Today's Fantasy Rx

Welcome our weekly LPR rankings, our primary method to identify highly skilled and/or consistently effective pitchers. While we haven't changed this system since last season, feel free to refer here for a complete description of the codes. We've included the five most recent 2006 QA scores for each starter, along with the 10 most recent QA scores for each reliever, tabulating all data through June 7th. Pitchers with no QA scores have not pitched this year, so don't roster any of them unless you see someone ready to return to the majors.

1
ax - Francisco Liriano(4543)
B - Jeremy Bonderman(40335)

abcxyz - Akinori Otsuka(3253543444)
abxyz - Scot Shields(5344345245)
abcx - J.J. Putz(4533545545)
abxy - Bobby Jenks(0443544355)
BYx - Hector Carrasco(2343453533)

Both Javier Vazquez and Jon Papelbon barely missed this week, though Jenks looks like the best story here. He appears fully in command as Chicago's closer and should clear $20 without any difficulty this year.

2
ABY - Felix Hernandez(03545)
BXY - Roy Halladay(44524)
AX - Kevin Millwood(45345)
BC - Matt Clement(24005)
A - C.C. Sabathia(55541)
B - Josh Beckett(42500)
Y - Bartolo Colon(402)

3abcxyz - Mariano Rivera(2425244544)
3bcyz - Julian Tavarez(5433323334)
abcxyz - B.J. Ryan(3454444543)
abxy - Justin Duchscherer(4224434434)
aby - Todd Jones(3422445411)
bxy - Huston Street(3342344333)

3
ACXZ - Curt Schilling(11433)
BCZ - Randy Johnson(32134)
CZ - Freddy Garcia(34242)
C - Jeff Weaver(04313)

abxyz - Mike Timlin(3243453543)
bcyz - Kiko Calero(4143334545)
Kevin Gregg(24322124)
Travis Harper(2021302222)

A
BCXYZ - Johan Santana(45345)
BX - Jose Contreras(33432)
BY - Rich Harden(44400)
CZ - Jake Westbrook(34242)
C - Nate Robertson(23243)
X - Mike Mussina(53544)
X - Jason Johnson(43044)
X - Javier Vazquez(21343)
Daniel Cabrera(55404)
Scott Kazmir(54304)

B
XY - Kelvim Escobar(33433)
John Lackey(42353)
Barry Zito(23452)
Erik Bedard(31003)

Scott Downs(5314350034)

C
Za - Joe Kennedy(3043242450)
Z - Carl Pavano
a - Dennys Reyes(4534401542)
Bobby Madritsch

X
Dan Haren(33535)

Y
Esteban Loaiza(0030)

Z
Mark Buehrle(33321)
David Wells(00)

a
bcxyz - Joe Nathan(3453544254)
bcxyz - Bob Wickman(2535442444)
bcxyz - Rafael Betancourt(5034453435)
bcxyz - Juan Rincon(5433443424)
bcxyz - Francisco Rodriguez(4543422352)
bcyz - Francisco Cordero(4443245443)
by - Scott Schoeneweis(4242433354)
by - George Sherrill(0432455050)
xy - Fernando Rodney(4354453433)
xz - Elmer Dessens(5342134544)
b - Scott Sauerbeck(4545034431)
x - Jon Papelbon(4254553345)
x - Fernando Cabrera(4543444314)
x - Ron Mahay(2344444350)
x - Chris Britton(4434411551)
y - Neal Cotts(4224442435)
Matt Thornton(4555442412)
Rick Bauer(3445434142)
Andy Sisco(5043404410)

b
xyz - Rudy Seanez(3434235544)
xyz - Ron Villone(3343333334)
cy - Kyle Farnsworth(3331344124)
cz - Octavio Dotel
y - David Riske(1433452)
y - Jay Witasick(2332)
Tyler Walker(3333343324)
Bobby Seay(5352033333)
Ambiorix Burgos(2231412243)

c
yz - Guillermo Mota(5254215411)
yz - Eddie Guardado(5355043030)
yz - Jeremy Affeldt(34)
yz - Dustin Hermanson
x - Brian Meadows(4532324334)
z - Antonio Alfonseca(3442422423)
z - Keith Foulke(3441333533)
z - Todd Williams(2514343333)
z - LaTroy Hawkins(3433203442)
z - Brendan Donnelly(3524235323)
z - John Halama(4321343122)
J.C. Romero(3344233423)
Dan Miceli(0424433231)
Mike Myers(3035053003)

x
y - Chris Ray(3423543434)
C.J. Wilson(4334453423)
Vinnie Chulk(3334404433)
Rafael Soriano(3233443451)
Sean Green(5333514333)
Jimmy Gobble(3310333444)
Joaquin Benoit(4435233223)
Kurt Birkins(2333353343)

y
z - Jason Frasor(0134344152)
Justin Speier(3353254330)
Manny Delcarmen(22534334)
Scott Erickson(22443301)
Ron Flores(13341323)
Cliff Politte(3252220111)
Marco Carvajal

z
Rodrigo Lopez(02323)

1 - K/9 of 6.0+, BB/9 of 3.0-, H/9 of 9.0-, HR/9 of 1.0-,
     and G-F of 1.0+ in 25+ IP in 2006.
2 - K/9 of 6.0+, BB/9 of 3.0-, H/9 of 9.0-, HR/9 of 1.0-,
     and G-F of 1.0+ in 25+ IP in 2005.
3 - K/9 of 6.0+, BB/9 of 3.0-, H/9 of 9.0-, HR/9 of 1.0-,
     and G-F of 1.0+ in 25+ IP in 2004.

QA score for starts: up to 5 total points, one for each statistical goal, to any starter who pitches at least 5 innings and fulfills any of the following skill qualifications: K>=IP-2, BB<=IP/3, H<=IP, HR<=1, and G-F>=1.00. Any starter who doesn't reach any of the required statistical goals or fails to pitch 5 innings earns a 0 QA score. Scores of 5 and 4 qualify as DOMinant outings, a 3 is DULl, and anything below 3 ranks as a skill DISaster.

QA score for relief outings: up to 5 total points, one for each statistical goal, to any reliever who retires at least one batter and fulfills any of the following skill qualifications: K>=IP, BB=0, H<=IP, HR=0, and G-F>=1.00. Any reliever who doesn't reach any of the required statistical goals or fails to retire a batter earns a 0 QA score. Scores of 5 and 4 qualify as DOMinant outings, a 3 is DULl, and anything below 3 ranks as a skill DISaster.

Starters must pitch in five games before earning any of the following DOM or DIS ratings; relievers must appear in no less than 10 games before earning DOM/DIS consideration. All pitchers are evaluated as relievers aside from those who reached both 5 starts in a given season and qualified for DOM or DIS ratings.

A - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2006 starts
B - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2005 starts
C - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2004 starts

X - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2006 starts
Y - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2005 starts
Z - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2004 starts

a - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2006 relief outings
b - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2005 relief outings
c - QA score of 4 or 5 in at least 50% of 2004 relief outings

x - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2006 relief outings
y - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2005 relief outings
z - QA score below 3 in no more than 20% of 2004 relief outings

We'll continue tomorrow with this week's NL LPR article.

Internet Challenge

SP(6)
Johan Santana: No start.
Roy Oswalt: No start(DL).
Pedro Martinez: Sun:@ARI(Ru.Ortiz)
Chris Carpenter: No start.
Randy Johnson: Fri:OAK(D.Haren)
Jake Peavy: Sun:FLO(B.Moehler)
Roy Halladay: No start.
Mark Buehrle: Sat:CLE(C.Sabathia)
Curt Schilling: No start.
Felix Hernandez: Sun:@LAA(Jef.Weaver?)
John Lackey: Sat:SEA(G.Meche)
Dan Haren: Fri:@NYY(R.Johnson)
Elmer Dessens: 3 Home vs. TB

Taking the higher-percentage home start of Randy over Haren completes our rotation with Pedro, Peavy, Buehrle, Felix, and Lackey also starting. Gonzalez stays benched. While we nearly picked up Corey Patterson, we have the cap room to deploy Tex for the demoted Gathright this weekend and then reexamine the issue on Sunday.

Rotohelp.com(11th lg; 346th overall)
Week 10b: June 9-June 11

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	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	Chad Tracy		1020
OF	Nick Swisher		620 
DH	Mark Teixeira		1470
DH	Todd Helton		1380 

SP	Pedro Martinez		1700
SP	Randy Johnson		1360 
SP	Jake Peavy		1240 
SP	Mark Buehrle		1120
SP	Felix Hernandez		960 
SP	John Lackey		940
RP	Huston Street		1300 
RP	Ryan Dempster		1180
RP	Jon Papelbon		890
RP	Chris Ray		820

Total Salary for Week 10b:	29960

Today's Fantasy Rx: Francisco Liriano transitioned to the rotation without missing a beat, and given his impressive ground-fly ratio and all-around outstanding skills, he easily looks like the best young pitching keeper for 2007 in the majority of leagues. If you already loaded your future offense while rebuilding, Liriano is the key pitcher for you to own given his Santanaesque upside.