Today's Fantasy Rx

Arizona: Greg Aquino, RH Closer
0-0 and 3 Saves on a 7:7 K:BB in 13 IP over 11 G
with 11 H, 2 HR, a 1.12 G-F, and a 3.46 ERA.
1-3 and 1 Save on a 19:18 K:BB in 29.2 IP over 2 GS(21G)
with 33 H, 2 HR, and a 6.37 ERA for AAA Tucson(PCL).

The Diamondbacks' closer thanks to Mike Koplove's inconsistency and the injuries to Matt Mantei and Jose Valverde, Aquino unfortunately appears unprepared for the majors given his command problems at both Arizona and Tucson. Moving to the bullpen after registering an impressive 7-3 record and 3.46 on a 91:38 K:BB in 107 IP at AA El Paso(TL) last year shouldn't cause this skill degradation, so I harbor concerns regarding a possible recurrence of Aquino's shoulder tendonitis. Of course, only his walk rate truly worries me, and Aquino suffered from sporadic control problems throughout the minors. While he certainly could remain effective in his current role and might help owners desperate for saves, most teams should deal him before his fantasy value plummets when Valverde's return forces Aquino back to middle relief.

Internet Challenge

SP(6)
Pedro Martinez: Sat:@DET(J.Bonderman)
Tim Hudson: Sat:@MIN(J.Santana)
Javier Vazquez: Fri:TOR(S.Douglass)
Jason Schmidt: Sat:CHC(G.Maddux)
Roy Oswalt: Fri:MON(R.Biddle)
Kerry Wood: Sun:@SF(N.Lowry)
No starts: Schilling, Randy, Mussina, K.Brown, Beckett, and Affeldt.

We'll run Affeldt over Hudson since we neither trust his health nor a match-up against Santana.

Fullmer, Orlando Hudson, Cintron, and Pierre sit, and then we'll opt for Crede over Piazza for both cap reasons and due to the two lefties Chicago faces this weekend.

The Umpire Hunter(20th lg; 551st overall)
Week 18b: August 6-August 8

C	Jason Varitek		680 
C	Victor Martinez		450
1B	Lyle Overbay		400
1B	Mark Teixeira		760
2B	Alfonso Soriano		1930
2B	Mark Loretta		820 
3B	Scott Rolen		1460 
3B	Hank Blalock		850
SS	Alex Rodriguez		2010 
SS	Kazuo Matsui		750
OF	Carlos Beltran		1760 
OF	Carl Crawford		1040 
OF	Scott Podsednik		980 
OF	Brad Wilkerson		690
OF	Adam Dunn		690
OF	Miguel Cabrera		570 
DH	Vernon Wells		1150
DH	Joe Crede		600

SP	Pedro Martinez		1800 
SP	Javier Vazquez		1280 
SP	Jason Schmidt		1240  
SP	Roy Oswalt		1200 
SP	Kerry Wood		1190
SP	Jeremy Affeldt		650
RP	Eric Gagne		1890
RP	Octavio Dotel		1250
RP	Danny Kolb		940 
RP	Joe Nathan		720 

Total Salary for Week 18b: 	29750

Today's Fantasy Rx: Several significant fantasy players could miss time in the near future due to suspensions. David Ortiz sat out the first half of this week, and the repercussions from the Boston-New York brawl soon will force Varitek, ARod, and some of their teammates to the bench. At least Carlos Zambrano's decision to begin serving his suspension tomorrow means he won't miss a start thanks to an off day next Monday, but owners in leagues with daily transactions and relatively deep benches should closely monitor the several players with appeals pending to maximize quantitative upside.