Week 7 Pitching Planner

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Week 7 Pitching Planner

May 14, 2006 Eric Mack Senior Fantasy Writer Tell Eric your opinion We take you around the staffs for the week in our Sunday Fantasy Baseball Pitching Planner. This week's matchups AL early NL early Int-LG late Int-LG late MIN@DET FLA@ATL CHC@CHW MIN@MIL BOS@BAL SF@HOU STL@KC BAL@WAS TEX@NYY LAD@COL SD@SEA TOR@COL KC@CLE SD@ARI PIT@CLE BOS@PHI CHW@TB CIN@PIT CIN@DET TEX@HOU TOR@LAA PHI@MIL NYY@NYM LAA@LAD SEA@OAK WAS@CHC FLA@TB SF@OAK NYM@STL ATL@ARI The following teams play seven games this week: Minnesota, Chicago White Sox, Texas, N.Y. Yankees, Kansas City, Cleveland, Florida and Atlanta. The Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins wrap up a four-game series on Monday. Italics denotes that Atlanta plays at Arizona as the only late NL game this week. The following teams are playing four-game series: FLA@ATL, TEX@NYY and KC@CLE. Two-start pitchers This week's two-start pitchers Must-start options Brandon Webb vs. SD (Park) vs. ATL (Hudson) Josh Beckett at BAL (Lopez) at PHI (Myers) Curt Schilling at BAL (Chen) at PHI (Lidle) Mike Mussina vs. TEX (Millwood) at NYM (Gonzalez?) Tim Hudson vs. FLA (Willis) at ARI (Webb) Carlos Zambrano vs. WAS (Hernandez) at CHW (Contreras?) Freddy Garcia at MIN (Baker) vs. CHC (Hill) Scott Kazmir vs. CHW (McCarthy) vs. FLA (Willis) Chris Capuano vs. PHI (Lidle) vs. MIN (Lohse) Felix Hernandez at OAK (Blanton) vs. SD (Park?) Aaron Harang at PIT (Maholm) at DET (Robertson) Tom Glavine at STL (Suppan) vs. NYY (Chacon) Kevin Millwood at NYY (Mussina) at HOU (Pettitte) Ervin Santana vs. TOR (Lilly) at LAD (Tomko) Advisable options Jeff Suppan vs. NYM (Glavine) at KC (Elarton) Shawn Chacon vs. TEX (Koronka) at NYM (Glavine) Dontrelle Willis at ATL (Hudson) at TB (Kazmir) Nate Robertson vs. MIN (Lohse) vs. CIN (Harang) Jake Westbrook vs. KC (Elarton) vs. PIT (Maholm) Brett Tomko at COL (Fogg) vs. LAA (Santana) Livan Hernandez at CHC (Zambrano) vs. BAL (Lopez) Paul Byrd vs. KC (Affeldt) vs. PIT (Snell) Joe Blanton vs. SEA (Hernandez) vs. SF (Hennessey/Cain?) Kyle Davies vs. FLA (Johnson) at ARI (Batista) Questionable options Ted Lilly at LAA (Santana) at COL (Fogg) John Koronka at NYY (Chacon) at HOU (Buchholz) Taylor Buchholz vs. SF (Hennessey) vs. TEX (Koronka) Cory Lidle at MIL (Capuano) vs. BOS (Schilling) Chan Ho Park at ARI (Webb) at SEA (Hernandez) Josh Johnson at ATL (Davies) at TB (Waechter) Rodrigo Lopez vs. BOS (Beckett) at WAS (Hernandez) Scott Baker vs. CHW (Garcia) at MIL (Hendrickson) High-risk options Paul Maholm vs. CIN (Harang) at CLE (Westbrook) Josh Fogg vs. LAD (Tomko) vs. TOR (Lilly) Kyle Lohse at DET (Robertson) at MIL (Capuano) Jeremy Affeldt at CLE (Byrd) vs. STL (Reyes?) Scott Elarton at CLE (Westbrook) vs. STL (Suppan) Staff reflections Braves lefty Horacio Ramirez (hamstring) is working on a rehab assignment but will need one more start in the minors before he's a candidate for activation. He has to be reserved for Fantasy Week 7 (May 15-21), but he could be an option thereafter. The Braves could consider moving Jorge Sosa to the bullpen, if Ramirez is healthy and ready to start regularly. Sosa then could become a candidate to close in Atlanta. Closer Chris Reitsma (6.91 ERA) has been struggling thus far. The Cubs will get Kerry Wood (shoulder) back from the 15-day DL and a rehab assignment this week. The start vs. Washington is a very good one for all leagues. He has been strong in the minors in his 10 innings, allowing one run, just six hits and three walks. He struck out 15 overmatched minor leaguers. Even if he goes five innings vs. Washington, the promise for strikeouts will make him intriguing to use right away. Back-to-back rainouts forced the Red Sox starters back. Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield will now follow Josh Beckett in the rotation, while Thursday's day off gives the Red Sox a chance to skip the No. 5 spot, starting Matt Clement, Beckett and Schilling over the weekend in Philly. Lenny DiNardo is nothing more than a middle reliever this week. The White Sox are expecting to get Jose Contreras (back/hip) back from the DL next Sunday, which means Brandon McCarthy's start Tuesday will likely be a one-shot deal. If Contreras has an unforseen setback, McCarthy would get the second start, so consider starting him in deeper leagues if you want to take the chance he gets a second start. The Indians called up prospect Fausto Carmona to use him in relief, likely signaling the elevation of uber-prospect Jeremy Sowers as the defacto "No. 6 starter." Sowers (5-1, 1.21 in Triple-A) is a strong flier in all AL-only leagues that allow reserves. He's a big-time talent on the level of a Justin Verlander, Jered Weaver or Cole Hamels. If Paul Byrd's struggles continue, the Indians could get Sowers a look sometime before the end of the first half. The Marlins are putting rookie Ricky Nolasco in the rotation now with Sergio Mitre (shoulder) sent to the DL. Highly regarded prospect Yusmeiro Petit was called up, but he will work in long relief and wait for his own starting opportunity -- a la Josh Johnson and Nolasco. The Angels are taking it slow with Bartolo Colon (shoulder), so don't expect him back before June at this point. Kevin Gregg is the probable No. 5 starter this week, but there's always the possibility the Angels decide to get a look at Jered Weaver (3-1, 2.44 ERA in Triple-A). Stash Weaver away if you can, but since he starts Tuesday in Triple-A, it's unlikely he would be called up to start on three-day's rest. The Dodgers have a day that could allow them to skip No. 5 starter Aaron Sele or No. 4 Jae Seo. Derek Lowe would pick up a second start this week if that happened, but nothing is imminent. The Brewers are expected to develop a timetable on Ben Sheets (shoulder) in the coming days, but he won't be a candidate to return at this point. Ben Hendrickson is the likely No. 5 starter this week. Use him only out of desperation in the deepest of NL Fantasy leagues. The Twins got a decent outing out of free-agent-to-be Kyle Lohse last time out, but they will still watch him with a close eye. Phenom Francisco Liriano is waiting in the wings and his Fantasy owners are salivating over the possibility of him replacing Lohse. Track Lohse in his two starts this week. He could get demoted if he falters, or even traded if he does well. The Mets are hoping Brian Bannister (hamstring) can make a return to their rotation Thursday at St. Louis. They will see how he feels coming out of his simulated game Saturday. If Bannister doesn't pitch Thursday, it will be Jose Lima or Jeremi Gonzalez getting the start. Gonzalez likely pitched at least well enough to get the start the next time the Mets' No. 5 turn comes up, Saturday vs. the N.Y. Yankees. That's an awful matchup for a high-risk NL-only starting pitcher option. The Yankees will give Carl Pavano (back, shoulder, buttocks) one more rehab start Wednesday, while Jaret Wright is penciled in to start Thursday. Pavano could replace Wright the next turn, barring a trade of Shawn Chacon or Chien-Ming Wang for a high-end outfielder. The A's are using Monday's day off to juggle their rotation. Heading into a 20-day stretch without a day off, they will go: Joe Blanton, Barry Zito, Kirk Saarloos, Dan Haren and Brad Halsey. All of them are viable options in AL-only leagues, while Zito, Haren and Blanton (in that order) are useful for mixed Fantasy leagues. If the Padres want to keep Jake Peavy on his regular fifth day, the pitcher they would have to move back is a resurgent Chan Ho Park (2-1, 3.57), who we cautiously list as a questionable two-start pitcher. We are not certain how long Park will be able to stay this good, not to mention Peavy could steal Park's second start. The Giants are removing highly regarded rookie Matt Cain from the rotation for a start Monday, electing to go with spot starter Brad Hennessey. Hennessey could get a second start if he pitches well and the Giants want to work longer with Cain on the side. Consider Hennessey a little more intriguing in NL-only leagues for the possibility of a second start. Cain will have to be reserved in all leagues. By the way, don't cut him if you have reserves. He's still a great prospect who could right himself in the near future. With Sidney Ponson (elbow) unavailable to pitch as the No. 5 starter this week, the Cardinals could elect to call up Anthony Reyes. Consider Reyes an outstanding sleeper option in deeper NL-only Rotisserie leagues this week. It appears the Cards will hestitate giving promising rookie Adam Wainwright a spot start out of the bullpen without him getting "stretched out," meaning more than 60 pitches. With back-to-back rainouts in Boston, the Rangers have juggled their rotation. Kevin Millwood starts Monday, followed by rookie John Koronka on Tuesday, Kameron Loe on Wednesday, Vicente Padilla (sprained ankle) on Thursday and then Robinson Tejeda or John Rheinecker from Triple-A on Friday. The word is it will be Tejeda on Friday, so consider him in deeper AL-only Rotisserie leagues. Padilla injury and solo start make him a candidate to reserve in smaller formats that have bench spots. Josh Towers passed his test Sunday, getting his first victory, and the Blue Jays couldn't be more pleased. With Gustavo Chacin (elbow) possibly needing a DL stint and A.J. Burnett (elbow) not close to a return, the Jays likely already need a No. 5 starter Saturday. Chacin is possible, but the Blue Jays are considering holding him out of the entire week after moving him off his Tuesday start. Prospect Brandon League is dominating Triple-A and was recently stretched out in a start. He could be a candidate for Saturday and a viable fill-in for deeper AL-only Rotisserie leagues out of desperation. Pitch a question Chris, Conn.: Should I drop Jon Garland or Dan Haren for Cole Hamels or should I just stick with who I have right now (other starters are Roy Oswalt, C.C. Sabathia, Javier Vazquez and John Lackey)? Emack: You must be in a small league to have a staff like that. I would trade two of those solid starters for one hitter and pick up Hamels immediately. Failing that, drop the struggling Garland for the promise and strikeout potential of Hamels. (Note: This story was originally written with Haren as the one to drop, but readers helped us see the light.) Dave, Brooklyn, N.Y.: I just picked up Jeff Weaver for this week, because he had two starts. He's scored no points for me! S hould I keep him in reserve or drop him? Does he have anything left? Emack: Pick up Hamels, haha. Seriously, if that is not an option, you have to let us know the other options and what kind of league you're talking about. I only advise dropping Weaver in something short of a standard mixed Rotisserie league, unless you don't have reserves. You can e-mail Emack your Fantasy Baseball pitching questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Bleacher Banter in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses or answers to all questions.