MLB Fantasy Baseball: Monday News and Notes

Semifinals have been completed, and in many leagues, the finals are now up and running. Rainouts made setting rosters that much more complicated this weekend. The games should settle down a bit this week, and the questions now turn to, which teams are looking most to the future, and who will still play starters? 

As a side note, I'm all for MLB needing to get these games in between the Cubs and Astros, but it's an embarrassment that the Astros have to travel to a place just an hour away from Cubs territory. There was nothing else available guys? This is the best you could do? 

Let's get to the notes. 

• Back in July, we talked about pitchers that should dominate in the second half of the season. One that didn't get mentioned was Carlos Zambrano. At the time, there were various reasons and most seemed to be spot on, given his trip to the DL and subsequent struggles to get back on the mound. None of that was evident last night. Zambrano was dominant against a red-hot Astros team. This is why we all think he's one of the best, and he proved it.
• So many bullpens are in various states of disarray. When you see leads blown late in games, more the seventh or eighth innings than by a closer in the ninth, it epitomizes how hard it is to predict wins. Starters can do everything right, but, once that ball is handed to a manager, all bets are off. The Twins and Mets are the major culprits, but it's across baseball.
• Brian Bannister is proof that even a blind squirrel will find a nut. Bannister has been just awful on the road. Bannister won for the first time in almost three months, as he was able to silence the Indians bats. He didn't look good in the first inning, but he was able to rebound and not allow a run after that. When you haven't won in three months, fantasy relevance has long passed you by.
• Need a closer for a couple weeks? Chad Qualls has replaced Brandon Lyon as the Diamondbacks' closer. This may not be the biggest news out there, but it certainly could help teams in head-to-head leagues. Doesn't hurt to take the chance, especially with a team still looking to fight for a playoff spot.
• Derek Jeter is hitting .545 in his last six games, and he has had multiple hits in five of his last seven. Jeter has been simply on a tear. He certainly has begun to make a move to be drafted in a similar position to where he was this past season. Say what you will about the guy, but there is something to be said for the consistent numbers he generates.
• Up until late last night, the pitching performance of the day belonged to Brett Myers, again. Myers gave up just two hits and one run in his nine innings of work against the Brewers. Honestly, it's frightening how his demeanor has changed. He had no desire to be a starter up through the break, but he now finds himself as one of the top-10 pitchers in the second half of the season.
• Alexei Ramirez is doing his best to make a push for the Rookie of the Year award. Ramirez has come to be relied on as another solid second base option in all leagues. His average is over .300, and he's providing decent pop as well, registering 17 to go with 65 RBI. He has been on a tear over his last four games, hitting .400.
• It had been a good run for the Twins starters, but Nick Blackburn fell short yesterday. Blackburn was only able to get through four innings, gaving up six runs in the process. He's been hit or miss a fair amount of the season, but the struggles have largely been on the road. Look to other options this week when he faces Tampa.
• Welcome to the big leagues, David Price. Get on this guy now, especially in keeper formats. Price looked solid in his debut and only has upside from here. Not one you want to miss out on. He may not provide immediate help these next two weeks, but long-term, he's gold.
• Apparently Randy Wolf's success at home doesn't translate to neutral sites. Wolf had the luck of being tossed against Zambrano's no-hitter last night, but it wouldn't have mattered regardless. If this proves nothing else, it's that he needs to strictly be in his home ballpark.

Notes for Monday

• Kevin Slowey has looked good in September, and has had two big-strikeout games in his last five starts. Not much to go on from a numbers perspective, but he is just 1-1 against Cleveland this season. His win came at "The Jake," while he suffered a bad loss at home. It's touch and go, but if you need the start, he has the potential to put up very solid peripheral numbers even without a win.
• I'm willing to bet that the last thing a guy that struggles on the road wants to see is a team that hits nearly .300 against him. Mark Buehrle has some bad numbers against the Yankees. Avoid guys named Rodriguez, and everything else should work in the favor of the offense here. Giambi and Abreu are the best options. Yes, Buehrle has been tough this month but both starts were at home. He's 3-8 this year on the road with a 5.34 ERA.
• Daisuke Matsuzaka struggled through his last outing against Tampa, but he has been good on the road this season. Daisuke is 7-0 with a 2.67 ERA away from Fenway, with opponents hitting just .189. Start Akinori Iwamura (.364) and Carlos Pena (.286), but it's all downhill from there.
• Scott Kazmir is .500 in his career against Boston but is historically tough on them at home. Varitek, Ortiz, and Youkilis have all struggled to the point they should be benched if you have better options around.
• Lefties are wearing out Doug Davis this year, to the tune of .328 for the season. Davis hasn't been fantastic at home, sporting just a 4-5 record, and the Giants have pounded him in two appearances this year. Avoid Davis, start your Giants.
• While David DeJesus has only hit .241 against Carlos Silva, this is a bad Carlos Silva. With his record and ERA on the road, we're still going to advocate finding Royals to start. Why call out DeJesus? He's got the lowest average among regulars that qualify.
• Hiroki Kuroda hasn't been as reliable on the road as you might like him to be, but he does get a bad Pirates team that continues to struggle on offense. Kuroda is a solid starter in deeper leagues, even on the road.
• Spot Starts: Kuroda, Slowey, Brandon McCarthy.

Notes for Tuesday

• The White Sox have hit Andy Pettitte and hit him hard. They check in with a team average of .328. Jim Thome is a .240 hitter against the Yankees starter, but no other concerns at all with regards to starts. Pettitte's 5.28 ERA in home starts this season makes this an easier call as well.
• I've been hard on Derek Lowe and his road record for most of the season. Fact is, Lowe has been tough on everyone for his last seven starts. Over that time, he's registered a 5-1 record overall. Lowe should make a solid start on the road against Pittsburgh.
• Jamie Moyer is 9-3 on the road this season, proving to be one of the only pitchers who is better away from home. He does well in bigger ballparks, and Turner Field is much more friendly than Philly. You'll want to keep your regular Braves active, but don't go reaching for any others.
• Braden Looper has held the Reds to a .198 average, and is 2-0 against them with a 1.20 ERA this season. Looper has been another pleasant surprise, and he should be looked at as a decent play against Bronson Arroyo.
• Ubaldo Jimenez is tough on the Padres. No Padres player has good enough numbers to be in any lineup in any format. If you have better options, even for stars, look to use them in this matchup. Yes, it's in Colorado, but Jimenez knows how to pitch there.
• Conor Jackson is hitting .385 against Matt Cain, but the Diamondbacks, as a team, haven't been stellar against the Giants' pitcher. Cain, even on the road, is a good option against Arizona. He may not provide the win, going against Dan Haren, but he will provide decent stats to make the start worth it.
• We love Odalis Perez at home. We hate Odalis Perez against the Mets. History is a better judge here, as Perez hasn't looked good against the Mets this season. The one Mets hitter to keep on the bench is Delgado. Yes, he's looking at an MVP second half, but at just 1-for-13 against Perez; there are better options. Jose Reyes (.727) and the rest of the Mets regulars should be started.
• Spot Starts: Brendan Morrow, Looper, and, if necessary, Zach Jackson.

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