Today's Fantasy Rx

Schedule recommendations for teams with 7 games

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Houston: 3 Road at STL; 4 Home vs. MIL.
Texas: 1 Home vs. ANA; 3 Home vs. OAK; 3 Road at SEA.

Bad for hitters / Good for pitchers
Anaheim: 1 Road at TEX; 3 Home vs. SEA; 3 Home vs. OAK.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Milwaukee: 3 Road at SF; 4 Road at HOU.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 6 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Boston: 3 Home vs. BAL; 3 Home vs. NYY.
Chicago White Sox; 3 Home vs. KC; 3 Road at TB.
Chicago Cubs: 3 Home vs. PIT; 3 Home vs. CIN.
Cleveland: 3 Home vs. MIN; 3 Home vs. DET.
Philadelphia: 3 Home vs. CIN; 3 Home vs. MON.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Arizona: 3 Road at COL; 3 Road at SD.
Colorado: 3 Home vs. ARI; 3 Road at STL.
Florida: 3 Road at MON; 3 Road at ATL.
Kansas City: 3 Road at CHW; 3 Road at MIN.
Minnesota: 3 Road at CLE; 3 Home vs. KC.
Montreal: 3 Home vs. FLO; 3 Road at PHI.
Oakland: 3 Road at TEX; 3 Road at ANA.
St. Louis: 3 Home vs. HOU; 3 Home vs. COL.
Toronto: 3 Road at DET; 3 Home vs. BAL.

Bad for hitters / Good for pitchers
Atlanta: 3 Road at NYM; 3 Home vs. FLO.
Cincinnati: 3 Road at PHI; 3 Road at CHC.
Detroit: 3 Home vs. TOR; 3 Road at CLE.
Los Angeles: 3 Road at SD; 3 Road at SF.
New York Mets: 3 Home vs. ATL; 3 Home vs. PIT.
Pittsburgh: 3 Road at CHC; 3 Road at NYM.
San Diego: 3 Home vs. LA: 3 Home vs. ARI.
Seattle: 3 Road at ANA: 3 Home vs. TEX.
San Francisco: 3 Home vs. MIL; 3 Home vs. LA.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Baltimore: 3 Road at BOS; 3 Road at TOR.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 5 games

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
New York Yankees: 2 Home vs. TB; 3 Road at BOS.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Tampa Bay: 2 Road at NYY; 3 Home vs. CHW.

Pitchers with 2 starts(to deploy everywhere you own them):
Jeremy Bonderman: Tue:TOR(P.Hentgen); Sun:@CLE(Cl.Lee)
Kevin Brown: Tue:TB(P.Abbott); Sun:@BOS(D.Lowe)
Roger Clemens: Tue:@STL(J.Suppan); Sun:MIL(C.Capuano)
Adam Eaton: Tue:LA(J.Weaver); Sun:ARI(S.Sparks)
Kelvim Escobar: Tue:SEA(J.Pineiro); Sun:OAK(B.Zito)
Mike Hampton: Mon:@NYM(S.Trachsel); Sun:FLO(B.Penny)
Pat Hentgen: Tue:@DET(J.Bonderman); Sun:BAL(K.Ainsworth)
Cliff Lee: Mon:MIN(K.Lohse); Sun:DET(J.Bonderman)
Esteban Loaiza: Tue:KC(D.May); Sun:@TB(P.Abbott)
Kyle Lohse: Mon:@CLE(Cl.Lee); Sat:KC(De.Reyes?)
Derek Lowe: Tue:BAL(K.Ainsworth); Sun:NYY(K.Brown)
Greg Maddux: Mon:PIT(K.Benson); Sat:CIN(Pa.Wilson)
Darrell May: Tue:@CHW(E.Loaiza); Sun:@MIN(B.Thomas?)
Joel Pineiro: Tue:@ANA(K.Escobar); Sun:TEX(M.Callaway)
Steve Trachsel: Mon:ATL(M.Hampton); Sat:PIT(K.Benson)
Jeff Weaver: Tue:@SD(A.Eaton); Sun:@SF(Jer.Williams?)
Jerome Williams: Mon:MIL(M.Kinney); Sat:LA(J.Lima?) or Sun:LA(J.Weaver)
Randy Wolf: Mon:CIN(Pa.Wilson); Sun:MON(C.Vargas)

Pitchers with 2 starts to deploy only in leagues that don't count qualitative stats:
Paul Abbott: Tue:@NYY(K.Brown); Sun:CHW(E.Loaiza)
Kurt Ainsworth: Tue:@BOS(D.Lowe); Sun:@TOR(P.Hentgen)
Kris Benson: Mon:@CHC(G.Maddux); Sat:@NYM(S.Trachsel)
Mickey Callaway: Tue:OAK(B.Zito); Sun:@SEA(J.Pineiro)
Chris Capuano: Tue:@SF(D.Hermanson); Sun:@HOU(R.Clemens)
Jared Fernandez: Mon:@STL(W.Williams); Sat:MIL(M.Kinney)?
Jason Jennings: Mon:ARI(B.Webb); Sat:@STL(W.Williams)
Matt Kinney: Mon:@SF(Jer.Williams); Sat:@HOU(Jar.Fernandez?)
Colby Lewis: Mon:ANA(J.Washburn); Sat:@SEA(J.Moyer)
Brad Penny: Tue:@MON(C.Vargas); Sun:@ATL(M.Hampton)
Claudio Vargas: Tue:FLO(B.Penny); Sun:@PHI(R.Wolf)
Jarrod Washburn: Mon:@TEX(C.Lewis); Sat:OAK(M.Mulder)
Brandon Webb: Mon:@COL(J.Jennings); Sat:@SD(I.Valdez?)
Woody Willliams: Mon:HOU(R.Clemens); Sun:COL(D.Stark)
Paul Wilson: Mon:@PHI(R.Wolf); Sat:@CHC(G.Maddux)
Barry Zito: Tue:@TEX(M.Callaway); Sun:@ANA(K.Escobar)

Diamond Challenge

We opted for Javy Lopez over Mike Piazza to replace Matt LeCroy since Lopez is 50 cheaper, appears to own a better schedule and lineup slot, looks healthier, and is posting better numbers.

SP(6)
Pedro Martinez: Thu:BAL(M.Riley)
Curt Schilling: Fri:NYY(J.Contreras)
Randy Johnson: Fri:@SD(J.Peavy)
Mike Mussina: Sat:@BOS(B.Arroyo)
Roy Halladay: Thu:@DET(Jas.Johnson)
Tim Hudson: Fri:@ANA(B.Colon)
Javier Vazquez: Wed:TB(M.Hendrickson)
Roy Oswalt: Fri:MIL(D.Davis)
Kerry Wood: Fri:CIN(C.Lidle)
Kevin Brown: Tue:TB(P.Abbott); Sun:@BOS(D.Lowe)
Josh Beckett: Sat:@ATL(Ru.Ortiz)
Jose Contreras: Fri:@BOS(C.Schilling)
Shawn Chacon: 3 Home vs. ARI; 3 Road at STL.

With only Brown doubling, we're taking the safer plays of Pedro, Schilling, Vazquez, Oswalt, and Wood, rather than risking a road start or Chacon in Colorado.

We'll slide Cintron to SS rather than cutting Furcal, who heads to the bench alongside Crede, Beltran, and Ichiro. Preston Wilson also will sit as we don't trust his playing time, although if the Rockies were at home all week rather than just through Thursday, we'd probably run him. Instead, we'll see if Pierre and Crawford can boost our speed numbers.

Shadow of the Umpire(19th lg; 194th div; 4880th overall)
Week 2: April 12-April 18

C	Javy Lopez		940
C	Jason Varitek		680
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	Alex Cintron		4500
OF	Juan Pierre		1470
OF	Vernon Wells		1150 
OF	Carl Crawford		1040
OF	Carl Everett		880
OF	Adam Dunn		690
OF	Brad Wilkerson		690
DH	Brad Fullmer		700
DH	Miguel Cabrera		570

SP	Pedro Martinez		1800
SP	Curt Schilling		1610 
SP	Javier Vazquez		1280 
SP	Roy Oswalt		1200
SP	Kerry Wood		1190
SP	Kevin Brown		1180
RP	Eric Gagne		1890
RP	David Riske		820
RP	Arthur Rhodes		800
RP	Matt Herges		670

Total Salary for Week 2: 	29820

Internet Challenge

SP(6)
Pedro Martinez: Thu:BAL(M.Riley)
Roy Halladay: Thu:@DET(Jas.Johnson)
Javier Vazquez: Wed:TB(M.Hendrickson)
Kevin Brown: Tue:TB(P.Abbott)
Shawn Chacon: 3 Home vs. ARI.

No starts: Schilling, Randy, Mussina, Hudson, Oswalt, Wood, Beckett, and Contreras.

Given Chacon's struggles, we're not comfortable running him right now, so we'll stay with the four starts listed, and then keep Beckett and Contreras active for cap reasons.

To make room for Miguel Cabrera, we'll sit Phelps as Toronto heads into Detroit, and then Crede, Ichiro, and Preston Wilson remain on our bench. Carl Crawford, despite his great start, also stays seated since Tampa only plays two games through Friday.

The Umpire Hunter(24th lg; 862nd overall)
Week 2a: April 12-April 15

C	Mike Piazza		990
C	Jason Varitek		680
1B	Mark Teixeira		760 
1B	Brad Fullmer		700
2B	Alfonso Soriano		1930
2B	Marcus Giles		990
3B	Eric Hinske		990
3B	Hank Blalock		850
SS	Alex Rodriguez		2010
SS	Kazuo Matsui		750
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	Pedro Martinez		1800
SP	Roy Halladay		1350
SP	Javier Vazquez		1280 
SP	Kevin Brown		1180
SP	Josh Beckett		990
SP	Jose Contreras		800
RP	Eric Gagne		1890
RP	David Riske		820
RP	Arthur Rhodes		800
RP	Matt Herges		670

Total Salary for Week 2a: 	29890

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

SP(6)
Curt Schilling: Fri:NYY(J.Contreras)
Randy Johnson: Fri:@SD(J.Peavy)
Javier Vazquez: Wed:TB(M.Hendrickson)
Pedro Martinez: Thu:BAL(M.Riley)
Kerry Wood: Fri:CIN(C.Lidle)
Roy Halladay: Thu:@DET(Jas.Johnson)
Kevin Brown: Tue:TB(P.Abbott); Sun:@BOS(D.Lowe)
Josh Beckett: Sat:@ATL(Ru.Ortiz)
Jose Contreras: Fri:@BOS(C.Schilling)
Shawn Chacon: 3 Home vs. ARI; 3 Road at STL.

We're going with the higher percentage home starts, deploying Schilling, Vazquez, Pedro, Wood, and Brown, along with Chacon.

Offensively, Brian Schneider replaces the injured Matt LeCroy, Helton gives us a nice upgrade on Derrek Lee, and then Alex Cintron and Miguel Cabrera respectively replace Jeter and Hideki Matsui, giving us the cap room for our pitching and Helton. Orlando Hudson, Eric Munson, Carlos Beltran, and Austin Kearns remain on our bench.

The Umpire Chronicles(17th lg; 1990th overall)
& Umpire with a Soul(19th lg; 3205th overall)
Week 2: April 12-April 18

C	Brian Schneider		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	Alex Cintron		1100
OF	Manny Pujols		2960
OF	Vernon Wells		2260
OF	Carl Everett		2020
OF	Adam Dunn		1950
OF	Brad Wilkerson		1870 
OF	Miguel Cabrera		1600
DH	Todd Helton		3450
DH	Albert Pujols		3350

SP	Curt Schilling		3090 
SP	Javier Vazquez		2890
SP	Pedro Martinez		2890
SP	Kerry Wood		2880 
SP	Kevin Brown		2470
SP	Shawn Chacon		1600
RP	Octavio Dotel		2400
RP	David Riske		1870
RP	Matt Herges		1610
RP	Arthur Rhodes		1580

Total Salary for Week 2: 	59740

Today's Fantasy Rx: While we probably should have conducted a more thorough analysis Friday morning, we still don't mind our Piazza pickup. However, Javy Lopez looks like a better value given his lineup, home park, and schedule, not to mention the 50 extra cap room. Anyone looking to replace LeCroy or Mauer should consider Lopez.