Today's Fantasy Rx

Schedule recommendations for teams with 7 games

Schedules that heavily favor hitters:
Baltimore: 2 Home vs. TEX; 2 Road at NYY; 3 Road at TOR.
Chicago Cubs: 2 Road at ATL; 2 Home vs. PHI; 3 Road at HOU.
Chicago White Sox: 2 Home vs. CLE; 2 Road at TOR; 3 Home vs. TB.
Cincinnati: 2 Home vs. MIL; 2 Home vs. PIT; 3 Road at NYM.
Colorado: 4 Road at LA; 3 Home vs. MIL.
Houston: 2 Road at PIT; 2 Road at MIL; 3 Home vs. CHC.
Milwaukee: 2 Road at CIN; 2 Home vs. HOU; 3 Road at COL.

Schedules that mildly favor hitters:
Anaheim: 2 Road at TB; 2 Road at TEX; 3 Home vs. OAK.
Boston: 2 Home vs. DET; 2 Home vs. TB; 3 Home vs. NYY.
Cleveland: 2 Road at CHW; 2 Home vs. DET; 3 Home vs. MIN.
Detroit: 2 Road at BOS; 2 Road at CLE; 3 Home vs. KC.
Kansas City: 2 Home vs. OAK; 2 Road at MIN; 3 Road at DET.
Minnesota: 2 Home vs. SEA; 2 Home vs. KC: 3 Road at CLE.
New York Yankees: 2 Home vs. TOR; 2 Home vs. BAL; 3 Road at BOS.
Pittsburgh: 2 Home vs. HOU; 2 Road at CIN; 3 Road at St. Louis.
San Francisco: 4 Home vs. ARI; 3 Home vs. SD.
Tampa Bay: 2 Home vs. ANA; 2 Road at BOS; 3 Road at CHW.
Toronto: 2 Road at NYY; 2 Home vs. CHW; 3 Home vs. BAL.

Schedules that mildly favor pitchers:
Arizona: 4 Road at SF; 3 Home vs. LA.
Atlanta: 2 Home vs. CHC; 2 Home vs. FLO; 3 Road at MON.
Los Angeles: 4 Home vs. COL; 3 Road at ARI.
Oakland: 2 Road at KC; 2 Road at SEA; 3 Road at ANA.
Seattle: 2 Road at MIN; 2 Home vs. OAK; 3 Home vs. TEX.
Texas: 2 Road at BAL; 2 Home vs. ANA; 3 Road at SEA.

Schedules that heavily favor pitchers:
Florida: 2 Home vs. MON; 2 Road at ATL; 3 Home vs. PHI.
Montreal: 2 Road at FLO; 2 Home vs. NYM; 3 Home vs. ATL.
New York Mets: 2 Road at PHI; 2 Road at MON; 3 Home vs. CIN.
Philadelphia: 2 Home vs. NYM; 2 Road at CHC; 3 Road at FLO.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 6 games

Schedules that mildly favor pitchers:
San Diego: 3 Home vs. STL; 3 Road at SF.
St. Louis: 3 Road at SD; 3 Home vs. PIT.

Pitchers with 2 starts(to deploy everywhere you own them):
Josh Beckett: Mon:MON(E.Knott); Sat:PHI(B.Duckworth)
Kris Benson: Tue:HOU(J.Robertson); Sun:@STL(M.Morris)
Jeremy Bonderman: Mon:@BOS(J.Burkett); Sat:KC(K.Snyder)
John Burkett: Mon:DET(J.Bonderman); Sat:NYY(J.Weaver)
Bartolo Colon: Tue:CLE(J.Davis); Sun:TB(J.Kennedy)
Elmer Dessens: Mon:@SF(Jer.Williams); Sat:LA(A.Ashby)
R.A. Dickey: Mon:@BAL(P.Hentgen); Sat:@SEA(J.Pineiro)?
Brandon Duckworth: Mon:NYM(A.Heilman); Sat:@FLO(J.Beckett)
Josh Fogg: Mon:HOU(T.Redding); Sat:@STL(W.Williams)
Freddy Garcia: Tue:@MIN(R.Reed); Sun:TEX(J.Thomson)
Roy Halladay: Tue:@NYY(A.Pettitte); Sat:BAL(P.Hentgen) or Sun:BAL(Rod.Lopez)
Rich Harden: Mon:@KC(K.Snyder); Sat:@ANA(A.Sele)
Aaron Heilman: Mon:@PHI(B.Duckworth); Sat:@FLO(J.Beckett)
Tim Hudson: Tue:@KC(J.Lima); Sun:@ANA(Ra.Ortiz)
Jose Lima: Tue:OAK(T.Hudson); Sun:@DET(J.Lima)
Kyle Lohse: Mon:SEA(J.Pineiro); Sat:@CLE(B.Traber)
Derek Lowe: Tue:DET(M.Maroth); Sun:NYY(A.Pettitte)
Greg Maddux: Tue:CHC(S.Mitre); Sun:@MON(T.Ohka)
Mike Maroth: Tue:@BOS(D.Lowe); Sun:KC(J.Lima)
Kevin Millwood: Tue:NYM(S.Trachsel); Sun:@FLO(C.Pavano)
Matt Morris: Mon:@SD(J.Peavy); Sun:PIT(K.Benson)
Hideo Nomo: Tue:COL(J.Jennings); Sun:@ARI(C.Schilling)
Tomo Ohka: Tue:@FLO(C.Pavano); Sun:ATL(G.Maddux)
Ramon Ortiz: Tue:@TB(J.Kennedy); Sun:OAK(T.Hudson)
Carl Pavano: Tue:MON(T.Ohka); Sun:PHI(K.Millwood)
Jake Peavy: Mon:STL(M.Morris); Sat:@SF(J.Foppert)
Andy Pettitte: Tue:TOR(R.Halladay); Sun:@BOS(D.Lowe)
Joel Pineiro: Mon:@MIN(K.Lohse); Sat:TEX(R.Dickey or C.Lewis)
Mike Porzio: Mon:CLE(B.Tallet); Sat:TB(Ro.Bell)
Rick Reed: Tue:SEA(Fr.Garcia); Sun:@CLE(J.Davis)
Shane Reynolds: Mon:CHC(S.Estes); Sat:@MON(E.Knott?)
Curt Schilling: Tue:@SF(D.Moss); Sun:LA(H.Nomo)
Aaron Sele: Mon:@TB(Ro.Bell); Sat:OAK(R.Harden)
Kyle Snyder: Mon:OAK(R.Harden); Sat:@DET(J.Bonderman)
John Thomson: Tue:@BAL(Rod.Lopez); Sun:@SEA(Fr.Garcia)
Steve Trachsel: Tue:@PHI(K.Millwood); Sun:CIN(Pa.Wilson)
Jeff Weaver: Mon:TOR(M.Hendrickson); Sat:@BOS(J.Burkett)
Jerome Williams: Mon:ARI(E.Dessens); Sun:SD(Ol.Perez?)

Pitchers with 2 starts to deploy only in leagues that don't count qualitative stats:
Jose Acevedo?: Mon:MIL(M.Kinney); Sat:@NYM(A.Heilman)?
Andy Ashby: Mon:COL(D.Stark); Sat:@ARI(E.Dessens)
Rob Bell: Mon:ANA(A.Sele); Sat:@CHW(M.Porzio)
Jason Davis: Tue:@CHW(B.Colon); Sun:MIN(R.Reed)
Shawn Estes: Mon:@ATL(S.Reynolds); Sat:@HOU(T.Redding)
Wayne Franklin: Tue:@CIN(Pa.Wilson); Sun:@COL(J.Jennings)
Pat Hentgen: Mon:TEX(R.Dickey); Sat:@TOR(M.Hendrickson or R.Halladay)
Jason Jennings: Tue:@LA(H.Nomo); Sun:MIL(W.Franklin)
Joe Kennedy: Tue:ANA(Ra.Ortiz); Sun:@CHW(B.Colon)
Matt Kinney: Mon:@CIN(Jos.Acevedo); Sat:@COL(D.Stark)
Eric Knott?: Mon:@FLO(J.Beckett); Sat:ATL(S.Reynolds)?
Rodrigo Lopez: Tue:TEX(J.Thomson); Sun:@TOR(R.Halladay or K.Escobar)
Oliver Perez?: Tue:STL(J.Fassero); Sun:@SF(Jer.Williams)?
Tim Redding: Mon:@PIT(J.Fogg); Sat:CHC(S.Estes)
Jeriome Robertson: Tue:@PIT(K.Benson); Sun:CHC(M.Prior?)
Dennis Stark: Mon:@LA(A.Ashby); Sat:MIL(M.Kinney)
Paul Wilson: Tue:MIL(W.Franklin); Sat:@NYM(S.Trachsel)

Diamond Challenge

SP(6)
Randy Johnson: Fri:LA(Od.Perez)
Pedro Martinez: Fri:NYY(M.Mussina)
Curt Schilling: Tue:@SF(D.Moss); Sun:LA(H.Nomo)
Tim Hudson: Tue:@KC(J.Lima); Sun:@ANA(Ra.Ortiz)
Matt Morris: Mon:@SD(J.Peavy); Sun:PIT(K.Benson)
Roy Oswalt: Wed:@MIL(G.Rusch)
Mike Mussina: Fri:@BOS(P.Martinez)
Kevin Millwood: Tue:NYM(S.Trachsel); Sun:@FLO(C.Pavano)
Kerry Wood: Thu:PHI(V.Padilla)
Kevin Brown: Thu:COL(S.Chacon)
Roy Halladay: Tue:@NYY(A.Pettitte); Sat:BAL(P.Hentgen) or Sun:BAL(Rod.Lopez)
Jason Schmidt: Thu:ARI(B.Webb)
Mark Prior: Sun:@HOU(J.Robertson)???.

The last-minute loss of Prior's double leaves us with a choice of one single, and as we believe Kerry either will throw another shutout or get lit, we're going to gamble on the former and deploy him instead of Kevin Brown; the Cubs also possess a stronger offense than the Dodgers, which gives us a better shot at a win.

Kearns' DL trip means we need another outfielder, so we're going to burn one of our five remaining moves to add Vernon Wells, dropping the little-used Jose Hernandez, and deploying Wells for Ichiro, who faces a bad schedule and doesn't contribute in the categories we most need. Vlad and Roberts also join Kearns and Ichiro on the bench. We'll leave about 500 in cap room on the table, however we'd prefer not to run Williamson with the Reds home most of the week.

Interview with the Umpire(6th lg; 37th div; 797th overall),
Shadow of the Umpire(4th lg; 40th div; 796th overall), &
Dance of the Umpires(9th lg; 41st div; 852nd overall)
Week 17: June 21-July 27

C	Ivan Rodriguez		1070
C	Toby Hall		460
1B	Aubrey Huff		610
1B	Erubiel Durazo		520
2B	Alfonso Soriano		1460
2B	Luis Castillo		1210
3B	Aaron Boone		1010
3B	Hank Blalock		500
SS	Alex Rodriguez		2010
SS	Nomar Garciaparra	1330
OF	Lance Berkman		1640
OF	Manny Ramirez		1610

OF	Preston Wilson		1220
OF	Carl Everett		850
OF	Vernon Wells		750
OF	Hideki Matsui		750
DH	Frank Thomas		920
DH	Aramis Ramirez		820

SP	Tim Hudson		1340
SP	Matt Morris		1300
SP	Curt Schilling		1610
SP	Kevin Millwood		1010
SP	Kerry Wood		990
SP	Roy Halladay		890
RP	Eric Gagne		1430
RP	Mike MacDougal		750
RP	Tim Worrell		740
RP	Matt Mantei		700

Total Salary for Week 17: 	29500

Diamond Challenge 2nd Season

With Griffey and Patterson out for the year, we need to add an outfielder, and while power numbers aren't a top priority, we can't pass up Hideki Matsui as a free agent. We'll drop Griffey now, and we suspect Patterson will disappear in the very near future.

SP(6)
Pedro Martinez: Fri:NYY(M.Mussina)
Curt Schilling: Tue:@SF(D.Moss); Sun:LA(H.Nomo)
Tim Hudson: Tue:@KC(J.Lima); Sun:@ANA(Ra.Ortiz)
Matt Morris: Mon:@SD(J.Peavy); Sun:PIT(K.Benson)
Roy Oswalt: Wed:@MIL(G.Rusch)
Mike Mussina: Fri:@BOS(P.Martinez)
Mark Mulder: Thu:@SEA(G.Meche)
Kevin Millwood: Tue:NYM(S.Trachsel); Sun:@FLO(C.Pavano)
Kerry Wood: Thu:PHI(V.Padilla)
Kevin Brown: Thu:COL(S.Chacon)
Roy Halladay: Tue:@NYY(A.Pettitte); Sat:BAL(P.Hentgen) or Sun:BAL(Rod.Lopez)
Jason Schmidt: Thu:ARI(B.Webb)
Mark Prior: Sun:@HOU(J.Robertson)???.

The only difference between this staff and our DC pitching is Mulder instead of Randy, we'll deploy the same five doubles here as in DC: Schilling, Hudson, Morris, Millwood, and Halladay. We also will take Wood for the same reason here in as in DC.

Umpire The Masquerade(2nd lg; 18th div; 138th overall)
Week 17: June 21-July 27

C	Mike Lieberthal		650
C	Toby Hall		460
1B	Carlos Deglado		1420
1B	Aubrey Huff		610
2B	Alfonso Soriano		1460
2B	Bret Boone		1360
3B	Aramis Ramirez		820
3B	Hank Blalock		500
SS	Nomar Garciaparra	1330
SS	Rafael Furcal		970
OF	Albert Pujols		1750
OF	Preston Wilson		1220
OF	Juan Pierre		1080
OF	Vernon Wells		750
OF	Hideki Matsui		750
OF	Milton Bradley		430
DH	Orlando Cabrera		1030
DH	Erubiel Durazo		520

SP	Curt Schilling		1610
SP	Tim Hudson		1340
SP	Matt Morris		1300
SP	Kevin Millwood		1010
SP	Kerry Wood		990
SP	Roy Halladay		890
RP	Eric Gagne		1430
RP	Joe Borowski		750
RP	Rocky Biddle		750
RP	Tim Worrell		740

Total Salary for Week 17: 	27920

Internet Challenge

SP(6)
Curt Schilling: Tue:@SF(D.Moss)
Matt Morris: Mon:@SD(J.Peavy)
Roy Oswalt: Wed:@MIL(G.Rusch)
Kevin Millwood: Tue:NYM(S.Trachsel)
Kerry Wood: Thu:PHI(V.Padilla)
Kevin Brown: Thu:COL(S.Chacon)
Roy Halladay: Tue:@NYY(A.Pettitte)
Jason Schmidt: Thu:ARI(B.Webb)

No starts: Randy, Pedro, Mussina, Prior, Loaiza, and Ainsworth.

We're going to have a nice group of starts this weekend thanks to all the potential doubles. Millwood, Wood, and Brown all look solid here, as do Schilling, Morris, and Halladay, who we favor over Oswalt due to his winning streak and Oswalt's reported dead arm. Schmidt's forearm tightness makes him a poor choice against a dominant starter like Webb.

Helton spends the first half of the week in Los Angeles, so replacing him with Durazo likely upgrades our lineup while fixing our otherwise worrisome cap situation. While we wind up leaving considerable money on the table, we don't see obvious replacements in either our lineup or pitching staff, particularly since we're down to 2 moves.

The Umpire Hunter(13th lg; 342nd overall)
Week 17a: July 21-July 24

C	Jorge Posada		1120
C	Toby Hall		460
1B	Aubrey Huff		610
1B	Erubiel Durazo		520
2B	Alfonso Soriano		1460
2B	Luis Castillo		1210 
3B	Aramis Ramirez		820
3B	Hank Blalock		500
SS	Alex Rodriguez		2010
SS	Nomar Garciaparra	1330
OF	Lance Berkman		1640
OF	Manny Ramirez		1610
OF	Preston Wilson		1220 
OF	Carl Everett		850
OF	Vernon Wells		750
OF	Hideki Matsui		750
DH	Orlando Cabrera		1030
DH	Aaron Boone		1010

SP	Curt Schilling		1610
SP	Matt Morris		1300
SP	Kevin Millwood		1010
SP	Kerry Wood		990
SP	Kevin Brown		990
SP	Roy Halladay		890
RP	Eric Gagne		1430
RP	Mike MacDougal		750
RP	Tim Worrell		740
RP	Matt Mantei		700

Total Salary for Week 17a: 	29310

Fantasy Baseball & Budget Baseball
(Same rules = same rosters and moves for both teams)

SP(6)
Curt Schilling: Tue:@SF(D.Moss); Sun:LA(H.Nomo)
Mike Mussina: Fri:@BOS(P.Martinez)
Pedro Martinez: Fri:NYY(M.Mussina)
Roy Oswalt: Wed:@MIL(G.Rusch)
Kerry Wood: Thu:PHI(V.Padilla)
Kevin Millwood: Tue:NYM(S.Trachsel); Sun:@FLO(C.Pavano)
Roy Halladay: Tue:@NYY(A.Pettitte); Sat:BAL(P.Hentgen) or Sun:BAL(Rod.Lopez)
Jason Schmidt: Thu:ARI(B.Webb)
Kevin Brown: Thu:COL(S.Chacon)
Mark Prior: Sun:@HOU(J.Robertson)???.

We're not going to add Randy here until he either proves he's dominating again or doubles, so for now we'll deploy the obvious doubles of Schilling, Millwood, and Halladay, along with intriguing starts from Oswalt, Brown, and the red hot Kerry Wood.

Injuries to Juan Gone and Kearns leave us with fewer options than normal, particularly with Marrero, J. Phelps, and Jose Hernandez clogging our bench. To deploy the pitchers we want, we'll shift Hinske to 3B, bench Rolen, Burrell, & Larry Walker, and then activate Helton and Ellis, both red hot this month, at DH.

The Umpire Chronicles(4th lg; 207th overall)
& Umpire with a Soul(4th lg; 480th overall)
Week 17: July 21-July 27

C	Jason Varitek		1400
C	Toby Hall		1070
1B	Carlos Delgado		2850
1B	Frank Thomas		2030
2B	Alfonso Soriano		2570
2B	Orlando Hudson		1000
3B	Eric Hinske		1750
3B	Joe Crede		1150	
SS	Nomar Garciaparra	2300 
SS	Orlando Cabrera		1820
OF	Albert Pujols		3150
OF	Manny Ramirez		2690
OF	Lance Berkman		2850
OF	Preston Wilson		2410
OF	Vernon Wells		1780
OF	Hideki Matsui		1500
DH	Todd Helton		3320
DH	Mark Ellis		1100

SP	Curt Schilling		3600
SP	Roy Oswalt		2800
SP	Kerry Wood		2470
SP	Kevin Millwood		2400
SP	Roy Halladay		2010
SP	Kevin Brown		1910
RP	Eric Gagne		2560
RP	Keith Foulke		2330
RP	Mike MacDougal		1500
RP	Tim Worrell		1370

Total Salary for Week 17: 	59690

Mid-Season Fantasy Baseball

SP(6)
Curt Schilling: Tue:@SF(D.Moss); Sun:LA(H.Nomo)
Mike Mussina: Fri:@BOS(P.Martinez)
Pedro Martinez: Fri:NYY(M.Mussina)
Tim Hudson: Tue:@KC(J.Lima); Sun:@ANA(Ra.Ortiz)
Roy Oswalt: Wed:@MIL(G.Rusch)
Roger Clemens: Wed:BAL(R.Helling)
Roy Halladay: Tue:@NYY(A.Pettitte); Sat:BAL(P.Hentgen) or Sun:BAL(Rod.Lopez)
Jason Schmidt: Thu:ARI(B.Webb)
Esteban Loaiza: Fri:TB(Jor.Sosa)
Brandon Webb: Thu:@SF(J.Schmidt)

We have no desire to run Pedro against Mussina or Schmidt against Webb, so we'll happily take the three doubles and solid singles from Oswalt, Clemens, and Loaiza.

Lieberthal, Durazo, Lowell, Furcal, Larry Walker, and Pujols all stay benched, but losing Griffey really hurts here, particularly since we don't see another inexpensive outfielder who deserves a lineup spot right now. We'll bench him until we need a replacement, and stay under the cap this week by deploying Marcus Giles, who appears healthy, at 2B for Bret Boone. Preston Wilson takes Griffey's spot in our outfield.

Umpire in Brooklyn
Week 17: July 21-July 27

C	Javier Lopez		1480
C	Jason Varitek		1400
1B	Frank Thomas		2030
1B	Aubrey Huff		1420
2B	D'Angelo Jimenez	1400
2B	Marcus	 Giles		1080
3B	Hank Blalock		1100
3B	Morgan Ensberg		1000
SS	Nomar Garciaparra	2300 
SS	Orlando Cabrera		1820
OF	Manny Ramirez		2690
OF	Gary Sheffield		2600
OF	Preston Wilson		2410
OF	Vernon Wells		1780
OF	Hideki Matsui		1500
OF	Milton Bradley		1170
DH	Carlos Delgado		2850
DH	Mark Teixeira		1000

SP	Curt Schilling		3600
SP	Tim Hudson		2830
SP	Roy Oswalt		2800
SP	Roger Clemens		2720
SP	Roy Halladay		2010
SP	Esteban Loaiza		1900
RP	Eric Gagne		2560
RP	Keith Foulke		2330
RP	Mike MacDougal		1500
RP	Tim Worrell		1370

Total Salary for Week 17: 	54650

Today's Fantasy Rx: You likely noticed we significantly changed the format for the beginning of this column to provide more concrete recommendations to our readers. Please let us know if you either strongly prefer the current format or the old format.