Today's Fantasy Rx

Please check our key for a complete description of these rankings. We have included the five most recent 2003 QA scores for each starter, along with the 10 most recent QA scores for each reliever, tabulating all data through May 29th.

123
abcxyz - Billy Wagner(5445335455)

12
ABCXY - Matt Morris(34545)
ABX - Woody Williams(45354)

Cabxyz - John Smoltz(5344545555)
axy - Joe Borowski(3434523544)

Borowski's domination continues as he earns a spot next to some of the best pitchers in the game. Odalis Perez essentially flipped spots with Morris, although we hope Perez will move back up next week.

13
ABCXZ - Kevin Brown(45545)

acy - Rheal Cormier(4330414434)

23
ABCXY - Roy Oswalt(34434)
BCYZ - Randy Johnson(4404)

bcyz - Jason Isringhausen
bcyz - Robb Nen

1
ABXY - Mark Prior(41424)
AX - Brandon Webb(33434)
X - Mark Redman(33344)
Shawn Chacon(21424)

abxy - Eric Gagne(4325555553)
aby - Tim Spooneybarger(5543445223)
aby - Mike Koplove(5512353435)
ax - Trey Hodges(343355434)
Guillermo Mota(5442352435)

Kinney slips down as Chacon surprisingly returns despite neither consistent dominance nor effectiveness, however the real shock is that Webb qualified right before hitting the DL. Hodges' upward mobility also continued as he joined several other excellent fantasy buys among NL relievers.

2
ABXY - Kevin Millwood(44335)
ABXY - Odalis Perez(25530)

bxyz - Steve Reed(2432354434)
cz - Jay Witasick

3
ABCX - Javier Vazquez(44044)
BCYZ - Brian Lawrence(02135)
BCYZ - Greg Maddux(23203)
CXZ - Brad Penny(33553)
BC - Al Leiter(32044)

bcyz - Scott Stewart(5235531425)
cxz - Jeff Fassero(5355235340)
cyz - Jose Mesa(4333232445)
c - Grant Roberts

A
BCXYZ - Curt Schilling(14433)
BXY - Matt Clement(33442)
BXy - Carlos Zambrano(33533)
XYz - Kip Wells(44355)
BX - Jason Schmidt(40444)
XZ - Darren Dreifort(44540)

B - Adam Eaton(40431)
X - Matt Kinney(54524)
X - Livan Hernandez(44443)
X - Brett Myers(33535)
X - Jeff Suppan(33402)
Horacio Ramirez(43344)
Kerry Wood(24413)
Salomon Torres(42215)
Michael Tejera(40104)
B
C - Wade Miller(40343)
Y - John Patterson(02)
Y - A.J. Burnett(4444)
z - Miguel Batista(43532 as starter)
Jake Peavy(33234)
Ben Sheets(33412)

C
X - Shane Reynolds(33533)
Z - Brandon Duckworth(33044)
Steve Trachsel(32424)
Pedro Astacio(31020)

Zbxy - Terry Adams(1323353343)
ax - Rocky Biddle(3334335253)
a - Juan Cruz(4535523304)

X
Y - Randy Wolf(34354)
Russ Ortiz(34524)
Kaz Ishii(43333)
Hideo Nomo(32334)
Jeff D'Amico(42333)
Brett Tomko(33104)
Darren Oliver(33333)
Tony Armas, Jr.(31443)

Padilla moved down as Webb, Glavine, Vargas, and Linebrink departed completely; fortunately the additions of Ishii, D'Amico, Tomko, and Oliver give us a new supply of consistently effective starters to target.

Y
cz - Vincente Padilla(00532)
Orlando Hernandez.

Z
None.

a
bcxyz - Octavio Dotel(4424443445)
bcxyz - Paul Shuey(4342443554)
bcxyz - Paul Quantrill(2342415535)
bcxy - Mark Guthrie(4443014351)
bcxz - Braden Looper(4431353444)
bcyz - Jose Jimenez(5434354325)
bcyz - Antonio Alfonseca(5243532443)
bxyz - Joey Eischen(2333343444)

bcx - Mike Myers(3553443440)
bcy - Armando Benitez(2545455415)
bcz - Scott Strickland(3454243434)
bxy - Tim Worrell(5344443333)
bxy - Ricky Stone(5543441333)
cxz - Kyle Farnsworth(2452544434)
cxz - Graeme Lloyd(4354430453)
bx - Matt Herges(3345502431)
by - Darren Holmes(0355054442)
by - Armando Almanza(2444435232)
bz - Scott Sauerbeck(5003544443)
cx - Curt Leskanic(3433555451)
cy - Chad Zerbe(3243244424)
cz - Joe Beimel(5305542344)
cz - Felix Rodriguez(4422302044)

x - Luis Ayala(2344445545)
x - Tom Martin(5455404042)
x - Javier Lopez(4255353345)
x - Leo Estrella(2553334345)
Julian Tavarez(4443345454)
Cal Eldred(3451444213)
T.J. Tucker(4342225552)
Joe Nathan(4432144502)
Kevin Gryboski(0133445433)
Brad Lidge(2355442332)
Jung Bong(4313232444)
Troy Brohawn(3342435241)

b
cz - Danny Graves(53421)
cz - John Riedling(00403)
y - Jonathan Johnson(1)
Carl Pavano(34344)
Zach Day(42032)

cxyz - Roberto Hernandez(3043433320)
cyz - Mike Remlinger(1402553453)
cyz - Mike Williams(3342354422)
cyz - Ray King(0304434234)
cyz - Todd Jones(3221413443)
cyz - Eddie Oropesa(333434)
cy - Trevor Hoffman
cz - Steve Kline(3205315305)
cz - Mike Lincoln
xy - Scott Williamson(4435332235)

c - Brian Fuentes(3323242533)
y - Chris Reitsma(4253443)
y - Luis Vizcaino(4054313242)
y - Mike Crudale(2323344531)
y - Hector Mercado(3112)
y - Jayson Durocher(3)
y - Joey Hamilton(1)
y - Dave Coggin
Justin Speier(30334423425)
Carlos Silva(5341350240)
Brian Boehringer(2432342324)
Toby Borland(2424332)
Gene Stechschulte

c
z - Josh Fogg(25304)
Nelson Cruz(31130)

z - Dave Weathers(5333114524)
z - Esteban Yan(2325340424)
z - Jason Christiansen
z - Kevin Walker
Dan Plesac(4044355125)
Scott Eyre(4343043334)
Jesse Orosco(0435324043)
Allen Levrault(2224342443)
Vic Darensbourg(32)
John Franco
Dave Veres(23333)

x
y - Matt Mantei(5255335342)
Kent Mercker(4433242354)
Mike Stanton(3544343403)
Turk Wendell(3344344024)
Tommy Phelps(3324334453)
Scott Service(3433553323)
Matt Ford(3453343323)

y
Mike DeJean(2445233452)
Brandon Puffer(2344322352)
Brandon Villafuerte(5345433411)

z
Paul Wilson(02344)

NL starters I recommend despite their failure to appear above include Kurt Ainsworth(04334), Kris Benson(04423), Elmer Dessens(24403), Shawn Estes(34433), Damian Moss(33303), Tomo Ohka(40442), Jae Seo(52243), and Dontrelle Willis(4305).

Other decent relievers include Kiko Calero, Oscar Villarreal, and Todd Wellemeyer.

We modified these ratings slightly since posting our team-by-team LPR scores in January. Reworking the A-Z and a-z ratings allowed us to easily identify effective starters rather than merely looking at truly dominant performers of whom we only found a handful in any of the last few seasons.

1 - K/9 of 6.0+, BB/9 of 3.0-, H/9 of 9.0-, HR/9 of 1.0-,
     and G-F of 1.0+ in 25+ IP in 2003.
2 - K/9 of 6.0+, BB/9 of 3.0-, H/9 of 9.0-, HR/9 of 1.0-,
     and G-F of 1.0+ in 25+ IP in 2002.
3 - K/9 of 6.0+, BB/9 of 3.0-, H/9 of 9.0-, HR/9 of 1.0-,
     and G-F of 1.0+ in 25+ IP in 2001.

QA score for starts: up to 5 total points, one for each statistical goal, to any starter who pitches at least 5 innings and fulfills the following skill qualifications: K>=IP-2, BB<=IP/3, H<=IP, HR<=1, and G-F>=1.00. Any starter who does not reach at least one of the required statistical goals or fails to pitch 5 innings earns a QA score of 0. Scores of 5 and 4 qualify as DOMinant outings, a 3 is DULl, and anything below 3 ranks as a skill DISaster.

QA score for relief outings: up to 5 total points, one for each statistical goal, to any reliever who retires at least one batter and fulfills the following skill qualifications: K>=IP, BB=0, H<=IP, HR=0, and G-F>=1.00. Any reliever who does not reach at least one of the required statistical goals or fails to retire a batter earns a QA score of 0. Scores of 5 and 4 qualify as DOMinant outings, a 3 is DULl, and anything below 3 ranks as a skill DISaster.

Starters must pitch in five games before earning any of the following DOM or DIS ratings; relievers must appear in no less than 10 games before earning DOM/DIS consideration. All pitchers are evaluated as relievers aside from those who reached both 5 starts in a given season and qualified for DOM or DIS ratings.

A - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2003 starts
B - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2002 starts
C - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2001 starts

X - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2003 starts
Y - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2002 starts
Z - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2001 starts

a - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2003 relief outings
b - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2002 relief outings
c - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2001 relief outings

x - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2003 relief outings
y - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2002 relief outings
z - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2001 relief outings

Tomorrow, we will post our preview of the coming week's games and our CDM challenge lineups.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Boston MIF Freddy Sanchez posted a .384/.476/.566 with 5 HR, 23 RBI, 38 R, 5/5 SB%, and a 26:26 BB:K at AAA Pawtucket(IL), and he only committed 3 errors while playing 33 games at shortstop, 10 at 2B, and 1 at 3B. While an objectively fantastic prospect, he is not a good fantasy target for teams competing this season. Nomar, Bill Mueller, and Todd Walker will play nearly every day, so although Sanchez gives the Red Sox nice overall flexibility, he should not even see enough at-bats to contribute much in batting average. Do not bid more than a few bucks of FAAB on him since only a major injury will allow him to accumulate more than a couple dollars of value.