him out of the lineup.  If Carlos Beltran is dealt at the deadline, Bay will be looked at to provide much of the Mets' offense but he is not proving capable lately.

Mike Trout-OF LA Angels
If you latched on to Trout when he got called up expecting to catch lightening in a bottle, you have been disappointed.  He is only batting .133 and is simply not hitting well enough to warrant a spot on your roster.  He has all the tools to be a fantasy contributor for many years, but for this year...look elsewhere.

Matt Capps-RP Minnesota Twins
Joe Nathan is back in as the closer for the Twins barring a major setback.  Given his recent performances, Capps may actually fallen behind Glen Perkins at having a shot at closing should the Twins look to replace Nathan later in the season. 

Jhoulys Chacin-SP Colorado Rockies
Chacin has had two shaky outings and you may be better served to look for a different option to send to the mound.  His 5.50 ERA in the last two weeks is concerning, but it could actually be worse considering all the base runners he has allowed via walk as he struggles with control issues. 

MLB's All-Star Problem

 Much has been made over the record low television viewers for last week's MLB All-Star game.  Bud Selig says, "To say the players don't care is absolute nonsense," but with it taking an eventual 84 invites to round out AL and NL rosters it is , at best, hard to argue the players take the game seriously.  Here are my suggestions on how commissioner Selig can return the mid summer classic to a place of prominence and respect.

Homefield ADVANTAGE!
Sure the league that wins the All Star game earns home field advantage in World Series and we all recognize the importance of the comforts of home, so why not take it a step further?   What if the winning league earned a 5-to-2 game homefield advantage for their accomplishment?  Would a player on a contending team with a minor injury be more inclined to go and help his league secure the win?  Their All Star game contribution could possibly be as pivotal as any contribution they make to their individual team through the second half.  After the winning team spends the first two World Series games on the road they retreat to their home stadium to finish out the series.  This gives the winning league, possibly, three more games at home against their opponent.

Ask before you print the ballot
A simple solution to all the players bailing on the All Star game is to simply not have them eligible to make the team.  MLB can take a simple survey of players and ask if they were selected for the game if they would participate.  An injury that prohibited a player's participation would, of course, be acceptable.  I understand that a 15-year vet who has made the All Star game numerous times may want to enjoy a few days of rest, so why not give them an honorable way out and allow the rising stars of the game to get a taste of the spotlight?

Reduce the Rosters
This year's All Star game included 41 position players alone.  Remember the good ole' days when the starters played six or seven innings before giving way to a substitute?  The talent is watered down and in addition to not seeing all of the biggest stars in MLB, fans aren't seeing the players who do attend the game very long.  Having the starters log more innings will result in less players being needed for the game and will draw the fans back in.  Getting rid of the rule requiring a player from each team will help here as well.  If you don't want to keep score in little league to preserve your ten year old's self esteem then feel free, but if you don't get it as 28 year-old who is batting .270 with twelve home runs that you aren't one of the elite players in the best league in the world then the game has truly lost it's prestige.  By including less players and only including the true best of the best the game will regain respect with the fans and will be seen as a true honor for the players. 

Baseball wins.  The fans win.  We all win!

Starting Pitching Help

Many starting pitching early draft picks have found their way to the DL lately.  Jon Lester strained a lat and may be out a month and joins an already depleted Red Sox staff.  Josh Beckett was reported to have a hyperextended knee Friday night, while Clay Bucholtz continues to battle back problems.  Josh Johnson, Roy Oswalt, Jonathan Sanchez, Eric Bedard and John Danks are other notable starters who find themselves on the DL as we go into the All Star break.  Here are a couple of pitchers who may be available in your league to consider utilizing while your guys are getting healthy. 

These aren't the guys you can plug in your lineup and leave with no regard to their matchup but you should be able to get some help by streaming from a list of pitchers based on their matchup. 

Despite his inconsistency, Wandy Rodriguez can be a good source for strikeouts.  He is slated to start against the Marlins Sunday and pitched well against them in April.  Colby Lewis has pitched into the eight twice this season against the A's.  He faces off against Oakland in a favorable matchup on Saturday.  Indians hurler Justin Masterson has found his way again or late notching two wins in his last two starts by pitching eight innings against both the Reds and Yankees.  He won't help you much with strikeouts, but his strong ERA and WHIP could certainly help you out.  The Mets are a couple of games over .500 due largely to the performance of Dillon Gee and Jonathan Niese.  Both are borderline talent for your fantasy squad.  Niese has been the better option of late.  He has logged four wins while registering a K/IP in the last month. 

Keep an eye on these guys and others who you can plug in for a spot start and keep pace in your fantasy league standings while you battle through the injury bug. 

First Half Suprises-Fantasy Baseball Pitchers

Here is a look at the first half fantasy baseball hurlers who have made their way from the waiver wire to the top of fantasy rotations.

Starting Pitchers-Phil Humber has logged eight wins for a disappointing White Sox team.  Before a bad outing last night Humber had pitched six innings or more in his previous twelve starts.  He is not much of a strikeout artist but he is carrying a mid-two ERA and a sub one WHIP.  Keep a close eye on him and how he performs as he begins facing teams multiple times.  Expecting a similar second half is probably too ambitious but he has proven himself as a reliable fantasy starter. 

He may only be twenty-two years old, but Michael Pineda has been a fantasy stud in the first half.  He has earned eight wins, posting a 2.58ERA and 1.01 WHIP, with nearly a K/IP.  Pineda may have been under the radar, but his talent is undeniable and looks to have the stuff of a top of the line starter for years to come.

 

When the Giants needed a starter to fill in for Barry Zito Ryan Vogelsong stepped right in and has been phenomenal in the first half.  He earned a trip to All-Star game by posting an incredibly strong 2.13 ERA.  Vogelsong is not your typical rookie making his way through the league for the first time.  He appears to have reinvented himself this year and should continue to see success the rest of the season. 

Relief Pitchers-The Pirates have been the feel good story of the first half and Joel Hanrahan closing games out is a huge part of that.  Hanrahan is second in the league in saves and his ERA and WHIP are an unbelievable 1.37 and .94 respectively.

Jordan Walden has been able to register more than a K/IP while saving nineteen games for the Angels.  His ERA is below three and he has a solid 1.23 WHIP. 

Taking a look at the contributors that are out there to be found on the waiver wire is evidence that if you stay on top of your league you will be able to grab some key players to carry your team through the second half. 

The Anti-All-Stars Batters Edition

With the MLB All-Star break coming up next week, now is a good time to reflect on the first half of the season and look at fantasy stars who didn't start the season as stars.  Here is a position by position look at the hitters who were likely available on the waiver wire, but now are key cogs on fantasy teams.

Catchers-With top rated signal callers like Joe Mauer battling injuries and Buster Posey out for the season, it is likely that the catcher position has been a position of great movement in your league.  Thanks to a late push in the All-Star voting Alex Avila earned the nod as the AL catcher.  Thus far Avila is leading AL catchers in AVG, Doubles, RBI, & slugging percentage and is a solid source for HRs and runs.  If you were able to pounce on Avila, you have been fortunate enough to latch hold of a solid backstop for the rest of the season.  Expect him to get the occasional day off allowing Victor Martinez behind the plate, but that only stands to minimize wear and tear on him and keep him fresh through the dog days of summer. 

First Baseman-Chances are you haven't parted ways with your original draft pick at the deepest fantasy position this year, but that doesn't mean there haven't been solid options to add to the depth of your team from the first base position.  A slow start and a stint on the DL may have resulted in Adam Lind being available and he has come back and been a beast at the plate.  His power has tapered off lately but you can expect a strong average and another fifteen homers in the second half. 
Other first baseman(and first base eligible batters) could have been key contributors to your team.  Guys like Justin Smoak, Michael Morse, Carlos Pena, and Michael Cuddyer have likely been available and if you are able to grab them when they are hot you can ride their production up the standings. 

Second Baseman-Everyone expected Danny Espinosa to hit with power from second base but few people saw him for his across the board production.  He is already on the cusp of surpassing his projections for RBI and stolen bases. 
Daniel Murphy of the Mets has been playing very well in the absence of David Wright and will continue to get playing time due to his multiple position eligibility. 
While they are losing at-bats of late players like Ryan Roberts, and Ty Wiggington have had hot streaks in the first half and players like this are capable of contributing to your team in short windows. 

Third Baseman-No game changer jumps out at you as free agent options from the third base position.  Several players like Murphy, Roberts and Wiggington are 3B eligible and along with other guys like Mike Aviles, and Maicer Izturis can fill in for stretches and help you through injuries.

Shortstops-Asdrubal Cabrera has catapulted himself in to the elite status of shortstops in the first half of 2010.  Through the first half of the season he finds himself hitting nearly .300 while being in the top three shortstops in hits, runs, home runs, and RBI while stealing twelve bases.  Many are already comparing his fielding to Omar Vizquel and he should be a mainstay in Cleveland for many years to come. 
They can't be counted on to provide power but Darwin Barney and Jamey Carroll have been hot in the first half both logging over 80 hits.

Outfielders-Lance Berkman was likely a late round draft pick or may have been overlooked all together, but he is on the roster of many top fantasy squads at the mid-way point.  Berkman has been hanging out at first base of late, but will be finding his way back to the outfield with the return of Albert Pujols.  In the first half he is third in HRs for an outfielder while driving in more than sixty runs and is nearly hitting .300.
Michael Morse caught fire early in the season and finds himself contributing in several categories in the world of fantasy baseball. 
Jeff Francoeur has been his own worst enemy in years past, pushing himself too hard, but he has put a solid first half together.  While he isn't going to hit .300, he should continue to be a contributor in each of the other categories going into the second half. 

Tomorrow I will discuss the surprises in the first half on the mound. 

Proceed With Caution

Many fantasy baseball leagues' trade deadline is approaching and if you spend any time visiting fantasy sports sites on the internet, follow sports feeds on Twitter, or listen to sports talk radio you can't go long without having someone ask about making a fantasy trade.  We all like to look for some advice before we make a roster altering trade, but the most honest answer to every one of those trade questions is, "I don't know!"  It may seem like a simplistic approach or an effort to be non-committal; the truth is in most situations the person you are asking can't know.  This is especially true in roto baseball leagues.  There just isn't any such thing as a cut and dry, player for player trade in a roto baseball league. 

What categories are measured in your league?  Where are you lacking?  Are there categories where you could sacrifice a little? Do you have solid backup that you could fill the hole a trade would create?  Are their waiver wire players to consider that would cost you far less than the proposed trade?  These are the types of questions that need to be considered to draw an honest conclusion.  The only way to completely understand the implications of a trade in a roto league is to know the entire roster and the areas where the team needs improvement and areas where the team can afford to slide a bit.  So ask away, but make sure you are using a format that allows you to include as much information as possible.  If you trust the advice of the person you are asking enough to move key players, the least you can do is give them the information they need to make an honest assessment.  Good Luck!

Waiver Wire Help

Here are a few pitchers and position players that may be available in your league and able to help you out.

Colby Lewis-SP Texas Rangers Lewis has been solid in his last three starts.  Prior to that he had been very inconsistent and may have scared some owners away.  He is still far from a sure thing and you will want to play the matchups and proceed with caution.  He faces a below average Orioles squad on the heels of a 6k, 0BB performance. 

Scott Baker-SP Minnesota Twins Baker has worked his way back in to being the ace of the Twins staff.  Four of his last five starts have been wins and in that time he is averaging nearly a K/IP

Jeff Karstens-SP Pittsburgh Pirates The surprise of the season has to be the Pirates who are only 2 games out of first in the cluttered NL Central.  Karstens has been a workhorse of late working in to the seventh inning allowing 3ERs or fewer in each of his last six starts.

Daniel Murphy-1B, 2B, 3B NY Mets Murphy has hit so well of late he should continue to find at bats even after David Wright returns from the DL.  His versatility will make him a popular fill in for days off.  He hit .330 in June and registered 7 runs and 11 RBIs in the last two weeks.

Jason Bay-OF NY Mets Combine his slow start and some injury woes and there is a good chance that Bay is available in your league.  If you can look past his pedestrian .244 season average his recent hot streak where he raised his average 26 points in 14 games might be the boost you need.  Bay has five tool capability if he can stay hot & healthy!

Vernon Wells-OF LA Angels Wells' average is still floating around the Mendoza line but his bat has been extremely hot of late.  Wells has hit over .300 since mid-June and can offer your team decent power along with some help in runs and RBIs. 

Mid Season Checkup

The calender flips to July tomorrow and the MLB All Star break is just around the corner.  Active fantasy baseball team owners can be lumped in to one of two categories this time of year.  Either you have dug in and are looking for ways to preserve your first half exploits or you are scrambling and looking for a couple of categories to make a splash in the standings. 

Here are a few pieces of advice to consider as we enter the dog days of summer.

1-Give a little, get a little-The biggest mistake many roto fantasy players make is to ignore the numbers.  If you have built a 30 stolen base lead over your closest competitor you still have exactly one more point in the standings than he does.  Look for an owner struggling in your strongest categories and dangle a player who could potentially help them without compromising the lead you have built.  Strengthen your team in other categories while maintaining your lead and bank precious points. 

2-Know your league setup-If you play in a league that limits starts make sure to stay on top of how you are trending towards those limits.  The last thing you want to have happen is to run a second tier pitcher out against a red hot offense week after week only to find out that you have reached your start limit with a month to go in the season.  Pick your spots and play match-ups. 

If you don't have limits on your position players take a hard look at players with multiple position eligibility on the waiver wire to plug in for regular off days and exploit their flexibility.  Most 5X5 leagues are made up of 7 volume categories (R, RBI, HR, SB, W, SV, K) and 3 ratio categories (AVG, ERA, WHIP).  If your league has no limits for position players there are very few situations where you should ever sit an active player.  Pile up points.  Four out of five of the offensive categories are VOLUME based!

3-Don't play the name game-Derek Jeter and Chipper Jones are sure thing Hall of Famers one day, but in 2011 they don't belong on your fantasy baseball team. But if for some unfortunate reason you have stuck it out with them I have some good news...every league has at least one owner(you know who I'm talking about) who is much more caught up in the past and will probably make a deal to have a name on his team. I have never played in a league that awards points for "Team Ambassador" or "Locker Room Leader".  Move on and let some one else make the mistake of clinging on to the hopes of seasons past, way past.   

4-Punt-This is my least favorite piece of advice and probably the most difficult to do.  At some point in the season you may have to just admit to yourself, "This isn't happening!!!" in a certain category. You may have to come to terms with the idea of just "punting" on one stat.  Don't dismantle an otherwise solid team chasing the delusion of a 30 home run deficit.  Know your weakness, exploit your strengths.  If you are fortunate to have a big lead in an area and can find a trading partner by all means chase those points, but don't flush your average and stolen bases down the toilet trading for Mark Reynolds and a handful of home runs.  Just like a 30 home run lead will net you just one point against your closest competitor a hefty deficit only costs you one point in the standings!