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Field of Streams :: 9/01/08
by Tenacious D-Store
Published: September 1, 2008, 3:42 pm
Welcome back for another edition of Tenacious D-Store's Field Of Streams. Each week, I will focus on some of the better pickups who should be available in the majority of leagues for each day of the week as well as some that should be avoided. Since some people also choose to stream an outfield or utility spot with a hot bat each week, I will also include a weekly highlight on a hitter who may fly under your radar. Let's get started.
NOTE: All starts are probable. I can not be held responsible for last minute managerial decisions, injuries, rain-outs, alien abductions, arrests etc.
Monday September 1, 2008
Mike Hampton ATL @ Josh Johnson FLA
Ok Ok I got your e-mails. Not only is Mike Hampton still pitching, he actually went eight innings. Well he also lost didn't he, so put that in you pipe and smoke it you self-righteous jerks! Ok Ok, so maybe the Braves lost, which is certainly nothing new this season. I admit it, I'm impressed, but I didn't get any of the e-mails when I first made the comments, so I'll admit I may have been wrong, but you all have to admit that you were all right on board with me. Hampton has still only logged 40 innings so I'm not convinced he still won't break down again. Hampton remains too big of a risk, he doesn't rack up many K's and still has an ERA of nearly 6.00 on the season. Leave him alone. Josh Johnson is now 4-0 in nine starts on the season and all of his other stats are very admirable. He should be owned even in 10 team leagues at the moment but he's still available in many of them. Without a doubt he is the better option here and could be an asset to any team down the stretch.
Jonathan O. Sanchez SF @ Jorge De La Rosa COL
I'm always perplexed as to why some fantasy sports sights list a player as hot just for coming of the DL. They could have been hitting .125 all season before hand, but if they spend a couple weeks on the DL they are "Hot". Or is it just celebrational? Yay! He didn't die! Jonathan O. Sanchez in all his 4.53 ERA glory in fact did not die, but some of us who have suffered in our ownership of him may have wished otherwise after he flopped following a hot May/June. Jonny O was only placed on the DL on August 11th, but hasn't won a game since June 24th. It was ugly for everyone involved. His strikeout numbers are always sweet, but everything you have to put up with to get them is far too sour for my liking. Perhaps if he was on a team that actually won games it would be worth it, but for now you are swapping K's for a huge hit to your ERA and WHIP. For Jonny to win, the Giants have to win, and that doesn't happen often even though they play half their games in a Mickey Mouse division. Go with Jorge De La Rosa by default. His season ERA is even worse than Sanchez's, but the Giants can't hit anyway. Besides De La Rosa is actually 2-1 in his last three starts with a 2.50 ERA and has just as much strikeout potential as Sanchez. The Rockies winning percentage isn't much better than the Giants but they are without a doubt the better team.
Carlos Silva SEA @ Matt Harrison TEX
Carlos Silva is also coming off the DL, but at 4-14 on the season with a 6.36 ERA and 1.55 WHIP, even the fantasy sports sites are smart enough not to put him on the hot list. Silva is among the worst starting pitchers in the MLB and on a horrible team to boot. there is not a league deep enough to justify owning him in, never mind spot starting him. So Matt Harrison gets the green light from me again. Harrison has had his rough outings this season, but for a young rookie he has been impressive overall. His biggest down fall is his inability to hold base runners. He simply doesn't pay enough attention and becomes easy to run on, but that will change with experience. This one should be a cakewalk for him.
Chad Reineke SD @ Greg Maddux LA
Chad Reineke is 2-1 in his three major league starts despite only pitching five innings in all but one start where he gave us a sixth. Not bad since he pitches for the lowly Padres, but his 4.50 ERA to date has to be concerning. He might have some upside in deeper NL only leagues but before he gets a recommendation from me, I need to see a little more from him. Greg Maddux hasn't pitched well at all since joining the Dodgers. Not that any of us should have expected anything different from him. Maddux is just too old, and his soft pitches just don't have the accuracy that they used to. Ignore him too.
Tuesday September 2, 2008
Mike Mussina NYY @ Matt Garza TB
Matt Garza may be available in more leagues than Mike Mussina, but as of late Garza is the one looking like a stud on the mound. At 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA in his last three starts including a complete game shutout of the Texas Rangers, Garza is looking like the guy who will carry the Rays to the playoffs. We all know he can be streaky, but when he's this hot he has to be owned and active. Moose is most likely not available to you in any league, but after getting roughed up by the Orioles in his last start, I wouldn't be too upset over that fact.
Glen Perkins MIN @ David Purcey TOR
David Purcey was incredible in his last outing against the Tampa Bay Rays, but the Jays couldn't even score a single run for him. With a career high 11 strike outs in the game Percy moves to a second place tie for the Jays franchise in that feat, behind only Ted Lilly who managed 13 in 2004. Purcey is going to develop in to a great pitcher someday, but he is just too inconsistent right now and still has much to work on. Glen Perkins is too hot for the Jays to handle right now. Having won his last four straight outings and eating lots of innings in the process, Perkins is without a doubt the better option here. Very few fantasy owners appear to have noticed his 12-3 record in 21 appearances this season either. Perkins ownership remains extremely low despite his consistency and winning ways.
Clayton Richard CHW @ Fausto Carmona CLE
After going 0-2 with a 9.64 ERA after his first call up this season, it's hard to get excited about Clayton Richard winning back to back starts now. After all it did come against Baltimore and Seattle. This is the same guy who has failed to get out of the fourth in his other starts and once gave up eleven hits and six runs to the Royals in four innings of work. Sorry, I am no where near convinced that he is worth a shot yet. My opinion of Fausto Carmona has not changed. Even though he has provided the Indians with back to back wins and an equally solid no decision prior to that, he is still giving up too many walks and fails to strike out batters. I'll give him a reluctant nod here, for his recent ability to prevent things from getting out of hand. I don't don't see him as much more than an AL only option.
Brandon Backe HOU @ Ryan Dempster CHC
Brandon Backe says he's figured out why he's pitched so badly at times this month. However, he failed to elaborate on that, and I have to ask the question, What about all the previous months? Are we supposed to believe that the same guy who allowed eleven runs on nine hits, with five walks in 5.2 innings is suddenly a new pitcher because he managed what was still a rather unimpressive win against the Mets. Or that he just suddenly realized over night why he completely sucks and is now ready to be the Astros Ace? Mr. Backe, listen up buddy. You are an absolutely horrible f***ing pitcher. See what you are doing now? You are making my editor do some actual work because I'm not supposed to use that word, but you have forced my hand because you are that bad. You are a free agent in my 20 team league that starts nine pitchers per team. So suck my balls you delusional jolly ol' fellow, it's one win that comes after your worst outing of the season, get over yourself. Ryan Dempster is owned, so this segment serves no real purpose, I'm sure none of you were so moved by Backe's speech that you rushed to pick him up.
Wednesday September 3, 2008
Jorge Campillo ATL @ Chris Volstad FLO
Jorge Campillo has given up five runs in three of his last four starts with six or less innings per outing. The run he had earlier this season appears to be over. Despite his 3.37 season ERA, he has posted a 7.02 ERA in his last three starts and must be avoided until he manages to right his ship again. Chris Volstad has been far from consistent himself. Due to the fact that he does not pitch deep in to games, his win-loss record has suffered. I don't see Volstad as a viable mixed league pitcher, but the match up seems to lean in his favor. Use him as a desperation option only.
Oliver Perez NYM @ Dave Bush MIL
Oliver Perez has taken three straight no decisions and has walked five batters in two of those games. Nothing has changed, Oli remains too inconsistent for me to recommend as a spot start. You just never know what you are going to get from him. Normally the same would be said for David Bush, but he has come on extremely strong over the past couple of months. He has now won his last four decisions and has a 2.66 ERA in his last three starts. Bush has also won both of his previous appearances against the Mets holding them to only three earned runs in total. Continue to spot start Bush.
Carl Pavano NYY @ Edwin Jackson TB
Carl Pavano has won both of his starts since his return, but they came against the Orioles and the Blue Jays. He also still has an ERA over 6.00 and a 1.60 WHIP. It is far from impressive when you compare all the numbers. I don't think anyone really takes Pavano seriously as a pitcher and starting him against the AL East leading Rays would be a big mistake. Edwin Jackson has won back to back games as well against the White Sox and the Jays, allowing only a combined three runs in those starts. He did walk five White Sox batters which is a bit of a concern but overall he pitched very well. Run support has not been an issue for Jackson as he has received plenty of it this season. Feel confident that the trend will continue despite some inconsistency from Jackson along the way.
Dana Eveland OAK @ Brian Bannister KC
Dana Eveland is obviously feeling better after a stint in the minor leagues. Eveland was doing superbly this season until it all began to unravel and he was sent to AAA to work on his mechanics. He returned to pitch a gem against Seattle fanning seven batters in seven innings. He did well in his second start against the Twins even though the strikeouts weren't there and he failed to factor in to the decision. Eveland is back on track and should be picked up again in any league. Clearly some are skeptical as he ownership remains very low. He should have no problem with the Royals, and Brain Bannister remains as awful as ever. Don't be fooled by one good start against the Rangers.
Thursday September 4, 2008
Thursdays are enough of a challenge to find four pitching match ups worth analyzing as it is. However, looking at the projected pitchers for September 4th all I can see is owned, and garbage. Tom Gorzelanny, Kenny Rogers, Jo-Jo Reyes, Darrell Rasner, Dan Meyer, Kyle Davies, I can't suggest any of them. Perhaps Jeff Suppan would have gotten the nod as a desperation spot start, but not against Jake Peavy. You'll survive one day without streaming, you may not survive using any of the options available to you today.
Friday September 5, 2008
Brett Myers PHI @ Mike Pelfrey NYM
Brett Myers, what are we gonna do with you? We gave you one last chance and you gave us a night to remember. Myers has a ridiculous 1.66 ERA in his last six starts including a complete game shut out, and two seven inning scoreless performances. On top of that, his strikeout numbers in those games can only be described as redonkulous. I'm probably too old to really know what that means, but I hear it's what the cool kids are saying. There is always the risk that Myers will burn you again at the drop of a hat, but right now he is far too sexy to stay angry at. Mike Pelfrey ain't exactly your brother's ugly sister right now either. Pelfrey has won three straight with an ERA of 1.44 and has gone the distance in his last two. The strikeouts make Myers a far more attractive option, but if you get shot down when checking your free agent pool, Pelfrey is a decent plan B.
Ricky Nolasco FLA @ Braden Looper STL
Ricky Nolasco and Braden Looper are looking like another win-win situation. Both have won two of their last three and although Nolasco has a slightly better ERA in that span, Looper has gone seven innings in his past six starts. Nolasco is the better strike out pitcher and rarely gives up walks. Looper is just about ready for a melt down as he has been pitching over his head all season. I'm going to recommend Nolasco and not Looper this week.
Anthony Reyes CLE @ Brandon Duckworth KC
Anthony Reyes is 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA in his four starts since being traded to the Indians, yet remains only 35% owned in 12 team leagues. He recently faced the Texas Rangers in his longest outing of the season allowing only one earned run for a no decision. Fantasy owners need to forget about his ineffectiveness as a starter in previous seasons and respect what he is doing now. Reyes is worthy of ownership in all leagues of at least 12 teams and a must add in AL only leagues. Brandon Duckworth may have won his first start since his call up this season, but he failed to post any strikeouts in his five innings against the Tigers. Duckworth can't really be taken seriously mostly due to his career 5.35 ERA, but also because he pitches for the Royals. This should be another strong outing for Reyes.
Brian Moehler HOU @ Ubaldo Jimenez COL
Brain Moehler and Ubaldo Jimenez both enjoyed nice winning streaks in late July and early August. However, it's been all down hill since. Both now have ERA's of about 5.00 in their last three starts and horrible career ERA's against the others respective teams. Neither is effective enough to take a risk on, so ignore both of these options on Friday.
Saturday September 6, 2008
Jamie Moyer PHI @ Pedro Martinez NYM
Jamie Moyer had a pretty easy road to travel in his recent starts facing the Nationals, Marlins, Pirates, Padres and Nationals again. Although he provided some solid outings in those five games, he only managed a 2-1 record. Then reality came knocking as Moyer had to face a real team again. The Mets smacked Moyer around for nine hits and six runs sending Moyer back to the locker room after only three innings. Now the Mets have an opportunity to do it to him again. Pedro Martinez is still pitching deeper in to games than he was in the first half, as well as posting strong strikeout numbers. However, in his last two outings he also allowed a lot more earned runs. We'll forgive him for that since he had allowed more than two runs only once since his reactivation in late July after the death of his father. Continue to ride out Pedro.
Scott Olsen FLA @ Todd Wellemeyer STL
Scott Olsen's struggles continue as in his last two starts he allowed both the Braves and Giants to get the best of him. If he can't pitch well against those two teams right now I certainly don't want him in my lineup when he's facing Albert Pujols and the Cardinals. Olsen has only six wins in 29 starts this season, and isn't even recording strikeouts any more. He is a terrible option for any team right now. Todd Wellemeyer couldn't get it done against the Brewers in his last start as they humiliated the Cards in a 12-0 finish. Wellemeyer was only responsible for four of those runs in a six inning night, and even some of those are partially to blame on fielders who looked like they were playing with gloves that were a couple sizes two small. Wellemeyer did manage to win three in a row before that and hasn't lost since July 12th. Wellemeyer has been a remarkable waiver wire addition to deeper leagues this season and remains a strong spot start option.
Wandy Rodriguez HOU @ Jeff Francis COL
Do two solid outings and a win make Jeff Francis a suitable fantasy pitcher again? I doubt it. Especially since the Dodgers are ice cold right now, and a win over the Giants is never much of an accomplishment. On the other hand, with the complete mess we've seen from Francis all season three earned runs in 13 innings is still something to think about. Francis has also held the Houston Astros to a 1.93 ERA in his previous outings against them. As of right now the Astros would have more success allowing the opposing batters to hit off a tee than hit off Wandy Rodriguez. I am skeptical that Francis is suddenly going to turn his season around. but I feel comfortable suggesting him for his start this weekend.
Tim Wakefield BOS @ Kevin Millwood TEX
I warned you last week not to be fooled by Kevin Millwood's complete game one run performance against the Tigers. Now that he has repeated that feat, his ownership is rising. It came against the Royals, and again I think people are being fooled by a deceptive performance against a team that can't hit. Millwood didn't just suddenly become an ace overnight. He earned that 4.95 ERA and 1.64 WHIP this season with one poor performance after another. He also hadn't pitched out of the sixth inning in countless performances before this. Come on people, I know you are smarter than this. Millwood isn't worth a jug of warm piss and you all know it. Tim Wakefield is a bit more of a risk as a spot start than he used to be. He hasn't pitched deep in to games this season and has been knocked around in a few starts, but despite it all he is still on pace for the best season ERA of his career. Wakefield as now won back to back starts as well. Millwood can't handle the Red Sox lineup, so Wakefield should have no problem getting run support here.
Sunday September 7, 2008
Jason Marquis CHC @ Aaron Harang CIN
Jason Marquis is 3-0 in his last four starts against some rather easy competition. The only remarkable feat he accomplished was going seven innings against the Pirates without walking anyone. Marquis is a bad pitcher on a contending team. He may have his moments, but if you look at his season numbers it's not hard to see why he cannot be relied on for an entire season, and I don't personally want to risk him even in an easier match up. Maybe if he struck out more batters, but he doesn't. The Reds may look hot after sweeping the Giants in a three game series, and maybe they are because as bad as the Giants are, the Reds aren't much better. The Reds haven't fared too poorly against the Cubs this year. In two July series with the Cubs they went 3-3, and almost took a fourth game as they rallied in the ninth inning to score five runs but allowed the winning Cubs run to score in the eleventh inning. Harang has pitched well in his last two starts, he may have lost one of them but only allowed three runs through seven innings and struck out eight batters. This recommendation comes from the gut only, since most people have the brains enough to stay clear of both these guys. Give Harang a shot.
Josh Johnson FLA @ Joel Pineiro STL
It's hard to believe that Josh Johnson has come back from Tommy John surgery to actually pitch better then he ever did prior to it. Johnson is now 4-0 in nine starts and his strikeout numbers are enough to prove that the surgery has not affected his velocity. I'm not sure what is going on with Joel Pineiro at the moment. The Cards were planning to pull him from the rotation and have him work in long relief, now he's scheduled to start a game again. His spot in the rotation now depends on the health of Chris Carpenter. Pineiro should make this start as scheduled, but regardless you should ignore him.
Joe Saunders ANA @ Clayton Richard CHW
Joe Saunders had been solid (even if unspectacular us usual) through most of the season. He now hasn't won a game in his last five starts and has an ERA of almost 12.00 in his last three alone. Saunders is among the lowest caliber strike out pitchers in the MLB, so when he can't get out of the second inning before allowing six runs against a team like the Oakland A's, you know it's time to cut him loose. Clayton Richard has done alright for him self in his last two starts, but posted an ERA over 9.00 in his three starts before that. First of all the White Sox need to determine whether they want Richard in the bullpen or the rotation, because yanking him back and fourth can't be helping him in his adjustment to the big leagues. Richard has plenty of upside, but I wouldn't chance him just yet.
Paul Byrd BOS @ Matt Harrison TEX
Paul Byrd has now won six of his last seven appearances, it's amazing what a team that can score eight or more runs in a game on a fairly regular basis can do for a below average pitcher. It's no secret now that I think Matt Harrison has the potential to be an amazing pitcher. Although he posted four wins in August, he still got roughed up at times and has plenty to work on. The Red Sox are just too much for him this early in his career. My money is on Byrd.
Highlight Of The Week
Elijah Dukes (OF) Washington Nationals
Maybe the Nationals pitchers aren't worth a damn, but Elijah Dukes has returned from the DL picking up right where he left off. Smacking long balls and stealing bases. Dukes only two hits against the Dodgers soon after his return both found the cheap seats. It's nice to see that the problematic outfielder finally has his head on straight and is focusing on baseball. Between trying to smash David Bush's face open with his batting helmet and an alleged murder plot of his wife, Elijah Dukes has been in the headlines for everything but his baseball accomplishments for the past couple of years. However, if he stays on his current pace and keeps himself in check he could prove to be a poor mans Carl Crawford, and a nice pick up for those that are struggling after losing Crawford for the season. |
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