Today's Fantasy Rx

Schedule recommendations for teams with 7 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
St. Louis: 3 Home vs. PIT; 4 Home vs. WAS.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Philadelphia: 4 Home vs. COL; 3 Road at PIT.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Colorado: 4 Road at PHI; 3 Road at FLO.
Washington: 3 Home vs. CIN; 4 Road at STL.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 6 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Chicago Cubs: 3 Home vs. FLO; 3 Home vs. MIL.
Cincinnati: 3 Road at WAS; 3 Home vs. HOU.
Milwaukee: 3 Home vs. ATL; 3 Road at CHC.
New York Yankees: 3 Home vs. TB; 3 Home vs. TOR.
San Diego: 3 Home vs. ARI; 3 Home vs. LAD.
San Francisco: 3 Home vs. NYM; 3 Home vs. ARI.
Seattle: 3 Home vs. CHW; 3 Road at BAL.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Atlanta: 3 Road at MIL; 3 Home vs. NYM.
Baltimore: 3 Road at TOR; 3 Home vs. SEA.
Cleveland: 3 Home vs. BOS; 3 Home vs. TEX.
Detroit: 3 Road at LAA; 3 Home vs. MIN.
Houston: 3 Home vs. LAD; 3 Road at CIN.
Los Angeles Angels: 3 Home vs. DET; 3 Home vs. CHW.
Los Angeles Dodgers: 3 Road at HOU; 3 Road at SD.
Minnesota: 3 Road at KC; 3 Road at DET.
Oakland: 3 Road at TEX; 3 Road at KC.
Toronto: 3 Home vs. BAL; 3 Road at NYY.

Bad for hitters / Good for pitchers
Arizona: 3 Road at SD; 3 Road at SF.
Boston: 3 Road at CLE: 3 Road at TB.
Chicago White Sox: 3 Road at SEA; 3 Road at LAA.
Kansas City: 3 Home vs. MIN; 3 Home vs. OAK.
New York Mets: 3 Road at SF; 3 Road at ATL.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Florida: 3 Road at CHC; 3 Home vs. COL.
Pittsburgh: 3 Road at STL; 3 Home vs. PHI.
Tampa Bay: 3 Road at NYY; 3 Home vs. BOS.
Texas: 3 Home vs. OAK; 3 Road at CLE.

Pitchers with 2 starts(to deploy everywhere you own them):
Joe Blanton: Mon:@TEX(K.Millwood); Sun:@KC(S.Elarton)
Matt Cain: Mon:NYM(T.Glavine); Sun:ARI(B.Webb)
Chris Capuano: Mon:ATL(K.Davies); Sun:@CHC(C.Zambrano)
Chris Carpenter: Mon:PIT(Ol.Perez); Sat:WAS(L.Hernandez)
Kyle Davies: Mon:@MIL(C.Capuano); Sun:NYM(T.Glavine)
Tom Glavine: Mon:@SF(M.Cain); Sun:@ATL(K.Davies)
Livan Hernandez: Mon:CIN(Eli.Ramirez); Sat:@STL(C.Carpenter)
Cory Lidle: Mon:COL(J.Fogg); Sat:@PIT(P.Maholm)
Derek Lowe: Mon:@HOU(A.Pettitte); Sun:@SD(J.Peavy)
Jamie Moyer: Mon:CHW(J.Garland); Sun:@BAL(R.Lopez)
Mike Mussina: Tue:TB(S.Kazmir); Sun:TOR(G.Chacin)
Chan Ho Park: Mon:ARI(B.Webb); Sat:LAD(B.Tomko)
Jake Peavy?: Tue:ARI(C.Vargas); Sun:LAD(D.Lowe)?
Andy Pettitte: Mon:LAD(D.Lowe); Sat:@CIN(A.Harang)
Kenny Rogers: Mon:@LAA(Er.Santana); Sun:MIN(K.Lohse)
Ervin Santana: Mon:DET(K.Rogers); Sun:CHW(J.Garland)
Curt Schilling: Tue:@CLE(J.Westbrook); Sun:@TB(S.Kazmir)
Jeff Suppan: Tue:PIT(V.Santos); Sun:WAS(B.Traber)
Jason Vargas: Mon:@CHC(C.Zambrano); Sat:COL(J.Fogg)
Brandon Webb: Mon:@SD(C.Park); Sun:@SF(M.Cain)
Jake Westbrook: Tue:BOS(C.Schilling); Sun:TEX(V.Padilla)
Dontrelle Willis: Tue:@CHC(S.Marshall); Sun:COL(M.Asencio)
Carlos Zambrano: Tue:FLO(J.Vargas); Sun:MIL(C.Capuano)

Pitchers with 2 starts to deploy only in leagues that don't count qualitative stats:
Miguel Asencio: Tue:@PHI(G.Floyd); Sun:@FLO(D.Willis)
Gustavo Chacin: Tue:BAL(Rod.Lopez); Sun:@NYY(M.Mussina)
Scott Elarton: Tue:MIN(K.Lohse); Sun:OAK(J.Blanton)
Gavin Floyd: Tue:COL(M.Asencio); Sun:@PIT(Ol.Perez)
Josh Fogg: Mon:@PHI(C.Lidle); Sat:@FLO(J.Vargas)
Jon Garland: Mon:@SEA(J.Moyer); Sun:@LAA(Er.Santana)
Scott Kazmir: Tue:@NYY(M.Mussina); Sun:BOS(C.Schilling)
Kyle Lohse: Tue:@KC(S.Elarton); Sun:@DET(K.Rogers)
Rod Lopez: Tue:@TOR(G.Chacin); Sun:SEA(J.Moyer)
Kevin Millwood: Mon:OAK(J.Blanton); Sat:@CLE(F.Carmona)
Vicente Padilla: Tue:OAK(B.Zito); Sun:@CLE(J.Westbrook)
Oliver Perez: Mon:@STL(C.Carpenter); Sun:PHI(G.Floyd)
Billy Traber: Tue:CIN(D.Williams); Sun:@STL(J.Suppan)
David Williams?: Tue:@WAS(B.Traber); Sun:HOU(T.Buchholz)?

Diamond Challenge

After a rather thorough analysis of our team and available options, we're making three purchases this week. Jon Papelbon, Brad Hawpe, and Curt Schilling join our squad while Barry Zito and injured sluggers Ken Griffey and Todd Helton.

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Thu:@KC(M.Redman)
Roy Oswalt: Fri:@CIN(B.Claussen)
Pedro Martinez: Fri:@ATL(J.Smoltz)
Chris Carpenter: Mon:PIT(Ol.Perez); Sat:WAS(L.Hernandez)
Randy Johnson: Fri:TOR(R.Halladay)
Jake Peavy?: Tue:ARI(C.Vargas); Sun:LAD(D.Lowe)?
Roy Halladay: Fri:@NYY(R.Johnson)
Mark Buehrle: Wed:@SEA(J.Washburn)
Curt Schilling: Tue:@CLE(J.Westbrook); Sun:@TB(S.Kazmir)
Rich Harden: Wed:@TEX(K.Loe)
Felix Hernandez: Sat:@BAL(B.Chen)
John Lackey: Wed:DET(M.Maroth)
Dan Haren: Fri:@KC(J.Mays)

Adding Schilling makes this easy as we'll deploy Carpenter, Peavy, Schilling, Santana, Lackey, and Haren. Papelbon replaces Street, though once the Oakland closer returns to health, he'll likely play for Gonzalez.

The Rockies' road trip sends Atkins, Barmes, Holliday, and Sullivan to our bench while Encarnacion, Uribe, and Figgins enter the lineup. Hawpe plays for Sullivan this week with Colorado spending three days in Philadelphia; his superior quantitative upside will keep him active unless the Rockies head to a full week of parks that depress offense.

Rotohelp.com(3rd lg; 31st div; 407th overall)
Week 4: April 24-April 30

C	Victor Martinez		1020
C	Josh Willingham		340
1B	Travis Hafner		1180
2B	Chase Utley		1190
2B	Rickie Weeks		620
3B	David Wright		1210
3B	Edwin Encarnacion	600 
SS	Jose Reyes		1030 
SS	Juan Uribe		760
OF	Jason Bay		1380 
OF	Chone Figgins		1350
OF	Pat Burrell		1040
OF	Chad Tracy		1020 
OF	Joey Gathright		450
OF	Brad Hawpe		440
DH	Albert Pujols		2060 
DH	Mark Teixeira		1470

SP	Johan Santana		1960 
SP	Chris Carpenter		1550
SP	Jake Peavy		1240
SP	Curt Schilling		1070 
SP	John Lackey		940
SP	Dan Haren		860
RP	Ryan Dempster		1180
RP	Mike Gonzalez		1120 
RP	Jon Papelbon		890
RP	Chris Ray		820

Total Salary for Week 4: 	29670

Internet Challenge

With a need for safer starts and a desire to augment our starting staff, we're also swapping Schilling for Zito here. While we considered flipping Hawpe for Sullivan, we're not prepared to burn a third move at this time.

Johan Santana: Thu:@KC(M.Redman)
Roy Oswalt: No start.
Pedro Martinez: No start.
Chris Carpenter: Mon:PIT(Ol.Perez)
Randy Johnson: No start.
Jake Peavy: Tue:ARI(C.Vargas)
Roy Halladay: No start.
Mark Buehrle: Wed:@SEA(J.Washburn)
Curt Schilling: Tue:@CLE(J.Westbrook)
Rich Harden: Wed:@TEX(K.Loe)
Felix Hernandez: No start.
John Lackey: Wed:DET(M.Maroth)
Dan Haren: No start.

Adding Schilling again makes this easy as he joins Santana, Carpenter, Peavy, Buehrle, and Lackey.

Rotohelp.com(1st lg; 48th overall)
Week 4a: April 24-April 27

C	Victor Martinez		1020
C	Josh Willingham		340 
1B	Travis Hafner		1180
1B	Ryan Howard		880
2B	Chase Utley		1190
2B	Rickie Weeks		620
3B	David Wright		1210 
3B	Edwin Encarnacion	600
SS	Jose Reyes		1030 
SS	Juan Uribe		760
OF	Jason Bay		1380
OF	Chone Figgins		1350 
OF	Pat Burrell		1040 
OF	Chad Tracy		1040
OF	Cory Sullivan		460 
OF	Joey Gathright		450
DH	Albert Pujols		2060
DH	Mark Teixeira		1470

SP	Johan Santana		1960 
SP	Chris Carpenter		1550 
SP	Jake Peavy		1240
SP	Roy Halladay		1230 
SP	Curt Schilling		1070 
SP	John Lackey		940
RP	Ryan Dempster		1180
RP	Mike Gonzalez		1120
RP	Jon Papelbon		890
RP	Chris Ray		820

Total Week 4a Salary:		29950

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

We need a reliever with Street hurting, and though we hate dropping down to nine starters, we don't want to cut Street yet can't dump Gonzalez. Jon Papelbon joins our squad for King Felix, who just won't win enough games due to the Mariners' offense. As much as we also want Curt Schilling for his double, we just can't justify spending another move right now since we don't anticipate Schilling significantly outperforming Roy Halladay in the near future.

The Rockies' road trip leads to one other move as Jonny Gomes, leading all outfielders in points, replaces the injured Ken Griffey.

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Thu:@KC(M.Redman)
Roy Oswalt: Fri:@CIN(B.Claussen)
Chris Carpenter: Mon:PIT(Ol.Perez); Sat:WAS(L.Hernandez)
Pedro Martinez: Fri:@ATL(J.Smoltz)
Randy Johnson: Fri:TOR(R.Halladay)
John Lackey: Wed:DET(M.Maroth)
Roy Halladay: Fri:@NYY(R.Johnson)
Rich Harden: Wed:@TEX(K.Loe)
Dan Haren: Fri:@KC(J.Mays)

Santana, Carpenter, Randy, Lackey, Harden, and Haren give us a relatively solid group here. Papelbon replaces Street for now.

Mauer, Ellis, and Hermida stay benched while our Colorado platoon flips: Encarnacion, Crosby, Sizemore, Gomes, and Tex for Atkins, Barmes, Holliday, Sullivan, and Helton. We'll consider adding Hawpe once the Rockies return home.

Rotohelp.com(FB: 5th lg; 265th overall)
& Rotohelp.com(BB: 8th lg; 751st overall)
Week 4: April 24-April 30

 
C	Victor Martinez		1940
C	Josh Willingham		1000
1B	Travis Hafner		2680
1B	Ryan Howard		1950
2B	Chase Utley		2270
2B	Rickie Weeks		1300
3B	David Wright		2480
3B	Edwin Encarnacion	1030 
SS	Felipe Lopez		1800 
SS	Bobby Crosby		1640
OF	Barry Bonds		2720
OF	Jason Bay		2550 
OF	Grady Sizemore		2200
OF	Chad Tracy		2100 
OF	Jonny Gomes		1570
OF	Curtis Granderson	1000
DH	Mark Teixeira		3220
DH	Lance Berkman		2860

SP	Johan Santana		3310 
SP	Chris Carpenter		3140 
SP	Randy Johnson		2910
SP	John Lackey		2760 
SP	Rich Harden		2430 
SP	Dan Haren		1940
RP	Ryan Dempster		2150
RP	Mike Gonzalez		1820
RP	Jon Papelbon		1590
RP	Chris Ray		1580

Total Salary for Week 4:	59940

Today's Fantasy Rx: If you haven't already started to address your needs, please consider making a couple of moves this weekend. While we usually wait until we see a month of stats before making significant moves on our traditional roto teams, national contests require quick action to fix any weakness. Three weeks into the year remains the standard timeframe for beginning the inevitable cycling of any slow starters or injured players with little hope of contributing much in the near future.