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 PDV from $4 through $9

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.

17.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Damaso Marte		6	6	3.42	1.22	68	34	56	73.2
CH White Sox		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 29	P:L    B:L	9		8		23.1		23.1

Consistently posting a ground-fly rate near his .78 mark last year finally resulted in an ERA spike fueled by a homer rate increase of more than 300%. Compiling an 8.3 K/9, his worst mark since debuting with Seattle in 1999, similarly represents an abrupt skill decrease. At least Marte continued to dominate left-handed batters, but with Dustin Hermanson added as the closer-in-waiting when Shingo Takatsu falters, Marte no longer appears worth more than an investment of a few bucks due to his now-limited fantasy upside.

18.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Justin Duchscherer		7	0	3.27	1.21	59	32	85	96.1
OAK Athletics		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 26	P:R    B:R	7		7		32		32.1

While we expected Duchscherer to succeed in the majors as a starter, his emergence as one of the ten best AL relievers largely shocked us. Of course, a high homer rate, unimpressive 1.06 G-F, and a very unimpressive 5.5 K/9 leave him little chance to remain equally productive in 2005, especially since the Athletics added a few extremely effective new relievers like Kiko Calero and Juan Cruz. Only his lack of options may keep Duchscherer in the majors, and although he at least should earn a couple bucks, nothing here indicates he'll approach double-digit value as a middle reliever.

19.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Justin Speier		3	7	3.91	1.25	52	25	61	69
TOR Blue Jays		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 30	P:R    B:R	7		6		17.4		17.4

Speier lost this job fairly quickly after a slow start yet his .68 G-F and overall pitching profile makes him well-suited to finish games. Saving six games in seven September opportunities similarly supports the supposition that Speier will remain successful in short relief. Spending into the teens to acquire this likely sleeper seems a decent idea since the Jays could create upwards of 40 save situations due their increasingly weak offense and mediocre pitching staff.

20.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Bob Wickman		0	13	4.25	1.45	26	10	33	29.2
CLE Indians		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 35	P:R    B:R	7		5		6.3		6.3

21.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
David Riske		7	5	3.72	1.42	78	41	69	77.1
CLE Indians		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 27	P:R    B:R	6		6		21.3		21.3

22.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Esteban Yan		3	7	3.83	1.43	69	32	92	87
DET Tigers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 29	P:R    B:R	6		6		22.9		22.9

23.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Jeremy Affeldt		3	13	4.95	1.61	49	32	91	76.1
KC Royals		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 25	P:L    B:L	6		5		9.5		9.6

24.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Carlos Almanzar		7	0	3.72	1.17	44	19	66	72.2
TEX Rangers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 30	P:R    B:R	5		5		20.1		20.2

25.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Travis Harper		6	0	3.89	1.17	59	23	69	78.2
TB Devil Rays		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 28	P:R    B:R	5		5		20.1		20.2

26.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Rafael Betancourt		5	4	3.92	1.34	76	18	71	66.2
CLE Indians		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 29	P:R    B:R	5		5		16.6		16.8

27.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
J.C. Romero		7	1	3.51	1.33	69	38	61	74.1
MIN Twins		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 28	P:L    B:S	5		5		22.5		22.5

28.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
J.J. Putz		0	9	4.71	1.43	47	24	66	63
SEA Mariners		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 27	P:R    B:R	4		4		9.7		9.7

29.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Matt Miller		4	1	3.09	1.17	55	23	42	55.1
CLE Indians		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 32	P:R    B:R	4		4		19.6		19.6

30.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Ron Villone		8	0	4.08	1.42	86	64	102	117
SEA Mariners		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 34	P:L    B:L	4		5		27.2		27.3

31.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Mike Timlin		5	1	4.13	1.23	56	19	75	76.1
BOS Red Sox		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 38	P:R    B:R	4		4		17.3		17.3

32.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Lance Carter		3	0	3.47	1.24	36	23	77	80.1
TB Devil Rays		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 29	P:R    B:R	4		3		24.6		24.6

33.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Jamie Walker		3	1	3.20	1.25	53	12	69	64.2
DET Tigers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 33	P:L    B:L	4		4		22		22

34.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Kevin Gregg		5	1	4.21	1.30	84	28	86	87.2
ANA Angels		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 26	P:R    B:R	4		4		18.9		19

35.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Chris Hammond		4	1	2.68	1.29	34	13	56	53.2
OAK Athletics		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 38	P:L    B:L	4		3		21.7		21.7

36.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Jesus Colome		2	3	3.27	1.11	40	18	28	41.1
TB Devil Rays		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 26	P:R    B:R	4		3		13.7		13.7

37.		W	S	ERA	WHIP	K	BB	H	IP
Ron Mahay		3	0	2.55	1.33	54	29	60	67
TEX Rangers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 33	P:L    B:L	4		4		28.2		28.2

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

Today's Fantasy Rx: Any Anaheim reliever looks like a good investment, but Esteban Yan owns a far lower profile than KRod, Shields, Donnelly, and Gregg, yet Yan might emerge as the logical alternative if KRod suffers an injury. Of course, all five established right-handers also should earn at least a few bucks and therefore produce a respectable, safe profit for roto owners.