Today's Fantasy Rx

Schedule recommendations for teams with 8 games

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Pittsburgh: 2 Home vs. SF; 3 Home vs. NYM; 3 Home vs. PHI.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
San Francisco: 2 Road at PIT; 3 Road at ATL; 3 Road at FLO.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 7 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Boston: 3 Home vs. TB; 4 Home vs. LAA.
Los Angeles Angels: 3 Road at TOR; 4 Road at BOS.
Los Angeles Dodgers: 4 Home vs. HOU; 3 Home vs. COL.
New York Yankees: 3 Home vs. BAL; 4 Home vs. DET.
Oakland: 1 Road at DET; 3 Home vs. CHW; 3 Home vs. KC.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Detroit: 1 Home vs. OAK; 2 Road at CLE; 4 Road at NYY.
Kansas City: 1 Home vs. TOR; 3 Road at TEX; 3 Road at OAK.
Toronto: 1 Road at KC; 3 Home vs. LAA; 3 Home vs. BAL.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Houston: 4 Road at LAD; 3 Road at SD.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 6 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Atlanta: 3 Home vs. SF; 3 Home vs. ARI.
Chicago Cubs: 3 Home vs. CIN; 3 Home vs. STL.
Milwaukee: 3 Home vs. STL; 3 Home vs. CIN.
New York Mets: 3 Road at PIT; 3 Road at WAS.
San Diego: 3 Home vs. COL; 3 Home vs. HOU.
Seattle: 3 Home vs. MIN; 3 Home vs. CHW.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Baltimore: 3 Road at NYY; 3 Road at TOR.
Cincinnati: 3 Road at CHC; 3 Road at MIL.
Florida: 3 Home vs. ARI; 3 Home vs. SF.
Minnesota: 3 Road at SEA; 3 Home vs. TEX.
St. Louis: 3 Road at MIL; 3 Road at CHC.
Tampa Bay: 3 Road at BOS; 3 Home vs. CLE.
Texas: 3 Home vs. KC; 3 Road at MIN.
Washington: 3 Home vs. PHI; 3 Home vs. NYM.

Bad for hitters / Good for pitchers
Arizona: 3 Road at FLO; 3 Road at ATL.
Chicago White Sox: 3 Road at OAK; 3 Road at SEA.
Philadelphia: 3 Road at WAS; 3 Road at PIT.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Colorado: 3 Road at SD; 3 Road at LAD.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 5 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Cleveland: 2 Home vs. DET; 3 Road at TB.

Pitchers with 2 starts(to deploy everywhere you own them):
Chad Billingsley: Mon:HOU(R.Oswalt); Sat:COL(T.Harikkala)
Jeremy Bonderman: Tue:@CLE(C.Sabathia); Sun:@NYY(C.Wang)
Matt Cain: Mon:@PIT(P.Maholm); Sat:@FLO(R.Vanden Hurk)
Chris Capuano: Tue:STL(K.Wells); Sun:CIN(A.Harang)
Lenny DiNardo: Tue:CHW(J.Garland); Sun:KC(K.Davies)
Jeff Francis: Tue:@SD(G.Maddux); Sun:@LAD(B.Tomko)
Jon Garland: Tue:@OAK(L.DiNardo); Sun:@SEA(F.Hernandez)
Chad Gaudin: Mon:@DET(C.Durbin); Sat:KC(Od.Perez)
Roy Halladay: Tue:LAA(J.Saunders); Sun:BAL(J.Guthrie)
Aaron Harang: Tue:@CHC(C.Zambrano); Sun:@MIL(C.Capuano)
Felix Hernandez: Mon:MIN(J.Santana); Sun:CHW(J.Garland)
Orlando Hernandez: Tue:@PIT(I.Snell); Sun:@WAS(S.Hill)
Shawn Hill: Tue:PHI(K.Lohse); Sun:NYM(O.Hernandez)
Byung-Hyun Kim: Tue:@FLO(D.Willis); Sun:@ATL(J.Smoltz)
Kyle Lohse: Tue:@WAS(S.Hill); Sun:@PIT(I.Snell)
Noah Lowry: Mon:@PIT(S.Youman); Sun:@FLO(D.Willis)
Greg Maddux: Tue:COL(J.Francis); Sun:HOU(M.Albers)
Paul Maholm: Mon:SF(M.Cain); Sat:PHI(J.Moyer)
Roy Oswalt: Mon:@LAD(C.Billingsley); Sat:@SD(C.Hensley?)
C.C. Sabathia: Tue:DET(J.Bonderman); Sun:@TB(J.Shields)
Johan Santana: Mon:@SEA(F.Hernandez); Sat:TEX(K.Loe)
James Shields: Mon:@BOS(T.Wakefield); Sun:CLE(C.Sabathia)
Ian Snell: Tue:NYM(O.Hernandez); Sun:PHI(K.Lohse)
John Smoltz: Tue:SF(S.Atchison); Sun:ARI(B.Kim)
Brett Tomko: Tue:HOU(M.Albers); Sun:COL(J.Francis)
Tim Wakefield: Mon:TB(J.Shields); Sat:LAA(Jer.Weaver)
Chien-ming Wang: Mon:BAL(J.Guthrie); Sun:DET(J.Bonderman)
Dontrelle Willis: Tue:ARI(B.Kim); Sun:SF(N.Lowry)
Carlos Zambrano: Tue:CIN(A.Harang); Sun:STL(K.Wells)

Pitchers with 2 starts to deploy only in leagues that do not count qualitative stats:
Matt Albers: Tue:@LAD(B.Tomko); Sun:@SD(G.Maddux)
Jeremy Guthrie: Mon:@NYY(C.Wang); Sun:@TOR(R.Halladay)
Kyle Davies: Tue:@TEX(K.Millwood); Sun:@OAK(L.DiNardo)
Chad Durbin: Mon:OAK(C.Gaudin); Sat:@NYY(A.Pettitte)
Jesse Litsch: Mon:@KC(Od.Perez); Sat:BAL(S.Trachsel)
Kevin Millwood: Tue:KC(K.Davies); Sun:@MIN(B.Bonser)
Odalis Perez: Mon:TOR(J.Litsch); Sat:@OAK(C.Gaudin)
Joe Saunders: Tue:@TOR(R.Halladay); Sun:@BOS(J.Lester)
Kip Wells: Tue:@MIL(C.Capuano); Sun:@CHC(C.Zambrano)

Diamond Challenge

With both Taveras and Victorino injured, we added Corey Hart, who offers the best value among outfielders, and cut the disabled Ben Sheets.

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Mon:@SEA(F.Hernandez); Sat:TEX(K.Loe)
Roy Oswalt: Mon:@LAD(C.Billingsley); Sat:@SD(C.Hensley?)
John Smoltz: Tue:SF(S.Atchison); Sun:ARI(B.Kim)
Jake Peavy: Fri:HOU(W.Williams)
Roy Halladay: Tue:LAA(J.Saunders); Sun:BAL(J.Guthrie)
Brandon Webb: Fri:@ATL(L.Cormier)
John Lackey: Fri:@BOS(J.Beckett)
C.C. Sabathia: Tue:DET(J.Bonderman); Sun:@TB(J.Shields)
Josh Beckett: Fri:LAA(J.Lackey)
Chris Young: Wed:COL(U.Jimenez)
Felix Hernandez: Mon:MIN(J.Santana); Sun:CHW(J.Garland)
Jon Papelbon: 3 Home vs. TB; 4 Home vs. LAA.

With a chance to make up serious ground in strikeouts, wins, and maybe even ERA/WHIP, we will deploy all six of our doubles, along with returning Francisco Cordero to the lineup for Ryan Dempster.

Pujols reluctantly hits our bench for cap reasons, joining Kendrick, Victorino, and now also Atkins and Taveras. Hart enters the lineup, along with Morneau and Teahen.

Rotohelp.com(7th lg; 57th div; 869th overall)
Week 20: August 13-August 19

 
C	Brian McCann		880
C	Russ Martin		680 
1B	Ryan Howard		1420 
1B	Justin Morneau		1180
2B	Brandon Phillips	930
2B	Kelly Johnson		400 
3B	David Wright		1550
3B	Mark Teahen		750
SS	Jose Reyes		1610 
SS	Hanley Ramirez		1100
OF	Matt Holliday		1410 
OF	Manny Ramirez		1390
OF	Barry Bonds		830 
OF	Magglio Ordonez		820 
OF	Delmon Young		750 
OF	Corey Hart		430 
DH	Prince Fielder		910 
DH	Bill Hall		900 

SP	Johan Santana		1960
SP	Roy Oswalt		1550
SP	John Smoltz		1260 
SP	Roy Halladay		1140 
SP	C.C. Sabathia		1040
SP	Felix Hernandez		840 
RP	Francisco Cordero	1260
RP	Takashi Saito		1200
RP	Ryan Dempster		1130 
RP	Matt Capps		600

Total Salary for Week 20: 	29900

Diamond Challenge - 2nd Season

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Mon:@SEA(F.Hernandez); Sat:TEX(K.Loe)
Roy Oswalt: Mon:@LAD(C.Billingsley); Sat:@SD(C.Hensley?)
John Smoltz: Tue:SF(S.Atchison); Sun:ARI(B.Kim)
Jake Peavy: Fri:HOU(W.Williams)
John Lackey: Fri:@BOS(J.Beckett)
C.C. Sabathia: Tue:DET(J.Bonderman); Sun:@TB(J.Shields)
Jeremy Bonderman: Tue:@CLE(C.Sabathia); Sun:@NYY(C.Wang)
Daisuke Matsuzaka: Wed:TB(A.Sonnanstine)
Dan Haren: Thu:CHW(J.Vazquez)
Tim Hudson: Wed:SF(Ru.Ortiz)
Cole Hamels: Thu:@WAS(J.Hanrahan)
Jon Papelbon: 3 Home vs. TB; 4 Home vs. LAA.

Our five doubles will join Papelbon while Al Reyes, who has not saved a game in three weeks, hits the bench for Francisco Cordero.

Offensively, Victor and Holliday join Kendrick, Lowell, and Victorino on the bench while McCann and Youkilis enter the starting lineup.

Rotohelp.com(13th lg; 75th div; 436th overall)
Week 20: August 13-August 19

 
C	Brian McCann		880 
C	Russ Martin		680 
1B	Justin Morneau		1180
1B	Prince Fielder		910 
2B	Brandon Phillips	930
2B	Kelly Johnson		400 
3B	Ryan Braun		750
3B	B.J. Upton		410 
SS	Jose Reyes		1610 
SS	Hanley Ramirez		1100
OF	Vladimir Guerrero	1880 
OF	Grady Sizemore		1380 
OF	Alex Rios		1000
OF	Magglio Ordonez		820 
OF	Ken Griffey		790 
OF	Corey Hart		430 
DH	Kevin Youkilis		580
DH	J.J. Hardy		420

SP	Johan Santana		1960 
SP	Roy Oswalt		1550 
SP	John Smoltz		1260 
SP	C.C. Sabathia		1040
SP	Jeremy Bonderman	980
SP	Jon Papelbon		900 
RP	Francisco Cordero	1260
RP	Takashi Saito		1200
RP	Jose Valverde		1100 
RP	Matt Capps		600

Total Salary for Week 20: 	28000

Internet Challenge

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Mon:@SEA(F.Hernandez)
Roy Oswalt: Mon:@LAD(C.Billingsley)
Ben Sheets: No start(DL).
Jake Peavy: No start.
Brandon Webb: No start.
Greg Maddux: Tue:COL(J.Francis)
Josh Beckett: No start.
Daisuke Matsuzaka: Wed:TB(A.Sonnanstine)
Dan Haren: Thu:CHW(J.Vazquez)
Felix Hernandez: Mon:MIN(J.Santana)
Matt Cain: Mon:@PIT(P.Maholm)
Jon Papelbon: 3 Home vs. TB.

We are not bothering with Santana or Felix here, instead deferring to Oswalt, Maddux, Dice-K, Haren, Cain, and Papelbon.

On offense, Teahen replaces Taveras, who joins Hafner, Kendrick, Hall, and Victorino on our bench.

Rotohelp.com(8th lg; 149th overall)
Week 20a: August 13-August 16

 
C	Victor Martinez		1310 
C	Brian McCann		880 
1B	Ryan Howard		1420 
1B	Prince Fielder		910
2B	Brandon Phillips	930
2B	Kelly Johnson		400 
3B	David Wright		1550
3B	B.J. Upton		410
SS	Jose Reyes		1610 
SS	Hanley Ramirez		1100
OF	Matt Holliday		1410 
OF	Manny Ramirez		1390
OF	Alex Rios		1000 
OF	Barry Bonds		830
OF	Delmon Young		750 
OF	Corey Hart		430
DH	Albert Pujols		2050 
DH	Mark Teahen		750

SP	Roy Oswalt		1550
SP	Greg Maddux		1040 
SP	Daisuke Matsuzaka	950
SP	Dan Haren		940 
SP	Matt Cain		840
SP	Jon Papelbon		900  
RP	Francisco Cordero	1260
RP	Takashi Saito		1200 
RP	Joe Borowski		1110 
RP	Matt Capps		600

Total Week 20a Salary:		29520

Fantasy Baseball & Fanball.Com Cap Challenge (aka Budget Baseball)
(Same rules = same rosters and moves for both teams)

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Mon:@SEA(F.Hernandez); Sat:TEX(K.Loe)
Roy Oswalt: Mon:@LAD(C.Billingsley); Sat:@SD(C.Hensley?)
John Lackey: Fri:@BOS(J.Beckett)
Jake Peavy: Fri:HOU(W.Williams)
Josh Beckett: Fri:LAA(J.Lackey)
C.C. Sabathia: Tue:DET(J.Bonderman); Sun:@TB(J.Shields)
Chris Young: Wed:COL(U.Jimenez)
Cole Hamels: Thu:@WAS(J.Hanrahan)
Jon Papelbon: 3 Home vs. TB; 4 Home vs. LAA.

While Peavy remains an excellent play, cap concerns led us to a rotation of Santana, Oswalt, Sabathia, Young, Hamels, and Papelbon. Valverde also replaces Borowski, who only sees five games this week.

On offense, the only defensible moves look like a swap of Teahen and Delmon Young for Atkins and Willy Taveras. Adrian Gonzalez could be a solid play, but we lack a suitable roster spot, so he stays benched along side Bard, Utley, Stephen Drew, Swisher, and Baldelli.

Rotohelp.com(FB: 9th lg; 653rd overall)
& Rotohelp.com(FC: 9th lg; 1367th overall)
Week 20: August 13-August 19

 
C	Joe Mauer		1890 
C	Brian McCann		1880 
1B	Albert Pujols		3890
1B	Prince Fielder		1850 
2B	Ian Kinsler		1270 
2B	Brandon Phillips	1160
3B	David Wright		2900  
3B	B.J. Upton		1000
SS	Jose Reyes		2460 
SS	Hanley Ramirez		2150
OF	Matt Holliday		2730
OF	Grady Sizemore		2760 
OF	Barry Bonds		2560 
OF	Magglio Ordonez		1770 
OF	Delmon Young		1500
OF	Chris B. Young		1000 
DH	Ryan Howard		3240 
DH	Mark Teahen		1980

SP	Johan Santana		3410
SP	Roy Oswalt		3070 
SP	C.C. Sabathia		2490
SP	Chris Young		1760 
SP	Cole Hamels		1450
SP	Jon Papelbon		1950 
RP	J.J. Putz		2360 
RP	Takashi Saito		2200 
RP	Jose Valverde		1880
RP	Matt Capps		1000

Total Salary for Week 20:	59800

Mid-Season Fantasy Baseball

An intriguing double start for Smoltz caught our attention, so we will add him and cut Beckett, who might rejoin our team in two weeks during roster expansion for his next double start.

SP(6)
John Smoltz: Tue:SF(S.Atchison); Sun:ARI(B.Kim)
Jake Peavy: Fri:HOU(W.Williams)
C.C. Sabathia: Tue:DET(J.Bonderman); Sun:@TB(J.Shields)
Roy Halladay: Tue:LAA(J.Saunders); Sun:BAL(J.Guthrie)
Erik Bedard: Wed:@NYY(P.Hughes)
Tim Lincecum: Thu:@ATL(C.James)
Cole Hamels: Thu:@WAS(J.Hanrahan)
Fausto Carmona: Wed:DET(V.Vazquez???)
Jon Papelbon: 3 Home vs. TB; 4 Home vs. LAA.

Smoltz, Sabathia, Halladay, Hamels, Carmona, and Papelbon look solid here. Capps also flips for Borowski due to the Indians' 5-game week and the Pirates' 8-game slog.

While McCann, Iwamura, Utley, Kendrick, Hardy, Victorino, and Sheffield all stay benched, Alex Rios returns to the lineup for Sizemore.

Rotohelp.com(2nd lg; 155th overall)
Week 20: August 13-August 19

 
C	Joe Mauer		1890
C	Russ Martin		1290
1B	Justin Morneau		2620
1B	Prince Fielder		1850
2B	Robinson Cano		1950 
2B	Brandon Phillips	1160
3B	Ryan Braun		1500 
3B	B.J. Upton		1000
SS	Jose Reyes		2460 
SS	Hanley Ramirez		2150 
OF	Matt Holliday		2730 
OF	Alex Rios		1970
OF	Magglio Ordonez		1770 
OF	Curtis Granderson	1550
OF	Corey Hart		1120 
OF	Chris B. Young		1000
DH	Alex Rodriguez		3630 
DH	Ryan Howard		3240 

SP	John Smoltz		2940 
SP	C.C. Sabathia		2490 
SP	Roy Halladay		2480
SP	Cole Hamels		1450
SP	Fausto Carmona		1070
SP	Jon Papelbon		1950 
RP	J.J. Putz		2360
RP	Takashi Saito		2200 
RP	Kevin Gregg		1430 
RP	Matt Capps		1000

Total Salary for Week 20:	54250

Today's Fantasy Rx: Last week saw the majority of teams play most of their games in very hitter-friendly parks. Now, with clubs like the Marlins, Dodgers, Athletics, Padres, Mariners, and Nationals all returning home for this week, pitchers step back to the forefront. Take advantage of the multitude of strong doubles to load your staff with high-upside starts, run some of your riskier pitchers if they enjoy comfortable environments, and focus most of your effort on setting the strongest offensive lineup to maximize your production during a probable down week for many of your hitters. Also do not forget that the Indians only take the field five times while the Giants and Pirates play a loaded slate of eight contests.