The Fantasy Baseball Hitting Planner is the essential guide to setting your lineup for the upcoming week. Every Saturday, we provide you with favorable and unfavorable matchups, along with news and notes on lineups. The Pitching Planner, complete with upcoming two-start pitchers, will be posted on Sunday.
Don't forget to check out our Weekly Planner page, under the stats tab on your league pages. It has the weekly matchups for each team broken down by day, the number of games ahead for each team and finally, the hitting and pitching stats for each team from 2007 (broken down by home and away).
Weather planner: Taking into account all games with at least a 50 percent chance of precipitation according to Weather.com, there are no games expected to get rained out in Week 3.
This week's news and notes for each team:
Arizona Diamondbacks: Remember last season when the Diamondbacks were among the five-lowest scoring teams in the majors? Don't look now, but the Baby-Backs lead the majors with 62 runs scored (6.2 RPG), thanks in large part to the heavy bat of Mark Reynolds. He leads the league in homers (five) and RBI (14). If he only had a few more starts at second base last season, he'd be an even bigger Fantasy threat. He has knocked in three RBI in four different games already ... Eric Byrnes is hitting well again, but his upcoming opposing pitchers have been tough on him: Chris Young (.158) and Barry Zito (.067 BA). And with three games at San Francisco's tough AT&T Park, and three games against a rock solid Padres pitching staff, the D-Backs' bats could struggle.
Atlanta Braves: Only Chipper Jones (16) has more hits for the Braves than CBSSports.com favorite Yunel Escobar (13). They both lead the team with nine RBI. And Escobar has 2B/SS/3B-eligibility in Fantasy leagues ... Matt Diaz is finally getting regular at-bats as the team's starting left fielder, but he's hitting just .250 so far.
Baltimore Orioles: Don't look now -- but the player I thought would break out in 2007 with Houston is now starting 2008 in great fashion. Luke Scott is tied for the AL lead in batting average with .432 so far. He has just one homer, but he's second to Aubrey Huff (11) on the team in RBI ... The Orioles have seven games at Camden Yards this week, so get the good ones near the top and heart of this order in your lineups ... Kevin Millar went 1-for-17 after starting off hot, but he knocked in a run Friday night with another hit.
Boston Red Sox: J.D. Drew has hit safely in all eight games he has played in, but he hit .200 or below against Mike Mussina, Jake Westbrook and Paul Byrd last season -- three pitchers he's about to face this coming week ... David Ortiz is batting just 3-for-39 to start the season (.077). Sean Casey is now getting starts at first base for the Red Sox, with Mike Lowell (thumb) on the 15-day disabled list and Kevin Youkilis moving back over to third base. Fantasy points of interest after that one move:
- Sean Casey, a light-hitting first baseman, will get regular at-bats for the first time in a couple seasons, making him a decent AL-only pickup because of the lineup around him.
- Youkilis now has three games at third base through Friday, so he could have eligibility there again after this weekend's series against the Yankees.
- The Sox brought up super-prospect SS Jed Lowrie. The switch-hitter out of Stanford hit around .300 at Double- and Triple-A last season, with 47 doubles, eight triples and 13 homers. He doesn't offer the speed of Julio Lugo, but the bat would more than make up for it if he ever got regular at-bats. This is his first audition as Lugo's eventual successor. Backup infielder Alex Cora hurt his elbow taking grounders on Thursday.
Chicago Cubs: Reed Johnson looks like he'll be getting regular starts over Felix Pie in center field for now, but make no mistake that the team still wants Pie to be their future at the position ... Geovany Soto has more Head-to-Head points than any other catcher outside of Chicago (A.J. Pierzynski barely has him beat). The 25-year-old Puerto Rican backstop is batting .297 with three doubles, a triple and two homers -- and he's co-leading the position with Bengie Molina in RBI (eight) ... Kosuke Fukudome moved up to the second spot of the order Friday, but it might not last long. ''You know, I like him in the five hole -- I like him in both places,'' manager Lou Piniella told the Chicago Tribune. He'll have more chances to score in the two-hole, and knock in runs in the five-hole ... The Tribune also notes that former Notre Dame football star Jeff Samardzija pitched seven innings of four-hit ball Thursday for Double-A Tennessee. His ERA has dipped down to 0.75.
Chicago White Sox: A.J. Pierzynski started off on fire, winning the first player of the week award in the AL, and he hasn't slowed much. He has hit safely in all seven games he has played in, with 22 total bases ... As hot as he is, is as cold as Orlando Cabrera and Paul Konerko are right now. They have four extra-base hits between them, and both are batting around .200.
Cincinnati Reds: Manager Dusty Baker thought about sitting Edwin Encarnacion Thursday because the streaky slugger was in an 0-for-18 slump, hitting just .083 up to that point. He kept him in and Double-E hit a two-run bomb that broke a tie in the Reds' win. He got a basehit Friday also to bring his average up to .161 ... The Reds play at the Cubs for three games before a three-game set at home against Milwaukee. Those two teams have average staffs so far ... Here's an interesting quote from Baker in the Cincinnati Enquirer about OF prospect Jay Bruce. "I want Bruce here just like everybody else," said Baker. "You don't think I want another Ken Griffey Jr. on my team for the next 20 years? It's just that he has to be ready and that could be soon, and it could be that we'll have both Bruce and (Corey) Patterson." Bruce is batting .324 at Triple-A Louisville in his first eight games with a double, a triple, a home run, and six RBI.
Cleveland Indians: David Dellucci is batting .235 with no homers, no RBI and five runs scored so far for the Indians. He is the left-handed side of the team's platoon in left field with Jason Michaels, who is batting just .080 in 25 at-bats, with two RBI. Unfortunately for Cleveland, OF prospect Ben Francisco is struggling in the minors too, hitting just .172 in eight games at Triple-A Buffalo ... Victor Martinez took Wednesday off to rest the sore hamstring that he injured on Opening Day, but he came back to play Friday against Oakland. He went 0-for-3 however. He has yet to hit a homer.
Colorado Rockies: Only the Giants have scored fewer runs than the Rockies so far this season. Todd Helton and Matt Holliday are the only regulars that seem to be contributing positively ... SS Troy Tulowitzki is having a rough start out of the gate, batting just .175 with just two extra-base hits. His swing is being examined by his hitting coach and they've noticed the problem, whether they can fix it soon enough for Fantasy owners is a different question. He hit .244 last April in his rookie season.
| Top 5 Hitting Matchups | ||
| Team | Schedule | |
| 1. | Yankees | @TB2, BOS2, @BAL3 |
| 2. | Braves | @FLA3, LAD3 |
| 3. | Athletics | @CHW2, SEA2, KC3 |
| 4. | Astros | @PHI3, COL3 |
| 5. | Mets | WAS3, @PHI3 |
- Edgar Renteria, SS -- He's hitting just .238 and he has just three walks compared to eight strikeouts. He did break up Gavin Floyd's no-hitter on Saturday in the eighth.
- Placido Polanco, 2B -- He has two strikeouts right now, but then again, he had only three in the entire month of April last season.
- Gary Sheffield, DH -- He's battling a finger injury still, sitting out Friday.
- Magglio Ordonez, RF -- Tied for team lead with 11 hits -- but just a .262 batting average.
- Miguel Cabrera, 3B -- One double, one homer, .182 batting average, one big disappointment. (He did play 1B Saturday, though.)
- Carlos Guillen, 1B -- You can't point the finger at Guillen -- no Tiger has more doubles (four) or homers (two).
- Ivan Rodriguez, C -- Did he use up all of his base hits in spring? He's batting .211.
- Clete Thomas, LF -- He hit leadoff Friday, and his .476 batting average leads the team.
- Brandon Inge, CF -- His play at the plate has been rejuvenated while playing center in Granderson's place.
Florida Marlins: Hanley Ramirez has 16 basehits so far, second in the majors, and he has currently taken the Super-Stud shortstop lead in Fantasy play with three homers and a .410 batting average.
Houston Astros: J.R. Towles is now going to be the regular catcher for Roy Oswalt, instead of Brad Ausmus. Oswalt has really struggled and he can't be much worse with a better hitting catcher behind the plate.
Kansas City Royals: As much fanfare as the Royals are getting for starting the season 6-4, leading a much-maligned AL Central, it's not because of their offense. Not team in the AL has scored fewer runs (33). Fortunately for them, their pitchers have allowed just 29 runs to the other team, which is the best number in the AL.
L.A. Angels: Howie Kendrick is batting .429 on the season, but he has missed some time now with a thumb contusion suffered Monday ... Chone Figgins reached base four times Friday, and he now has 11 walks on the season, which helps his stolen base total, which is at four right now.
| Top 10 Hitters Added | ||
| Driver | Change | |
| 1. | Mark Reynolds | 41 |
| 2. | Jeff Keppinger | 41 |
| 3. | Joe Crede | 36 |
| 4. | Nate McLouth | 28 |
| 5. | Jose Lopez | 28 |
| 6. | Jason Kendall | 23 |
| 7. | Cristian Guzman | 18 |
| 8. | Corey Patterson | 17 |
| 9. | Xavier Nady | 15 |
| 10. | Justin Upton | 14 |
Milwaukee Brewers: Through 10 games this season, Prince Fielder has zero homers and zero Whoppers with cheese. The vegetarian is batting just .243, but he insists it's not because of his new diet, which should be getting him healthier. What kind of vegetables is he eating? Twinkie-beans? ... Rickie Weeks had a rough second week of the season. Actually, he has just two hits in his past 24 at-bats.
Minnesota Twins: Carlos Gomez leads the team in hits (14), steals (five), doubles (four) and triples (one) so far. He's doing a decent job setting the table, but his 11 strikeouts also lead the team. The Twins rank 23rd in runs scored (40) so far this season, but they were even worse last season.
N.Y. Yankees: Jorge Posada (shoulder) has been limited to the DH spot, but that could actually be an asset to his Fantasy owners. Since he won't have to sit one or two games a week to rest his legs behind the plate, he'll get more at-bats ... That also benefits anyone that was cunning enough to pick up Jose Molina, who now has six doubles, which is tied for third in the majors. And he has those in just 26 at-bats ... According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Yankees have gone 11 games into the season without a stolen base for the first time since 1948. They didn't get one that season until their 17th game. They are the last team without a stolen base, which is interesting because the team was seventh in the majors last season with manager Joe Torre at the helm, and Joe Girardi's '06 Marlins team was 11th in the majors. The fact that the team is old and hobbled is one of the major reasons ... Shelley Duncan is 5-for-9 with three doubles, two homers, four RBI and five runs scored in two games since being sent down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was sent down over Morgan Ensberg because he had options when the Yankees needed a middle infielder once Derek Jeter injured his quadriceps. Alberto Gonzalez has been starting in Jeter's spot ... Jason Giambi now has more than five games at first base, which makes him eligible there in most Fantasy leagues. Unfortunately, his .095 batting average makes you wish he was pitcher eligible.
N.Y. Mets: SS Jose Reyes left Friday's game against Milwaukee with tightness in his left hamstring and he sat out Saturday's game as well. "It's sore right now," Reyes said Friday. "It's nothing big." But Fantasy owners know that the last thing they ever want to hear associated with Reyes' name is "sore hamstring." He still only has one stolen base, which came on a double steal Thursday. It was his first stolen base since Sept. 15. That 22-game steal drought was the longest of his career ... Angel Pagan, the Mets' temporary left-fielder filling in for Moises Alou (hernia), has reached base safely in each game this season (including Saturday), and he's hitting above .375. He led off in Reyes' place. He hit just .255 in 148 games with the Cubs over the past two seasons.
Oakland Athletics: Travis Buck went 3-for-6 with three RBI, matching an Oakland record with three doubles Thursday, but he had to sit out Friday's game with shin splints. After starting the season in an 0-for-22 slump, Buck went 7-for-16 with four RBI and six doubles in the series against the Blue Jays, boosting his average up to .189. The six doubles in a three-game series are an Oakland record.
Philadelphia Phillies: The Philadelphia Daily News reports that manager Charlie Manuel said he isn't planning on dropping Shane Victorino down in the order -- or out of the lineup entirely -- despite his early struggles. The center fielder has played really good defense, but he's hitting just .209 through his first 43 at-bats of the season. He usually bats second, but he has led off the past few games in place of Jimmy Rollins (ankle). The only other Phillie with significant experience leading off is reserve OF So Taguchi, who has a career .293 batting average in 157 at-bats as a leadoff hitter. Keep Victorino active in all formats despite his recent problems. He has 40-SB potential still.
Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that SS Jack Wilson, on the disabled list until April 19, will begin a Triple-A rehab assignment with Indianapolis Sunday or Monday. Brian Bixler has been starting in his place, but he has been overwhelmed this season in spring training and now in the regular season. He's hitless in six at-bats ... Nate McLouth leads league in hits (19) and extra-base hits (nine).
San Diego Padres: The Padres had 16 base hits on Friday and their .295 batting average leads the NL if you can believe it ... Michael Barrett (elbow) will likely not be able to come off the DL when he's eligible on April 23. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the ligament damage could be severe, so a 6-8 week recovery time is likely ... Josh Bard is batting .321 as the team's starting catcher.
| Worst 5 Hitting Matchups | ||
| Team | Schedule | |
| 1. | Diamondbacks | @SF3, SD3 |
| 2. | Rockies | @SD3, @HOU3 |
| 3. | Giants | ARI3, @STL3 |
| 4. | Brewers | @STL3, @CIN3 |
| 5. | Rangers | LAA2, @TOR2, @BOS3 |
Seattle Mariners: Jose Vidro is struggling mightily, hitting just .128 so far. His power isn't really DH-worthy anyway, so when will the talk about signing Barry Bonds pick up again? How about now?
St. Louis Cardinals: Manager Tony La Russa is trying to find at-bats for Brian Barton, but not at the expense of Rick Ankiel and Chris Duncan. Skip Schumaker has been playing fantastic defensively (not so much offensively), so Barton will get some looks in his place.
Tampa Bay Rays: With Willy Aybar hamstrung by a hamstring injury, the Rays finally brought up Evan Longoria from Triple-A Durham Friday. His two weeks in the minors were enough to push his free agency date back to 2014. He started off slow (0-for-15) in the minors, but he picked it back up recently. This is what you've been waiting for. He is currently owned in just 72 percent of CBSSports.com leagues. I expect him to bat just behind cleanup hitter B.J. Upton in the fifth spot, following leadoff man Akinori Iwamura, Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena. Eric Hinske will probably fall in right behind Longoria.
Texas Rangers: Six of Josh Hamilton's 11 hits this season are for extra bases. But CBSSports.com reader Shermboat19 pointed out how peculiar his day/night splits last season were: he hit .326 in 67 night games and just .195 in 23 day games. We have no explanation, but we thought it was fun to point out ... David Murphy is batting over .309 so far this season, starting in left field for Texas, and the rookie is the best hitter in the AL not named Carlos Gomez. He's only owned in 18 percent of CBSSports.com leagues ... Jason Botts got some action at first base Thursday in the second game of a doubleheader. Manager Ron Washington is a big Ben Broussard believer, so don't expect a platoon. Botts has always been a Fantasy favorite because of his power potential, but just not yet.
Toronto Blue Jays: Guess who's back? Vernon Wells -- remember him? Breakout '06 season, followed by a bad '07 due to shoulder problems. He's hitting .341 with a team-leading 14 base hits in 41 at-bats, with three homers and a team-high 12 RBI ... Marco Scutaro's nice start to the season in place of Scott Rolen (finger) has slowed up. He is batting just .156 right now ... Rolen had a pin removed from his broken right finger on Monday and he should start hitting off a tee this weekend, hoping to return to the majors in a couple weeks possibly.
Washington Nationals: Wily Mo Pena (strained oblique) is set to play in the minors this weekend, and GM Jim Bowden told the Washington Post that they'll be "expediting the process" of the left fielder's return. Felipe Lopez and Willie Harris, Pena's replacements in left, were batting .182 combined, with no extra-base hits and just one RBI, through Thursday ... Elijah Dukes (hamstring) is trying to talk Bowden into letting him return early, but the GM said, "He's not going on the field until he's 100 percent." ... There is still no timetable on the return of Dmitri Young (lower back).
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