Looking for a last-minute edge as you prepare your weekly lineup? The Week Ahead gives you the latest scoop Monday morning. For in-depth lineup advice, be sure to check out the Baseball Planner .

Changes among this week's two-start pitchers:

  • The Chicago Cubs used Glendon Rusch this past Sunday, pushing back Matt Clement to start the second game of Monday's doubleheader at Florida. Mark Prior, who will start the other game Monday, and Clement will now each start twice this week, with the second turn coming Saturday and Sunday at the N.Y. Mets. Both are solid Fantasy starters. Kerry Wood will pitch just once, Tuesday at Pittsburgh, but is still worth starting.
  • Cleveland has shut down C.C. Sabathia (hamstring) presumably for the season, so Francisco Cruceta will step into his rotation spot and start Tuesday at Detroit and Sunday against Minnesota. If you're looking for a starter in an AL-only league, Cruceta has enough talent to be a decent gamble for this week.
  • Kansas City continues to use a six-man rotation, so Brian Anderson will be their lone two-start pitcher this week, starting Monday at Tampa Bay and Sunday at the Chicago White Sox. He's only useful in AL-only formats.
  • Los Angeles has shuffled its rotation to accommodate the return of Brad Penny, so Jeff Weaver becomes the team's lone two-start pitcher, working Tuesday at San Diego and Sunday at San Francisco. Weaver is worth starting in most Fantasy leagues. Penny and Wilson Alvarez will now pitch Wednesday and Thursday, and warrant NL-only consideration.
  • Milwaukee will start Jorge De La Rosa Monday against St. Louis, but it's unclear whether he or Wes Obermueller will pitch Saturday against Houston, as the team plans to use "veterans" against teams still competing for playoff spots. Since the Astros are still in the wild-card race, it's best not to expect either pitcher to start twice this week, making neither one a useful Fantasy option this week.
  • Montreal will keep Livan Hernandez on his usual four days' rest, so he'll start Tuesday against the N.Y. Mets and Sunday against Philadelphia. He's worth starting in all Fantasy leagues. John Patterson, who will start Wednesday against the Mets, is a useful NL-only option based on the matchup.
  • St. Louis plans to skip Matt Morris' second turn this week Saturday at Colorado in order to give him some rest to prepare for the postseason. He's still a useful NL-only option for his Monday start at Milwaukee. Rick Ankiel might start Saturday's game, but whomever gets the ball that day should be avoided while pitching at Coors Field.
  • San Diego plans to use a four-man rotation for as long as the team remains in the playoff race, meaning Adam Eaton's second start will be pushed up to Saturday and Jake Peavy will now get two starts, Wednesday against Los Angeles and Sunday against Arizona. All four Padres starters make useful Fantasy options for this week.
  • The N.Y. Yankees will start Esteban Loaiza, not Brad Halsey, on Tuesday against Toronto. It's unclear who between Loaiza, Halsey or Tanyon Sturtze will pitch Sunday at Boston, but all three pitchers should be avoided in Fantasy leagues.
  • Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella said last week Mark Hendrickson has been removed from the rotation, so Rob Bell seems likely to step into his spot and pitch Tuesday against Kansas City and Sunday against Toronto. Those might seem like favorable matchups, but neither pitcher is a recommended Fantasy starter regardless.
  • Toronto pushed back Ted Lilly to Wednesday's game at the N.Y. Yankees in order to give him some extra rest, so Gustavo Chacin will make his major-league debut Monday at New York. It's unclear whether Chacin will also pitch Sunday at Tampa Bay or the team will bring back Roy Halladay on four days' rest for that game, so play it safe and don't expect two starts from any of your Blue Jays pitchers. Chacin, Halladay and Lilly are all somewhat risky facing the potent Yankees lineup.

Chris Carpenter will miss his next scheduled start Thursday at Milwaukee with a biceps strain, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He's not expected to miss any more time than that, but the Cardinals will likely only insert him back into their rotation once he's healthy and put him in a spot to line him up for the postseason. Avoid Carpenter this week.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he had been pondering using Scott Rolen (calf) as a late-inning replacement this past Sunday, a positive sign for the third baseman's recovery. It's possible Rolen could be back in the starting lineup Monday or Tuesday at Milwaukee, making him a useful Fantasy option except in the shallowest of leagues.

Gary Sheffield received two cortisone shots in his aching left shoulder following this past Sunday's game against Boston, according to the New York Daily News. He will likely miss at least Monday's game against Toronto, and his Fantasy owners should keep in mind he missed three games the last time he had these shots. Sheffield is still a useful Fantasy starter in larger leagues, but keep in mind he might sit out a couple games.

Alfonso Soriano (hamstring) has been told to rest for the next week, according to the Dallas Morning News. Even if he does return to action before the season ends, it likely won't come until the regular season's final few games. Reserve Soriano this week.

T H E   H O T   L I S T
Here are this week's hottest players, with their regular-season statistics from Aug. 30-Sept. 19:
Lance Berkman, OF, Houston
.386 AVG, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 2 SB, 17 R in 20 games
Paul Byrd, SP, Atlanta
3-1, 1.63 ERA, 1.157 WHIP, 21 K in 4 starts
Vinny Castilla, 3B, Colorado
.299 AVG, 8 HR, 22 RBI, 0 SB, 17 R in 17 games
Carlos Delgado, 1B, Toronto
.400 AVG, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 0 SB, 14 R in 18 games
Dustin Hermanson, RP, San Francisco
7 SV, 2.16 ERA, 1.200 WHIP, 11 K in 9 games
Orlando Hernandez, SP, N.Y. Yankees
3-0, 1.88 ERA, 0.917 WHIP, 21 K in 4 starts
Geoff Jenkins, OF, Milwaukee
.333 AVG, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 0 SB, 11 R in 19 games
Derek Jeter, SS, N.Y. Yankees
.405 AVG, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 2 SB, 26 R in 19 games
Paul Konerko, 1B, Chicago White Sox
.316 AVG, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 0 SB, 15 R in 19 games
Joe Nathan, RP, Minnesota
8 SV, 1.00 ERA, 0.444 WHIP, 10 K in 11 games
Rafael Palmeiro, 1B, Baltimore
.356 AVG, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 0 SB, 15 R in 16 games
Johan Santana, SP, Minnesota
4-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.586 WHIP, 41 K in 4 starts
Brett Tomko, SP, San Francisco
3-0, 1.33 ERA, 0.889 WHIP, 27 K in 4 starts
David Wright, 3B, N.Y. Mets
.329 AVG, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 4 SB, 16 R in 21 games
Dmitri Young, DH, Detroit
.308 AVG, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 0 SB, 13 R in 16 games
T H E   C O L D   L I S T
Here are this week's coldest players, with their regular-season statistics from Aug. 30-Sept. 19:
Ron Belliard, 2B, Cleveland
.169 AVG, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 5 R in 16 games
Shawn Chacon, RP, Colorado
2 L, 1 BS, 6.75 ERA, 1.625 WHIP in 8 games
Jose Contreras, SP, Chicago White Sox
0-3, 12.18 ERA, 2.353 WHIP, 14 K in 4 starts
David Dellucci, OF, Texas
.100 AVG, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB, 4 R in 17 games
Johnny Estrada, C, Atlanta
.175 AVG, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 5 R in 18 games
Tom Glavine, SP, N.Y. Mets
0-3, 7.54 ERA, 1.809 WHIP, 10 K in 4 starts
Richard Hidalgo, OF, N.Y. Mets
.134 AVG, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 0 SB, 6 R in 18 games
Jacque Jones, OF, Minnesota
.210 AVG, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB, 5 R in 16 games
Jorge Julio, RP, Baltimore
3 L, 1 BS, 8.22 ERA, 2.087 WHIP in 8 games
Al Leiter, SP, N.Y. Mets
0-2, 5.73 ERA, 1.591 WHIP, 20 K in 4 starts
Damian Miller, C, Oakland
.167 AVG, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 0 R in 13 games
Jamie Moyer, SP, Seattle
0-3, 6.23 ERA, 1.346 WHIP, 14 K in 4 starts
A.J. Pierzynski, C, San Francisco
.145 AVG, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 2 R in 16 games
Edgar Renteria, SS, St. Louis
.183 AVG, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 5 R in 16 games
Craig Wilson, 1B, Pittsburgh
.179 AVG, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 7 R in 17 games