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Fantasy Baseball Report 6/13 - 6/19

Ramirez Replacement Fontenot Starts Hot
Chicago Cubs' rookie second basemen, Mike Fontenot, is batting .407 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles and 2 triples with his first 27 at bats. He was called up to replace the injured Aramis Ramirez while he is on the DL. Mark DeRosa moved to third base while Fontenot took over at second. He will may sent back down or to the bench after Ramirez returns, but if he continues to hit well the Cub's will find somewhere to play him and that just might continue to be at second base, where DeRosa plays. DeRosa is having a solid season batting .276 with 6 home runs, and was signed after having a good season in Texas, but he can play just about any where and that gives hope that Fontenot can keep his 2B slot if he plays well.

Fantasy Baseball Report 5/31 - 6/12

Rookie Harris Only Getting Better
Tampa Bay Devil Rays starting shortstop, Brendan Harris, batted .393 with 2 home runs last week. Overall he is batting .318 with 5 home runs. Harris is a solid pick up, but don't expect more than 15-20 home runs.

Orioles' Guthrie Sharp Again
Baltimore Orioles rookie starting pitcher, Jeremy Guthrie, went 8 strong innings giving up just 1 run in the loss to the Angels. Gutrhrie, the #1 pick of the Indians in 2002, has made 6 starts and has yet to give up more than 3 runs in a start. Overall he is 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA. His K-ratio is average posting 36 K's in 58.2 innings.

Hart Answering the Need for Speed
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder, Corey Hart, now has 10 stolen bases while batting .297 with 4 home runs. He is available in some smaller leagues.

Astro's Scott Heating Up
It has been an up and down season for Astro prospect Luke Scott but he is heading back to the up side. Last week Scott batted .375 with 2 home runs. Overall he is up to .253 and 6 home runs. He has knocked in 31 runs as well. A far cry from a fantasy starter, but there is still hope.

Cubs' Pie Has Big Week
Chicago Cubs outfielder, Felix Pie, batted .393 with 1 home run and 2 stolen bases last week. Pie is currently starting in centerfield and batting second for the Cubs.

Fantasy Baseball Report 5/24 - 5/30

Reds 3B Encarnación Has Big Week
Cincinnati Reds third basemen, Edwin Encarnación, batted .370 with 2 home runs last week. Encarnación has been up and down over the last couple years, but at only 24, he can still break through as a good fantasy third basemen. Overall he is batting .252 with 3 home runs. He makes a good pick up while he is playing well and could stay on your team if he matures into the hitter he can be.

Brewers 2005 #1 Starting at 3B
23-year-old rookie, Ryan Braun, who was the Brewers 1st pick in 2005 and the 5th pick overall, has been called up and handed the starting third base position. With 20 at bats he is batting .301 with 1 home run and 2 stolen bases so far. It is very early for the rookie, but he has the tools to be a 30-30 player. In 2006 he batted .289 with 22 home runs and 26 stolen bases in AA and A. In AAA Portland he was batting .344 with 10 home runs and 2 stolen basses with 117 at bats.

Marcum Out of the Bullpen
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, Shaun Marcum made his 4th start of the season and pitched 6 strong shutout innings, giving up no runs and striking out 6. Overall as a starter and reliever Marcum is 2-2 with a 3.73 ERA and has 43 strikeouts in 41.1 innings.

Fantasy Baseball Report 5/18 - 5/24

Marlins Rookie Looking Sharp
Florida Marlins starting pitcher, Sergio Mitre has pitched 4 consecutive strong outings, not giving up more than 2 runs in any of them. Overall he is 2-2 with a 2.25 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 40 innings. In 2006 the Marlins produced many fine young fantasy starting pitchers, so why not again in 2007?

Braves Diaz Goes Yard
Atlanta Braves outfielder, Matt Diaz hit is 4th home run of the season against the Mets. Overall diaz is batting .337 and has 2 stolen bases. His lifetime stats with about 500 at bats project him to be a .311 hitter with some pop and decent speed. He is currently starting in left field.

Early Prospect Garko Back On Radar
Ryan Garko was a fantasy sleeper who had a very slow start and was not even in the starting line up, but he has recently been living up to his tag by batting .333 with 5 home runs in the last 30 days and is starting at first base. Overall he is batting .306 with 5 home runs.

Rookie Diaz Smashes Two
Victor Diaz the 25-year-old rookie, hit two home runs in the Rangers 14-1 clobbering of the Astros. Diaz has hit 5 home runs and is batting .300 with 39 at bats. He looks to keep the starting job in leftfield.

The New Gwynn Proving Himself
The 25-year-old son of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, Tony Gwynn is getting starting time in the Milwaukee Brewer outfield. He has done very well to this point batting .381 and has stolen 4 out of 5 bases. The Brewers have a crowded outfield, but Hall could be moved back to the infield at third base if Gwynn continues to play well or he could take Corey Hart's job in right field. Of course, he could get sent back down to AAA to continue to get work, but not if he keeps batting .300.

Cubs' Pagan Hot
There isn't place for him to start in the Chicago Cubs outfield, especially with the young Murton on the bench with him, but 25-year-old Angel Pagan is batting .455 with 2 home runs and 2 stolen bases with his 22 at bats in 2007. In 2006 he hit 5 home runs and stole 4 bases with 170 at bats while batting .247. He has 20-20 potential if he can fight his way into the Cub's starting line up.

Germano Pitches Well Again
San Diego Padres pitcher, Justin Germano, is 1-0 with a 0.69 ERA after pitching 7 shutout innings against the Cardinals.

Angels' Napoli Heating Up
Los Angeles Angels' catcher, Mike Napoli, start to the 2007 has been a disaster after flashing potential in 2006 by smashing 16 home runs with just 268 at bats, though he batted just .228. He is 6 for his last 19 (.316) with 1 home run and has got his sub .200 average up to .225.

Dobbs Starting for Phillies
Veteran minor-leaguer, Greg Dobbs, is starting at 1B for the Philadelphia Philles, He is batting .281 with 2 home runs in his brief time up in the Bigs. He can fill in a hole at 1B for you and maybe give you a .280 - 20 HR hitter if he keeps the job. After all, it seems to be the year of the veteran minor- leaguer (Cust and Hamilton).

Fantasy Baseball Report 5/11 - 5/17

New Closer Updates Now
Closer Report

Rookie Willits Starting for Angels
LAA Angels rookie, Reggie Willits has grabbed the starting slot in leftfield. If you need stolen bases, Willits might be your man. He has 6 stolen bases this season and is batting .365 with 74 at bats. If he continues to start he could steal 40-50 bases.

Braves Thorman Smashes Two
Atlanta Braves rookie first basemen, Scott Thorman hit 2 home runs in the Braves 9-2 victory over the Pirates on Saturday.The 25-year-old, who also qualifies for as an outfielder, has hit 5 home runs while batting .256 overall. He also has 19 RBI's. His numbers project to about 35 HR's & 120 RBI's.

Fantasy Baseball Report 5/04 - 5/10

Long-Time Prospect Cust off to Big Start
Oakland A's outfielder, Jack Cust was a prospect as far back as 2001 with Arizona. A lot was expected from him in 2002 with the Colorado Rockies. He never came through in the big leagues. So when the A's announced that he was being brought up in 2007, we did not even report it because he has been such a bust. Well, he has only 22 at bats, but it is possible that Cust has finally arrived. He is batting .318 with 5 home runs in those 22 at bats. It is still hard to believe that he will now be a star, but Josh Hamilton has proved it is never too late.

Astro's Scott Heating Up
Luke Scott was a big prospect coming into 2007 and bombed early on, but has recently began to heat up. He is 10 for his last 20 with 1 home run and 1 stolen base. Overall his stats are still below average with 3 home runs and a .262 average, but the entire Astro team has struggled, so there is still a chance for him to be a good one.

Cordero Out as Closer
The Washington Nationals have named Jon Rauch as their new closer to replace the struggling Chad Cordero. This is not permanent. They have placed him on the bereavement list so he could be with his grandmother dying in California.

Updated Closer Report
Closer Report

Back Up Doumit Shows Potential at catcher
The Pittsburgh Pirates Ryan Doumit has been hot of late, batting .432 with 2 HR's, but is still a back-up catcher to Ronny Paulino. The good news is he plays right field and first base in addition to catcher. He could get a everyday job at first base our the outfield and be a find as a fantasy catcher.

Fantasy Baseball Report 4/27 - 5/03

Lincecum Brought Up by Giants
The San Francisco Giants will call up SP Tim Lincecum from Triple-A Fresno. Lincecum would be called up to start in place of SP Russ Ortiz. He is worth a shot if you have a slot, but otherwise beware of rookies! He is worth cutting average pitchers for. You can always replace him if he fails with another average pitcher.

Lincecum K's 14 in AAA
San Francisco Giant Tim Lincecum struck out 14 batters with zero walks in six shutout innings for Triple-A Fresno. Overall he is 4-0 with an ERA of 0.29 with 46 strikeouts in 31 innings. The Giants don’t plan on calling him up yet, but they may soon. "We're keeping track of what's going on down there," manager Bruce Bochy said.

Astros Bench One Prospect and Bring Up Another
The Houston Astros called up outfielder Hunter Pence from Triple-A Round Rock and benched Chris Burke on Friday night after a loss to Milwaukee. The 24-year-old Pence was batting .341 with three homers and 19 RBIs through 22 games with Round Rock. Pence went 3-for-5 with a double and three runs scored on Friday night.

Cubs Giving Rookie Playing Time
Chicago Cub outfielder Félix Pié is getting some playing time as the 4th outfielder. He is just 22 and has potential. He is currently batting .231 with 1 home run. He is a long way away from fantasy value, but is one to keep an eye on.

Fantasy Baseball Report 4/20 - 4/26

Rookie Wright Worth a Look?
He just turned 24 and he is penciled in as the 4th or 5th starter for the New York Yankees, so is rookie Chase Wright worth picking up? All rookies are prone to be disasters more often than stars and are even more prone to erratic and overall average, but you never know who will be the next young gun. Wright doesn't look like he is there yet. He is 1-0, but was shelled by 4 consecutive home runs against the Red Sox. Joe Morgan was so brilliant to say, "That is what makes Joe Torre a great manager. He knows how to take out the rookie...After 4 home runs! Great manager...Great observation. Anyway, this shows a huge weakness and the youngster will likely get sent down with another bad performance.

Rowand Looking 100%
Philadelphia Philles' outfielder, Aaron Rowand is batting .345 with 2 home runs and 2 stolen bases. This is the first time he has looked 100% healthy since his 2006 season was shortened by two trips to the disabled list because of a broken nose and then a broken right ankle.

Wolf Liking Los Angeles
Former Philadelphia Philles' starting pitcher, Randy Wolf is looking a little bit like the pitcher fantasy owners hoped he could be on his new team, the Dodgers. He is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA and has 25 strikeouts in 24 innings. He is worth a shot if you have an open spot. LA seems to make pitchers a little better, but don't get too excited yet. He has a good lifetime K-ratio.

Veteran Giles Hitting in San Diego
One-time fantasy All-Star hopeful Marcus Giles is making a move to once again be an All-Star hopeful. He is batting .347 with 2 homeruns and 2 stolen bases. In 2005 he batted .291 with 15 homeruns, 45 doubles and 16 stolen bases. He is not exactly an All-Star, but should give you a very solid fantasy second basemen. He is still available in many leagues.

Fantasy Baseball Report 4/13 - 4/19

De Jesus Off to a Hot Start
David De Jesus has made a fantasy team or two in his short career. A player who is almost very good, but not good enough, especially for a fantasy player hitting in Kansas City. Well, he is still that, but he is off to a hot start. He is batting .362 with 3 home runs. In his fist two season he averaged about 476 at bats with a .294 average, 33 doubles, 7 triples and 8 home runs.

Cubs' 2B Putting up Good Speed Numbers
Chicago Cubs' second basemen Ryan Theriot is currently batting .344 with 4 stolen bases with 32 at bats. He batted .328 with 11 stolen bases, 3 home runs, 11 doubles, 3 triples and with 134 at bats in 2006. We're not one for projections...but those two seasons projects to about .333 - 10 HR's - 10 Triples - 35 doubles - 50 stolen bases. Just math, not Nostradamus.

Fantasy Baseball Report 4/06 - 4/12

Matsui Back on Fantasy Radar
Colorado Rockies second basemen, Kazuo Matsui, is batting .361 with 5 stolen bases. The one-time Met fantasy hopeful batted .345 with 8 stolen bases with 113 at bats in Colorado in 2006. He could be a legitimate fantasy player....No on DL...so much for that, may has well stash him if you have a DL spot.

Hill goes yard
Toronto Blue Jay second basemen, Aaron Hill, hit his 2nd home run of the season. He is off to a great start batting .407 with 11 RBI's and 10 runs. At only 24, he has potential to be a very solid fantasy player.

Ryan goes to DL
Toronto Blue Jay closer, B.J. Ryan, has been placed on the 15-day DL with sprained elbow. He has blown 2 saves in his last four chances. Jason Frasor was expected to take over as closer, but Shaun Marcum picked up the save on Sunday. Frasor seems to be the best gamble for a pick up, he worked 1.1 innings on Saturday and threw a lot of pitches, so Marcum was probably just a one-time save chance.

Julio loses job
A day after Fredi Gonzalez said he would keep his closer, Jorge Julio, Julio has lost his job. He has not named a new closer but Henry Owens and Taylor Tankersley, who will come off the DL on Friday, are the best shots, but a committee is likely for awhile.

Young guns showing good numbers
Several young pitchers have looked sharp to start the season. As with any unknowns, they are risks, but no risk, no reward. Houston Astro Chris Sampson, the big-time minor league prospect looked sharp in his debut. 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA & 5 K's in 8 innings. Arizona Diamondback Micah Owings has looked good in his 2 starts has gone 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA & 11 K's in 11.1 innings. Wilfredo Ledezma, another young Detroit Tiger pitcher, went 6 strong innings with no earned runs and 4 strikeouts. He went 3-3 with a 3.58 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 60.1 innings in 2006 as a starter and a reliever. Pittsburgh Pirate Tom Gorzelanny is 1-0 in his 2 starts with a 1.50 ERA and 9 strikeouts in 12 innings. Went 2-5 with a 3.79 ERA in 2006. NY Mets' young-gun, Mike Pelfrey, will make his 2007 debut Friday. He is another prospect to watch. He went 2-1 with a 5.48 ERA in 2006 after being the 9th overall pick in 2005.

Julio blows another save
Closer Jorge Julio has blown another save in the delayed 2-2 tie against Brewers. But it is not over yet acccording to his coach. "I don't know. I'm not in his head," Gonzalez said of his struggling closer's confidence. "The only thing I know is we're going to keep running him out there." Well, maybe 1 or 2 more times, but it is about time to pull a trigger on a back-up if it is possible. Henry Owens is the best chance right now, he has picked up a save...On second thought only if you have a throw-away roster spot.

Wheeler replaces Lidge as closer
Houston Astro reliever, Dan Wheeler, has replaced they struggling Brad Lidge as closer.

Fantasy Baseball Report 2007 Spring Training

Veteran Reyes likely closer in Tampa
Tampa Bay Devil Ray reliever, Al Reyes, who did not pitch in 2006 because of Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery in 2005, posted a 2.25 ERA in six appearances in Spring Training and not only won a roster spot, but is the new favorite to be the teams closer. The team may use a committee approach, but Reyes may take the spot by default. It is not the most coveted closing spot for fantasy owners, but you never know. Don't forget Danny Baez' 41 save performance for the losing Devil Rays in 2005.

Gagne goes to DL
Texas Ranger closer, Eric Gagne, has been placed on the 15-day DL. Not the way Gange owners wanted this season to start. The Rangers say it is just to give him extra to heal from his injury, but this is bad news nevertheless...unless you invested in Akinori Otsuka, who will close again.

Rookie Young rising up the draft charts
Arizona Diamondback center fielder, Chris Young, has been seen drafted as high as the top 100 in some drafts. At 23 he has 3 big minor league seasons under his belt and is a 30-30 prospect, though he never batted over .277. He had 43 at bats in 2006 and hit .243 with 2 home runs and 2 stolen bases. So he basically hasn't done anything and is thus a absolute gamble. He shouldn't go top 100, though.

Julio traded to Marlins
Arizona Diamondback former closer, Jorge Julio, has been traded to the Florida Marlins. Julio is expected to be the closer for Florida, but he is no sure thing for long. Worth a pick up, for sure, but beware of the possibility for explosion and keep your eye on other Marlin closers.

Matsuzaka finishes with strong performance
The Boston Red Sox 100 Million Dollar Man, Daisuke Matsuzaka, finishes a strong Spring Traing with a ERA of 2.04 and 19 strikeouts in 17.2 innings. He is moving higher and higher in drafts and should be.

Strong Spring Training Pitching Performances:
Erik Bedard 0.95 ERA - 21 K's - 19 Innings
Daisuke Matsuzaka 2.04 ERA - 19 K's - 17.2 Innings
Ian Snell 3.00 ERA - 24 K's - 21 Innings
Rich Harden 1.32 ERA - 25 K's - 13.2 Innings
Boof Bonser 2.81 ERA - 17 K's - 16 Innings
Adam Loewen 1.42 ERA - 20 K's - 19 Innings
Zack Greinke 3.31 ERA - 21 K's - 19 Innings
Josh Beckett 3.04 ERA - 24 K's - 23.2 Innings
Kei Igawa 2.65 ERA - 19 K's - 17 Innings

Papelbon named Red Sox closer
After much discussion of trades and Piñeiro or Timlin the Boston Red Sox have announced that Jonathan Papelbon will once again close. Papelbon has maintained a relatively high ranking with Pro Fantasy Baseball because of this possibility and now his ranking sky rockets. He is a top 5 closer and can be argued as #1.

Duncan slams 5th
2007 prospect, Chris Duncan, slammed his league leading 5th home run of Spring Training. He is batting a solid .288 with 11 RBI's. He will start somewhere for the Cardinals, but will be a fantasy outfielder. In 2006 he batted .293 with 22 home runs with just 280 at bats.

Phils' Victorino continues his 2006 success
Philadelphia Philles right fielder, Shane Victorino, appeared on the fantasy radar last season when he became a Philles starter. He finished with back-up at best numbers that included a .287 average with 6 HR's, 8 Triples and 6 SB's. At 26, Abreu's replacement doesn't have Abreu's power, but might have his all-around abilities. He has the potential to be a .300 - 30 Double - 10 Triple - 10 HR - 20 SB's player. Victorino has continued to do well in Spring Training batting .400 with 2 HR's and 4 SB's.

Harden looking like a stud
Oakland A's starting pitcher, Rich Harden, has been pitching like the stud he is supposed to be in Spring Training. He leads the league with 25 strikeouts in just 13.2 innings and is 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA. He should be rising quickly in your fantasy rankings.

Bonds looking like old old self
Barry Bonds' owners are looking back wishing he played like he did when he was...well, 40. Well thus far in Spring Training at 43, he is. Bonds is batting .325 with 5 home runs. He looks healthier than last year and looks poised to smash Hank Aarons' long standing home run record. He may even give you a solid fantasy season, if you can take him resting on the bench quite a bit. He looks like a possible .295 - 30 HR - 85 RBI season, barring injury-disaster. Move him into the 200ish rankings, unless your a gambler, then go higher.

Hendrick tearing it up in the Cactus League
Already penciled in as the Angels starting second basemen, Howie Kendrick is batting .439 with 2 home runs, 2 triples, 2 doubles and 3 stolen bases in the Arizona Cactus League. As a rookie Kendrick batted a solid .285 with 4 home runs and 6 stolen bases with 267 at bats. He qualifies as the less valuable first base as well. Kendrick has had a lot of recent draft-hype and is only a find in less knowledgeable leagues. He could be a .300 - 15 HR - 25 SB second basemen. Makes him a nice gamble, especially when he is hitting well in Spring Training.

Julio back on the closer radar
Arizona Diamondback set-up man and former closer Jorge Julio has been mentioned in trade rumors with both the Florida Marlins and the Boston Red Sox. Julio has been a solid closer but he tends to implode at points and has lost his closer position a couple times. Even as an average closer his stock would soar if he went to either winning team. One note: Clearly Joel Piñeiro is not working out as a closer. It is not over yet, but the writing is on the wall for Piñeiro. Mike Timlin would be next in line if Red Sox don't make some expected trade.

Third-base prospect Braun slugs 4th
With only Craig Counsel in his way, Milwaukee Brewer rookie third basemen, Ryan Braun is making a run at the starting position by hitting his 4th home run of spring training. He has 11 RBI's and a .458 batting average to go along with the home runs.

Dodgers' Abreu looking for a roster spot
The Dodgers have few holes in their line up and thus few roster spots, but rookie second basemen Tony Abreu is playing good enough to possible grab a spot. With the aging veteran Jeff Kent at second and Nomar Garciaparra at 1B, there is plenty of injured days ahead for the Dodger infield and a rookie like Abreu could wind up a starter by season's end. Thus far in spring training he is batting .375 with 3 home runs.

Devil Rays' Upton slowly climbing up the draft chart
Tampa Bay back up third baseman & shortstop, B.J. Upton is creeping up towards the top 200 in the fantasy baseball 2007 rankings. He is being drafted in the very late rounds by many leagues. Upton definitely has a upside, he was the #2 pick of the 2002 draft, but his short time in the big leagues has produces very average numbers: 334 at bats, .252 Avg., 5 HR's & 15 SB's. He is a reach but with the Devil Rays current prospect, Akinori Iwamura is in the midst of a 1-for-17 (.059) slump this spring, Upton may get another shot to start. If not there, Ben Zobrist is the competition at shortstop.

Pirates' Eldred lighting up Spring Training
Pittsburgh first basemen Brad Eldred has 4 home runs and is batting .471 with 17 at bats. Eldred missed most of the 2006 season after breaking his left thumb and damaging the ligament in an April. In 2005 he smashed 12 home runs with just 190 at bats (30-40 HR pace), but only batted .221.

Papelbon looking sharp as a starter
It's early but in his 2 games and 5 innings as a starter the Red Sox's former closing stud has 8 strikeouts and has given up no runs.

Rodney picks up first save for Tigers
The coveted role of Tiger's closer is likely up for grabs. There is no doubt Joel Zumaya is the best pitcher in the bullpen coming into 2007 after posting a 1.94 ERA, but that does not mean he will close. Fernando Rodney pitched the 9th to get the first save of 2007 Spring Training in the Tigers 9-7 win over the Phillies. He has been good when given the chance to close and now looks to be in the mix. The veteran closer Todd Jones will battle both young guns after a up and down 2006 when he posted a 3.94 ERA with 37 saves.

Piñeiro to get shot at closing
The Red Sox have signed starting pitcher Joel Piñeiro with the thought of converting him to a closer. He was horrible last year in Seattle going 8-13 with a 6.36 ERA, but is 58-55 lifetime with a 4.48 ERA.

Izzy gone for the year
St. Louis closer, Jason Isringhausen will have season-ending surgery Manager Tony La Russa will go with probably Braden Looper, formerly a closer for the Marlins and Mets, but rookie Adam Wainwright might get a look.

Rookie German fighting way into line up
Kansas City Royal second basemen, Esteban Germán is playing All-Star baseball in a fantasy-dead town. He is batting .338 with 3 home runs and has stolen 7 bases with 234 at bats. You throw in 4 triples and 15 doubles along with his second base, third base and outfield qualifying and you have a great bench player to keep your positions maxed for the year.

Stanton saves #7
San Francisco reliever, Mike Stanton notched his 7th save of the season. Stanton is filling in for the injured Armando Benítez, but looks to steal the job away the way he is pitching. Stanton makes a good pick-up and you have a very good chance of having a permanent closer.

Guardado out for the season
Cincinnati Reds closer, Eddie Guardado is out for the season with an elbow injury. The Reds have been using a committee, but Bill Bray has the best shot to be the closer.

Cubs rookie K's 11
Chicago Cubs rookie left-hander, Rich Hill pitched 7.1 strong innings of baseball and struck out 11, but took the no decision in the Cubs 7 - 2 win over Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old rookie is 4 - 6 with a 5.23 ERA, but has pitched 3 straight strong games, giving up just 1 earned run in each. He could be that pick up that helps your team down the stretch...but he does play for the Cubs.

Papelbon down with injury
Red Sox ace closer, Jonathan Papelbon will miss at least a week with transient subluxation event in his right shoulder. He seems to be fatigue, but could be more serious. Mike Timlin will take over as the closer.

Rookie 2B Theriot stealing points
Chicago rookie second basemen, Ryan Theriot has stolen 7 bases with his first 62 at bats. In addition, he is batting .323 with 1 home run. He makes a nice pick up in roto leagues to help your stolen base category.

Closers dropping like flies
Tom Gordon is the latest closer heading to the DL. Arthur Rhodes will take over for him. Huston Street has gone to the DL and Justin Duchscherer takes over, and finally Eddie Guardado has gone down and a committee of Scott Schoeneweis and Todd Coffey should be closing. On another closer note, Tampa Bay closer Brian Meadows seems to be out and Scott McClung has taken over. McClung was being groomed for this role and it seems to be his now.

Taveras on a hot streak
Houston Astro outfielder, Willy Taveras is batting .327 with 11 stolen bases over the last month. He added 16 runs to those totals. Taveras isn't flashy, but can help you in stolen bases, especially when he is hitting well.

Another Florida pitcher looking sharp
Florida Marlins rookie, Anibal Sánchez is one of many young Marlin pitchers giving fantasy owners plenty to choose from. Sanchez gave up just 1 run in 7 innings in the Marlins 3-1 win over the Nationals. The 22 year-old rookie is 5-2 with a 3.44 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 65.1 innings.

Brewers Hart attempts to fill hole left by Lee
Milwaukee Brewer rookie, Corey Hart may not be the next Carlos Lee, but since Lee was traded to Texas he has stepped up as a every day starter batting .288 with 4 home runs and 4 stolen bases with 104 at bats. Those are 20-20 numbers. He is batting in the lead off spot most of the time.

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