The Fantasy Baseball Weekly Planner is the essential guide to setting your lineup for the upcoming week. Every Friday, we provide you with two-start pitchers, top adds and drops and give you the scoop on injured players.
Projections are for May 10-16 games.
On tap: Atlanta's J.D. Drew returns to St. Louis Tuesday-Thursday for the first time since being traded by the Cardinals during the winter. Although he's still battling a neck injury, Drew is 12-for-29 (.414) in his last seven games ... Tampa Bay's Danys Baez returns to Cleveland, the team that cut him loose during the offseason, Friday-Sunday. He has been scored upon in just two of his 11 appearances, although the Devil Rays have given him just three save chances. ...
Seattle's Eddie Guardado returns to Minnesota Tuesday-Thursday for the first time since he left the Twins as a free agent this past winter. Although he's just 5-for-7 converting save chances, the left-hander has been scored upon just twice in 12 appearances. ...
Four teams will play seven games: Arizona, Boston, N.Y. Mets and Toronto. The remaining 26 teams play six. ... Coors Field watch: Pittsburgh at Colorado, Tuesday-Thursday; Philadelphia at Colorado, Friday-Sunday. ...
Taking into account all games with at least a 40 percent chance of precipitation according to the Weather Channel website, the following matchups might be threatened by poor weather: Cleveland at Boston on Monday; Toronto at Kansas City on Wednesday; Baltimore at Chicago White Sox, Oakland at Detroit and Atlanta at St. Louis on Thursday; Anaheim at Baltimore and Seattle at N.Y. Yankees on Friday; Anaheim at Baltimore, Minnesota at Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay at Cleveland, Texas at Detroit and Florida at St. Louis on Saturday; and Tampa Bay at Cleveland on Sunday. Arizona, Houston, Milwaukee, Montreal and the N.Y. Mets play all their games in weatherproof parks.
| 1 0 T W O - S T A R T P I T C H E R S T O U S E - - N L | ||
| Here are the 10 most recommended double-duty starting pitchers from the National League, broken down by start. | ||
|
Pitcher Last 3: W-L, ERA, WHIP, IP |
First start Opponent |
Second start Opponent |
|
Jose Acevedo 0-2, 6.06, 1.469, 16.1 |
5/11, @SD vs. D. Wells |
5/16, @LA vs. J. Weaver |
|
Roger Clemens 3-0, 3.57, 1.642, 17.2 |
5/11, FLA vs. B. Penny |
5/16, NYM vs. A. Leiter |
|
Casey Daigle 1-0, 2.41, 1.018, 18.2 |
5/10, NYM vs. TBA |
5/15, MON vs. C. Vargas |
|
Al Leiter 0-1, 2.50, 1.278, 18 |
5/11, @ARI vs. E. Dessens |
5/16, @HOU vs. R. Clemens |
|
Brad Penny 2-0, 2.18, 1.161, 20.2 |
5/11, @HOU vs. R. Clemens |
5/16, @STL vs. W. Williams |
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Ben Sheets 0-2, 3.74, 1.015, 21.2 |
5/11, MON vs. Z. Day |
5/16, ATL vs. J. Wright |
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David Wells 2-0, 0.90, 0.700, 20 |
5/11, CIN vs. J. Acevedo |
5/16, CHC vs. K. Wood |
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Kip Wells 0-3, 6.06, 1.776, 16.1 |
5/11, @COL vs. S. Elarton |
5/16, @SF vs. J. Williams |
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Jerome Williams 1-0, 3.05, 0.871, 20.2 |
5/11, PHI vs. K. Millwood |
5/16, PIT vs. K. Wells |
|
Kerry Wood 1-1, 1.64, 0.727, 22 |
5/11, @LA vs. J. Weaver |
5/16, @SD vs. D. Wells |
| Other two-start pitchers: Zach Day (5/11, @MIL, vs. B. Sheets; 5/16, @ARI, vs. E. Dessens), Elmer Dessens (5/11, NYM, vs. A. Leiter; 5/16, MON, vs. Z. Day), Scott Elarton (5/11, PIT, vs. K. Wells; 5/15, PHI, vs. B. Myers), Shawn Estes (5/12, PIT, vs. K. Benson; 5/16, PHI, vs. K. Millwood), Kevin Millwood (5/11, @SF, vs. J. Williams; 5/16, @COL, vs. S. Estes), Jeff Weaver (5/11, CHC, vs. K. Wood; 5/16, CIN, vs. J. Acevedo), Woody Williams (5/11, ATL, vs. J. Wright; 5/16, FLA, vs. B. Penny) and Jaret Wright (5/11, @STL, vs. W. Williams; 5/16, @MIL, vs. B. Sheets). | ||
| E I G H T T W O - S T A R T P I T C H E R S T O U S E - - A L | ||
| Here are the eight most recommended double-duty starting pitchers from the American League, broken down by start. | ||
|
Pitcher Last 3: W-L, ERA, WHIP, IP |
First start Opponent |
Second start Opponent |
|
Brian Anderson 0-3, 7.23, 1.929, 18.2 |
5/10, TOR vs. P. Hentgen |
5/16, OAK vs. B. Zito |
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Kevin Brown 1-0, 3.66, 1.220, 19.2 |
5/11, ANA vs. K. Escobar |
5/16, SEA vs. J. Pineiro |
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Mark Buehrle 0-0, 4.50, 1.550, 20 |
5/11, BAL vs. S. Ponson |
5/16, MIN vs. C. Silva |
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Roy Halladay 2-0, 3.43, 1.333, 21 |
5/11, @KC vs. TBA |
5/16, BOS vs. P. Martinez |
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Byung-Hyun Kim 1-0, 4.32, 1.080, 8.1 |
5/10, CLE vs. J. D'Amico |
5/15, @TOR vs. P. Hentgen |
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Pedro Martinez 2-1, 4.00, 1.222, 18 |
5/11, CLE vs. C. Sabathia |
5/16, @TOR vs. R. Halladay |
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Carlos Silva 3-0, 1.61, 1.075, 22.1 |
5/11, SEA vs. J. Pineiro |
5/16, @CHW vs. M. Buehrle |
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Barry Zito 0-2, 9.56, 1.875, 16 |
5/11, @DET vs. J. Johnson |
5/16, @KC vs. B. Anderson |
| Other two-start pitchers: Jeff D'Amico (5/10, @BOS, vs. B. Kim; 5/16, TB, vs. D. Waechter), Kelvim Escobar (5/11, @NYY, vs. K. Brown; 5/16, @BAL, vs. S. Ponson), Pat Hentgen (5/10, @KC, vs. B. Anderson; 5/15, BOS, vs. B. Kim), Jason Johnson (5/11, OAK, vs. B. Zito; 5/16, TEX, vs. C. Park), Chan Ho Park (5/11, @TB, vs. D. Waechter; 5/16, @DET, vs. J. Johnson), Joel Pineiro (5/11, @MIN, vs. C. Silva; 5/16, @NYY, vs. K. Brown), Sidney Ponson (5/11, @CHW, vs. M. Buehrle; 5/16, ANA, vs. K. Escobar) and Doug Waechter (5/11, TEX, vs. C. Park; 5/16, @CLE, vs. J. D'Amico). | ||
| S I X B E S T H I T T E R S ' S C H E D U L E S | ||||||
| The following six teams -- three apiece from the National and American Leagues -- have the most favorable hitters' matchups for the upcoming week. Stadiums and opposing pitching staffs are taken into account, and each game's projected starting pitcher is listed. | ||||||
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| BOSTON RED SOX | ||||||
|
CLE D'Amico |
CLE Sabathia |
CLE Lee |
@TOR Batista |
@TOR Miller |
@TOR Hentgen |
@TOR Halladay |
| The Boston offense has picked up the pace in May, averaging 4.3 runs in seven games, and will be facing two teams in the bottom 10 in the majors in ERA (Cleveland is 25th with 5.11 and Toronto is 21st with 4.71). Kevin Millar has batted .556 (10-for-18) in his last five games, including 7-for-11 (.636) in three games against the Indians. Manny Ramirez is 5-for-12 (.417) with two home runs in his last three games, and is batting .500 (12-for-24) with a homer in six games against Toronto. | ||||||
| FLORIDA MARLINS | ||||||
| -- |
@HOU Clemens |
@HOU Miller |
@HOU Redding |
@STL Marquis |
@STL Carpenter |
@STL Williams |
| No National League team likes facing Clemens, and Miller's among the league's best starters, but other than that the Marlins face four of the weaker starters in the majors this week. Juan Pierre has a seven-game hitting streak in which he's batting .517 (15-for-29) and has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games for a .489 average (23-for-47). Alex Gonzalez has heated up of late, batting .412 (5-for-12) in his last three games and .286 (10-for-35) in his last 10 games. | ||||||
| OAKLAND ATLHETICS | ||||||
| -- |
@DET Johnson |
@DET Bonderman |
@DET Maroth |
@KC Gobble |
@KC May |
@KC Anderson |
| Oakland's offense struggled for most of April, but the team has since racked up 26 runs in five May games. Expect the hitting rebirth to continue against two of the majors' three worst pitching staffs in terms of ERA (Detroit ranks 29th at 5.79, while Kansas City is 28th at 5.39). Erubiel Durazo has a seven-game hitting streak in which he's batting .444 (12-for-27) with four home runs and 11 RBI. Scott Hatteberg is batting .350 (14-for-40) with three home runs in his last nine games. | ||||||
| PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES | ||||||
| -- |
@SF Williams |
@SF Schmidt |
@SF Rueter |
@COL Kennedy |
@COL Elarton |
@COL Estes |
| If anything can cure the Phillies' woes, it's a four-game trip to Coors Field. Philadelphia, the fourth-lowest scoring offense in the majors, should fare well against the 27th-ranked Giants (5.21 ERA) and 30th-ranked Rockies (5.97). Bobby Abreu has hit in 10 of his last 14 games, batting .311 (19-for-61) with five homers and 15 RBI during that span. Pat Burrell has hit safely in four straight, batting .455 (5-for-11) with three homers during that span. | ||||||
| PITTSBURGH PIRATES | ||||||
| -- |
@COL Elarton |
@COL Estes |
@COL Jennings |
@SF Hermanson |
@SF Tomko |
@SF Williams |
| Pittsburgh makes the other trip to Coors Field this week, and faces the same two struggling pitching staffs in Colorado and San Francisco. Craig Wilson has batted .429 (9-for-21) with six RBI in his last five games and .388 (26-for-67) with four homers and 14 RBI in his last 18 games. Jack Wilson has hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games, batting .333 (22-for-66) during that span. | ||||||
| TEXAS RANGERS | ||||||
| -- |
@TB Waechter |
@TB Gonzalez |
@TB Hendrickson |
@DET Robertson |
@DET TBA |
@DET Johnson |
| Although Texas won't play any games at hitter-friendly The Ballpark at Arlington, the team currently leads the majors with a .309 batting average and ranks third with 160 runs scored in 28 games. The Rangers also face Tampa Bay and Detroit, which rank 24th (5.05) and 29th (5.79) in the majors in ERA. Hank Blalock has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games, batting .327 (17-for-52) during that span. Gerald Laird has hit safely in 11 of his last 14 games with an at-bat, batting .341 (15-for-44). | ||||||
| S I X W O R S T H I T T E R S ' S C H E D U L E S | ||||||
| The following six teams -- three apiece from the National and American Leagues -- have the least favorable hitters' matchups for the upcoming week. Stadiums and opposing pitching staffs are taken into account, and each game's projected starting pitcher is listed. | ||||||
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| CHICAGO CUBS | ||||||
| -- |
@LA Weaver |
@LA Ishii |
@LA Nomo |
@SD Valdez |
@SD Eaton |
@SD Wells |
| Dodger Stadium (21st) and Petco Park (26th) rank among the 10 least favorable hitters' ballparks thus far, and Los Angeles (11th with 4.20) and San Diego (3rd with 3.51) rank among the best teams in the league in ERA. Moises Alou is 0-for-16 in his last four games. Michael Barrett is 1-for-15 in his last four games. Corey Patterson has gone 9-for-45 in his last 13 games. | ||||||
| CINCINNATI REDS | ||||||
| -- |
@SD Wells |
@SD Lawrence |
@SD Peavy |
@LA Perez |
@LA Alvarez |
@LA Weaver |
| The Reds visit the same two pitcher-friendly ballparks as the Cubs this week. Adam Dunn has four hits in his last 18 at-bats (.222 average) and seven hits in his last 35 at-bats (.200). D'Angelo Jimenez has one hit in his last 11 at-bats (.091) and three hits in his last 28 at-bats (.107). | ||||||
| DETROIT TIGERS | ||||||
| -- |
OAK Zito |
OAK Harden |
OAK Redman |
TEX Dickey |
TEX Rogers |
TEX Park |
| Detroit is coming off a recent 2-8 stretch in which it scored just 42 runs. The Athletics' pitching staff is still highly regarded, and the Rangers rank ninth in the majors with a 3.91 ERA. Craig Monroe is batting .056 (1-for-18) in his last five games. Carlos Pena is batting .185 (12-for-65) with 24 strikeouts in his last 20 games. | ||||||
| NEW YORK YANKEES | ||||||
| -- |
ANA Escobar |
ANA Sele |
ANA Lackey |
SEA Meche |
SEA Moyer |
SEA Pineiro |
| While the Yankees have been hitting much better recently, they're not quite as favorable Fantasy starts this week because they'll be facing the improved Seattle (2.29 May ERA) and Anaheim (2.83 May ERA) staffs. Derek Jeter has just six hits in his last 57 at-bats (.105 average). Bernie Williams is batting .200 (10-for-50) in his last 12 games. | ||||||
| SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS | ||||||
| -- |
PHI Millwood |
PHI Wolf |
PHI Padilla |
PIT Vogelsong |
PIT Fogg |
PIT Wells |
| The Giants' offense has been rather invisible this season, with the lone exception of Barry Bonds. Facing two of the top 10 staffs in ERA -- Philadelphia is second at 3.35 and Pittsburgh is 10th at 4.19 -- in a pitcher-friendly ballpark isn't a favorable situation. Neifi Perez is batting .200 (15-for-75) in his last 21 games. J.T. Snow is hitless in 14 at-bats in his last four games. | ||||||
| SEATTLE MARINERS | ||||||
| -- |
@MIN Silva |
@MIN Radke |
@MIN Santana |
@NYY Mussina |
@NYY Osborne |
@NYY Brown |
| It doesn't seem that the Mariners will ever get themselves out of the bottom 10 in runs scored this season, and facing the same opponents as they did last week -- except this time, on the road -- isn't going to help matters. Rich Aurilia is batting .175 (10-for-57) in his last 15 games. Raul Ibanez is hitting .226 (7-for-31) in his last seven games. | ||||||
