The Fantasy Baseball Hitting Planner is the essential guide to setting your lineup for the upcoming week. Every weekend, we provide you with favorable and unfavorable matchups as well as lineup changes for each team.
Weather planner for Fantasy Week 11 (June 15-21): There are currently no games with more than 40 percent chance of rain this week, according to Weather.com. Of course, that probably means there will be 10 to 15 rainouts now. Make sure to monitor the weather ever day in leagues that allow daily lineup transactions.
This week's news and notes for each team:
Arizona Diamondbacks
Schedule: @KC3, @SEA3
Heating
Up: Mark Reynolds has been the
team's hottest hitter in the past week, going 9 for 26 (.346) with three
homers and nine RBI. He still strikes out a heckuva lot, but that should
only bother you in dire category-based situations if you are getting
killed in strikeouts. He's absolutely a great start in most formats. Felipe Lopez continues to quietly produce a good average. He is 9 for
30 (.300) over the last seven days and is worth starting in Rotisserie
formats and deeper mixed leagues.
Cooling Off: Chris B. Young continues to struggle, batting just 7 for 27 (.259)
over the last seven days and just 39 for 204 (.191) this season. Unless
you are desperate for steals in category-based play, he should be
sitting.
Injury Concerns: Conor Jackson
remains on the disabled list and does not appear to be near a return. He
has been diagnosed with pneumonia and Valley fever. He's a must-sit for
Week 11. Chad A. Tracy (oblique) has not
yet begun a rehab assignment and should also be kept off active rosters
in all leagues. Tony Clark (hand) is
currently on a Triple-A rehab assignment and should return in Week 11.
Platoon
Possibilities: They are slated to face just one lefty this week
(Jason Vargas), but don't actively employ any lefty-righty platoons
anyway.
Lineup Changes: The D-Backs have a bit of a quandary
at first base due to the absences of Jackson, Tracy and Clark. Reynolds
has been getting the majority of the starts there, allowing Augie Ojeda and Ryan Roberts to get
some starts at third. Josh Whitesell
could also see some at bats at first with Reynolds moving back over to
third. Outside of Reynolds, none are players we recommend in even deeper
NL-only leagues, however.
Interleague Effect: Clark, a
switch-hitter with home run power, could be an option to get some at
bats at DH this week once he is activated. He should only be considered
a last-minute replacement option in NL-only play, however. He has not
faced major league pitching since May 6.
Atlanta Braves
Schedule: @CIN3, @BOS3
Heating
Up: Brian McCann has a hit in 24 of
the 30 games since returning from his vision problems. He is 13 for 35
(.371) with a 1.064 OPS in June. Martin Prado
is 10 for 29 (.345) in June. He went into Saturday's play on a nine-game
hitting streak (12-for-35). Nate McLouth
is starting to find his groove in Atlanta, going 9 for 29 (.310) with a
homer, two doubles and a steal in the last week. He has struck out seven
times in that span, but is still a must-start.
Cooling Off: Kelly Johnson has only six hits in 41 at bats (.146) with a horrible
.222 on-base percentage in June. He is a tough sell in any format right
now, even NL-only play.
Injury Concerns: Casey Kotchman (shin) is on a Triple-A rehab assignment and could be
activated for the Cincinnati series. He is eligible to come off the
disabled list Tuesday. He should be available by the Boston series for
sure, though. Consider him a mild-injury risk this week if you want to
take a chance on him in NL-only play. None of the team's remaining DL
players will be ready to be activated in Week 11.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Braves are slated to face one lefty this week
(Matt Maloney), creating the possibility that Garret Anderson or Kelly Johnson could
get a day off.
Lineup Changes: The Braves should get Kotchman
back this week and that likely means less at bats for Prado despite his
hot hitting. Barbaro Canizares batted
cleanup in his first game after getting called up Thursday, but was
moved down to sixth the next day with hot-hitting McCann moving into the
No. 4 slot. Canizares is not up for his defense and can swing the bat.
He was hitting .344 with eight homers and 37 RBI for Triple-A Gwinnett.
Interleague
Effect: The Braves play just one interleague this series over the
weekend at Fenway Park. They will gain a DH slot, which should give them
a chance to rest veterans like Chipper Jones
or Anderson with a half day off at DH and creates a possibility for
Prado and Canizares to remain in the lineup. Prado and Canizares are
still risky NL-only starts.
Baltimore Orioles
Schedule: NYM3, @PHI3
Heating
Up: Matt Wieters came into Saturday
with four straight multi-hit performances. He is batting .400 over the
last seven days. He has drawn just one walk in 11 games since being
called up, but that should come with time. He appears to be settling in
and is a worthy start in any format despite his cold start. The super
prospect will only get better the more comfortable he gets.
Cooling
Off: Brian Roberts is hitting just
.211 (8 for 38) in June with a .250 on-base percentage. Nick Markakis is batting .243 (9 for 37) in June without a homer. Adam Jones is hitting .237 (9 for 38) in June without a homer. All
three players, however, have earned the right to remain active through
slumps in most situations. Melvin Mora,
however, has not driven in a run since May 14 and is batting just .184
(7 for 38) in June. He should remain reserved for now despite the fact
the Orioles continue to play him every day, usually batting fifth. Let
him come out of his slump first.
Injury Concerns: No
significant injuries.
Platoon Possibilities: The Orioles will
face three lefties over the weekend in Philadelphia, which could force Luke Scott and Aubrey Huff out of
the lineup. Ty Wigginton and Oscar Salazar could find their way into the lineup.
Lineup
Changes: None.
Interleague Effect: The Orioles will lose
the DH over the weekend in Philadelphia. Luke Scott is a poor play this week as a result of this and the
matchups against lefties over the weekend.
Boston Red Sox
Schedule: FLA3, ATL3
Heating Up: J.D. Drew is 10 for 29 (.345) with a .513 on-base percentage and a
1.202 OPS in June and has been the hottest hitter in the lineup. This is
about the time of year when Drew heated up last year, en route to a big
second half. David Ortiz may have gotten
just what the doctor ordered when the Yankees came into town this week
and he's finally begun to look like Big Papi again. He homered twice in
a series for the first time this season and is now 10 for 32 with (.313)
with three home runs in June. The Red Sox even chose to start him at
first base Friday night in Philadelphia, moving Kevin Youkilis over to third and forcing Mike Lowell out of the lineup. There is no way that would have
happened even a week ago. It is time to get him back active in AL-only
leagues for sure and even in standard mixed leagues. He's got a lot of
catching up to do.
Cooling Off: This was bound to happen at
some point, but Jason Bay has cooled off
a bit. He is 10 for 41 (.244) in June with only one homer. He has
managed to keep his on base percentage at a solid .340 through his
struggles, however, and should not be sat in any league. Mike Lowell is 8 for 37 (.216) and Dustin Pedroia is 7 for 43 (.163) in June, but both players remain
worthy of starting in any league. Jason Varitek
has five hits in 27 at bats (.185) and is best kept reserved where
possible while he's cold.
Injury Concerns: Jed Lowrie (wrist) is still out until at least late June at this
point, though he could begin to see some rehab action at some point in
the upcoming week. Continue to stash him away.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Red Sox will face one lefty in Week 11 (Andrew
Miller), which could mean Drew will sit against the Marlins with Rocco Baldelli possibly getting a start.
Lineup Changes: The
Red Sox have stayed with Dustin Pedroia
batting leadoff this past week with either Ellsbury or Drew hitting
second in the order.
Interleague Effect: The Red Sox will play
two interleague series in Week 11, but both will be in the friendly
confines of Fenway Park, which means they will keep the DH. David Ortiz and Mike Lowell were
interleague casualties over the weekend in Philadelphia, but both should
be in the lineup all week.
Chicago Cubs
Schedule: CHW3, CLE3
Heating Up: Mike Fontenot is 7 for 21 (.333) over the last week with a .440
on-base percentage. Derrek Lee came into
play Saturday on a 11-game hitting streak. He is 15 for 44 (.341) during
the streak.
Cooling Off: Kosuke Fukudome has just two hits in his last 20 at bats (.100), He
has only two RBI and 13 strikeouts over his last 10 games, with his
batting average dropping 40 points this month.
Injury Concerns: Aramis Ramirez is still another couple of weeks away at best.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Cubs will face three lefties in Week 11. Fukudome
will likely give way to Reed Johnson in
those games.
Lineup Changes: Manager Lou Piniella dropped
Theriot to seventh Friday and moved Fukudome from third to sixth. Geovany Soto was moved from seventh to fifth. The moves were made to
try to give a dormant offense a little bit of a shakeup. Piniella
told reporters that he will try a few different looks to see what works,
so expect some shuffling this week.
Interleague Effect: The
Cubs will be at home all week, meaning no DH this week against American
League teams.
Chicago White Sox
Schedule: @CHC3, @CIN
Heating
Up: Scott Podsednik has been the
team's hottest hitter over the last couple of weeks. He has 16 hits in
50 at bats (.320) in June with a .404 on-base percentage and five steals
in five tries. When he gets on base, like he has been lately, he can be
dangerous and is just about a must-start right now in Rotisserie leagues
and category-based play. Jim Thome is 6
for 18 (.333) with three homers in the last week. Alexei Ramirez is 10 for 32 (.313) in that span.
Cooling Off: Gordon Beckham has cooled off in terms of how hot he was coming out of
the minors. The prospect has just three hits in 31 at bats (.097) since
being called up and is not ready to be activated in Fantasy yet.
Injury
Concerns: Carlos Quentin (foot) is
now not expected to return until after the mid-July All-Star break or
later. Paul Konerko is dealing with a
nagging thumb injury that will continue to bother him despite his return
to the lineup. He has a stretched ligament and is not sure if he will
need off-season surgery. Save him for deeper mixed leagues and AL-only
leagues until he can prove healthy. This ailment threatens to take away
his power production.
Platoon Possibilities: The White Sox are
not slated to face any lefties in Week 11, making it difficult for Jayson Nix to get into the lineup. Not that he should be starting in
Fantasy anyway.
Lineup Changes: A.J. Pierzynski hit cleanup in Friday's game in Milwaukee, but don't
expect that to be a trend now that Konerko is back in the lineup.
Interleague
Effect: The White Sox will be in National League parks all week,
making Jim Thome someone to avoid in all
formats as he will be limited to pinch hitting.
Cincinnati Reds
Schedule: ATL3, CHW3
Heating Up: Alex Gonzalez has been the team's hottest hitter over the last week,
going 7 for 23 (.304) with two doubles. He had just one RBI in that
span, though, and is still more of a desperation option for larger
NL-only leagues. Jonny Gomes has been
hot in limited duty, going 6 for 15 (.429) with a home run and three RBI.
Cooling
Off: Willy Taveras came into play
Saturday in the midst of the worst hitless funk of his career (0 for
28). Ramon Hernandez has just two hits in
his last 23 at bats (.087). Jay Bruce
has just four hits in 34 at bats (.118) in June.
Injury Concerns: Joey Votto remains on the disabled list with "stress-related
issues". There is no clear timetable for a return and Fantasy owners are
advised to stay away until he can prove stable and productive again. Edwin Encarnacion (wrist) is still at least a couple of weeks away
after suffering a setback earlier this week.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Reds will face just one lefty this week (John
Danks) and that will mean Laynce Nix
should get the majority of the starts over Jonny Gomes in left field.
Lineup Changes: Gonzalez batted
second Friday in Kansas City as a result of his recent hot hitting, but
went 0 for 3.
Interleague Effect: With no DH all week due to
the fact the Reds will play Atlanta and the White Sox at home, Gomes
will find it hard to get at bats outside of one game against a lefty.
Avoid activating him in NL-only leagues.
Cleveland Indians
Schedule: MIL3, @CHC3
Heating
Up: Jamey Carroll has been hot in
June, going 13 for 36 (.361). Mark DeRosa
has 14 hits in 43 at bats (.326) this month with two home runs and nine
RBI.
Cooling Off: Jhonny Peralta
has just six hits in 35 at bats (.171) in June. His early-season funk
has extended into the beginning of summer. He is batting just .250 with
two homers and 26 RBI and Fantasy owners have to at least try to plug in
other options until he can get something -- anything -- going.
Injury
Concerns: Grady Sizemore (elbow) has
responded well to being completely shut down, but he is still out until
at least late June at this point. Late June is good news, though, as it
appeared he was in for surgery and a long absence if his pain did not
subside. Asdrubal Cabrera (shoulder) is
beginning to participate in baseball activities, but is still a couple
of weeks away from returning.
Platoon Possibilities: Josh Barfield and Luis Valbuena
have been platooning at second base while Asdrubal Cabrera has been on the DL. Barfield gets starts against lefty
pitching, which the Indians will face just once this week against the Ted Lilly of the Cubs. Neither is a recommended play, even in
AL-only formats.
Lineup Changes: Travis Hafner is still not 100 percent recovered from the shoulder
problems that have plagued him the last couple of seasons and is only
getting around four to five starts per week.
Interleague Effect: The
Indians will travel to a National League park over the weekend, making
Hafner a must-sit in most formats as he will likely be reduced to pinch
hitting duty.
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Player | % Change | |
1. | Clint Barmes, 2B, Rockies | 18 |
2. | Ian Stewart, 3B, Rockies | 15 |
3. | Scott Podsednik, OF, White Sox | 13 |
4. | Lyle Overbay, 1B, Blue Jays | 12 |
5. | Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pirates | 11 |
6. | Aaron Rowand, OF, Giants | 11 |
7. | Colby Rasmus, OF, Cardinals | 9 |
8. | Sean Rodriguez, 2B, Angels | 7 |
9. | Jose Lopez, 2B, Mariners | 6 |
10. | Jason Kubel, DH, Twins | 6 |
Colorado Rockies
Schedule: TB3, PIT3
Heating Up: Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes are
two of the most added hitters in CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues -- and
with good reason. Stewart has five homers in June with 13 RBI, batting
15 for 46 (.326). Barmes has 20 hits in 51 at bats (.392) this month
with a home run and 10 RBI. Troy Tulowitzki
is slugging .741 in June with a 1.195 OPS.
Cooling Off: Ryan Spilborghs has had just 10 at bats in the past week after
having been demoted to a reserve role. Dexter Fowler has just seven hits in his last 34 at bats (.206). Garrett Atkins has five hits in his last 27 at bats (.185). Reserve
these players in all leagues right now. Spilborghs should only be
stashed in deeper NL-only leagues in the hopes that he can regain
regular at bats at some point.
Injury Concerns: No significant
injuries.
Platoon Possibilities: The Rockies face a pair of
lefty pitchers this upcoming week (David Price,
Zach Duke). Rockies manager Jim Tracy
will continue to juggle Seth Smith, Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler in
left and center field. Fowler is a switch hitter and should remain in
the lineup for the two games against the lefties. Smith will likely sit
those two games.
Lineup Changes: Spilborghs continues to be
the odd man out under new manager Jim Tracy. Meanwhile, Gonzalez appears
to be overmatched in his first 23 at bats in the big leagues this season
after his hot hitting in the minors. It's too small of a sample size for
the young prospect, but this could be Spilborghs' way back into the mix
if it continues.
Interleague Effect: The Rockies will play all
six of their games at home in Week 11. Playing in an AL park would
actually have helped ease some of the congestion in the outfield. That
will come in Week 12.
Detroit Tigers
Schedule: @STL, MIL3
Heating Up: None
of the Tigers regulars are hitting .300 in the month of June. Placido Polanco has the highest batting average this month at .297 (11
for 37). Marcus Thames is 7 for 20
(.350) in limited duty.
Cooling Off: Not that you'd want to
sit him in any league, but Miguel Cabrera
has just six hits in 34 June at bats (.176) with two RBI. Clete Thomas slumped his way down to the minors.
Injury
Concerns: Carlos Guillen (shoulder)
is still around a month away from returning, though he may return before
the All-Star break.
Platoon Possibilities: Ryan Raburn and Josh Anderson
continue to split at bats in the outfield, but neither player is
recommended at this time even in AL-only play.
Lineup Changes: Curtis Granderson is back atop the batting order in Detroit, replacing
Anderson. Anderson will bat near the bottom of the lineup and will lose
some of the mild Fantasy appeal he gained by the extra at bats and runs
scored that came from hitting leadoff. He can go back to being reserved
in just about every league. Granderson will be more of a run scorer than
a run producer again with this change and remains a must-start in all
leagues.
Interleague Effect: The Tigers travel to a National
League park to begin the week in St. Louis. Ordonez will move into the
outfield with Anderson and Raburn being the most likely casualties.
Florida Marlins
Schedule: @BOS3, NYY3
Heating
Up: Jeremy Hermida heated up against
St. Louis, going 7 for 13 with two homers. He enjoys playing in
interleague games, entering the weekend 61 for 189 (.323) lifetime in
interleague contests. We consider him an interesting sleeper this week. Chris Coghlan has 13 hits in his last 39 at bats (.333) with three
steals and a .395 on-base percentage. Consider taking a flier on him in
NL-only play.
Cooling Off: Emilio Bonifacio has just nine hits in his last 44 at bats (.205) with
a .227 on-base percentage. He can't use his speed if he is not getting
on base, and he certainly has not been lately. Reserve him even in
Rotisserie leagues. The chance of steals is not outweighing the hits
your Fantasy team is taking everywhere else.
Injury Concerns: Hanley Ramirez has been dealing with some bumps and bruises, but is
expected to play through it. The Marlins have an off day on Monday,
which helps.
Platoon Possibilities: The Marlins continue to
utilize a righty/lefty platoon with John Baker
getting at bats against righties and Ronny Paulino
batting against lefties. The Marlins could face three lefties in the
upcoming week, meaning each catcher could get three starts. That limits
Baker's appeal in NL-only leagues.
Lineup Changes: Bonifacio
is batting ninth in AL parks during interleague play, but there has been
some speculation that manager Fredi Gonzalez is open to keeping
Bonafacio ninth and batting the pitcher in the eighth spot even when the
team returns home. Bonafacio remains too much of a liability to start in
any Fantasy league right now.
Interleague Effect: The Marlins
have been giving Ross Gload some at bats
thanks to having the extra slot with the DH. Expect that to continue
through the Boston series, but the weekend series against New York will
be at home under NL rules, limiting his appeal as a possible stopgap.
Houston Astros
Schedule: @TEX3, @MIN3
Heating
Up: Miguel Tejada entered play
Saturday with 15 hits in 47 June at bats (.319). However, his on-base
percentage was also .319 with no walks this month. Carlos Lee is batting .350 (14 for 40) in June with three homers and
11 RBI. Lance Berkman is 13 for 36 (.361)
in June with a homer and a .478 on-base percentage with a 1.034 OPS. He
appears to be over his slow start -- finally. All three players should
be active in all leagues, obviously.
Cooling Off: Hunter Pence had just three hits in his last 22 at bats (.136) coming
into Saturday.
Injury Concerns: Kazuo Matsui is expected to be activated for the Texas series. He is
currently on a Double-A rehab assignment.
Platoon Possibilities: Geoff Blum and Jeff Keppinger
continue to split at bats with Blum getting the majority of the at bats
against righty pitching. The Astros will face two lefty pitchers in Week
11, but neither player is recommended in Fantasy.
Lineup Changes: The
Astros continue to hit Hunter Pence
third with Berkman fifth as a result of a strong start for Pence and a
slow start by Berkman. But with their fortunes starting to change, a
swap could be coming soon. Both players remain worthy of starting.
Interleague
Effect: The Astros will get a chance to use the DH to give Berkman
and Lee a half a day off at some point during the week. Ivan Rodriguez could see some at bats at DH as well over the course
of the week.
Kansas City Royals
Schedule: ARI3, STL3
Heating
Up: Alberto Callaspo came into
Saturday's action with 10 hits in 22 at bats (.455) with two homers and
six RBI over the last week. He is 12 for 37 (.359) in June. Miguel Olivo has four home runs in June, batting 8 for 28 (.286).
Cooling
Off: Jose Guillen has just seven hits
in 37 at bats (.189) in June with 11 strikeouts. Mike Jacobs has four hits in 29 at bats (.138) in June. Coco Crisp has three hits in 17 at bats (.176) this month.
Injury
Concerns: Alex Gordon (hip) is able
to swing a bat and do some light jogging, but is still out through the
All-Star break.
Platoon Possibilities: The Royals are not
actively using any righty/lefty platoons.
Lineup Changes: None.
Interleague
Effect: The Royals will be playing all their games at home in Week
11. No changes here.
L.A. Angels
Schedule: @SF3, LAD3
Heating Up: Chone Figgins has been the team's hottest hitter in June, going 18
for 41 (.439). However, he has been caught stealing four times in six
times. If he can continue to get on base at a .478 clip like he has been
this month, however, the steals will be there. He should be active in
all Rotisserie leagues and most Head-to-Head leagues right now. Bobby Abreu is 12 for 33 (.364) in June with a .463 on-base
percentage -- his specialty.
Cooling Off: Howie Kendrick was sent down to the minors due to his low .231
batting average. This is a bit of a wakeup call for Kendrick, who could
be back in the majors shortly -- possibly with a fire lit under him.
Injury
Concerns: No significant injuries.
Platoon Possibilities: The
Angels are not actively using any lefty/righty platoons.
Lineup
Changes: The Kendrick demotion has the Angels using Maicer Izturis at second base. However, they called up Sean Rodriguez, who had 20 home runs and 60 RBI in the minors, and
he's worth a flier as he could earn his way into the lineup.
Interleague
Effect: The Angels will lose the DH for three games in San
Francisco, meaning Juan L. Rivera will
likely be reduced to a pinch hitter role for those three games with Vladimir Guerrero having to play the field.
L.A. Dodgers
Schedule: OAK3, @LAA3
Heating Up: Andre Ethier had a nine-game hitting streak snapped Friday. He went
14-for-35 (.400) during the streak. He has five home runs in June. Juan Pierre has five steals this month.
Cooling Off: Russell Martin has just three hits in 28 at bats (.107) this month. Orlando Hudson has five hits in 33 at bats (.152). Martin will turn it
around at some point (we hope), but it's time to start plugging holes.
If you can find a hot catcher, start him while Martin continues to
struggle. Hudson remains a decent play, but weigh your options here
while he's slumping.
Injury Concerns: No significant injuries.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Dodgers are not actively using any lefty/righty
platoons.
Lineup Changes: No lineup changes.
Interleague
Effect: The Dodgers will gain a DH over the weekend. Manager Joe
Torre used Mark Loretta at DH in Texas
this weekend. Expect that to be the case again at the Angels. Loretta
had just one hit in his last 19 at bats (.053) heading into play
Saturday, however, so Loretta is someone to avoid.
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Player | Start % | |
1. | Jayson Werth, OF, Phillies | 64 |
2. | Matt Wieters, C, Orioles | 62 |
3. | Pablo Sandoval, 1B, Giants | 62 |
4. | Jeremy Hermida, OF, Marlins | 31 |
5. | Lyle Overbay, 1B, Blue Jays | 29 |
6. | Pedro Feliz, 3B, Phillies | 24 |
7. | Melky Cabrera, OF, Yankees | 24 |
8. | Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B, Padres | 21 |
9. | Scott Podsednik, OF, White Sox | 15 |
10. | Tony K. Gwynn, OF, Padres | 5 |
|
Milwaukee Brewers
Schedule: @CLE3, @DET3
Heating
Up: Ryan J. Braun has four homers
and 10 RBI in June, batting 15 for 45 (.333). Prince Fielder has three homers in June with a .381 (16 for 42)
batting average, a .786 slugging percentage and 1.244 OPS. Jason Kendall has 10 hits in his last 30 at bats (.333) with a .444
on-base percentage.
Cooling Off: J.J. Hardy has five hits in his last 10 games with just one RBI. Mike Cameron has five hits in his last 10 games as well, batting
.172 (5 for 29) in June. Reserve both players where possible, though it
may be harder to do so with Hardy considering his position. Weigh your
options.
Injury Concerns: No significant injuries.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Brewers are slated to face a pair of lefties in
Week 11 (Jeremy Sowers, Dontrelle Willis). That will mean rookie Mat Gamel
and Craig Counsell will sit with in favor
of Bill Hall and Casey McGehee twice in a six-game week.
Lineup Changes:
McGehee will bat leadoff against left-handed pitchers as manager Ken
Macha tries a new approach. Craig Counsell
will still lead off against righties.
Interleague Effect: The
Brewers could choose to keep Gamel in the lineup against even Sowers and
Willis this week as they will play in American League parks and thus
have the option of DH-ing him. He is a rookie with some pop and upside,
but is still more of an NL-only option for now.
Minnesota Twins
Schedule: PIT3, HOU3
Heating Up: Brendan Harris had one hit in 16 of 17 games coming into play Saturday.
He had a .358 batting average in those 17 games. Delmon Young brought a seven-game hitting streak with him into
Saturday. He has raised his batting average from .230 to .257 during the
streak, batting .370 in the seven contests.
Cooling Off: Carlos Gomez has just five hits in 25 at bats (.200) in June with no
steals and only one extra-base hit. Joe Crede
has seven hits in 34 at bats (.206) this month with a .275 on-base
percentage.
Injury Concerns: Michael Cuddyer has an inflamed index finger, the same finger that he
sprained a ligament in on May 31. The Twins are short-handed in the
outfield with Denard Span suffering from
an inner ear disorder and the team could be forced to make a move to
place either player on the disabled list. It is recommended to stay away
from both players this week.
Platoon Possibilities: The Twins
are not actively using any lefty/righty platoons.
Lineup Changes: The
Twins continue to go back and forth between light-hitting Alexi Casilla and Matt Tolbert at
second base. Both players are hitting under .200 and are not advisable
options in Fantasy.
Interleague Effect: The Twins will play
all six games at home in Week 11 and will not lose the DH spot in their
lineup.
N.Y. Mets
Schedule: @BAL3, TB3
Heating Up: David Wright has 19 hits in 37 June at bats (.514) with eight runs
scored, six RBI, five steals and a home run. The home runs continue to
be hard to come by due to the big dimensions of Citi Field, but all
other aspects of his game remain above par. He is boasting a 1.357 OPS
in June and is absolutely red hot. Gary Sheffield
had just five hits in 33 at bats (.152) coming into Saturday, but the
Yankees appear to have gotten him going. He went 4-for-10 with a pair of
homers and four RBI in the first two games of the Subway Series against
his former team.
Cooling Off: Luis Castillo is ice cold right now and it has nothing to do with
the pop up he dropped Friday night against the Yankees. He has just
eight hits in his last 37 at bats (.216).
Injury Concerns:
Sheffield has been complaining about pain in his right knee and is
expected to undergo an MRI on his right knee soon. It was not affecting
him much against the Yankees, but Fantasy owners should consider him a
mild injury risk as any kind of a setback with his knee could force the
Mets to shut him down. Start him at your own risk in NL-only play. There
is still no timetable for Jose B. Reyes,
who remains on the disabled list with a torn hamstring. Do not expect
him back for at least another couple of weeks. Carlos Delgado says he feels improvement in his surgically repaired
hip, but he will not begin baseball activities until around the All-Star
break.
Platoon Possibilities: The Mets are not scheduled to
face any lefty starters in Week 11. That means Daniel Murphy should get a majority of the starts over Fernando Tatis at first base.
Lineup Changes: The Mets have
re-inserted Ryan Church into the lineup,
giving him starts in five of the team's last six games through Saturday
thanks in part to having the ability to DH Sheffield against the Yankees.
Interleague
Effect: The Mets will not have their hand forced for the first three
games of the week in Baltimore, but either Church or Fernando Martinez will be a casualty when the team returns home for a
weekend series against Tampa Bay. Martinez, a top Mets prospect, could
be returned to the minors now that Church is back in order to allow him
to get regular at bats and continue to develop.
N.Y. Yankees
Schedule: WAS3, @FLA3
Heating Up: Mark Teixeira has four home runs in the last week with three
doubles. Seven of his nine hits this past week have been for extra base
hits.
Cooling Off: Alex Rodriguez
has four hits in 24 at bats this past week and despite his home run on
Saturday is batting just .179 (7 for 39) in this month. He is not a
player who should be reserved by any means, though. Johnny Damon has just seven hits in 35 June at bats (.200) and
complained of fluttering in his eye on Thursday and Friday. Robinson Cano has nine hits in 43 at bats (.209) this month. It's hard
to sit any of the Yankees' sluggers when playing any games at the new
(bandbox) Yankee Stadium, though. A home run is always just a fly ball
away.
Injury Concerns: Xavier Nady
(elbow) is near a rehab assignment, but the Yankees want to see him play
the field before activating him. He is likely still over a week away
from returning. Jose Molina (quadriceps)
has not yet been able to start a rehab assignment and the Yankees are in
no rush to bring him back with Francisco Cervelli
proving to be a useful backup to Jorge Posada.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Yankees are not actively using any lefty/righty
platoons.
Lineup Changes: None.
Interleague Effect: The
Yankees will begin a nine-game, National League road trip with three
games in Florida over the weekend. Hideki Matsui
is not expected to be ready to play the field and will be used mostly as
a pinch hitter for the second half of Week 11 and all of Week 12. The
Yankees will lose the ability to play four outfielders due to the loss
of the DH, meaning one of Nick Swisher, Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner will
have to sit. Expect Gardner to be the odd man out more often than the
other two.
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Team | Schedule | |
1. | Blue Jays | @PHI3, @WAS3 |
2. | Phillies | TOR3, BAL3 |
3. | Orioles | NYM3, @PHI3 |
4. | Yankees | WAS3, @FLA3 |
5. | Giants | LAA3, TEX3 |
Oakland Athletics
Schedule: @LAD3, @SD3
Heating
Up: Matt Holliday has 14 hits in 44
at bats (.318) in June with two home runs and nine RBI. He appears to be
completely over his poor start and is quickly getting his batting
average back to the .300 mark. Rajai Davis
has 11 hits in his last 36 at bats (.306).
Cooling Off: Jack Cust has just six hits in his last 40 at bats (.150), but three
of those hits have been home runs.
Injury Concerns: No
significant injuries.
Platoon Possibilities: The A's will face
two lefty pitchers (Clayton Kershaw, Randy Wolf) in Week 11. Jack Hannahan
will likely lose at-bats to Davis in those games.
Lineup Changes: None.
Interleague
Effect: The A's plan to use Nomar Garciaparra
as a pinch hitter with six games in National League parks in Week 11.
Philadelphia Phillies
Schedule: TOR3, BAL3
Heating
Up: Pedro Feliz has been the team's
hottest hitter this past week, batting 8 for 22 (.364) with a home run
and five RBI. He makes for an interesting sleeper option this week
against two teams with poor pitching options. Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez continued
to confirm their status as elite Fantasy options with three homers over
the last seven days.
Cooling Off: Jimmy Rollins has just 10 hits in 55 at bats (.182) in June, dropping
his batting average to .217 for the season. He is not making it easy on
Fantasy owners, but is the type of player you can't reserve due to his
track record and upside. He's gone through long skids before and has
always come out of them. A hot streak is always around the corner.
Injury
Concerns: No significant injuries.
Platoon Possibilities: The
Phillies are not actively using any lefty/righty platoons.
Lineup
Changes: None.
Interleague Effect: The Phillies will play
six games at home this week, which means no DH possibilities here.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Schedule: @MIN3, @COL3
Heating
Up: Adam LaRoche has 15 hits in his
last 42 at bats (.357) with seven extra-base hits and a .473 on-base
percentage. He should be activated in NL-only leagues and is worth
taking a flier on in mixed leagues as a stopgap. He can go on extended
hot streaks and stay hot for a while. Ride this hot streak while it
lasts because he also tends to have long cold streaks as well. Super
prospect Andrew McCutchen has 14 hits
in 46 at bats (.304) with two triples since being called up.
Cooling
Off: Freddy Sanchez has just 11 hits
in his last 49 at bats (.224). Nyjer Morgan
has 11 hits in his last 48 at bats (.229).
Injury Concerns: Ryan Doumit (wrist) is expected to be out through the All-Star break.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Pirates will face three lefties in Week 11. That
means Craig Monroe and Brandon Moss will be splitting at bats just about down the line. Moss'
appeal as an NL-only stopgap takes a hit.
Lineup Changes: None.
Interleague
Effect: The Pirates will play three games in Minnesota with a DH.
That would usually mean more at bats for Craig Monroe, but two of those games will come against lefty pitching
which may force the Pirates to go with a player like Delwyn Young. There is no major benefit for Fantasy purposes here.
San Diego Padres
Schedule: SEA3, OAK3
Heating
Up: Tony Gwynn has been the hottest
hitter in the Padres lineup over the last two weeks with 14 hits in his
last 40 at bats (.350). He is getting on base (.469 on-base percentage)
and is a very interesting sleeper off the waiver wire. He has some speed
and can be a nice pick up at a cheap price for Rotisserie league owners.
Cooling
Off: Adrian Gonzalez was due for a
bit of a slump and he's going through that right now. He has just five
hits in his last 32 at bats (.156) and has not had a home run in the
last week. He isn't a big average hitter anyway, but he leads the
National League in homers and should get going again soon. Don't sit him
in any league.
Injury Concerns: No significant injuries.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Padres are not actively using any lefty/righty
platoons.
Lineup Changes: None.
Interleague Effect: The
Padres will play all six games at home this week, which means no DH
possibilities here.
|
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Team | Schedule | |
1. | Angels | @SF3, LAD3 |
2. | Athletics | @LAD3, @SD3 |
3. | White Sox | @CHC3, @CIN3 |
4. | Indians | MIL3, @CHC3 |
5. | Braves | @CIN3, @BOS3 |
San Francisco Giants
Schedule: LAA3, TEX3
Heating
Up: Pablo Sandoval has 13 hits in
the last seven days in 26 at bats (.500). Three of those hits have been
for extra bases, including a home run. He is 16 for 40 (.400) in June.
Cooling
Off: Emmanuel Burriss has just
three hits in 29 (.103) at bats this month.
Injury Concerns:
No significant injuries.
Platoon Possibilities: The Giants are
not actively using any lefty/righty platoons.
Lineup Changes: None.
Interleague
Effect: The Giants will play all six games at home this week, which
means no DH possibilities.
Seattle Mariners
Schedule: @SD3, ARI3
Heating
Up: Jose Lopez is making up for a
slow start to the season. He has four home runs in 45 June at bats. Of
his 14 hits this month, eight have been for extra bases and he has
driven in 12 runs. Many of you have abandoned him, but it's time to
start getting him active again. He is currently active in just 59
percent of CBSSports.com leagues due to his slow start. Adrian Beltre has 19 hits in 46 June at bats (.413) with a home run,
six doubles and eight RBI. He should also be active in more than the 51
percent of leagues he is active in right now. Both are players that may
be attainable via trade from owners who gave up on them.
Cooling
Off: Ken Griffey, Jr. has just seven
hits in his last 31 at bats (.226) with two RBI. Despite his legacy,
he's only useful as an occasional stopgap in deeper AL-only leagues when
he is going well. Right now is not that time and going to hit in a
pitcher's park in San Diego will not help.
Injury Concerns: No
significant injuries.
Platoon Possibilities: The Mariners are
not slated to face any lefty pitching in Week 11. That means Endy Chavez and Griffey should stay in the lineup while Wladimir Balentien and Mike Sweeney will
see limited at bats.
Lineup Changes: The Mariners continue to
hit Russell Branyan second, followed by
Beltre, Griffey and Lopez.
Interleague Effect: The Mariners
will lose the DH spot in their lineup for the first three games in San
Diego. Griffey was able to play the field in Colorado over the weekend
without any issues and should remain in the lineup. Don't expect to see
Sweeney much at all this week, however.
St. Louis Cardinals
Schedule: DET3, @KC3
Heating
Up: Brendan Ryan has 16 hits in his
last 49 at bats (.327) with three steals in five tries. Colby Rasmus has 15 hits in his last 36 at bats (.417). Both players
remain useful mostly just for NL-only play, but now is as good a time as
ever to start them.
Cooling Off: Skip Schumaker has just seven hits in 41 at bats (.171) this month
with no home runs. Chris Duncan has
seven hits in 36 at bats (.194) and no home runs in June. Avoid using
either player until they can get going again.
Injury Concerns:
No significant injuries.
Platoon Possibilities: The Cardinals
are not slated to face any lefty pitching in Week 11. Duncan and Joe Thurston should get the lion's share of the at bats this week
with Tyler Greene limited to pinch
hitting duty.
Lineup Changes: Rasmus continues to get his fair
share of at bats, mostly at the expense of Duncan. Rasmus is worth
taking a flier on in larger NL-only leagues while he's productive and
getting regular at bats.
Interleague Effect: The Cardinals
will get to use a DH over the weekend in Kansas City. Rasmus, Duncan, Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick can all
get into the lineup as a result of those three games.
Tampa Bay Rays
Schedule: @COL3, @NYM3
Heating
Up: Gabe Gross has 10 hits in his
last 27 at bats (.370). Ben Zobrist has
five home runs and is 14 for 37 (.351) with 12 RBI in June as he
continues to be one of the better values of this year's Fantasy drafts.
Cooling
Off: Dioner Navarro has just six
hits in his last 31 at bats (.194). B.J. Upton
has 11 hits in his last 44 at bats (.250), but he does have seven steals
in nine chances this month. Continue to keep him active through what has
been a slow offensive first half.
Injury Concerns: Jason Bartlett is expected to be activated off the disabled list for
the Colorado series and is looking like a safe play for the upcoming
scoring period. He will be a lineup deadline decision, though and
Fantasy owners will have to take a calculated risk on him. The Rays do
not play Monday before lineup deadlines are due and they likely will
wait until Tuesday to activate him.
Platoon Possibilities: The
Rays will face two lefties this week, including the toughest one of them
all possibly in Johan Santana of the
Mets. Gabe Kapler should see at least a
couple of starts this week and still has some pop, but remains too
spotty to use in Fantasy.
Lineup Changes: None.
Interleague
Effect: The Rays will not be able to use a DH all week. That could
mean less at bats for Willy Aybar and Joe Dillon, as both players will be better suited to be late-inning
defensive replacements or pinch hitting options off the bench. With
Bartlett expected back this week and the loss of the DH, this could be a
slow week for Aybar. Avoid him despite his recent productivity.
Texas Rangers
Schedule: HOU3, @SF3
Heating Up: David Murphy is the only Rangers regular with a .300 plus average in
June. He has 12 hits in 35 at bats (.343) this month with a pair of
steals.
Cooling Off: Ian Kinsler
has just nine hits in 45 at bats (.200) this month. Michael Young has 11 hits in 46 at bats (.239). Nelson Cruz has eight hits in 40 at bats (.200). Any of these players
can get on a tear at any moment and have too much upside to reserve in
Fantasy. They are players to keep active through thick and thin and
won't be slumping for long. In fact, this likely means they are due to
break out this week.
Injury Concerns: Josh Hamilton (abdomen) is still over a week away from resuming
baseball activities. He is likely out through the All-Star break.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Rangers are slated to face three lefties in Week
11. That means that Hank Blalock could
be in for another slow week in terms of at bats. Andruw Jones should get into the lineup at least a couple of times,
but should only be thought of as a last-minute replacement option in
AL-only leagues. He can still park one from time to time, but is an
overall inconsistent hitter.
Lineup Changes: Murphy continues
to get regular at bats with Josh Hamilton
out and is starting to make the most of his opportunity as his recent
hot streak suggests. Take a flier on him in AL-only leagues.
Interleague
Effect: The Rangers will lose the DH spot in their lineup over the
weekend in a pitcher's ballpark in San Francisco. Murphy may not see a
full week's worth of at bats as a result.
Toronto Blue Jays
Schedule: @PHI3, @WAS3
Heating
Up: Adam Lind is one of the hottest
hitters in baseball right now. Over the last two weeks, he has amassed
four home runs and has a .378 batting average (17 for 45) with nine runs
scored and seven RBI. Alex Rios has 10
hits in his last 25 at bats (.400) with five steals. Lyle Overbay has 11 hits in his last 33 at bats (.333) with three
homers and 11 RBI. His recent hot streak and favorable hitting matchups
this week make him an interesting sleeper. The Phillies have allowed the
most home runs in the National League.
Cooling Off: Vernon Wells has just three hits in the last seven days. He is batting
just 4 for 39 (.103) in June and is a player who Fantasy owners may want
to stick it out with for just one more week before benching due to the
favorable matchups he will face and his offensive upside.
Injury
Concerns: No significant injuries.
Platoon Possibilities: The
Jays will face three lefty pitchers in Week 11, which could take
away from some of Overbay's sleeper appeal. However, Overbay has been in
the lineup just about every day in June.
Lineup Changes: None.
Interleague
Effect: Kevin Millar has seen a lot
of starts since Travis Snider went on
the disabled list, but the Jays will play six games without a DH in Week
11 and that could make it tough for him to play a full week. Manager
Cito Gaston could choose to platoon Millar and Overbay this week due to
the lefty pitching matchups, but Millar is not someone we recommend
taking a gamble on outside of deep AL-only formats.
Washington Nationals
Schedule: @NYY3, TOR3
Heating
Up: Cristian Guzman is the only
Nationals regular with a .300 plus batting average in June. He is 13 for
43 (.302).
Cooling Off: Elijah Dukes
has just eight hits in his last 42 at bats (.190). Adam Dunn has just seven hits in his last 35 at bats (.200).
Injury
Concerns: Josh Willingham has been
placed on the bereavement list and may be out through the first series
at the Yankees. He is someone to keep reserved in all leagues for Week
11.
Platoon Possibilities: The Nationals are not actively
using any lefty/righty platoons.
Lineup Changes: Austin Kearns had been losing at bats to Willingham, but his absence
could create a chance for more playing time. However, expect it to be
short lived.
Interleague Effect: The Nationals will get to
keep using Adam Dunn at DH for the three
games in New York against the Yankees before having to return him to the
outfield over the weekend at home against Toronto.
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