Today's Fantasy Rx

Schedule recommendations for teams with 7 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Anaheim: 1 Road at KC; 3 Home vs. BAL; 3 Home vs. DET.
Boston: 4 Home vs. TB; 3 Home vs. CHW.
Cleveland: 1 Road at CHW; 3 Home vs. TOR; 3 Home vs. MIN.
Oakland: 1 Road at MIN; 3 Home vs. DET; 3 Home vs. KC.
Philadelphia: 4 Home vs. COL; 3 Home vs. SF.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Baltimore: 1 Home vs. TEX; 3 Road at ANA; 3 Road at TOR.
New York Yankees: 1 Home vs. TOR; 3 Road at TEX; 3 Road at SEA.
Texas: 1 Road at BAL; 3 Home vs. TEX; 3 Home vs. TB.

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

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Chicago White Sox: 1 Home vs. CLE; 3 Home vs. KC; 3 Road at BOS.
Colorado: 4 Road at PHI; 3 Road at PIT.
Kansas City: 1 Home vs. ANA; 3 Road at CHW; 3 Road at OAK.
Tampa Bay: 4 Road at BOS; 3 Road at TEX.
Toronto: 1 Road at NYY; 3 Road at CLE; 3 Home vs. BAL.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 6 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
New York Mets: 3 Home vs. HOU; 3 Home vs. ARI.
Pittsburgh: 3 Home vs. SF; 3 Home vs. COL.
St. Louis: 3 Road at FLO; 3 Road at ATL.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Atlanta: 3 Home vs. MIL; 3 Home vs. STL.
Los Angeles: 3 Road at CIN; 3 Road at CHC.
Montreal: 3 Home vs. ARI; 3 Home vs. HOU.
San Diego: 3 Road at CHC; 3 Road at CIN.
San Francisco: 3 Road at PIT; 3 Road at PHI.

Bad for hitters / Good for pitchers
Arizona: 3 Road at MON; 3 Road at NYM.
Chicago Cubs: 3 Home vs. SD: 3 Home vs. LA.
Houston: 3 Road at NYM; 3 Road at MON.
Milwaukee: 3 Road at ATL; 3 Home vs. FLO.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Cincinnati: 3 Home vs. LA; 3 Home vs. SD.
Detroit: 3 Road at OAK; 3 Road at ANA.
Florida: 3 Home vs. STL; 3 Road at MIL.
Seattle: 3 Home vs. MIN; 3 Home vs. NYY.

Pitchers with 2 starts(to deploy everywhere you own them):
Bronson Arroyo: Tue:TB(Jor.Sosa); Sun:CHW(J.Garland)
Josh Beckett: Tue:STL(C.Carpenter); Sun:@MIL(D.Davis)
Dave Borkowski: Mon:TEX(M.Bacsik); Sat:@TOR(J.Towers)
Kevin Brown: Tue:@TEX(R.Drese); Sun:@SEA(G.Meche)
Chris Carpenter: Tue:@FLO(J.Beckett); Sun:@ATL(J.Thomson)
Doug Davis: Tue:@ATL(J.Thomson); Sun:FLO(J.Beckett)
Ryan Drese: Tue:NYY(K.Brown); Sun:TB(Jor.Sosa)
Adam Eaton: Tue:@CHC(M.Prior); Sun:@CIN(A.Harang)
Zach Greinke: Tue:@CHW(J.Garland); Sun:@OAK(B.Zito)
Aaron Harang: Tue:LA(J.Lima); Sun:SD(A.Eaton)
Rich Harden: Mon:@MIN(K.Lohse); Sat:KC(Br.Anderson)
Livan Hernandez: Tue:ARI(R.Johnson); Sun:HOU(P.Munro)
Randy Johnson: Tue:@MON(L.Hernandez); Sun:@NYM(S.Trachsel)
Jose Lima: Tue:@CIN(A.Harang); Sun:@CHC(M.Prior)
Esteban Loaiza: Mon:TOR(J.Towers); Sat:@SEA(J.Moyer)
Kyle Lohse: Mon:OAK(R.Harden): Sat:@CLE(J.Westbrook)
Eric Milton: Mon:COL(Jam.Wright); Sat:SF(W.Franklin?)
Pete Munro: Tue:@NYM(S.Trachsel); Sun:@MON(L.Hernandez)
Mark Prior: Tue:SD(A.Eaton); Sun:LA(J.Lima)
Curt Schilling: Mon:TB(J.Halama); Sat:CHW(F.Diaz)
John Thomson: Tue:MIL(D.Davis); Sun:@STL(C.Carpenter)
Brett Tomko: Tue:@PIT(J.Fogg); Sun:@PHI(V.Padilla)
Josh Towers: Mon:@NYY(E.Loaiza); Sat:BAL(D.Borkowski)
Steve Trachsel: Tue:HOU(P.Munro); Sun:ARI(R.Johnson)
Jake Westbrook: Mon:@CHW(F.Diaz); Sat:MIN(K.Lohse)
Barry Zito: Tue:DET(Jas.Johnson); Sun:KC(Z.Greinke)

Pitchers with 2 starts to deploy only in leagues that don't count qualitative stats:
Brian Anderson: Mon:ANA(Ra.Ortiz); Sat:@OAK(R.Harden)
Mike Bacsik: Mon:@BAL(D.Borkowski); Sat:TB(J.Halama)
David Bush: Tue:@CLE(C.Durbin); Sun:BAL(D.Cabrera)
Daniel Cabrera: Tue:@ANA(A.Sele); Sun:@TOR(D.Bush)
Felix Diaz: Mon:CLE(J.Westbrook): Sat:@BOS(C.Schilling)
Chad Durbin: Tue:TOR(D.Bush); Sun:MIN(T.Mulholland)
Josh Fogg: Tue:SF(B.Tomko); Sun:COL(J.Kennedy)
Jon Garland: Tue:KC(Z.Greinke); Sun:@BOS(B.Arroyo)
John Halama: Mon:@BOS(C.Schilling); Sat:@TEX(M.Bacsik)
Jason Johnson: Tue:@OAK(B.Zito): Sun:@ANA(A.Sele)
Joe Kennedy: Tue:@PHI(V.Padilla); Sun:@PIT(J.Fogg)
Gil Meche: Tue:MIN(T.Mulholland); Sun:NYY(K.Brown)
Terry Mulholland: Tue:@SEA(G.Meche); Sun:@CLE(C.Durbin)
Ramon Ortiz: Mon:@KC(Br.Anderson); Sat:DET(N.Robertson)
Vicente Padilla: Tue:COL(J.Kennedy); Sun:SF(B.Tomko)
Aaron Sele: Tue:BAL(D.Cabrera); Sun:DET(Jas.Johnson)
Jorge Sosa: Tue:@BOS(B.Arroyo); Sun:@TEX(R.Drese)
Jamey Wright: Mon:@PHI(E.Milton): Sat:@PIT(Ol.Perez)

Diamond Challenge

SP(6)
Pedro Martinez: Thu:TB(M.Hendrickson)
Curt Schilling: Mon:TB(J.Halama); Sat:CHW(F.Diaz)
Randy Johnson: Tue:@MON(L.Hernandez); Sun:@NYM(S.Trachsel)
Mike Mussina: No start(DL)
Roy Halladay: No start(DL)
Tim Hudson: Thu:DET(M.Maroth)
Javier Vazquez: Wed:@TEX(N.Regilio)
Mark Mulder: Fri:KC(M.Wood)
Roy Oswalt: Wed:@NYM(T.Glavine)
Kerry Wood: Sat:LA(B.Penny?)

Kevin Brown: Tue:@TEX(R.Drese); Sun:@SEA(G.Meche)
Josh Beckett: Tue:STL(C.Carpenter); Sun:@MIL(D.Davis)
Jeremy Affeldt: DL.

Along with the four doubles, Pedro and Mulder seem slightly better choices than Hudson, Oswalt, or Wood.

Deploying Vernon Wells for Mike Lowell should help our offense, however we don't quite have the cap room necessary to run Crawford over Cintron or Blalock. Hudson and Podsednik remain glued to our bench.

Shadow of the Umpire(15th lg; 130th div; 3397th overall)
Week 19: August 9-August 15

C	Javy Lopez		940
C	Jason Varitek		680
1B	Mark Teixeira		760
1B	Lyle Overbay		400
2B	Alfonso Soriano		1930 
2B	Mark Loretta		820
3B	Hank Blalock		850 
3B	Joe Crede		600
SS	Alex Rodriguez		2010 
SS	Brian Roberts		610 
OF	Carlos Beltran		1760 
OF	Jeromy Burnitz		810 
OF	Melvin Mora		740
OF	Brad Wilkerson		690 
OF	Adam Dunn		690
OF	Miguel Cabrera		570 
DH	Vernon Wells		1150
DH	Alex Cintron		450 

SP	Pedro Martinez		1800 
SP	Curt Schilling		1610  
SP	Randy Johnson		1550
SP	Mark Mulder		1200 
SP	Kevin Brown		1180  
SP	Josh Beckett		990
RP	Eric Gagne		1890
RP	Octavio Dotel		1250 
RP	Danny Graves		1070 
RP	Joe Nathan		720 

Total Salary for Week 19: 	29720

Diamond Challenge 2nd Season

SP(6)
Pedro Martinez: Thu:TB(M.Hendrickson)
Curt Schilling: Mon:TB(J.Halama); Sat:CHW(F.Diaz)
Randy Johnson: Tue:@MON(L.Hernandez); Sun:@NYM(S.Trachsel)
Javier Vazquez: Wed:@TEX(N.Regilio)
Jason Schmidt: Thu:@PIT(R.Vogelsong)
Mark Mulder: Fri:KC(M.Wood)
Roy Oswalt: Wed:@NYM(T.Glavine)
Roger Clemens: Fri:@MON(R.Biddle?)
Johan Santana: Thu:@SEA(R.Franklin)
Brad Penny: Sat:@CHC(K.Wood)?
Ben Sheets: Thu:@ATL(Jar.Wright)
Jon Lieber: Fri:@SEA(R.Villone)

Pedro, Schmidt, Mulder, and Santana will accompany Schilling and Randy to give us a fairly good staff for the week.

Substituting Hairston for Kent, Uribe for Clayton, and Lawton for the hurting Manny puts us exactly at the cap. Craig Wilson, Blalock, and Vernon Wells remain benched.

Umpire: The Masquerade(6th lg; 69th div; 537th overall)
Week 19: August 9-August 15

C	Jason Varitek		680
C	Victor Martinez		450
1B	David Ortiz		800 
1B	Lyle Overbay		400 
2B	Mark Loretta		820
2B	Jerry Hairston, Jr.	660
3B	Scott Rolen		1460 
3B	Vinny Castilla		760
SS	Alex Rodriguez		2010 
SS	Juan Uribe		600
OF	Bobby Abreu		1630 
OF	Lance Berkman		1390
OF	Carl Crawford		1040 
OF	Jeromy Burnitz		810 
OF	Melvin Mora		740
OF	Miguel Cabrera		570 
DH	Vernon Wells		1150
DH	Travis Hafner		500

SP	Pedro Martinez		1800 
SP	Curt Schilling		1610
SP	Randy Johnson		1550 
SP	Jason Schmidt		1240
SP	Mark Mulder		1200 
SP	Johan Santana		1000
RP	Danny Graves		1070
RP	Danny Kolb		940 
RP	Brad Lidge		830
RP	Joe Nathan		720 

Total Salary for Week 19: 	28000

Internet Challenge

SP(6)
Pedro Martinez: Thu:TB(M.Hendrickson)
Curt Schilling: Mon:TB(J.Halama)
Randy Johnson: Tue:@MON(L.Hernandez)
Tim Hudson: Thu:DET(M.Maroth)
Javier Vazquez: Wed:@TEX(N.Regilio)
Jason Schmidt: Thu:@PIT(R.Vogelsong)
Roy Oswalt: Wed:@NYM(T.Glavine)
Kevin Brown: Tue:@TEX(R.Drese)
Josh Beckett: Tue:STL(C.Carpenter)

No starts: Mussina, Wood, Affeldt.

Pedro, Schilling, Randy, and Schmidt are easy calls. Hudson and Oswalt look like safer options than anyone in Texas or facing the Cardinals.

While we don't mind leaving Piazza, Fullmer, Orlando Hudson, and Pierre on the bench, we're deploying Cintron for Beltran to squeeze under the cap.

The Umpire Hunter(19th lg; 527th overall)
Week 19a: August 9-August 12

C	Jason Varitek		680 
C	Victor Martinez		450
1B	Lyle Overbay		400
1B	Mark Teixeira		760
2B	Alfonso Soriano		1930
2B	Mark Loretta		820 
3B	Scott Rolen		1460 
3B	Hank Blalock		850
SS	Alex Rodriguez		2010 
SS	Kazuo Matsui		750 
DH	Vernon Wells		1150
OF	Carl Crawford		1040 
OF	Scott Podsednik		980 
OF	Brad Wilkerson		690
OF	Adam Dunn		690
OF	Miguel Cabrera		570 
DH	Joe Crede		600 
DH	Alex Cintron		450

SP	Pedro Martinez		1800 
SP	Curt Schilling		1610 
SP	Randy Johnson		1550 
SP	Tim Hudson		1320
SP	Jason Schmidt		1240  
SP	Roy Oswalt		1200 
RP	Eric Gagne		1890
RP	Octavio Dotel		1250
RP	Danny Kolb		940 
RP	Joe Nathan		720 

Total Salary for Week 19a: 	29800

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

While we'd like to keep our last two moves, we need to replace Benitez. After considering Francisco Cordero, we opted for John Smoltz since his situation seems better and he costs relatively little for an ace closer on a team that accumulates significant save opportunities.

SP(6)
Curt Schilling: Mon:TB(J.Halama); Sat:CHW(F.Diaz)
Randy Johnson: Tue:@MON(L.Hernandez); Sun:@NYM(S.Trachsel)
Javier Vazquez: Wed:@TEX(N.Regilio)
Pedro Martinez: Thu:TB(M.Hendrickson)
Kerry Wood: Sat:LA(B.Penny?)

Tim Hudson: Thu:DET(M.Maroth)
Jason Schmidt: Thu:@PIT(R.Vogelsong)
Mark Mulder: Fri:KC(M.Wood)
Josh Beckett: Tue:STL(C.Carpenter); Sun:@MIL(D.Davis)
Kevin Brown: Tue:@TEX(R.Drese); Sun:@SEA(G.Meche)

We wish we could deploy seven pitchers this week, but in addition to the four doubles, we'll opt for Schmidt and Mulder over Pedro since the Boston starter faces better competition and costs us more cap room.

Deploying Pujols, Vernon Wells, and Blalock for Helton, Overbay, and Lowell should give us another nice boost. LeCroy, Soriano, Hudson, Cintron, and Kearns stay benched.

The Umpire Chronicles(12th lg; 1339th overall)
& Umpire with a Soul(15th lg; 2826th overall)
Week 19: August 9-August 15

 
C	Brian Schneider		1100 
C	Johnny Estrada		1000 
1B	Derrek Lee		2690
1B	Mark Teixeira		1550 
2B	Marcus Giles		1740
2B	Mark Loretta		1650 
3B	Hank Blalock		2020
3B	Tony Batista		1640 
SS	Orlando Cabrera		2460 
SS	Alex Cintron		1100
OF	Carlos Beltran		3060 
OF	Vernon Wells		2260
OF	Adam Dunn		1950 
OF	Brad Wilkerson		1870
OF	Hideki Matsui		1800
OF	Miguel Cabrera		1600 
DH	Albert Pujols		3350 
DH	Manny Ramirez		2960

SP	Curt Schilling		3090
SP	Randy Johnson		2900 
SP	Jason Schmidt		2780 
SP	Mark Mulder		2610
SP	Kevin Brown		2470
SP	Josh Beckett		2000 
RP	John Smoltz		2800
RP	Octavio Dotel		2400 
RP	Brad Lidge		1730
RP	Joe Nathan		1420

Total Salary for Week 19: 	60000

Mid-Season Fantasy Baseball

Since we still possess seven player buys here, we're going to spend one on John Smoltz to replace Armando Benitez. While he costs more than we want to pay for a closer, he owns as much upside as Octavio Dotel without the obvious injury risk.

SP(6)
Curt Schilling: Mon:TB(J.Halama); Sat:CHW(F.Diaz)
Randy Johnson: Tue:@MON(L.Hernandez); Sun:@NYM(S.Trachsel)
Jason Schmidt: Thu:@PIT(R.Vogelsong)
Roger Clemens: Fri:@MON(R.Biddle?)
Mark Mulder: Fri:KC(M.Wood)
Roy Oswalt: Wed:@NYM(T.Glavine)
Matt Clement: Thu:SD(J.Peavy)
Ben Sheets: Thu:@ATL(Jar.Wright)
Johan Santana: Thu:@SEA(R.Franklin)
Carl Pavano: Wed:STL(J.Suppan)

Schmidt, Clemens, Mulder, and Santana look like our best options to join Schilling and Randy.

We're content to leave CJ, Mike Young, Blalock, Kaz Matsui, Manny, Burnitz, and Bay benched. While we'd love to deploy Bonds in Philly, Abreu is a safer play and even switching from Clemens to Pavano wouldn't provide enough cap room for that change.

Umpire in Brooklyn(2nd lg; 91st overall)
Week 19: August 9-August 15

 
C	Victor Martinez		1120 
C	Johnny Estrada		1000
1B	David Ortiz		1980
1B	Mark Teixeira		1550
2B	Marcus Giles		1740
2B	Mark Loretta		1650
3B	Adrian Beltre		2090
3B	Vinny Castilla		1610
SS	Nomar Garciaparra		2340
SS	Carlos Guillen		1640
OF	Bobby Abreu		3120 
OF	Adam Dunn		1950 
OF	Hideki Matsui		1800
OF	J.D. Drew		1690 
OF	Jose Guillen		1620 
OF	Miguel Cabrera		1600
DH	Travis Hafner		1140
DH	Lyle Overbay		1000

SP	Curt Schilling		3090
SP	Randy Johnson		2900 
SP	Jason Schmidt		2780
SP	Roger Clemens		2670 
SP	Mark Mulder		2610 
SP	Johan Santana		2170
RP	John Smoltz		2800
RP	Francisco Cordero	2080
RP	Brad Lidge		1730
RP	Joe Nathan		1420

Total Salary for Week 19: 	54890

Today's Fantasy Rx: Although Randy and Schilling own solid doubles, I see few other respectable starting options even worth considering for teams looking for pitching help. Even with Colorado and Houston on the road, I envision little upside to targeting most of this week's single starts. Unless desperate for a replacement starter, wait a week to add pitching, since several solid starters appear Wednesday and Thursday, placing them in line for doubles next week.