Fantasy Baseball: Friday News and Notes

The end to the season is a little bittersweet. This will be the final set of notes for the season. For those of you that have now been with us for two seasons, it has been a pleasure continuing through this year with you. For those of you new to the party, hopefully you have enjoyed the ride and obtained some good information in the process. 

No doubt, next season will be just as much fun. Over the course of the fall and winter there will be some updates and posts along the way. Keep an eye out for them! 

With the finals winding down, this is a good place to end the session. There are plenty of moves that can still help you. Remember, if pitchers have thrown in the last day or two, they will not be pitching the rest of the way. Drop them and grab others to fill in as needed. Wins and categories can still be had! 

Thanks again for a great 2009! 

On to the notes.

Thursday Rewind

• Too bad there are not many leagues that reward offensive performances by pitchers. In addition to Chris Carpenter working five solid innings against the Reds yesterday, he added a grand slam and six RBI. Carpenter has to have been the most pleasant surprise in the National League in terms of pitching. He will not be available as late in drafts next season.
• Cliff Lee did not end the season well, giving up 27 runs in his last 39.2 innings pitched. Five of his final seven starts were shaky, at best. Interesting piece is that two of those starts came against the Astros. Something to keep in mind heading into next season from a matchup perspective. Lee started off on fire for the Phillies, but slowed down quickly.
• Derrek Lee left yesterday's game after fouling a ball off of his foot. Lee's availability for tonight's game has not been discussed, but X-rays were negative when taken. Keep a careful eye on this situation. If you are close in runs or RBI, it might be prudent to add another bat if Lee cannot go.
• Jon Lester showed no ill effects of the line drive that caught him off the leg during his last start. Lester worked into the seventh inning and gave up no runs on two hits and a walk. He has been dominant against Cleveland in the past, and this outing was no exception. The lefty has asserted himself as one of the better American League pitchers. This season, he finishes with 225 strikeouts in 203.1 innings of work to go with his 15 wins.
• There is little doubt that Tommy Hanson has established himself as a quality fantasy starter. Hanson worked seven innings yesterday against the Nationals and gave up one run on five hits, and two walks. His 2009 ERA ends under 2.90 with a WHIP of 1.18 in 127.2 innings. The Braves will continue to be careful with increasing his innings, but he should build on all these stats next year.
• Aaron Cook produced a second solid start in his return from the disabled list. Cook threw eight innings against the Brewers, and allowed only one run. After hurling five shutout innings against the Cardinals, owners should be confident that he has fully recovered. Cook is a late-round pickup in most formats and should be ready for that same role in 2010.
• As hard a time as many have given Chris Davis this season, he has hit well over the last five games. Davis is now nine for his last 19 with two home runs and four RBIs. He still has struck out four times, but that is actually a slightly better ratio than he has seen.
• Kendry Morales continued his hot streak yesterday. Morales has pushed his average up over .300 with a recent five-game hitting streak. The Angels draw Oakland this weekend, a team that Morales has hit .400 against in 2009. Keep riding him now, as there is no sign of a slow-down.
• Ben Zobrist is now hitting .348 over his last six games. The second basemen has multiple hits in four of his last five games played, and has now driven in 11 runs in a six-game span. Zobrist certainly broke out this year, but will not sneak up on owners in 2010. Careful, though, as he is likely to be over-drafted.

Friday Notes

• Edwin Jackson has not had the best luck against the White Sox. He has given up 20 hits in 19 innings of work to go along with nine walks. Factor in 10 earned runs in this stretch, and it looks scary. Still, five of those runs came in his last outing. He is still 7-2 at home this season, and the strikeout numbers will still help.
• Daisuke Matsuzaka struggled with some control problems against the Yankees, as he walked five batters in seven innings. He did give up six hits as well, but managed to work around much trouble. He has pitched well since returning to the rotation after being exiled, and the Cleveland matchup is favorable enough to keep him active.
• Ubaldo Jimenez has been a nice surprise, but the Dodgers have seemingly had his number all season long. Look to get many of them in your lineup. Even Russell Martin is 8-for-21 against the Colorado starter. Only Manny Ramirez has struggled, posting just one hit in nine at-bats. How bad has Jimenez been against the Dodgers? Try 0-3 in four starts with 19 earned runs allowed in 22 innings.
• Randy Wolf has only had a decision in half of his starts this season, but he has pitched well. More impressive than the 11-6 record is the 1.08 WHIP posted by the starter. Wolf has gone 1-0 in three starts against the Rockies in 2009. Todd Helton has struggled against him, going just 5-for-28. No other major flags here, as the team still shows limited at-bats against Wolf.
• Derek Lowe's numbers against the Nationals look worse than they are, as he was roughed up by them early this season. He has given up five earned runs against them in his last 13 innings of work. Still, he has struggled of late, giving up at least three earned runs in six of his last eight starts. Only once in that span has he worked beyond the sixth inning.
• CC Sabathia will get the ball tonight, but the Yankees are likely going to be cautious in how they use him. Sabathia is 0-1 in three starts against Tampa with a 4.35 ERA. Surprisingly, as a team, Tampa does not have stand-out numbers against the lefty. Jason Bartlett is 10-for-34, and Ben Zobrist is 4-for-10, but not much else of which to speak. If you could use a hit, look to B.J. Upton, as he is 4-for-12 against Sabathia with two home runs.
• Joe Blanton has been very tough at home, going 7-3 in 2009. He has also been effective against most of the Florida Marlins. Look to avoid Dan Uggla, Emilio Bonifacio, and Jeremy Hermida, as none have been particularly good against Blanton. Nick Johnson hopes to be back this weekend, and if available he is a good start here. Johnson is 7-for-16 against Blanton.
• After two rough starts to end August, Kevin Correia has been on a role. The San Diego starter has given up just two runs in his last 22.1 innings of work. The Giants are out of it, and are more likely to throw some younger hitters at Correia than not. His run of success is likely to continue as a result.
• Braden Looper might get you a win on the road, but it is likely going to cost you in ERA. He is 9-3, but has posted a 5.25 ERA and .3-2 BAA away from home. The key will be in how St. Louis approaches the weekend. Regardless, you will want to avoid the 2-for-20 of Mark DeRosa.
• Spot Starts: Randy Wolf, Kevin Correia, David Purcey

Weekend Notes

• The question with all of the games over the weekend will be with regards to who will play. Owners that are looking for certainty are best left to look at the only remaining race being contested. The Twins and Tigers are both likely to play their regulars at least through Saturday. The Rockies and Dodgers will still fight for the division title as well, and with it the right not to play the Cardinals. Beyond that, it would be a guess as to who will show up in lineups.
• Even pitching rotations could be called into question. Playoff teams are very likely to look to get work in for their starters but then pull them early. With games starting as early as Tuesday, rested arms in the bullpen will be important. Do not expect that simply because you have an ace going that they will throw seven innings. It is more likely to happen with teams that are not in the playoffs than those that are.
• Josh Beckett is on track to get the start for Boston on Saturday. Beckett threw a side-session on Wednesday of 62 pitches and thinks that the back injury that caused him to be scratched on Monday is under control. Be cautious here. Not just because of his potential to be pulled early, but because of his having three cortisone shots to reduce the inflammation.
• Only two players are likely worth starting for the Twins against Zack Greinke. Orlando Cabrera and Jason Kubel have the better numbers against the ace. Kubel is 4-for-14 and Cabrera is 7-for-23. Greinke is looking for a shot at the Cy Young Award, so expect him to go all out here.
• Johnny Cueto has gone 3-1 against the Pirates this season with a 2.63 ERA. Ignore his less-than-stellar home numbers in this case, as the fact that it is Pittsburgh should outweigh any problems. Andrew McCutchen has gone 3-for-6 against Cueto with two home runs.
• Give Jeff Niemann one more shot. With the Yankees looking to coast into the playoffs, Niemann could catch the team at a good time. He has pitched well against them this season in two starts, and, even with two rough outings, his home splits are still worth the gamble if you need a win. Niemann held the Yankees to one run on eight hits in seven innings at Yankee Stadium early in September.
• A lot to like about the start on Sunday for Homer Bailey. In addition to getting the Pirates, Bailey has simply been throwing the ball well since the middle of August. After giving up five runs to the Giants on Aug. 18, he has held opponents to two runs or less in six of eight starts. He is very likely to provide a strikeout boost as well. Bailey is 3-0 against Pittsburgh this season with a .217 BAA.
• If the Tigers are to clinch on Saturday, do not expect Justin Verlander to throw on Sunday. Where he has thrown as many pitches as he has in his recent outings, the Tigers will likely give him extra time off if possible. If he does pitch, he is 2-0 against the White Sox this season, and nearly unhittable at home. DeWayne Wise, A.J. Pierzynski, and Carlos Quentin would still all make good plays.
• Look to avoid Curtis Granderson on Sunday. He is just 1-for-16 against John Danks. Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez have both struggled against Josh Johnson, but your other Phillies would make good starts. Chris Davis, Michael Young, Nelson Cruz, and Brandon Boggs all hit Felix Hernandez well. No reason to avoid them.
• Spot Starts: Ryan Rowland-Smith, Wade LeBlanc, Jorge De La Rosa, Homer Bailey, Wade Davis, Scott Feldman

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.