MLB Fantasy Baseball: Friday News and Notes

The last weekend of the season brings with it its own pressures for fantasy owners. There isn't much time left, so certainly make moves accordingly. Spot starts are become a premium, and knowing the matchups for offenses can make the difference between winning and losing these weekly categories. Let's get to the notes.

• Josh Beckett is not going to start for Boston tonight and instead will make a trip to see Dr. James Andrews. It's being viewed as a precaution, but, let's be honest, this is never a good sign. Daisuke Matsuzaka is being moved up in the rotation and will make the start for Boston against the White Sox. Owners shouldn't count on Beckett moving forward. Worse, he won't have to be placed on the DL because rosters expand come Monday. It leaves owners with a tough decision to make. I'm not convinced he'll pitch again in the fantasy season to make an impact.
• Ian Kinsler is on track for a Sept. 1 return, and Evan Longoria is on track for return next week as well. Very important for owners to react accordingly. These players are difference makers when it comes to your playoff hopes and don't require the need to be as reserved with decisions for starting and sitting. As a for instance, Kinsler was dropped in one of my leagues. In a 14-team league, I sacrificed Joey Votto, put Kinsler on the DL, and picked up Eric Hinske, who has stats that are similar enough to make me feel the move worth it. Especially if I get Kinsler later in the playoffs.
• Joba Chamberlain took the mound for the Yankees to get some work. He threw a solid bullpen session and still feels he'll be able to return later this month to the rotation. Sadly, that means the end of his fantasy relevance, but it still makes him a solid option in a keeper league, but he would have been even without this injury.
• Young pitchers make it tough on managers and fantasy owners. As good as Clayton Kershaw had been in recent outings, he was just as bad against the Nationals last night. Kershaw couldn't get himself out of the third inning, giving up five earned runs in his brief appearance. Sometimes this happens with young pitchers, but you can't tell when. The safer bet, overall, is to only use these type of pitchers at home, even when the matchup would dictate to use them on the road.
• We talked about one young catcher yesterday in Kelly Shoppach, and last night another young catcher came through for his team. Kurt Suzuki rocked an RBI double in the ninth to give th A's the win over Minnesota. Suzuki is hitting .284 on the season, but he doesn't quite provide the power that you get from Shoppach. His numbers are solid and could help a team moving in to next season. He's in his first full season as the full-time catcher, and he was the reason the A's were able to jettison Jason Kendall.
• We saw a ton of hype when Jay Bruce came on the scene, but we haven't seen Chris Davis get the same type of pub with Texas. Davis knocked his 14th home run of the season last night, and he's been up for far less time than Bruce. Teams that need some power this weekend on the cheap should look to grab Davis and toss him in the utility spot. Yes, they get the Angels, but it's not Lackey or Santana on the mound.
• Teams needing saves should still look to grab Dan Wheeler, who recorded his 10th save on the season last night, and Chris Perez, who has largely taken over the role in St. Louis. Some leagues still see Brad Ziegler available as well. These three guys will record a few saves between them this weekend and won't harm your WHIP or ERA in the process. Perez and Ziegler will likely be closers for their respective teams next season, with incumbents being traded to shore up other holes.
• One guy that came up with high expectations, but failed to live up to them, was Max Scherzer. He's going to be back for Arizona, likely in the rotation. He could get four or five starts down the stretch that would definitely help fantasy owners come playoff time. It would likely be at the expense of Petit.
• Finally, if you lost Howie Kendrick to the hamstring injury, look to find Mike Aviles, Alexei Ramirez, or Jed Lowrie on waivers. Any will be able to provide the boost in numbers your team will need over the weekend.

The Roundtable will be around all weekend via email for those last second questions. Hit us up at [e-mail].

Notes for Today's Games

• No doubt, Aaron Cook is an elite pitcher, but he has had problems with the Padres. While Khalil Greene is only hitting .200 (6-for-30) against Cook, Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Brian Giles are all worth starts. Cook's August struggles have largely come at home. He's 9-3 on the road and 2-1 against San Diego, with that one loss coming in Colorado. Keep him active.
• The guys that have done the most damage against Javier Vazquez are all hurt for Boston. Mike Lowell, Sean Casey, Drew, and Lugo will all be sidelined. Mark Kotsay is a .188 hitter against Vazquez, and Ortiz is just .250 for his career. Not saying to start Vazquez, because he is just 4-6 on the road this season and has a 4.55 ERA in 13 starts.
• Kyle Lohse has had good success against the Astros this season, having gone 3-0. I'll take the fact that he can't get anyone out for all of August as the trend that prevails. He's 1-3 with a 5.34 ERA since the start of the month. Randy Wolf is very good at home, so a win this time is less likely, given the numbers.
• A.J. Burnett has owned the Yankees all season long, to the point that it isn't even funny. Burnett is 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA against New York. The team is hitting just .200 against him. Burnett has won his last six decisions and is 4-0 in August. Yes, his ERA is high, but his dominance against the Yankees is worth taking the gamble in all formats.
• Kevin Slowey is another Twins starter that deserves a look. He's 3-1 for the month and has been better on the road since the All-Star break. The big ballpark and lack of offense continue to make the matchup favorable. Bobby Crosby is just 1-for-6, and Slowey is holding righties to a .237 AVG.
• Right-handed batters have had their way with Joe Blanton. They've hit .310 against him this season, even with the change in leagues. He's been struggling on the road, with an ERA over five, and is going against the Cubs. The Cubs couldn't be playing much better and are filled with good right-handed hitters. Bad matchup for Blanton.
• Jeremy Guthrie has posted solid numbers in August, having gone 3-2 with a 2.45 ERA. Against Tampa, he's 0-2, but his ERA is still a respectable 3.93. On the road, he's still posting a 2.92 ERA and 6-4 record. Look for him to pitch well enough in Tampa to earn the start in all formats. Carlos Pena (.429/1/3) is still a must start, but all other Rays should be reserved.
• Ryan Doumit has struggled against Dave Bush, going just 1-for-12. Adam LaRoche, Freddy Sanchez, and Nate McLouth should all be active. LaRoche is a solid grab if you're looking for some offense, as he's 5-for-12 against Bush. Keep Bush starting, as he's 3-0 in August and held the Pirates to one run over eight innings during his last start against them.
• Spot Starts: Dave Bush, Zach Miner, Jeremy Guthrie, and Randy Wolf.

Notes for Saturday

• We here at the 'Table continue to enjoy the fact the Mariners find it to be a good idea to start Jarrod Washburn. We aren't sure why they feel this is a good decision, even the Tigers realized that Nate Robertson had to go. Whatever the reason, take the time to start anyone who plays for Cleveland. The bat boys are good plays. Washburn wouldn't be able to go one-two-three if you spotted him the one and two.
• As predicted here for several weeks and on multiple occassions, David Pauley will get the ball for the Red Sox against the ChiSox on Saturday. Pauley isn't considered a prospect in the largest sense of the term, but he is only 25 and pitched very well all season at Pawtucket in AAA. Looking for a cheap win? He's the guy.
• Brett Myers continues to see his stats skewed from his early-season road struggles. He pitched well against the Cubs in his only outing against them this season and is 4-1 since his return from the rotation. He's lowered his ERA by well over a run in that time. Derek Lee has three home runs in 25 at-bats against Myers and Jim Edmonds is hitting .400 in 15 at-bats. They are the best options the Cubs have to offer against Myers.
• Paul Maholm continues to pitch into the sixth inning in every outing he has. Maholm is just 11 percent owned, but is 6-1 at home with an ERA of 3.02. He's just 1-1 in August, but he has an ERA under 3.00 in that time. He's been very tough on lefties, holding them to a .172 AVG. Looking for some cheap offense? Bill Hall is 13-for-20 with two home runs, Mike Cameron (who has been red-hot all month) is 9-for-12 with two home runs as well. They could give your team a spark. Prince Fielder, though, is just 1-for-16.
• Jeff Suppan is 4-0 for the month, with an ERA of 3.09. While Suppan has struggled on the road, he's been good there for the month of August. The opponents, though, have largely been weaker offenses from the NL West (Dodgers and Padres). He's had one very good and one very bad outing against Pittsburgh. Given the lack of offense on Pittsburgh, he's another solid spot-play. Adam LaRoche and Nate McLouth are the best options available. Use them, but bench other Pirates.
• Mark Buehrle was good against Boston last time out, but that was in Chicago. He's much easier to hit on the road, sporting a 3-7 record with 4.86 ERA. If you have other options, the Red Sox hit nearly .300 against him as a team.
• Dan Haren is getting a Dodgers team that he has put up two wins against this season. The stats can lie, however. Haren has been hit hard in his three home outings this month, and the Dodgers own some gaudy lifetime stats against the Diamondbacks' starter. Casey Blake, Manny Ramirez, Jeff Kent, and Andre Ethier are all well above the .300 mark. Haren is far from an automatic given these numbers.
• Ubaldo Jimenez has quietly put together a solid second-half to the season. He's 4-2 in his last seven outings. Yes, he's been hit hard twice, but both outings were at home, where he has had some struggles all season long. On the road, in Petco, against a weaker offense, gives reason to start him if you need some peripheral stats. Brian Giles has hit .385 against Jimenez, but the team as a whole is only at .213. Bench any Padres you have better options for.
• Spot Starts: Jimenez, Maholm, Anthony Reyes, JoJo Reyes.

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