Today's Fantasy Rx

While we examined a couple hundred players before picking these teams, most of these selections were easy calls, particularly at first and third base, relief pitcher, and most outfielders and starters. A couple other players earned significant consideration from us in each game, however we firmly believe these teams offer us the best chance of winning right now. However, I at least will discuss the last round of cuts for each game since we likely will choose from that group of players when we need mid-season help.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 7 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Baltimore: 4 Home vs. BOS; 3 Road at TB
Boston: 3 Road at BAL; 3 Home vs. TOR.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Cleveland: 4 Road at MIN; 3 Road at KC.
Milwaukee: 4 Road at STL; 3 Home vs. HOU.
St. Louis: 4 Home vs. MIL; 3 Road at ARI.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 6 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Anaheim: 3 Road at SEA; 3 Road at TEX.
Atlanta: 3 Home vs. NYM; 3 Home vs. CHC.
Florida: 3 Home vs. MON; 3 Home vs. PHI.
Houston: 3 Home vs. SF: 3 Road at MIL.
Kansas City: 2 Home vs. CHW; 4 Home vs. CLE.
Minnesota: 3 Home vs. CLE; 3 Road at DET.
Philadelphia: 3 Road at PIT; 3 Road at FLO.
Toronto: 3 Home vs. DET; 3 Road at BOS.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Arizona: 3 Home vs. COL: 3 Home vs. STL.
Cincinnati: 3 Home vs. CHC; 3 Home vs. PIT.
Montreal: 3 Road at FLO; 3 Home vs. NYM.
New York Mets: 3 Road at ATL; 3 Road at MON.
Pittsburgh: 3 Home vs. PHI; 3 Road at CIN.
San Francisco: 3 Road at HOU; 3 Road at SD.

Bad for hitters / Good for pitchers
Colorado: 3 Road at ARI; 3 Road at LA.
Los Angeles: 3 Home vs. SD: 3 Home vs. COL.
Oakland: 3 Home vs. TEX; 3 Home vs. SEA.
Seattle: 3 Home vs. ANA; 3 Road at OAK.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Chicago White Sox: 3 Road at KC; 4 Road at NYY.
Chicago Cubs: 3 Road at CIN; 3 Road at ATL.
Detroit: 3 Road at TOR; 3 Home vs. MIN.
Texas: 3 Road at OAK; 3 Home vs. ANA.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 5 games

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Tampa Bay: 2 Home vs. NYY; 3 Home vs. BAL.

Pitchers with 2 starts(to deploy everywhere you own them):
Brian Anderson: Mon:CHW(M.Buehrle); Sat:CLE(C.Sabathia)
Miguel Batista: Tue:DET(M.Maroth); Sun:@BOS(C.Schilling)
Josh Beckett: Tue:MON(L.Hernandez); Sun:PHI(K.Millwood)
Bartolo Colon: Tue:@SEA(J.Moyer); Sun:@TEX(C.Park)
Eric DuBose: Tue:BOS(C.Schilling); Sun:@TB(V.Zambrano)
Roy Halladay: Mon:DET(J.Johnson); Sat:@BOS(P.Martinez)
Tim Hudson: Mon:TEX(K.Rogers); Sat:SEA(G.Meche) or Sun:SEA(J.Moyer)
Randy Johnson: Tue:COL(S.Estes); Sun:STL(J.Marquis)
Brian Lawrence: Mon:@LA(H.Nomo); Sat:SF(K.Rueter)
Pedro Martinez: Sun:@BAL(S.Ponson); Sat:TOR(R.Halladay)
Kevin Millwood: Mon:@PIT(K.Wells); Sun:@FLO(J.Beckett)
Matt Morris: Mon:MIL(B.Sheets); Sat:@ARI(S.Sparks)
Jamie Moyer: Tue:ANA(B.Colon); Sun:@OAK(T.Hudson or M.Mulder)
Mark Mulder: Tue:TEX(C.Park); Sun:SEA(J.Moyer)???
Mike Mussina: Tue:@TB(V.Zambrano); Sun:CHW(D.Wright)
Hideo Nomo: Mon:SD(B.Lawrence); Sat:COL(D.Stark)
Russ Ortiz: Tue:NYM(T.Glavine); Sun:CHC(K.Wood)
Roy Oswalt: Mon:SF(K.Rueter); Sun:@MIL(D.Davis)
Jake Peavy: Tue:@LA(Od.Perez); Sun:SF(B.Tomko)
Odalis Perez: Tue:SD(J.Peavy); Sun:COL(S.Estes)
Sidney Ponson: Sun:BOS(P.Martinez); Fri:@TB(M.Hendrickson)
Brad Radke: Mon:CLE(C.Sabathia); Sat:@DET(Jas.Johnson)
C.C. Sabathia: Mon:@MIN(B.Radke); Sat:@KC(Br.Anderson)
Johan Santana: Tue:CLE(J.Davis); Sun:@DET(M.Maroth)
Curt Schilling: Tue:@BAL(E.DuBose); Sun:TOR(M.Batista)
Ben Sheets: Mon:@STL(M.Morris); Sat:HOU(T.Redding)
Kip Wells: Mon:PHI(K.Millwood); Sat:@CIN(C.Lidle)
Kerry Wood: Mon:@CIN(C.Lidle); Sun:@ATL(Ru.Ortiz)

Pitchers with 2 starts to deploy only in leagues that don't count qualitative stats:
Mark Buehrle: Mon:@KC(Br.Anderson); Sun:@NYY(M.Mussina)
Doug Davis: Tue:@STL(J.Marquis); Sun:HOU(R.Oswalt)
Jason Davis: Tue:@MIN(Joh.Santana); Sun:@KC(De.Reyes???)
Shawn Estes: Tue:@ARI(R.Johnson); Sun:@LA(Od.Perez)
Tom Glavine: Tue:@ATL(Ru.Ortiz); Sun:@MON(L.Hernandz)
Livan Hernandez: Tue:@FLO(J.Beckett); Sun:NYM(T.Glavine)
Chan Ho Park: Tue:@OAK(M.Mulder); Sun:ANA(B.Colon)
Jason Johnson: Mon:@TOR(R.Halladay); Sat:MIN(B.Radke)
Cory Lidle: Mon:CHC(K.Wood); Sat:PIT(K.Wells)
Mike Maroth: Tue:@TOR(M.Batista); Sun:MIN(Joh.Santana)
Jason Marquis: Tue:MIL(Do.Davis); Sun:@ARI(R.Johnson)
Kenny Rogers: Mon:@OAK(T.Hudson); Sat:ANA(J.Lackey)
Kirk Rueter: Mon:@HOU(R.Oswalt); Sat:@SD(B.Lawrence)
Brett Tomko: Tue:@HOU(A.Pettitte); Sun:@SD(J.Peavy)
Victor Zambrano: Tue:NYY(M.Mussina); Sun:BAL(E.DuBose)

Diamond Challenge

SP(6)
Pedro Martinez: Sun:@BAL(S.Ponson); Sat:TOR(R.Halladay)
Curt Schilling: Tue:@BAL(E.DuBose); Sun:TOR(M.Batista)
Randy Johnson: Tue:COL(S.Estes); Sun:STL(J.Marquis)
Mike Mussina: Tue:@TB(V.Zambrano); Sun:CHW(D.Wright)
Roy Halladay: Mon:DET(J.Johnson); Sat:@BOS(P.Martinez)
Tim Hudson: Mon:TEX(K.Rogers); Sat:SEA(G.Meche) or Sun:SEA(J.Moyer)
Javier Vazquez: Thu:CHW(S.Schoeneweis)
Roy Oswalt: Mon:SF(K.Rueter); Sun:@MIL(D.Davis)
Kerry Wood: Mon:@CIN(C.Lidle); Sun:@ATL(Ru.Ortiz)
Kevin Brown: Wed:@TB(P.Abbott)
Josh Beckett: Tue:MON(L.Hernandez); Sun:PHI(K.Millwood)
Jose Contreras: Fri:CHW(J.Garland)
Shawn Chacon: 3 Road at ARI; 3 Road at LA.

While Pedro's tempting, he isn't pitching great as I write this, and we're inclined to stick with warm weather or domed starts as much as possible. Randy, Halladay, Hudson, and Oswalt all meet that criteria, and then Schilling is pitching against worst pitchers than Pedro. We simply don't trust Mussina right now, it's snowing in Cincinnati, and Beckett faces tough competition. Chacon's an obvious play with Colorado on the road.

We'll sit Crawford since he only plays five games, Fullmer and Crede due to their pitcher-friendly schedules, Ichiro for cap reasons, and then Preston Wilson with Colorado on the road.

Shadow of the Umpire(No standings)
Week 1: April 4-April 11

C	Jason Varitek		680
C	Matt LeCroy		480
1B	Mark Teixeira		760
1B	Josh Phelps		580
2B	Alfonso Soriano		1930
2B	Marcus Giles		990
3B	Eric Hinske		990
3B	Hank Blalock		850
SS	Alex Rodriguez		2010
SS	Rafael Furcal		1150
OF	Carlos Beltran		1760
OF	Juan Pierre		1470
OF	Vernon Wells		1150
OF	Carl Everett		880
OF	Adam Dunn		690
OF	Brad Wilkerson		690
DH	Miguel Cabrera		570
DH	Alex Cintron		450

SP	Curt Schilling		1610
SP	Randy Johnson		1550
SP	Roy Halladay		1350
SP	Tim Hudson		1320
SP	Roy Oswalt		1200
SP	Shawn Chacon		630
RP	Eric Gagne		1890
RP	David Riske		820
RP	Arthur Rhodes		800
RP	Matt Herges		670

Total Salary for Week 1: 	29930

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

SP(6)
Curt Schilling: Tue:@BAL(E.DuBose); Sun:TOR(M.Batista)
Randy Johnson: Tue:COL(S.Estes); Sun:STL(J.Marquis)
Javier Vazquez: Thu:CHW(S.Schoeneweis)
Pedro Martinez: Sun:@BAL(S.Ponson); Sat:TOR(R.Halladay)
Kerry Wood: Mon:@CIN(C.Lidle); Sun:@ATL(Ru.Ortiz)
Roy Halladay: Mon:DET(J.Johnson); Sat:@BOS(P.Martinez)
Kevin Brown: Wed:@TB(P.Abbott)
Josh Beckett: Tue:MON(L.Hernandez); Sun:PHI(K.Millwood)
Jose Contreras: Fri:CHW(J.Garland)
Shawn Chacon: 3 Road at ARI; 3 Road at LA.

With only six doubles and Pedro pitching poorly, we'll take Schilling, Randy, Wood, Halladay, and Beckett, along with Chacon.

Offensively, we have no reason to play Schneider or Helton right now, and we also only like Hudson and Munson as backups. Benching Beltran for week one lets us in under the cap, and then we'll fill out the reserves with Cintron, Kearns, and Miguel Cabrera.

The Umpire Chronicles(No standings)
& Umpire with a Soul(No standings)
Week 1: April 4-April 11

C	Matt LeCroy		1100
C	Jason Phillips		1070
1B	Mark Teixeira		1550
1B	Josh Phelps		1260
2B	Alfonso Soriano		3060
3B	Hank Blalock		2020
3B	Tony Batista		1640
SS	Orlando Cabrera		2460
SS	Derek Jeter		2430
OF	Manny Pujols		2960
OF	Vernon Wells		2260
OF	Carl Everett		2020
OF	Adam Dunn		1950
OF	Brad Wilkerson		1870
OF	Hideki Matsui		1800
DH	Albert Pujols		3350
DH	Derrek Lee		2690

SP	Curt Schilling		3090
SP	Randy Johnson		2900
SP	Kerry Wood		2880
SP	Roy Halladay		2800
SP	Josh Beckett		2000
SP	Shawn Chacon		1600
RP	Octavio Dotel		2400
RP	David Riske		1870
RP	Matt Herges		1610
RP	Arthur Rhodes		1580

Total Salary for Week 1: 	59960

Today's Fantasy Rx: The domestic Opening Game this evening features Boston at Baltimore on ESPN2 at 7:00PM CDT; we recommend at least glancing by the contest as Pedro and Ponson could present a compelling pitching duel. Of course, given the Yankees' experience in Japan, a Baltimore blowout wouldn't shock us.