Today's Fantasy Rx

Schedule recommendations for teams with 7 games

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Arizona: 4 Home vs. NYM; 3 Home vs. MON.
Boston: 4 Home vs. CLE; 4 Road at TOR.
New York Mets: 4 Road at ARI; 3 Road at HOU.
Toronto: 3 Road at KC; 4 Home vs. BOS.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 6 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Milwaukee: 3 Home vs. MON; 3 Home vs. ATL.
New York Yankees: 3 Home vs. ANA; 3 Home vs. SEA.
Oakland: 3 Road at DET; 3 Road at KC.
Texas: 3 Road at TB; 3 Road at DET.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Atlanta: 3 Road at STL; 3 Road at MIL.
Baltimore: 3 Road at CHW; 3 Home vs. ANA.
Chicago White Sox: 3 Home vs. BAL; 3 Home vs. MIN.
Colorado: 3 Home vs. PIT; 3 Home vs. PHI.
Florida: 3 Road at HOU; 3 Road at STL.
Houston: 3 Home vs. FLO; 3 Home vs. NYM.
Minnesota: 3 Home vs. MON; 3 Road at CHW.
Montreal: 3 Road at MIL; 3 Road at ARI.
Philadelphia: 3 Road at SF; 3 Road at COL.
Pittsburgh: 3 Road at COL; 3 Road at SF.
Tampa Bay: 3 Home vs. TEX; 3 Road at CLE.

Bad for hitters / Good for pitchers
Chicago Cubs: 3 Road at LA; 3 Road at SD.
Cincinnati: 3 Road at SD; 3 Road at LA.
Los Angeles: 3 Home vs. CHC; 3 Home vs. CIN.
San Diego: 3 Home vs. CIN; 3 Home vs. CHC.
San Francisco: 3 Home vs. PHI; 3 Home vs. PIT.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Anaheim: 3 Road at NYY; 3 Road at BAL.
Detroit: 3 Home vs. OAK; 3 Home vs. TEX.
Kansas City: 3 Home vs. TOR; 3 Home vs. OAK.
Seattle: 3 Road at MIN; 3 Road at NYY.
St. Louis: 3 Home vs. ATL; 3 Home vs. FLO.

Pitchers with 2 starts(to deploy everywhere you own them):
Jose Acevedo: Tue:@SD(D.Wells); Sun@LA(J.Weaver)
Brian Anderson: Mon:TOR(P.Hentgen); Sun:OAK(B.Zito)
Kevin Brown: Tue:ANA(K.Escobar); Sun:SEA(J.Pineiro)
Mark Buehrle: Tue:BAL(S.Ponson); Sun:MIN(C.Silva)
Roger Clemens: Tue:FLO(B.Penny); Sun:NYM(A.Leiter)
Kelvim Escobar: Tue:@NYY(K.Brown); Sun:@BAL(S.Ponson)
Roy Halladay: Tue:@KC(D.Reyes); Sun:BOS(P.Martinez)
Livan Hernandez: Tue:@MIL(B.Sheets); Sun:@ARI(E.Dessens)
Byung-Hyun Kim: Mon:CLE(J.D'Amico); Sat:@TOR(P.Hentgen)
Pedro Martinez: Tue:CLE(C.Sabathia); Sun:@TOR(R.Halladay)
Brad Penny: Tue:@HOU(R.Clemens); Sun:@STL(W.Williams)
Sidney Ponson: Tue:@CHW(M.Buehrle); Sun:ANA(K.Escobar)
Ben Sheets: Tue:MON(L.Hernandez); Sun:ATL(Jar.Wright)
Carlos Silva: Tue:SEA(J.Pineiro); Sun:@CHW(M.Buehrle)
Jeff Weaver: Tue:CHC(K.Wood); Sun:CIN(Jo.Acevedo)
David Wells: Tue:CIN(Jo.Acevedo); Sun:CHC(K.Wood),br> Jerome Williams: Tue:PHI(K.Millwood); Sun:PIT(K.Wells)
Kerry Wood: Tue:@LA(J.Weaver); Sun:@SD(D.Wells)
Barry Zito: Tue:@DET(Jas.Johnson); Sun:@KC(Br.Anderson)

Pitchers with 2 starts to deploy only in leagues that don't count qualitative stats:
James Baldwin: Mon:@ARI(C.Daigle); Sat:@HOU(A.Pettitte)
Casey Daigle: Mon:NYM(J.Baldwin); Sat:MON(C.Vargas)
Elmer Dessens: Tue:NYM(A.Leiter); Sun:MON(L.Hernandez)
Ryan Drese: Tue:@TB(D.Waechter); Sun:@DET(Jas.Johnson)
Scott Elarton: Tue:PIT(K.Wells); Sat:PHI(B.Myers)
Shawn Estes: Wed:PIT(K.Benson); Sun:PHI(K.Millwood)
Pat Hentgen: Mon:@KC(Br.Anderson); Sat:BOS(B.Kim)
Jason Johnson: Tue:OAK(B.Zito); Sun:TEX(R.Drese)
Al Leiter: Tue:@ARI(E.Dessens); Sun:@HOU(R.Clemens)
Kevin Millwood: Tue:@SF(Jer.Williams); Sun:@COL(S.Estes)
Joel Pineiro: Tue:@MIN(C.Silva); Sun:@NYY(K.Brown)
Doug Waechter: Tue:TEX(R.Drese); Sun:@CLE(J.D'Amico or C.Sabathia?)
Kip Wells: Tue:@COL(S.Elarton); Sun:@SF(Jer.Williams)
Woody Williams: Tue:ATL(Jar.Wright); Sun:FLO(B.Penny)
Jaret Wright: Tue:@STL(W.Williams); Sun:@MIL(B.Sheets)

Diamond Challenge

SP(6)
Pedro Martinez: Tue:CLE(C.Sabathia); Sun:@TOR(R.Halladay)
Curt Schilling: Thu:@TOR(M.Batista)
Randy Johnson: Wed:NYM(T.Glavine)
Mike Mussina: Fri:SEA(G.Meche)
Roy Halladay: Tue:@KC(D.Reyes); Sun:BOS(P.Martinez)
Tim Hudson: Fri:@KC(J.Gobble)
Javier Vazquez: Wed:ANA(A.Sele)
Mark Mulder: Sat:@KC(D.May)
Roy Oswalt: Fri:NYM(S.Trachsel)
Kerry Wood: Tue:@LA(J.Weaver); Sun:@SD(D.Wells)
Kevin Brown: Tue:ANA(K.Escobar); Sun:SEA(J.Pineiro)
Josh Beckett: Sat:@STL(C.Carpenter)
Shawn Chacon: 3 Home vs. PIT; 3 Home vs. PHI.

Aside from the Pedro, Halladay, Wood, and Brown doubles, Randy and Mussina look like the strongest bets given the unimpressive offenses of their opponents. However, since we'd rather spend more money on offense, we'll leave Chacon deployed over Mussina.

Offensively, the struggling Beltran takes a seat, joining Fullmer, Furcal, and Ichiro. We need Wells and Wilkerson back in the lineup given their nice schedules, so Crawford takes a seat, especially since we're cruising in steals and desperately need power.

Shadow of the Umpire(16th lg; 171st div; 4282nd overall)
Week 6: May 10-May 16

C	Javy Lopez		940
C	Jason Varitek		680
1B	Mark Teixeira		760
1B	Josh Phelps		580
2B	Alfonso Soriano		1930
2B	Marcus Giles		990
3B	Eric Hinske		990
3B	Hank Blalock		850
SS	Alex Rodriguez		2010
SS	Alex Cintron		450
OF	Juan Pierre		1470
OF	Vernon Wells		1150
OF	Scott Podsednik		980
OF	Brad Wilkerson		690
OF	Adam Dunn		690
OF	Miguel Cabrera		570
DH	Richard Hidalgo	970
DH	Joe Crede		600 

SP	Pedro Martinez		1800 
SP	Randy Johnson		1550 
SP	Roy Halladay		1350 
SP	Kerry Wood		1190 
SP	Kevin Brown		1180
SP	Shawn Chacon		630
RP	Eric Gagne		1890
RP	Octavio Dotel		1250
RP	Arthur Rhodes		800
RP	Matt Herges		670

Total Salary for Week 6: 	29620

Internet Challenge

SP(6)
Pedro Martinez: Tue:CLE(C.Sabathia)
Curt Schilling: Thu:@TOR(M.Batista)
Randy Johnson: Wed:NYM(T.Glavine)
Roy Halladay: Tue:@KC(D.Reyes)
Javier Vazquez: Wed:ANA(A.Sele)
Kerry Wood: Tue:@LA(J.Weaver)
Kevin Brown: Tue:ANA(K.Escobar)
Shawn Chacon: 3 Home vs. PIT.

No starts: Mussina, Hudson, Oswalt, Beckett, Contreras.

Pedro, Randy, Vazquez, and Brown are easy picks, and then Wood looks like a great gamble in LA. Chacon rounds out our staff, giving us enough cap room to field a decent offense.

Despite his extended slump, Matsui enjoys four games in Arizona, so hopefully he'll produce more than Alex Cintron. Fullmer heads back to the bench for the surging Wilkerson, and then Beltran joins Ichiro and Crawford to make room for Vernon Wells, who plays four games in the first half of the week.

The Umpire Hunter(16th lg; 408th overall)
Week 6a: May 10-May 13

C	Mike Piazza		990
C	Jason Varitek		680
1B	Mark Teixeira		760
1B	Josh Phelps		580
2B	Alfonso Soriano		1930
2B	Marcus Giles		990
3B	Eric Hinske		990
3B	Hank Blalock		850
SS	Alex Rodriguez		2010
SS	Kazuo Matsui		750
OF	Juan Pierre		1470
OF	Vernon Wells		1150
OF	Scott Podsednik		980
OF	Richard Hidalgo	970
OF	Adam Dunn		690
OF	Miguel Cabrera		570
DH	Brad Wilkerson		690 
DH	Joe Crede		600

SP	Pedro Martinez		1800
SP	Randy Johnson		1550 
SP	Javier Vazquez		1280  
SP	Kerry Wood		1190 
SP	Kevin Brown		1180
SP	Shawn Chacon		630
RP	Eric Gagne		1890
RP	Octavio Dotel		1250
RP	Arthur Rhodes		800
RP	Matt Herges		670

Total Salary for Week 6a: 	29900

Fantasy Baseball & Budget Baseball
(Same game = same rosters and moves for both teams)

While we considered adding Troy Glaus to bolster our production from third base, we don't like Anaheim's schedule, so we'll hold off at least a week in the hope that Batista will start performing like we expected.

SP(6)
Curt Schilling: Thu:@TOR(M.Batista)
Randy Johnson: Wed:NYM(T.Glavine)
Javier Vazquez: Wed:ANA(A.Sele)
Pedro Martinez: Tue:CLE(C.Sabathia); Sun:@TOR(R.Halladay)
Kerry Wood: Tue:@LA(J.Weaver); Sun:@SD(D.Wells)
Tim Hudson: Fri:@KC(J.Gobble)
Roy Halladay: Tue:@KC(D.Reyes); Sun:BOS(P.Martinez)
Kevin Brown: Tue:ANA(K.Escobar); Sun:SEA(J.Pineiro)
Josh Beckett: Sat:@STL(C.Carpenter)
Shawn Chacon: 3 Home vs. PIT; 3 Home vs. PHI.

Along with the Pedro, Wood, Halladay, and Brown doubles, Randy looks like a good bet. Since Chacon's averaging at least two saves, three innings, and four strikeouts over the last three weeks, he seems like a more logical choice than any single start.

LeCroy, Everett, and Kearns obviously stay benched, and Jeter isn't showing signs of breaking out of his slump. Helton, at home all week, returns to the lineup for Derrek Lee. We'll deploy Batista and Wilkerson for Munson and Beltran with the Expos in Milwaukee and Arizona. With Marcus Giles struggling and fighting health problems, he heads to the bench, giving us room for Vernon Wells.

The Umpire Chronicles(15th lg; 1462nd overall)
& Umpire with a Soul(18th lg; 2866th overall)
Week 6: May 10-May 16

C	Brian Schneider		1100
C	Jason Phillips		1070
1B	Todd Helton		3450
1B	Josh Phelps		1260
2B	Alfonso Soriano		3060 
2B	Orlando Hudson		1420
3B	Hank Blalock		2020
3B	Tony Batista		1640
SS	Orlando Cabrera		2460 
SS	Alex Cintron		1100
OF	Albert Pujols		3350 
OF	Manny Ramirez		2960 
OF	Vernon Wells		2260
OF	Adam Dunn		1950
OF	Hideki Matsui		1800
OF	Miguel Cabrera		1600 
DH	Brad Wilkerson		1870
DH	Mark Teixeira		1550

SP	Pedro Martinez		2890 
SP	Randy Johnson		2900 
SP	Kerry Wood		2880
SP	Roy Halladay		2800 
SP	Kevin Brown		2470
SP	Shawn Chacon		1600
RP	Armando Benitez	2490
RP	Octavio Dotel		2400
RP	Matt Herges		1610
RP	Arthur Rhodes		1580

Total Salary for Week 6: 	59540

Today's Fantasy Rx: Today's free agent list presents a couple of nice opportunities for DC owners. We strongly recommend adding Marcus Giles, Vernon Wells, and Javier Vazquez if they don't own any of them. Aramis Ramirez is a fairly good target if you need an upgrade at third base, though we're satisfied with Blalock and Hinske, and don't have the cap room to upgrade on Crede. Lastly, we'd add Dave Roberts any other week, but you simply can't roster a speedster on the DL with hamstring problems, which could slow him the rest of the year.