Fantasy Baseball: Monday News and Notes

After another disastrous week that saw this writer relying on Steve Slaton and Santana Moss to take him to a win, having fantasy baseball entering the finals is a welcome reprieve. The last week or two, depending on your host site, has everything boiling down to the final two. Again, continue to make moves that maximize your opportunities. 

As teams become further removed from pennant races, veterans will find themselves sitting more regularly. Be careful; youth can help, but owners are often best suited to continue to play the girls that brought them to the dance. Others should be discarded as playing time becomes more scarce, but only in favor of those that can provide regular at-bats. 

This is what owners have wanted to be involved with all season. Bragging rights for next season are completely worth making multiple moves on a daily basis. Stay competitive, and enjoy the final matchups of the regular season. 

Weekend Rewind

• Owners that were able to take advantage of the Red Sox this weekend will be upset to see the team does not take on Baltimore again this season. After going 16-2 against them in the regular season, Boston will focus on other opponents. More Red Sox in the starting lineup hit above .350 against Baltimore than below it. Remember this heading in to next season.
• Milton Bradley will not take the field again the rest of the season, as the Cubs have suspended the outfielder. Bradley made some incendiary comments regarding the team, the fans, and the city itself that will have him watching the rest of the games from the comfort of his living room couch.
• Obviously, yesterday, Marty McFly took us back to 1991. That is the only way to explain the offensive outburst from Ken Griffey. Griffey drove in a season-high four runs against the Yankees, after driving in just three over his previous 13. No doubt that this is a swan song for the outfielder, but not a bad way to go out.
• Jacoby Ellsbury is quickly vaulting himself into an elite class of outfielder. Ellsbury disappointed in his first full season in 2008, but is hitting .304 with 63 stolen bases in 2009. He is not getting on base at the clip owners might hope, posting just a .356 OBP, but he is working doubles and triples through shortening his swing and using the opposite field. With the potential for 10-15 home runs as he matures, the outfielder will be near the top of most draft boards in 2010.
• Robinson Tejeda put together another solid outing, despite battling a blister on his pitching hand again. Since re-joining the rotation, Tejeda has allowed just two runs in 22.1 innings of work. He has compiled a 3-0 record in that time. Is he a long-term answer? No. Owners should ride this out though.
• Run support doomed Roy Halladay again against the Rays. Halladay allowed just two runs over seven innings, but came out the loser. In six starts this season, he is 1-4 against Tampa, despite posting a 3.35 ERA in those starts. Halladay has been solid, just seems to have some trouble getting help.
• Yovani Gallardo pitched on Sunday, but that will be his last start of the season. Milwaukee will shut him down over the final two weeks. In 185.2 innings this season, he struck out 204 hitters. His record is not indicative of an elite pitcher, going only 13-12. His 1.31 WHIP is not great, but he will likely improve on these numbers next season.
• J.A. Happ was removed from his start this weekend for precautionary reasons. Happ had started for the first time since suffering a limited oblique injury, but said in his postgame comments that he had felt fine. Owners need to be careful with him, as this is not a good sign for those looking for wins.
• Kevin Correia grabbed win No. 11 of the season with a solid performance on the road against the Pirates. Correia is a healthy option inside Petco, as judged by the 3.65 home ERA, but is still a matchup play on the road. Owners should note that he has allowed only five earned runs in 27 innings this month.

Monday Notes

• Andrew McCutchen started September very slow, but is 7-for-21 over his last five games. The Pirates will get their next 10 games at home, and the outfielder has hit .304 inside his own ballpark this season. He and Garrett Jones continue to be the only regular options in Pittsburgh.
• Do not expect a lot out of Kyle Lohse, especially on the road. Lohse continues to battle back from a forearm injury that has cost him some major time this season. He is going to be given a few starts, but the Cardinals are going to restrict him and make sure they get wins. On the road, even last season, Lohse was barely average. Avoid the 1-for-14 of Michael Bourn, but the remaining Astros are good to go.
• Not that you would ever sit him, but if you would, today would be a good option. Albert Pujols is only 4-for-28 against Wandy Rodriguez. Only Matt Holliday has stellar numbers against the Houston starter. Given that Rodriguez is 8-2 at home this season with a 1.58 ERA, it would be best to avoid your Cardinals.
• If you are looking for a nick in the armor of Barry Zito, it is his performance on the road. Zito's season stats leave a lot to be desired, as shown by the 4-7 record. That does not take in to account his recent run. In his last 10 starts, Zito has allowed three runs or less in all of them. Deep leagues should look to him as a start in this one.
• Keep A.J. Pierzynski, Alexei Ramirez, and Carlos Quentin in your lineups against Nick Blackburn. The three are all hitting north of .300 against him. These are the best and only bets though. Blackburn is 3-1 against Chicago in four starts this season, posting a 2.37 ERA in those outings.
• Andy Pettitte missed his last start with shoulder fatigue, and the Yankees were in a position to give him some extra rest. He has been very good away from home this year, going 8-2 with a .225 BAA. Still, the Angels have all hit him VERY well. Only Torii Hunter sticks out as a red flag, as he is 7-for-30 against the lefty. Otherwise, look even to Erick Aybar and Robb Quinlan in deeper and AL-only formats. Every regular is worth starting the Los Angeles lineup.
• So, would you want to take advantage of a guy that has allowed at least eight hits in his last four starts? That is exactly what Braden Looper has done for the Brewers. His ERA for the month is 4.94, and the Cubs have hit .313 against him in three shots this season. Look to avoid him here and start your Cubs.
• Avoid Kevin Millwood, as he is still working himself back into the rotation. He has given up at five runs in four of his last five outings, and he is only 3-7 on the road this year. Yes, this is still Oakland, but they are playing better baseball than they were earlier this year. The risk far outweighs the reward.
• There is still some concern on Derek Lowe. Lowe was knocked out of his last start with a blister, but feels he is ready to go tonight. Kenshin Kawakami is being held ready to start in his place, so keep an eye on this situation. If Lowe does pitch, look to avoid Carlos Beltran, as he is hitting just .185 in 27 at-bats. Jeff Francoeur is not much better, checking in at only .238.
• Spot Starts: Blackburn, Joe Saunders, Zito

Tuesday Notes

• Zack Greinke is still expected to make his start on Tuesday against the Red Sox. Greinke was removed from his last start after taking a shot off of his pitching arm. He tested it over the weekend and did not experience any discomfort. At this point, he would be a start even against the hot-hitting Boston lineup.
• No doubt that the recent starts of Edwin Jackson have been hard to deal with. Still, Jackson is 3-0 against the Indians this season, and the Tigers need him to have a good outing in terms of their position within the division. Look to avoid Andy Marte, as he is 0-for-10, but start Shin-Soo Choo, given that he is 5-for-13 against Jackson.
• Make sure to get Michael Cuddyer in your lineup against John Danks. Cuddyer is 13-for-27 with four home runs and 10 RBI against Danks. Start your normal Twins otherwise, but do not look to reach in this matchup. Danks has pitched well of late, and has given up just 21 hits in 25 innings against the Twins this season.
• Nick Johnson has been swinging a good bat as a Marlin, and he has hit Joe Blanton well overall. He is 7-for-13 against Blanton with a home run. Blanton, outside of a bad start against the Nationals, has pitched well in nine of his last 10 outings. He continues to be a decent start, and has pitched well against Florida this season. He has even average better than a strikeout an inning against Florida.
• The Marlins have a double-header against the Phillies. Philadelphia will start Jamie Moyer in the second game against them. Moyer does nothing but win against the Marlins, especially in Miami. Moyer is 8-0 with a 1.37 ERA lifetime when pitching down in Florida. Deep leagues should add him here.
• Spot Starts: Jeff Niemann, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Jorge De La Rosa

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to [e-mail]. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.