Today's Fantasy Rx

Per popular request, I will provide all of the player information tables for these articles even if I still need to complete comments for some pitchers.

American League Relief Pitchers with Double-digit PDV

Quick Key to the tables:
W = Wins.  S = Saves.  ERA = Earned Run Average (ER*9/IP).
WHIP = (Walks + Hits)/IP aka Ratio.  K = Strikeouts.  BB = Bases on Balls aka Walks.
H = Hits.  IP = Innings Pitched.  P = Pitches.  B = Bats.
Age = Player's Age as of October 1, 2004.
4x4 = BA, HR, RBI, and SB in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
5x5 = BA, HR, RBI, SB, and R in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
RAR = Runs Above Replacement; Adjusted RAR = RAR modified to
consider whether a pitcher qualified as a starter in Scoresheet fantasy baseball .

Players are ranked in order from the highest draft value in a 4x4 league to the lowest. As the majority of fantasy leagues allow you to keep anyone traded to the other league, all players are listed in the league where they began the season.

1.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Mariano Rivera		4	53	1.94	1.08	66	20	65	78.2
NY Yankees		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 34	P:R    B:R	43		37		39		39

Split Rivera's halves and both pitchers push $20. First Half Rivera registered 32 saves on a 36:15 K:BB in 45.1 IP with 34 H, 1 HR, and an unbelievable 0.99 ERA. Second Half Rivera saved another 21 games on a 30:5 K:BB in 33.1 IP with 31 H, 2 HR, and a solid 3.24 ERA. Perhaps the best reliever in history continues to dominate, managing a career-best 2.13 G-F and the fifth sub-2.00 ERA of his career. Rostering him for anything less than $30 qualifies as a superb bargain since the questionable pitching and defense of the 2005 Yankees will provide Rivera another 50 save opportunities.

2.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Francisco Cordero		3	49	2.13	1.28	79	32	60	71.2
TEX Rangers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 29	P:R    B:R	37		32		33.8		33.8

The remarkably consistent Cordero managed an outstanding season in his first full year as a closer despite a worrisome ground-fly rebound from 1.82 down to 1.03 that somehow translated into improvement in his homer rate. Of course, his struggles in September and continued control problems leave me hesitant to recommend him at much more than $25. If his saves drop by at least a dozen as I expect, pushing $30 here almost certainly will guarantee you won't earn a profit on Cordero.

3.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Joe Nathan		1	44	1.62	0.98	89	23	48	72.1
MIN Twins		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 29	P:R    B:R	37		32		38.7		38.7

Developing dominance and improved control translated into an All-Star season for the first-year closer. Nathan cut his ERA by 1.34 despite moving to the AL and leaving SBC for the Metrodome, yet other than a brief stumble in August, he never posted an ERA over his 2.46 April mark. Only a .76 G-F mars an otherwise excellent skill set, so I see no reason why he won't remain one of the top relievers in the game. Feel free to approach $30 given the strong likelihood Nathan will push 40 saves while keeping his ERA near 3.00.

4.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Keith Foulke		5	32	2.17	0.94	79	15	63	83
BOS Red Sox		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 31	P:R    B:R	32		27		38.8		38.8

5.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Troy Percival		2	33	2.90	1.25	33	19	43	49.2
ANA Angels		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 35	P:R    B:R	24		20		18.8		18.8

6.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Danys Baez		4	30	3.57	1.31	52	29	60	68
TB Devil Rays		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 27	P:R    B:R	22		19		20		20

7.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Shingo Takatsu		6	19	2.31	0.98	50	21	40	62.1
CH White Sox		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 35	P:R    B:R	20		17		28.1		28.1

8.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Francisco Rodriguez		4	12	1.82	1.00	123	33	51	84
ANA Angels		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 22	P:R    B:R	18		18		42.9		42.9

9.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Tom Gordon		9	4	2.21	0.88	96	23	56	89.2
NY Yankees		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 36	P:R    B:R	16		15		41.5		41.5

10.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Eddie Guardado		2	18	2.78	0.99	45	14	31	45.1
SEA Mariners		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 33	P:L    B:R	15		13		17.8		17.8

11.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Ugueth Urbina		4	21	4.50	1.30	56	32	38	54
DET Tigers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 30	P:R    B:R	15		13		9.7		9.7

12.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Jorge Julio		2	22	4.57	1.42	70	39	59	69
BAL Orioles		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 25	P:R    B:R	14		12		11.9		11.9

13.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Juan Rincon		11	2	2.63	1.02	106	32	52	82
MIN Twins		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 25	P:R    B:R	12		12		33.6		33.6

14.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Jason Frasor		4	17	4.08	1.46	54	36	64	68.1
TOR Blue Jays		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 27	P:R    B:R	12		10		15.8		15.9

15.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
B.J. Ryan		4	3	2.28	1.14	122	35	64	87
BAL Orioles		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 28	P:L    B:L	10		11		39.5		39.5

16.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Scot Shields		8	4	3.33	1.30	109	40	97	105.1
ANA Angels		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 29	P:R    B:R	10		10		34.1		34.3

'05 AL Relief Pitcher Week continues tomorrow with more American League relievers.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Rivera, Foulke, and KRod jump out as the best targets here while B.J.Ryan qualifies as the most intriguing sleeper. If you don't want to push $30 for an established stud, instead opt for any closer costing no more than $20 from any AL team save Toronto and possibly Chicago, teams that simply lack anyone likely to save 20 games.