MLB Fantasy Baseball: Tuesday News and Notes

Washburn, however, gave up home runs to absolutely everyone. Wolf continues to need to be benched on the road, and Washburn needs to be benched period. Can someone tell me what New York and Minnesota wanted with this guy?

 

Notes for today's games:

• Jason Varitek is the only Red Sox player that doesn't deserve a start against Daniel Cabrera. Cabrera is just 1-1 in four starts against Boston, with an ERA approaching five. Expect to see Alex Cora in the lineup, likely at shortstop, with Jed Lowrie playing third. Cora is a .429 hitter against Cabrera.
• A.J. Burnett has won seven of his last eight decisions and eight of his last 10 overall. Burnett has won ugly, but it's still a win in every book. His numbers against the Yankees, though, give you reason to start him. He's 2-0 this season with an ERA of 1.88. While your normal Yankees are decent plays, look for other options than Robinson Cano or Wilson Betemit.
• Joe Blanton looked bad in his last outing against the Dodgers on the road, but his prior two had been very good and were against teams that are much better offensively than the Nationals. Given the Nationals' struggles, starting Blanton as a spot play is a good option in deeper leagues.
• Oliver Perez has looked good at home, holding opponents to a .192 BAA. He's been very effective against lefties, as they only hit .169 against Perez. He's not the most reliable of starters, but the Braves represent an opportunity for him to take on another weaker offense. Keep him active and bench all lefties against him.
• Unless you're starting Scott Hairston, there is no Padres player that has good numbers against Doug Davis. Davis has owned the entire lineup and is one of the better spot plays of the day. Brian Giles, Adrian Gonzalez, and Khalil Greene are all under .200. Kevin Kouzmanoff is just over that mark.
• Ian Snell is 1-7 on the road with an ERA hovering around eight. He's 0-2 in August, and has seen his ERA swell to nearly six for the month. Just been out-and-out ugly at this point. Add to that, the Cardinals are hitting nearly .300 as a team and all your regular Cardinals make good plays against Snell.
• Johnny Cueto is just 3-8 on the road with an ERA over five. Against a divisional opponent that has been hitting on all cylinders, keep him reserved and start all your Cubs. It's the best option.
• Spot start calls? Go with Slowey, Braden Looper, Doug Davis, and Blanton.

 

Notes for Wednesday:

• Manny Parra has been lights-out at home for the better part of two months now. Where he's getting a struggling Houston team, keep him active and expect good numbers. Lefties are only hitting .208 against Parra on the season, and his last few losses have been on the road.
• Jeff Francis hasn't had much success against the Dodgers. Keep Juan Pierre and Jeff Kent active, as both are hitting well over .400 against Francis. Matt Kemp is only 4-18 and Andre Ethier just 4-17. Francis checks in at just 1-3 on the road with an ERA approaching seven.
• Jhonny Peralta is 11-23 against Gil Meche, and Ryan Garko checks in at 7-16. Keep both active. While Meche has been good on the road, he has struggled against Cleveland, posting a 1-1 record in three starts and a 6.46 ERA to go with a .311 BAA. Keep him reserved here.
• It's a case of which wins out with Mike Pelfrey. He has been absolutely torched by the Braves, but veen very good at home. Pelfrey is 0-2 against Atlanta, with a double-digit ERA, but 6-5 at home with an ERA under three. Four of his last five outings at home have been near perfect. We'll take the recent history on this one and recommend him as a play.
• Vernon Wells is a .414 hitter against Andy Pettitte, but Lyle Overbay is just 2-21. Kevin Mench, Alex Rios, and John McDonald all have solid numbers against the Yankees starter and should be considered good plays.
• Jake Peavy is still taking a 4-4 record and 4.14 ERA on the road with him to Arizona. The D-Backs only hit .197 against him as a team, and there is no everyday player hitting over .300 against Peavy. Adam Dunn and Chris Young are the worst offenders, and if you have other options for them, you should go that route.
• Matt Garza is always a good option at home, even against the Angels. Garza pitched very well in his last outing against Texas and is 6-2 at home with a 2.47 ERA for the season. Keep him active, as always.
• Spot starts for Wednesday: go with Todd Wellemeyer, Ted Lilly, Manny Parra, and Scott Olsen.

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