Fantasy Today: July 14th

BASEBALL - July 14, 2012 - Day 100 of 181
Here are the best hitters and pitchers from yesterday's games:

Yesterday's Best: Hitters

• Overall
1. LF Alfonso Soriano CHC (20 pts - 4-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, 2 2B)
2. LF Ryan Braun MIL (19 pts - 4-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, BB, SB)
3. 1B Mark Teixeira NYY (15 pts - 2-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R)

• Owned by <50%
1. C David Ross ATL (11 pts/1 O% - 1-2, HR, 4 RBI, R, 3 BB, K)
2. OF Jonny Gomes OAK (10 pts/3 O% - 2-4, 1 HR, 5 RBI, R, K)
3. 3B Chipper Jones ATL (10 pts/42 O% - 2-4, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2B, BB)

• Owned by <25%
1. C David Ross ATL (11 pts/1 O% - 1-2, HR, 4 RBI, R, 3 BB, K)
2. OF Jonny Gomes OAK (10 pts/3 O% - 2-4, 1 HR, 5 RBI, R, K)
3. 3B Todd Frazier CIN (8 pts/12 O% - 1-2, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB)

Yesterday's Best: Pitchers

• Overall
1. SP Doug Fister DET (31 pts - 7 IP, 3 H, ER, 0 BB, 8 K, W, QS)
2. SP Derek Holland TEX (29 pts - 7.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, W, QS)
3. SP Justin Masterson CLE (28 pts - 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W, QS)

• Owned by <50%
1. SP Paul Maholm CHC (24 pts/9 O% - 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W, QS)
2. SP Christian Friedrich COL (24 pts/13 O% - 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, W, QS)
3. SP A.J. Griffin OAK (13/20 O% - 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W, QS)

• Owned by <25%
1. SP Paul Maholm CHC (24 pts/9 O% - 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W, QS)
2. SP Christian Friedrich COL (24 pts/13 O% - 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, W, QS)
3. SP A.J. Griffin OAK (13/20 O% - 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W, QS)

Daily Stock Up/Stock Down

• Daily Stock Up
• LF Ryan Braun MIL - 2 straight 10-point games
• SS Pedro Ciriaco BOS - 3 straight 5-point games
• SP Francisco Liriano MIN - 2 straight 20-point starts
• RP Craig Kimbrel ATL/RP Aroldis Chapman CIN - 3 straight 10-point appearances

• Daily Stock Down
• 3B Mark Reynolds BAL/SS J.J. Hardy BAL - 3 straight negative scoring days
• 3B Chris Johnson HOU - minus-6 points in last 10 games
• SP Zack Greinke KCY - 4 straight negative scoring starts

Positional Landscape

Starting Monday, July 16th, we will be taking a look at the lay of the land at a different position every day.  I will write about surprises, disappointments, the best, and the not-so-good.  Here is the weekly schedule:

• Mondays: Catchers
• Tuesdays: Corner infielders (1B/3B)
• Wednesdays: Middle infielders (2B/SS)
• Thursdays: Outfielders
• Fridays: Starting pitchers
• Saturdays: Relievers

Fantasy Baseball: Week 15 Primer

WEEK 15 PRIMER

Weekly Best

Weekly Best - Hitters

• All Hitters
1. CF Andrew McCutchen PIT (46 pts - .517/.548/.931, 15-29, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 BB, 3 K)
2. 3B Kevin Youkilis CHW (40 pts - .478/.571/.913, 11-23, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R, 1 2B, 5 BB, 3 K)
3. LF Tyler Colvin COL (40 pts - .308/.357/.923, 8-26, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 SB)
4. 2B Neil Walker PIT (36 pts - .481/.548/.926, 13-27, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 8 R, 6 2B, 4 BB, 5 K, 1 CS, 1 GDP)
5. CF Mike Trout LAA (36 pts - .364/.407/.773, 8-22, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 4 SB)

• Hitters Owned by <50% (O%) of CBSSports.com Leagues
1. LF Tyler Colvin COL (40 pts/49 O% - .308/.357/.923, 8-26, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 SB)
2. LF Justin Ruggiano MIA (31 pts/20 O% - .393/.433/.857, 11-28, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 8 K, 1 SB, 2 GDP)
3. RF Garrett Jones PIT (30 pts/24 O% - .385/.370/.731, 10-26, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R, 3 2B, 5 K)
4. LF Delmon Young DET (30 pts/46 O% - .308/.321/.769, 8-26, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 K)
5. 1B Casey Kotchman CLE (29 pts/9 O% - .450/.500/.800, 9-20, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, 1 2B 2 BB)

• Hitters Owned by <25% (O%) of CBSSports.com Leagues
1. LF Justin Ruggiano MIA (31 pts/20 O% - .393/.433/.857, 11-28, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 8 K, 1 SB, 2 GDP)
2. RF Garrett Jones PIT (30 pts/24 O% - .385/.370/.731, 10-26, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R, 3 2B, 5 K)
3. 1B Casey Kotchman CLE (29 pts/9 O% - .450/.500/.800, 9-20, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, 1 2B 2 BB)
4. RF Andruw Jones NYY (25 pts/1 O% - .333/.333/.905, 7-21, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R, 3 K, 1 GDP)
5. 3B Casey McGehee PIT (25 pts/11 O% - .385/.429/.654, 10-26, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R, 4 2B, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 GDP, 1 HP)

Weekly Best - Pitchers

• All Pitchers
1. SP Jered Weaver LAA (56 pts - 2-0, 2/2 GS/QS, 0.00 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 15 IP, 8 H, 4 BB, 7 K)
2. SP James McDonald PIT (50 pts - 2-0, 2/2 GS/QS, 1.93 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 14 IP, 8 H, 5 BB, 14 K)
3. SP Homer Bailey CIN (50 pts - 2-0, 2/2 GS/QS, 2.45 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 14.2 IP, 12 H, 1 BB, 15 K)
4. SP Bronson Arroyo CIN (45 pts - 3-hit CG shutout, 1 BB, 8 K, W, QS)
5. RP Kenley Jansen LAD (42 pts - 3 SV, 4 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K)

• Pitchers Owned by <50% (O%) of CBSSports.com Leagues
1. SP Bronson Arroyo CIN (45 pts/38 O% - 3-hit CG shutout, 1 BB, 8 K, W, QS)
2. SP Bartolo Colon OAK (39 pts/33 O% - 0-0, 2/2 GS/QS, 1.23 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 14.2 IP, 12 H, 1 BB, 8 K)
3. RP Casey Janssen TOR (37 pts/48 O% - 3 SV, 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)
4. SP Chris Tillman BAL (36 pts/13 O% - 8.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, W, QS)
5. SP Jeff Karstens PIT (35 pts/9 O% - 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, W, QS)

• Pitchers Owned by <25% (O%) of CBSSports.com Leagues
1. SP Chris Tillman BAL (36 pts/13 O% - 8.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, W, QS)
2. SP Jeff Karstens PIT (35 pts/9 O% - 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, W, QS)
3. SP Zach McAllister CLE (32 pts/15 O% - 1-0, 2/1 GS/QS, 2.31 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 12 H, 3 BB, 13 K)
4. RP Scott Downs LAA (32 pts/27 O% - 2 SV, 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)
5. SP Freddy Garcia NYY (31 pts/14 O% - 1-0, 2/1 GS/QS, 2.25 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 12 IP, 11 H, 2 BB, 9 K)

Weekly Best statistics are for the games of Week 14 (July 2-8, 2012)

Hot Pick-Ups

• Shallow Leagues
• LF Tyler Colvin COL - Colvin came up with the Cubs and has resurfaced in fantasy relevance with Colorado and if he hits, he'll find at-bats. But, he has Carlos Gonzalez, Michael Cuddyer, and Dexter Fowler taking up spots in the outfield.  With Todd Helton going on the DL, perhaps Cuddyer will play some first base to give Colvin some at-bats.
• SP Jose Quintana CHW - Coming out of the All-Star Break, Quintana is 3-0 in his last 5 starts with a 2.04 ERA, a WHIP of 0.99, and 27 strikeouts.  Although he has only 9 starts this season, he has a foothold on a rotation spot for the next few weeks with John Danks out until August.

• Deep Leagues
• LF Justin Ruggiano MIA - How much stock do you put into a guy like Ruggiano?  He is 30 with 195 at-bats on his resume entering this year, but in 85 at-bats for the Marlins this year, he is .388/.459/.741 and four double-digit fantasy scoring weeks.  Ride the wave while it lasts.
• SP Carlos Villanueva TOR - Villanueva's history was that of a prospect starter turned into a long reliever that had 27 starts for Milwaukee over 5 seasons. Now in his 2nd year in Toronto, he is back in the rotation after 13 starts last year.  In his last two appearances, which were his first 2 starts of the year, he has struck out 13 in 11 innings, going 1-0 with 3 earned runs allowed.

• Hot Drops
• SP Garrett Richards LAA - After four great starts (2-0, 1.69 ERA, 1.31 WHIP), he fell back to Earth quickly with 12 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings against Toronto and Baltimore.  Dan Haren is on the DL, so Richards may get one more start, but Richards, as well as Brad Mills, are on the outside looking in at the Angels rotation that still has Jerome Williams taking up one of the spots for now.
• SP Carlos Zambrano MIA - Zambrano is a victim of the overall disdain for anyone wearing bright orange, blue, and yellow.  In fact, in Big Z's last four starts, he has lasted at least 5 innings and has not allowed more than 4 earned runs in any of those starts.  But, he's 0-2 in that span and has not won since June 3rd and the Marlins have gone 10-21 since Zambrano's last victory.

Injuries

• Here are the players who have returned to action from the DL in the past week:

Player	Date	Days Since Last Game
Holland, Derek SP TEX	7/7/2012	32
Dempster, Ryan SP CHC	7/8/2012	23
Sweeney, Ryan RF BOS	7/7/2012	21

• Here are some of the players who are scheduled to come back in Week 15 (days missed are as of Friday, July 13th):

Player	Days Missed
Cain, Lorenzo CF KC	93+
Ellsbury, Jacoby CF BOS	90+
Bonifacio, Emilio SS MIA	55+
Hernandez, Ramon C COL	50+
Markakis, Nick RF BAL	44+
Kemp, Matt CF LAD	43+
Ethier, Andre RF LAD	15+

2-Start Pitchers

• No 2-start pitchers in Week 15

Schedule Stars

Easy Street

• San Francisco (.384) - vs HOU (7/13-7/15)
• L.A. Dodgers (.388) - vs SDG (7/13-7/15)
• Arizona (.388) - at CHC (7/13-7/15)
• Philadelphia (.391) - at COL (7/13-7/15)
• Texas (.414) - at SEA (7/13-7/15)

Tough Draw

• LA Angels (.612) - at NYY (7/13-7/15)
• Seattle (.605) - vs TEX (7/13-7/15)
• Miami (.590) - vs WSH (7/13-7/15)
• Milwaukee (.565) - vs PIT (7/13-7/15)

• NY Yankees (.558) - vs LAA (7/13-7/15)

2012 NHL Free Agent Frenzy Arrives

Welcome to this year’s free agent frenzy, which begins on July 1 at 12:00 PM eastern.  And, of course, Happy Canada Day to our neighbo(u)rs in the north.

The NHL free agency crop is a bit lacking this year, but with the cap increasing to $70.2 million, plenty of money will change hands and it will still be sure to be a frenzy.  This is the first free agency period in a few years where the trade market is more actually more interesting than the free agent market.  Forwards Rick Nash and Bobby Ryan are up for possible movement, as well as goaltender Roberto Luongo, who would have to share time with Cory Schneider if he stays in Vancouver.  There is top-end talent in this free agent class with Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, but a lot of potential free agents have opted to sign with their current clubs before July 1st.  Why?

Teams have more money to spend and free agent contracts have always been about overpaying and giving a long-term deal to players who are anything but a lock to produce and earn that huge contract.  General managers should opt for players who are known commodities in their organization, already having played with the guys on their roster and already having been coached by their staff.  Players usually wait for July 1st to see their paychecks potentially skyrocket, undoubtedly at the urging of their agents.

This year, however, players are uncertain about the looming expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in September and a potential delay in the start of the 2012-13 season.  The result of a new CBA may be a reduced salary cap than what the league is working with today, so players are probably returning to the same security of a known situation with their existing teams. 

What is this, risk management for a time of the year where risk is cast aside?  Welcome to uncertain waters of today’s NHL and the labor issues that are right around the corner.

The trade market could pick up today because of the need to clear out cap space, which is the name of the game.  But, according to CapGeek, 19 teams are under the $54.2 million salary cap floor.  In other words, very little cap space has to be cleared.  Among those 19 teams, historically free-spending teams such as the Rangers, Canadiens, and Red Wings, are under the floor.  They will not have a problem throwing money at holes on their rosters.

Yet another wrinkle in this free agency season is the potential for some of the most sought-after free agents waiting a while before signing because of money issues with their previous clubs.  Shane Doan is waiting to find out about the Phoenix ownership situation, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, which may become clearer on July 9th.  Zach Parise could very possibly wait a bit before deciding to sign somewhere new, as the Devils ownership situation needs a cash infusion and, according to the New York Post, the NHL is waiting a few weeks before stepping in.  But, this may take the better part of six weeks to determine the state of the franchise and Parise, and fellow free agent Martin Brodeur, will definitely sign before then.

At the down of the frenzy, Boston has the smallest amount of cap space ($278K) and their roster is all but set with 23 players under contract.  The Flyers have the fifth-most space in the league at about $10.5 million with 20 players signed, while the three New York-area teams are currently under the cap floor.  The Rangers are closest to the floor with about $50.5 million tied up in 16 players ($19.7 cap space), with the Devils ranking 11th in cap space available (about $25.3 million) and the Islanders figuring in 10th (about $25.5 million).*

The Islanders have improved their 2012-13 on-ice product with a draft day trade for defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky.  The Devils have the most to lose in free agency with Parise and Brodeur likely to leave, and they have signed some ancillary players such as their entire fourth line (Ryan Carter, Steve Bernier, Stephen Gionta).  The Rangers secured their backup goaltender in coming to an agreement with Martin Biron for $1.3 million per year for two years.  Boston arrived at an important agreement with restricted free agent, Tuukka Rask, on a one-year, $3.5 million deal, made much more important because of Tim Thomas taking a one-year sabbatical.  Philadelphia went the trade route in improving their defense by dealing James van Riemsdyk to Toronto for Luke Schenn.  Philadelphia may lose Matt Carle, who will command a big contract especially in this market.

Stay close to a smartphone, laptop, or TV on July 1st because you will see a few nutty contracts and some surprises.  And, if you have not done so yet, listen to our Free Agent Frenzy preview on Sports With The StatMan (Show #271) for our views on the free agency period and some predictions.

* - All figured courtesy of CapGeek.com

2012 NHL Draft Predictions

Now is the time to dream.  Now is the time to hope.  Especially for fans of teams that did not make the playoffs and are starved for young, cheap talent, today is your Hockey Christmas.  Today is the NHL Entry Draft.  The cast of 17-year-olds are projected, quizzed, and fawned over.  Some will work out, others will flame out.  But, this is the day where franchise turning points are made, for better or worse.

Until tonight, a draft pick is an unknown asset, possibly flipped for an actual name.  If the draft pick is made, the player is given the hyperbolic treatment with comments such as "he hits like Dion Phaneuf" or "he has the hands of a John Tavares".  The players have a few years to fill out and find their place in their organizations, but fans acquaint themselves to the newbie from Day One.  One message to the fans, though: Don't fall in love.  No matter how many capsules you read or YouTube highlights you watch, that player you think would make a perfect first-line center or top-pair defenseman might just go to your rival.  The truth is no one really knows whether the talent will ever be realized.  I must admit, as an Islanders fan, I had sleepless nights over Dan Blackburn and Hugh Jessiman.  I'm just sayin'.

The 2012 NHL Entry Draft (Round 1: Friday 7pm, NBC Sports Network; Rounds 2-7: Saturday 10am, NHL Network) has a few aces at the top of the draft list and is supposed to be a relatively shallow pool of talent.  But, they always say that.  This is what scouts are paid for: to find the diamonds in the rough.  The fifth-round pick who turns into an All-Star.  The seventh-round pick who ends up carving out a 10-year NHL career.  They are out there in every draft.

Locally, the Islanders are the first of the five local teams we cover (three New York-area teams plus Boston and Philadelphia) to select and they will go fourth, barring a trade, which is not out of the realm of possibility.  There could be two types of trades with the Isles this year.  One we have seen from GM Garth Snow and one we have not.  If Snow and his scouting department are targeting a below-the-radar type like Josh Bailey was in 2008, Snow could move down and stockpile picks.  But, in 2008, the reason for stockpiling the picks was to kick off the rebuild and fertilize the farm system with talented players.  That is already done.  Bridgeport is looking strong. 

So, my guess is that the more likely scenario is to package that pick with a player or two to get a name with years left on a contract.  During Snow's tenure, it has been proven time and time again that Type A free agents do not list Long Island as a potential destination.  The only way to get a proven top-six forward or top-four defenseman in 2012-13 is through a trade.  Snow has not done this at the draft, a draft parodied by former GM Mike Milbury in past years with his fire sales at the draft table.  I have confidence Snow will take higher percentage gambles, if he gambles at all.  Snow has only pulled off a star-for-asset deal once and while the Ryan Smyth trade did not bring Smyth to Long Island long-term, it did not hurt the franchise as Ryan O'Marra, the key prospect that went to Edmonton in that deadline deal, is an AHL journeyman. 

Any star-for-asset trades would include a player starving for a fresh start and someone who more than a year to go on his deal.  The re-signing of Evgeni Nabokov is huge because it shows a veteran may like it on the Island.  The young talent is also a selling point the Islanders did not have to woo Smyth.  But, the higher percentage play is to get a hungry late 20's, early 30's sniper in a deal with at least three years to go on the contract.  In three seasons, the Coliseum deal will be up and the Islanders will move into a new building, be it Brooklyn or somewhere else inside or outside the New York metro.  They will be good then and ready to pop, so a player would be more likely to re-sign.

The other four teams pick in the final ten picks of the first round, unless a team moves up or down.  The biggest possibility of moving up belongs to the New Jersey Devils, who have the #29 pick in the first round, mainly because the Devils have to pay the NHL back with a draft pick in the next couple of years as reparations for the obscene contract they gave to star Ilya Kovalchuk.  Ironically enough, that same contract may make it tough to sign Zach Parise and keep him in the Garden State.  GM Lou Lamoriello decided against giving this pick away, which is the second-lowest pick you can get in the top round.  So, the prevailing thinking is either Lamoriello will package the pick for a player or move up.

Assuming the teams stay where they are, here are my picks for the top 10 picks of the 1st round and the local 1st round picks:

1. Edmonton - RW Nail Yakupov - Sarnia

2. Columbus - RW Filip Forsberg - Leksand

3. Montreal - D Ryan Murray - Everett

4. N.Y. Islanders - D Matthew Dumba - Red Deer

5. Toronto - D Morgan Rielly - Moose Jaw
6. Anaheim - F Mikhail Grigorenko - Quebec
7. Minnesota - F Alex Galchenyuk - Sarnia
8. Carolina - D Cody Ceci - Ottawa
9. Winnipeg - D Griffin Reinhart - Edmonton
10. Tampa Bay - F Radek Faksa - Kitchener
20. Philadelphia - F Thomas Wilson - Plymouth
24. Boston - D Dalton Thrower - Saskatoon
28. N.Y. Rangers - F Stefan Matteau - U.S. NTDP
29. New Jersey - G Malcolm Subban - Belleville

Fantasy Today: June 7th

We will look at fantasy sports from a daily perspective: the games last night, the games tonight, and the news along the way.  As we settle in and find our rhythm, we'll add new features.  Please send your feedback in the Comments section below on the day in fantasy, what you like or don't like about the column, and any ideas for new features on the blog.

YESTERDAY'S BEST (June 6th)

HITTERS

CF Coco Crisp OAK: 2-4, HR (1), 4 RBI (10), 3B, R, BB, SB (8) (15 pts)

3B David Freese STL: 2-5, 2 HR (12), 6 RBI (40), 2 R, BB, 3 K (14 pts)

OF Norichika Aoki MIL: 3-5, 2 HR (3), 2 RBI (9), 3 R (14 pts)

PITCHERS

SP Clay Buchholz BOS: CG 4-hit shutout (5.77 ERA), BB, 6 K, W (6-2) (40 pts)

SP R.A. Dickey NYM: 7.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER (2.44 ERA), 2 BB, 8 K, W (9-1) (32 pts)

SP Matt Cain SFO: 7 IP, 7 H, 0 ER (3 R) (2.41 ERA), BB, 9 K, W (7-2) (30 pts)

BY POSITION (where they played yesterday)

C: Buster Posey SFO (6 pts)

1B: Allen Craig STL/Adrian Gonzalez BOS/Bryan LaHair CHC (7)

2B: Ryan Theriot SFO (9)

3B: David Freese STL (14)

SS: Jose Reyes MIA/Jed Lowrie HOU (8)

OF: Coco Crisp OAK (15)

SP: Clay Buchholz BOS (40)

RP: John Axford MIL (12)

Fantasy Today: June 6th

We will look at fantasy sports from a daily perspective: the games last night, the games tonight, and the news along the way.  As we settle in and find our rhythm, we'll add new features.  Please send your feedback in the Comments section below on the day in fantasy, what you like or don't like about the column, and any ideas for new features on the blog.

So, let's get started:

YESTERDAY'S BEST (June 5th)

HITTERS

2B Dan Uggla ATL: 4-5, 2 HR (10), 5 RBI (37), 2B, 3 R (40) (19 pts)

LF Mark Trumbo LAA: 4-4, 2 HR (12), 4 RBI (31), 2B, 2 R (25) (17 pts)

CF Colby Rasmus TOR: 5-5, HR (7), 3 RBI (24), 2B, 4 R (25) (16 pts)

PITCHERS

SP Andy Pettitte NYY: 7.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER (2.78 ERA), 2 BB, 10 K (32), W (3-2) (36 pts)
SP Tim Hudson ATL: CG 5-hit shutout (3.83 ERA), 3 BB, 3 K (31), W (4-2) (36 pts)

SP Ian Kennedy ARZ: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER (3.93 ERA), 1 BB, 12 K (71), W (5-5) (32 pts)

BY POSITION (where they played yesterday)

C: Martin NYY (11 pts)

1B: Adams STL (10)

2B: Uggla ATL (19)

3B: McGehee PIT (10)

SS: Simmons ATL (9)

OF: Trumbo LAA (17)

SP: Pettitte NYY/Hudson ARZ (36)

RP: Hanrahan PIT (14)

YESTERDAY'S GAMES

And now, a note or two on yesterday's games:

Cleveland (29-25) 4, DETROIT (25-30) 2

NY YANKEES (30-24) 7, Tampa Bay (31-24) 0

Baltimore (31-24) 8, BOSTON (28-27) 6 (10)

KANSAS CITY (24-30) 1, Minnesota (21-34) 0

• A pitcher's duel was fought in Kansas City last night between two lefties: SP Bruce Chen KCY (7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 30 pts) and SP Francisco Liriano MIN (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 17 pts). A C Brayan Pena 2nd-inning single (0 pts) was Liriano's only mistake, but otherwise, it was a pitching night all around. Greg Holland (10 pts) struck out the side in the 8th and Jonathan Broxton (9 pts) earned his 14th save, navigating around a hit and a walk in the 9th.

Toronto (29-26) 9, CHI WHITE SOX (31-24) 5

• This just in: OF Colby Rasmus TOR is streaky. Rasmus was 5-for-5 last night to break an 0-for-7 mini-slump, but that is small potatoes. Rasmus was 0-for-17 and then 15-for-45 (3 HR, 7 RBI, .689 SLG) before the latest 0-for-7.  Fantasy baseball's enemy is inconsistency and Rasmus has it in spades. But, look a little closer into the splits and you might find some common threads, albeit in small sample sizes. Rasmus hits 40 points better on the road and has an OPS 170 points higher away from Rogers Centre (Home: .224/.302/.365, Road: .267/.325/.514). Rasmus hits .287 in 115 nighttime at-bats and .187 in 75 daytime at-bats. He handles righthanded pitchers a lot better than lefties (vs. RHP: .277/.344/.504, vs. LHP: .170/.237/.302). He is a poster child for daily leagues...and for night games on the road against righties.

LA ANGELS (29-28) 6, Seattle (25-33) 1

• OF Mark Trumbo LAA had a 1-for-16 start to June, but he homered twice and drove in 4, providing more than enough for Garrett Richards in his first start of the season (7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 28 pts). Richards is in the rotation for Jered Weaver, who is on the DL, and he looks to start next over the weekend against the Dodgers. Back to Trumbo, the 4-for-4 day moved him to 17-for-41 over his last 10 games (.414 AVG, .976 SLG, 6 HR, 12 RBI). There is no sophomore jinx for Trumbo, following a .254/.291/.477, 29 HR, 87 RBI season with a more complete first 2 months of this season (.337/.384/.634, 12 HR, 31 RBI).

LA Dodgers (35-21) 2, PHILADELPHIA (28-29) 1

• Both starters pitched very well, but it was SP Chad Billingsley LAD with his first win in 10 starts (7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 22 pts) instead of SP Cliff Lee PHL (7.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K, 21 pts), who is winless in 9 starts this year. Billingsley allowed a run in the first and Lee had a 1-0 lead into the 8th, but Elian Herrera doubled in 2 runs with 2 out, putting Lee on the hook for the loss.

• Billingsley has walked one or no hitters in each of his 3 wins and has walked at least 2 hitters in each of his 4 losses.  Meanwhile, all that is missing for Lee are the wins. His ERA dipped under 3.00 (2.92), his WHIP shrunk to 1.01, and his K/BB ratio rose to an even 6-to-1 (66 K, 11 BB).

OTHER SCORES

Texas (33-23) 6, OAKLAND (24-32) 3

WASHINGTON (31-22) 7, NY Mets (31-25) 6 (12)

Atlanta (30-25) 11, MIAMI (31-24) 0

Pittsburgh (28-26) 8, CINCINNATI (30-24) 4

HOUSTON (24-31) 9, St. Louis (28-28) 8

Chi Cubs (19-36) 10, MILWAUKEE (24-31) 0

ARIZONA (26-30) 10, Colorado (24-31) 0

SAN DIEGO (19-37) 6, San Francisco (31-25) 5

TODAY'S GAMES

After last night's pitching display in Philadelphia, SP Chris Capuano LAD (7-2, 2.50 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) takes the hill looking for his 8th win against SP Kyle Kendrick PHL (in 7 starts: 2-3, 3.27 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 41.1 IP, 26 K), who is now a rotation mainstay.  SP Zack Greinke MIL (6-2, 3.46, 1.32) looks to continue his dominance at Miller Park (20 home starts at Miller Park lifetime: 14-0, 2.64 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 129.2 IP, 159 K), as Greinke and the Brewers face the Cubs and Paul Maholm (4-4, 4.82, 1.32).

Three pitchers in the "are they for real?" category are going tonight. SP Felipe Paulino KCY (3-1, 1.70, 1.22) has pitched "lights-out" for 4 of his 6 starts, only surrendering earned runs in the other 2 starts.  For the season, Paulino has 39 K in 37 innings and 5 of his 6 starts were against above-.500 teams.  The 28-year-old is 13-32, 4.94, 1.51 in his career.  SP Wade Miley ARZ had a 4.30 ERA in the minors last year and a 4.50 ERA in 40 innings with the big club.  This year, though, Miley is 6-2, 2.72, 1.19 and he is 3-1 in his last 4 starts (3-1, 2.67 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 27 IP, 14 K).  SP Wei-Yin Chen BAL started like a house afire in April (2-0, 2.22, 1.32 in 4 starts), but since then, the league has caught up to Chen, going 0-3, 7.48 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 21.2 IP, 20 K in his last 4 starts.

MY PICK 6:

SP Madison Bumgarner SFO (at SDG)

C Jarrod Saltalamacchia BOS (vs BAL)

CI Mark Trumbo LAA (vs SEA)

MI Jose Altuve HOU (vs STL)

OF Ryan Braun MIL (vs CHC)

RP Aroldis Chapman (vs PIT)

Fantasy Today: June 5th

We will look at fantasy sports from a daily perspective: the games last night, the games tonight, and the news along the way.  As we settle in and find our rhythm, we'll add new features.  Please send your feedback in the Comments section below on the day in fantasy, what you like or don't like about the column, and any ideas for new features on the blog.

So, let's get started:

YESTERDAY'S BEST (June 4th)

HITTERS

3B Mike Moustakas KCY: 3-4, HR (9), 2 RBI (27), 2 2B, 3 R (26), K (12 pts)

2B Jamey Carroll MIN: 3-3, 2 RBI (16), 3B, 2 R (20), BB, SB (5) (12 pts)

LF Josh Willingham MIN: 2-3, HR (11), 3 RBI (39), 2 R (32), 2 BB, K (11 pts)

PITCHERS

SP Jarrod Parker OAK: 8 IP, 1 H, 0 ER (2.40 ERA), 3 BB, 6 K (35), W (2-2) (34 pts)

SP Christian Friedrich COL: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER (4.50 ERA), 2 BB, 4 K (36), W (4-1) (27 pts)

SP Kyle Lohse STL: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER (3.21 ERA), 0 BB, 3 K (42), ND (19 pts)

BY POSITION

C: Rosario COL (7 pts)

1B: Craig STL (10)

2B: Galvis PHL (4)

3B: Moustakas KCY/Carroll MIN (12)

SS: Kawasaki SEA (7)

OF: Revere MIN (9)

SP: Parker OAK (34)

RP: Affeldt SFO (16)

YESTERDAY'S GAMES

And now, a note or two on yesterday's games:

St. Louis (28-27) 5, NY METS (31-24) 4

• The only issue for OF/1B Allen Craig (2-3, HR (6), 3 RBI (22), 10 pts) is whether he can stay healthy. Otherwise, he gives you average, some pop, and positional eligibility. He is an outfielder, but he has played 11 games at first base. He can play second base in a pinch, evidenced by his 8 games at the position last season. But, he has been limited by knee and hamstring injuries, only playing in 16 of St. Louis's 55 games, totaling 62 at-bats.

OAKLAND (24-31) 12, Texas (32-23) 1

• SP Jarrod Parker (34 pts) went the other way in the Trevor Cahill deal and Oakland may already have the better of that deal. Parker only had one start in the Majors coming into this year, but the 23-year-old righthander has only allowed more than 2 earned runs once in 8 starts this year (2.40 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, .205 BAA). Parker has faced .500 teams in 6 of those starts, going 2-1 with a 2.68 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in 37 innings.

Colorado (24-30) 4, ARIZONA (25-30) 0

• Speaking of promising rookie pitchers, SP Christian Friedrich pitches for Colorado, but he has been fantastic on the road and pretty well overall lately. Friedrich won his third straight start, but his home/road splits are night and day. Friedrich, who made his ML debut on May 9th is 1-1, with a 10.64 ERA and a 2.27 WHIP in 2 starts at home, but he is 3-0, 1.80, 1.08 in 4 starts on the road.

OTHER SCORES

LA Dodgers (34-21) 4, PHILADELPHIA (28-28) 3

SAN FRANCISCO (31-24) 3, Chi Cubs (18-36) 2

Minnesota (21-33) 10, KANSAS CITY (23-30) 7

Seattle (25-32) 8, LA ANGELS (28-28) 6

TODAY'S GAMES

Chris Young makes his season debut tonight for the Mets at the Nationals, who will send out Jordan Zimmermann (3-5, 2.80 ERA, 1.09 WHIP). A win by the Mets will knock Washington out of first place in the NL East. Take a close look at Young, who was 1-0, 1.88, 0.96 in only 4 starts last year.  Will Chad Billingsley finally get off the schneid or will it be Cliff Lee?  Billingsley (2-4, 4.09, 1.44) won his first 2 starts, which were stellar starts (1 ER in 14.1 IP, 1 BB, 15 K).  But, they were against the Padres and Pirates.  In the 9 starts since then, Billingsley is 0-4 with only 3 quality starts, a 5.13 ERA, and a 1.69 WHIP.  Meanwhile, Cliff Lee has pitched well, but has not gotten a "W" this year (0-2, 3.00, 1.02). This is a simple case of run support, though in his last 3 starts, Lee has yielded more than a hit an inning (0-1, 4.95, 1.50).

When Andy Pettitte (2-2, 3.49, 1.13) lost his comeback debut against Seattle, some eyes rolled.  But, a 4-hit, no-run performance over eight innings against Cincinnati in the Bronx turned some heads.  The 39-year-old tries to duplicate that second start against a good offense in Tampa. The game will be at home and Pettitte will face James Shields (6-3, 3.95, 1.32), who has struggled in 2 starts against the Yankees (0-1, 9 ER and 13 H in 11 IP) this year.

In other matchups, Jaime Garcia (3-3, 3.78, 1.40) was pushed back from his start over the weekend because of elbow concerns, but he goes tonight at Houston and Lucas Harrell (4-4, 4.71, 1.48), who is 2-0 in his last 3 home starts.  In a battle of unlikely fantasy starters, A.J. Burnett (4-2, 3.60, 1.24) is averaging 7.6 K/9 and his Pirates are in Cincinnati to take on Homer Bailey (4-3, 3.73, 1.26) and the Reds.

MY PICK 6:

SP Jaime Garcia STL (at HOU) (on track to start tonight, has lasted 6 IP in 7 of last 8 starts)

C Wilin Rosario COL (at ARZ) (last 7 games: 9-for-26, .731 SLG, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 8 R, 2 SB)

CI Joey Votto CIN (vs PIT) (during 10-game hit streak: 19-for-33, .909 SLG, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 10 R)

MI Allen Craig STL (at HOU) (since return from injury: 3-for-11, HR, 3 RBI)

OF Andrew McCutchen PIT (at CIN) (36-for-98, 9 HR, 23 RBI since May 1st, 7-for-20 lifetime vs. Homer Bailey)

RP Ernesto Frieri LAA (vs SEA) (last 6 appearances: 4 SV, 6.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 6 BB, 14 K)