Today's Fantasy Rx

Schedule recommendations for teams with 8 games

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Boston: 4 Road at NYY; 4 Home vs. TEX.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 7 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Milwaukee: 4 Home vs. SD; 3 Home vs. STL.
San Francisco: 3 Home vs. FLO; 4 Home vs. PIT.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Arizona: 3 Home vs. PHI; 4 Home vs. NYM.
Atlanta: 3 Home vs. WAS; 4 Road at HOU.
Baltimore: 3 Home vs. TOR; 3 Road at MIN.
Chicago Cubs: 3 Road at HOU; 4 Road at CIN.
Cincinnati: 3 Road at STL; 4 Home vs. CHC.
Houston: 3 Home vs. CHC; 4 Home vs. ATL.
Kansas City: 1 Road at SEA; 3 Home vs. TEX; 3 Home vs. TB.
New York Yankees: 4 Home vs. BOS; 3 Home vs. OAK.
Pittsburgh: 3 Road at COL; 4 Road at SF.
Texas: 3 Road at KC; 4 Road at BOS.
Toronto: 4 Road at BAL; 3 Home vs. DET.

Bad for hitters / Good for pitchers
Philadelphia: 3 Road at ARI; 4 Road at WAS.
San Diego: 4 Road at MIL; 3 Home vs. FLO.
Seattle: 1 Home vs. KC; 3 Home vs. MIN; 3 Road at LAA.
Washington: 3 Road at ATL; 4 Home vs. PHI.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
New York Mets: 3 Road at LAD; 4 Road at ARI.

Schedule recommendations for teams with 6 games

Good for hitters / Good for pitchers
Chicago White Sox: 3 Home vs. DET; 3 Home vs. CLE.
Tampa Bay: 3 Home vs. LAA; 3 Road at KC.

Good for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Cleveland: 3 Home vs. OAK; 3 Road at CHW.
Colorado: 3 Home vs. PIT; 3 Home vs. LAD.
Detroit: 3 Road at CHW; 3 Road at TOR.
Los Angeles Angels: 3 Road at TB; 3 Home vs. SEA.
Minnesota: 3 Road at SEA: 3 Home vs. BAL.
Oakland: 3 Road at CLE; 3 Road at NYY.
St. Louis: 3 Home vs. CIN; 3 Road at MIL.

Bad for hitters / Good for pitchers
Florida: 3 Road at SF; 3 Road at SD.

Bad for hitters / Bad for pitchers
Los Angeles Dodgers: 3 Home vs. NYM; 3 Road at COL.

Pitchers with 2 starts(to deploy everywhere you own them):
Josh Beckett: Mon:@NYY(M.Mussina); Sat:TEX(J.Rheinecker)
Erik Bedard: Tue:TOR(T.Taubenheim); Sun:@MIN(F.Liriano)
David Bush: Tue:SD(J.Peavy); Sun:STL(J.Suppan)
Daniel Cabrera: Mon:TOR(T.Lilly); Sat:@MIN(C.Silva)
Chris Capuano: Mon:SD(C.Hensley); Sat:STL(J.Marquis)
Juan Cruz: Tue:PHI(C.Hamels); Sun:NYM(P.Martinez)
Freddy Garcia: Tue:DET(N.Robertson); Sun:CLE(J.Westbrook)
Cole Hamels: Tue:@ARI(J.Cruz); Sun:@WAS(S.Hill)
Clay Hensley: Mon:@MIL(C.Capuano); Sat:FLO(S.Olsen)
Felix Hernandez: Tue:MIN(F.Liriano); Sun:@LAA(B.Colon?)
Livan Hernandez: Mon:@ATL(T.Hudson); Sat:PHI(C.Lidle)
Tim Hudson: Mon:WAS(L.Hernandez); Sat:@HOU(T.Buchholz)
Scott Kazmir: Tue:LAA(Er.Santana); Sun:@KC(S.Elarton)
Cory Lidle: Mon:@ARI(B.Webb); Sat:@WAS(L.Hernandez)
Ted Lilly: Mon:@BAL(D.Cabrera); Sat:DET(Z.Miner?)
Francisco Liriano: Tue:@SEA(FHernandez); Sun:BAL(E.Bedard)
Noah Lowry: Mon:FLO(B.Moehler); Sat:PIT(I.Snell)
Pedro Martinez: Tue:@LAD(D.Lowe); Sun:@ARI(J.Cruz)
Gil Meche: Mon:KC(M.Wood); Sat:@LAA(J.Lackey)
Kevin Millwood: Tue:@KC(S.Elarton); Sun:@BOS(D.Pauley)
Mike Mussina: Mon:BOS(J.Beckett); Sat:OAK(R.Harden)
Jake Peavy: Tue:@MIL(D.Bush); Sun:FLO(B.Moehler?)
Nate Robertson: Tue:@CHW(F.Garcia); Sun:@TOR(T.Taubenehim)
Jason Schmidt?: Tue:FLO(J.Johnson); Sun:PIT(P.Maholm)?
Alay Soler: Mon:@LAD(B.Tomko); Sat:@ARI(B.Webb)
Jeff Suppan: Mon:CIN(B.Claussen); Sun:@MIL(D.Bush)
Chien-ming Wang: Tue:BOS(D.Pauley); Sun:OAK(B.Zito)
Brandon Webb: Mon:PHI(C.Lidle); Sat:NYM(A.Soler)
Jake Westbrook: Tue:OAK(B.Zito); Sun:@CHW(F.Garcia)
Carlos Zambrano: Mon:@HOU(T.Buchholz); Sat;@CIN(B.Claussen)
Barry Zito: Tue:@CLE(J.Westbrook); Sun:@NYY(C.Wang)

Pitchers with 2 starts to deploy only in leagues that don't count qualitative stats:
Taylor Buchholz: Mon:CHC(C.Zambrano); Sat:ATL(T.Hudson)
Brandon Clausen: Mon:@STL(J.Suppan); Sat:CHC(C.Zambrano)
Aaron Cook: Mon:PIT(I.Snell); Sun:LAD(B.Tomko)
Scott Elarton: Tue:TEX(K.Millwood); Sun:TB(S.Kazmir)
Shawn Hill: Tue:@ATL(H.Ramirez); Sun:PHI(C.Hamels)
Paul Maholm: Tue:@COL(J.Francis): Sun:@SF(J.Schmidt)
Eric Milton: Tue:@STL(C.Carpenter); Sun:CHC(K.Wood)
Brian Moehler: Mon:@SF(N.Lowry); Sun:@SD(J.Peavy)
Roy Oswalt???: Tue:CHC(K.Wood)?; Sun:ATL(H.Ramirez)?
David Pauley: Tue:@NYY(C.Wang); Sun:TEX(K.Millwood)
Horacio Ramirez: Tue:WAS(S.Hill); Sun:@HOU(W.Rodriguez)
Ian Snell: Mon:@COL(A.Cook); Sat:@SF(N.Lowry)
Ty Taubenheim: Tue:@BAL(E.Bedard); Sun:DET(N.Robertson)
Kerry Wood: Tue:@HOU(W.Rodriguez Sun:@CIN(E.Milton)
Mike Wood: Mon:@SEA(G.Meche); Sat:TB(D.Waechter)

Diamond Challenge

While we thoroughly considered adding Alfonso Soriano to replace Pujols, we lack the cap room to deploy him comfortably. The one move we will make is adding Bobby Jenks as a free agent and cutting Mike Gonzalez. Jenks will send Dempster to the bench and on the edge of off the team.

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Thu:@SEA(J.Pineiro)
Roy Oswalt: Wed:CHC(S.Marshall)???
Pedro Martinez: Tue:@LAD(D.Lowe); Sun:@ARI(J.Cruz)
Chris Carpenter: Tue:CIN(E.Milton)
Randy Johnson: Thu:BOS(T.Wakefield)
Jake Peavy: Tue:@MIL(D.Bush); Sun:FLO(B.Moehler?)
Roy Halladay: Thu:@BAL(B.Chen?)
Mark Buehrle: Sat:CLE(C.Sabathia)
Curt Schilling: Wed:@NYY(Jar.Wright)
Felix Hernandez: Tue:MIN(F.Liriano); Sun:@LAA(B.Colon?)
John Lackey: Sat:SEA(G.Meche)
Dan Haren: Fri:@NYY(S.Chacon?)

Santana, Halladay, and Lackey will join the three doubles. Dempster hits the bench for Jenks.

Offensively, Tex subs for Pujols while Tracy replaces the injured Thome. Encarnacion, Gathright, and Barmes stay seated.

Rotohelp.com(5th lg; 87th div; 1616th overall)
Week 10: June 5-June 11

C	Victor Martinez		1020
C	Josh Willingham		340 
1B	Mark Teixeira		1470
1B	Ryan Howard		880
2B	Chase Utley		1190
2B	Rickie Weeks		620
3B	David Wright		1210 
3B	Garrett Atkins		610 
SS	Felipe Lopez		1070
SS	Jose Reyes		1030 
OF	Jason Bay		1380 
OF	Chone Figgins		1350 
OF	Pat Burrell		1040 
OF	Matt Holliday		1040
OF	Nick Swisher		620 
OF	Brad Hawpe		440
DH	Travis Hafner		1180 
DH	Chad Tracy		1020

SP	Johan Santana		1960 
SP	Pedro Martinez		1700
SP	Jake Peavy		1240
SP	Roy Halladay		1230 
SP	Felix Hernandez		960
SP	John Lackey		940
RP	Huston Street		1300 
RP	Bobby Jenks		1150
RP	Jon Papelbon		890
RP	Chris Ray		820

Total Salary for Week 10: 	29700

Diamond Challenge - 2nd Season

The loss of Pujols gives us a ton of cap space, so we're going to add the 5-category upside of Alfonso Soriano, dropping Roy Oswalt, who appears the riskiest play of our 16 starting pitchers.

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Thu:@SEA(J.Pineiro)
Pedro Martinez: Tue:@LAD(D.Lowe); Sun:@ARI(J.Cruz)
John Smoltz: Wed:WAS(Ra.Ortiz)
Jake Peavy: Tue:@MIL(D.Bush); Sun:FLO(B.Moehler?)
Roy Halladay: Thu:@BAL(B.Chen?)
Curt Schilling: Wed:@NYY(Jar.Wright)
Brandon Webb: Mon:PHI(C.Lidle); Sat:NYM(A.Soler)
C.C. Sabathia: Sat:@CHW(M.Buehrle)
Mike Mussina: Mon:BOS(J.Beckett); Sat:OAK(R.Harden)
John Lackey: Sat:SEA(G.Meche)
Chris Capuano: Mon:SD(C.Hensley); Sat:STL(J.Marquis)
Dan Haren: Fri:@NYY(S.Chacon?)
Brad Penny: Fri:@COL(B.Kim)
Tom Glavine: Wed:@LAD(Od.Perez)
Scott Kazmir: Tue:LAA(Er.Santana); Sun:@KC(S.Elarton)

Deploying all six of these doubles requires no effort at all on our part.

Soriano replaces Pujols at DH, and then we'll rectify our dumbest move of the year by deploying Corey Patterson and benching Nick Swisher. Rios also replaces the injured Jim Thome

Rotohelp.com(5th lg; 48th div; 365th overall)
Week 10: June 5-June 11

C	Joe Mauer		770
C	Ramon Hernandez		690
1B	Travis Hafner		1180
1B	Ryan Howard		880
2B	Chase Utley		1190
2B	Rickie Weeks		620
3B	David Wright		1210 
3B	Morgan Ensberg		1010
SS	Jose Reyes		1030 
SS	Hanley Ramirez		400
OF	Jason Bay		1380 
OF	Scott Podsednik		1370
OF	Matt Holliday		1040 
OF	Corey Patterson		910
OF	Austin Kearns		700
OF	Brad Hawpe		440
DH	Alfonso Soriano		1830
DH	Alex Rios		860

SP	Pedro Martinez		1700 
SP	Jake Peavy		1240 
SP	Brandon Webb		1030 
SP	Mike Mussina		940
SP	Chris Capuano		870
SP	Tom Glavine		820
RP	Bobby Jenks		1150
RP	Jon Papelbon		890
RP	Chris Ray		820
RP	Akinori Otsuka		690

Total Salary for Week 10: 	27660

Internet Challenge

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Thu:@SEA(J.Pineiro)
Roy Oswalt: Wed:CHC(S.Marshall)???
Pedro Martinez: Tue:@LAD(D.Lowe)
Chris Carpenter: Tue:CIN(E.Milton)
Randy Johnson: Thu:BOS(T.Wakefield)
Jake Peavy: Tue:@MIL(D.Bush)
Roy Halladay: Thu:@BAL(B.Chen?)
Mark Buehrle: No start.
Curt Schilling: Wed:@NYY(Jar.Wright)
Felix Hernandez: Tue:MIN(F.Liriano)
John Lackey: No start.
Dan Haren: No start.
Elmer Dessens: 1 Road at SEA; 3 Home vs. TEX.

Santana, Pedro, Peavy, Halladay, and Felix seem solid, and then Schilling works best for cap reasons. Dempster replaces Gonzalez with the latter in Coors.

With our current team already pushing against the cap, simply substituting Pat Burrell for Pujols puts us at an acceptable place, so we see no need to make another move here.

Rotohelp.com(12th lg; 359th overall)
Week 10a: June 5-June 8

C	Victor Martinez		1020
C	Josh Willingham		340 
DH	Travis Hafner		1180
1B	Ryan Howard		880
2B	Chase Utley		1190
2B	Rickie Weeks		620
3B	David Wright		1210 
3B	Garrett Atkins		610
SS	Felipe Lopez		1070
SS	Jose Reyes		1030 
OF	Jason Bay		1380
OF	Chone Figgins		1350 
OF	Matt Holliday		1040
OF	Chad Tracy		1020
OF	Nick Swisher		620 
OF	Joey Gathright		450 
DH	Todd Helton		1380 
DH	Pat Burrell		1040

SP	Johan Santana		1960 
SP	Pedro Martinez		1700 
SP	Jake Peavy		1240 
SP	Roy Halladay		1230 
SP	Curt Schilling		1070 
SP	Felix Hernandez		960
RP	Huston Street		1300 
RP	Ryan Dempster		1180
RP	Jon Papelbon		890
RP	Chris Ray		820

Total Salary for Week 10a:	29780

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

With only one double this week, it's time we dropped our extra RP. Mike Gonzalez departs as Mike Mussina edges out Brandon Webb for the open spot.

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Thu:@SEA(J.Pineiro)
Roy Oswalt: Wed:CHC(S.Marshall)???
Chris Carpenter: Tue:CIN(E.Milton)
Pedro Martinez: Tue:@LAD(D.Lowe); Sun:@ARI(J.Cruz)
Randy Johnson: Thu:BOS(T.Wakefield)
Javier Vazquez: Fri:CLE(Cl.Lee)
John Lackey: Sat:SEA(G.Meche)
Mike Mussina: Mon:BOS(J.Beckett); Sat:OAK(R.Harden)
Roy Halladay: Thu:@BAL(B.Chen?)
Dan Haren: Fri:@NYY(S.Chacon?)

Along with the two doubles, Santana, Lackey, and Halladay are logical choices. Vazquez edges the remainder due to the generally reduced risk compared to the alternatives.

Mauer, Tracy, and Tex will replace Willingham, Sizemore, and the recently-purchased Albert Pujols. Ellis, Encarnacion, Barmes, Gomes, and Sullivan stay benched.

Rotohelp.com(FB: 11th lg; 594th overall)
& Rotohelp.com(BB: 9th lg; 1326th overall)
Week 10: June 5-June 11

 
C	Victor Martinez		1940 
C	Joe Mauer		1710
1B	Lance Berkman		2860
1B	Ryan Howard		1950
2B	Chase Utley		2270
2B	Rickie Weeks		1300
3B	David Wright		2480 
3B	Garrett Atkins		1330
SS	Felipe Lopez		1800 
SS	Bobby Crosby		1640
OF	Jason Bay		2550 
OF	Matt Holliday		2140 
OF	Chad Tracy		2100
OF	Nick Swisher		1550 
OF	Jeremy Hermida		1000
OF	Curtis Granderson	1000 
DH	Mark Teixeira		3220
DH	Travis Hafner		2680

SP	Johan Santana		3310 
SP	Pedro Martinez		2970
SP	Javier Vazquez		2810 
SP	John Lackey		2760
SP	Mike Mussina		2480
SP	Roy Halladay		2480 
RP	Huston Street		2320 
RP	Ryan Dempster		2150 
RP	Jon Papelbon		1590
RP	Chris Ray		1580

Total Salary for Week 10:	59970

Today's Fantasy Rx: We generally don't recommend cutting Pujols unless already suffering from a bench loaded with injured players. He should return in a few weeks and resume his power dominance. However, if you find yourself with a Pujols-sized hole in your cap, Alfonso Soriano easily appears the best all-around option to purchase, edging Andruw Jones, Miguel Tejada, and Alex Rodriguez.