Today's Fantasy Rx

Schedule recommendations for teams with 7 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Los Angeles Dodgers: 4 Road at PIT; 3 Home vs. SF.
Tampa Bay: 4 Home vs. BAL; 3 Home vs. KC.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Baltimore: 4 Road at TB; 3 Home vs. LAA.
Houston: 1 Home vs. WAS; 3 Road at SF; 3 Road at ARI.
Pittsburgh: 4 Home vs. LAD; 3 Home vs. CHC.

Bad for hitters / Good for pitchers
Washington: 1 Road at HOU; 3 Home vs. NYM; 3 Road at FLO.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 6 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Atlanta: 3 Home vs. PHI; 3 Home vs. SD.
Boston: 3 Home vs. TOR: 3 Home vs. SEA.
Cleveland: 3 Home vs. SEA: 3 Road at DET.
Los Angeles Angels: 3 Home vs. TEX; 3 Road at BAL.
New York Yankees: 3 Home vs. KC: 3 Road at MIN.
Oakland: 3 Road at MIN; 3 Home vs. TEX.
St. Louis: 3 Home vs. MIL; 3 Home vs. CIN.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Arizona: 3 Home vs. COL; 3 Home vs. HOU.
Chicago Cubs: 3 Home vs. CIN; 3 Road at PIT.
Chicago White Sox: 3 Road at DET; 3 Home vs. TOR.
Cincinnati: 3 Road at CHC; 3 Road at STL.
Colorado: 3 Road at ARI; 3 Home vs. PHI.
Detroit: 3 Home vs. CHW; 3 Home vs. CLE.
Minnesota: 3 Home vs. OAK; 3 Home vs. NYY.
Philadelphia: 3 Road at ATL; 3 Road at COL.

Bad for hitters / Good for pitchers
Florida: 3 Home vs. SD; 3 Home vs. WAS.
New York Mets: 3 Road at WAS; 3 Home vs. MIL.
San Diego: 3 Road at FLO; 3 Road at ATL.
San Francisco: 3 Home vs. HOU; 3 Road at LAD.
Texas: 3 Road at LAA; 3 Road at OAK.
Toronto: 3 Road at BOS; 3 Road at CHW.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Kansas City: 3 Road at NYY; 3 Road at TB.
Milwaukee: 3 Road at STL; 3 Road at NYM.
Seattle: 3 Road at CLE; 3 Road at BOS.

Pitchers with 2 starts(to deploy everywhere you own them):
Brian Bannister: Tue:WAS(Ra.Ortiz); Sun:MIL(T.Ohka)
Josh Beckett: Tue:TOR(J.Towers); Sun:SEA(J.Washburn)
Erik Bedard: Mon:@TB(S.McClung); Sat:LAA(B.Colon)
Kris Benson: Tue:@TB(M.Hendrickson); Sun:LAA(J.Lackey)
Jeremy Bonderman: Mon:CHW(F.Garcia); Sun:CLE(Cl.Lee)
Zach Duke: Mon:LAD(Od.Perez); Sat:CHC(Jer.Williams)
Freddy Garcia: Mon:@DET(J.Bonderman); Sun:TOR(A.Burnett)
Dan Haren: Tue:@MIN(B.Radke); Sun:TEX(K.Loe)
Mark Hendrickson: Tue:BAL(K.Benson); Sun:KC(J.Mays)
John Lackey: Mon:TEX(K.Loe); Sun:@BAL(K.Benson)
Cliff Lee: Tue:SEA(J.Washburn); Sun:@DET(J.Bonderman)
Seth McClung: Mon:BAL(E.Bedard); Sat:KC(S.Elarton)
Sergio Mitre: Tue:SD(W.Williams); Sun:WAS(Ra.Ortiz)
Matt Morris: Tue:HOU(T.Buchholz); Sun:@LAD(J.Seo)
Mark Mulder: Mon:MIL(T.Ohka); Sun:CIN(B.Arroyo)
Ramon Ortiz: Tue:NYM(B.Bannister); Sun:@FLO(S.Mitre)
John Patterson: Mon:@HOU(Wa.Rodriguez); Sat:@FLO(S.Olsen)
Odalis Perez: Mon:@PIT(Z.Duke); Sat:SF(K.Correia)
Brad Radke: Tue:OAK(D.Haren); Sun:NYY(C.Wang)
Jae Seo: Tue:@PIT(I.Snell); Sun:SF(M.Morris)
John Thomson: Mon:PHI(B.Myers); Sun:SD(W.Williams)
Chien-ming Wang: Tue:KC(J.Mays); Sun:@MIN(B.Radke)
Woody Williams: Tue:@FLO(S.Mitre); Sun:@ATL(J.Thomson)

Pitchers with 2 starts to deploy only in leagues that don't count qualitative stats:
Bronson Arroyo: Tue:@CHC(G.Rusch); Sun:@STL(M.Mulder)
Taylor Buchholz: Tue:@SF(M.Morris); Sun:@ARI(Or.Hernandez)
Aaron Cook: Tue:@ARI(Or.Hernandez); Sun:PHI(B.Myers)
Orlando Hernandez: Tue:COL(A.Cook); Sun:HOU(T.Buchholz)
Kameron Loe: Mon:@LAA(J.Lackey); Sun:@OAK(D.Haren)
Joe Mays: Tue:@NYY(C.Wang); Sun:@TB(M.Hendrickson)
Brett Myers: Mon:@ATL(J.Thomson); Sun:@COL(A.Cook)
Tomo Ohka: Mon:@STL(M.Mulder); Sat:@NYM(V.Zambrano)
Wandy Rodriguez: Mon:WAS(J.Patterson); Sat:@ARI(C.Vargas)
Glendon Rusch: Tue:CIN(B.Arroyo); Sun:@PIT(I.Snell)
Ian Snell: Tue:LAD(J.Seo); Sun:CHC(G.Rusch)
Josh Towers: Tue:@BOS(J.Beckett); Sun:@CHW(F.Garcia)
Jarrod Washburn: Tue:@CLE(Cl.Lee); Sun:@BOS(J.Beckett)

Diamond Challenge

We engaged in an extended debate over the virtues of adding Jon Papelbon to sit Mike Gonzalez until Pittsburgh's pen shakes out. However, since we still place faith in both Buehrle and Zito, we have no one to cut and therefore will wait to see how Gonzalez rebounds in a nice week at home and if Boston makes a firm announcement regarding Papelbon and Foulke.

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Sat:NYY(Jar.Wright)
Roy Oswalt: Thu:@SF(Jam.Wright)
Pedro Martinez: Wed:@WAS(T.Armas)
Chris Carpenter: Fri:CIN(A.Harang)
Randy Johnson: Thu:KC(De.Bautista)
Jake Peavy: Fri:@ATL(J.Smoltz)
Roy Halladay: Sat:@CHW(M.Buehrle)
Mark Buehrle: Sat:TOR(R.Halladay)
Barry Zito: Fri:TEX(K.Millwood)

Rich Harden: Sat:TEX(V.Padilla)
Felix Hernandez: Thu:@CLE(Jas.Johnson)
John Lackey: Mon:TEX(K.Loe); Sun:@BAL(K.Benson)
Dan Haren: Tue:@MIN(B.Radke); Sun:TEX(K.Loe)

Two doubles and the four relatively safe home starts of Santana, Randy, Zito, and Harden comprise our list, with Santana and Harden just edging Pedro.

To accommodate our starters and the need to deploy both Howard and Burrell with Philly heading to Coors next weekend, as well as our strong belief in Albert Pujols' opening Busch with a bang this week, Tex and Figgins join Uribe, Encarnacion, and Figgins on our bench.

Rotohelp.com(4th lg; 29th div; 475th overall)
Week 2: April 10-April 16

C	Victor Martinez		1020
C	Josh Willingham		340
1B	Travis Hafner		1180
2B	Chase Utley		1190
2B	Rickie Weeks		620
3B	David Wright		1210
3B	Garrett Atkins		610
SS	Jose Reyes		1030
SS	Clint Barmes		780
OF	Jason Bay		1380
OF	Matt Holliday		1040 
OF	Pat Burrell		1040
OF	Chad Tracy		1020
OF	Ken Griffey		840
OF	Cory Sullivan		460 
DH	Albert Pujols		2060
DH	Todd Helton		1380

SP	Johan Santana		1960 
SP	Randy Johnson		1360
SP	Barry Zito		1070
SP	Rich Harden		1040 
SP	John Lackey		940
SP	Dan Haren		860
RP	Huston Street		1300
RP	Ryan Dempster		1180
RP	Mike Gonzalez		1120
RP	Chris Ray		820

Total Salary for Week 2: 	29700

Internet Challenge

SP(6)
Johan Santana: No start.
Roy Oswalt: Thu:@SF(Jam.Wright)
Pedro Martinez: Wed:@WAS(T.Armas)
Chris Carpenter: No start.
Randy Johnson: Thu:KC(De.Bautista)
Jake Peavy: No start.
Roy Halladay: No start.
Mark Buehrle: No start.
Barry Zito: No start.
Rich Harden: No start.
Felix Hernandez: Thu:@CLE(Jas.Johnson)
John Lackey: Mon:TEX(K.Loe)
Dan Haren: Tue:@MIN(B.Radke)

With only six starts here, we see no reason to make any other moves as we'll just run these six.

To bring us under the cap, the red hot Atkins, heading to Colorado will sub for Tex. We'll see if playing Baltimore for 4 will get Gathright going before we redeploy all our Rockies in the second half of the week.

Rotohelp.com(7th lg; 210th overall)
Week 2a: April 10-April 13

C	Victor Martinez		1020
C	Josh Willingham		340 
1B	Travis Hafner		1180
1B	Ryan Howard		880
2B	Chase Utley		1190
2B	Rickie Weeks		620
3B	David Wright		1210
3B	Edwin Encarnacion	600
SS	Jose Reyes		1030 
SS	Juan Uribe		760
OF	Jason Bay		1380
OF	Chone Figgins		1350 
OF	Pat Burrell		1040
OF	Chad Tracy		1040
OF	Ken Griffey		840 
OF	Joey Gathright		450 
DH	Albert Pujols		2060 
DH	Garrett Atkins		610

SP	Roy Oswalt		1830 
SP	Pedro Martinez		1700 
SP	Randy Johnson		1360
SP	Felix Hernandez		960
SP	John Lackey		940
SP	Dan Haren		860
RP	Huston Street		1300
RP	Ryan Dempster		1180
RP	Mike Gonzalez		1120
RP	Chris Ray		820

Total Week 2a Salary:		29620

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

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Sat:NYY(Jar.Wright)
Roy Oswalt: Thu:@SF(Jam.Wright)
Chris Carpenter: Fri:CIN(A.Harang)
Pedro Martinez: Wed:@WAS(T.Armas)
Randy Johnson: Thu:KC(De.Bautista)
John Lackey: Mon:TEX(K.Loe); Sun:@BAL(K.Benson)
Roy Halladay: Sat:@CHW(M.Buehrle)
Rich Harden: Sat:TEX(V.Padilla)
Dan Haren: Tue:@MIN(B.Radke); Sun:TEX(K.Loe)
Felix Hernandez: Thu:@CLE(Jas.Johnson)

Lackey and Haren are obvious calls, and then Santana, Randy, and Harden lead the remaining pick. With Oswalt, Carpenter, and Pedro all viable, we'll go with the latter due to a general belief in Pedro enjoying a severe advantage over Armas in DC.

With the extra cap room, we have space to deploy Victor Martinez for Joe Mauer and Coco Crisp for Jeremy Hermida.

Rotohelp.com(FB: 6th lg; 175th overall)
& Rotohelp.com(BB: 3rd lg; 342nd overall)
Week 2: April 10-April 16

 
C	Victor Martinez		1940
C	Josh Willingham		1000
1B	Travis Hafner		2680
1B	Ryan Howard		1950
2B	Mark Ellis		1340
2B	Rickie Weeks		1300
3B	David Wright		2480
3B	Garrett Atkins		1330 
SS	Felipe Lopez		1800
SS	Clint Barmes		1610
OF	Jason Bay		2550
OF	Ken Griffey		2230
OF	Matt Holliday		2140
OF	Chad Tracy		2100 
OF	Coco Crisp		2080
OF	Cory Sullivan		1180
DH	Todd Helton		3040
DH	Lance Berkman		2860

SP	Johan Santana		3310 
SP	Pedro Martinez		2970 
SP	Randy Johnson		2910
SP	John Lackey		2760
SP	Rich Harden		2430 
SP	Dan Haren		1940
RP	Huston Street		2320
RP	Ryan Dempster		2150
RP	Mike Gonzalez		1820
RP	Chris Ray		1580

Total Salary for Week 2:	59800

Today's Fantasy Rx: We won't tell you not to pick up Chris Shelton, but we're not ready to make that move since we already own five first baseman we trust more than the Pirates' missing man. However, you at least need to insure that any moves you make this early in the season address overall team needs rather than take any action as a direct reaction to one short week of stats. Jumping on Papelbon now would free cap space we want for our offense, but even that switch seems unnecessarily preemptive given the circumstances surrounding both him and Mike Gonzalez over the past week.

Now if Bobby Jenks begins training this week to defeat Kobayashi at Nathan's this July, expect to see a purchase of Brandon McCarthy here next Sunday.