Today's Fantasy Rx

Welcome to our weekly LPR rankings, our primary method of identifying highly skilled and/or consistently effective pitchers. While we have not changed this system since last season, feel free to refer to this key for a complete description of the codes. We have 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 14th. Pitchers with no QA scores have not pitched this year, so do not roster any of them unless you see someone ready to return to the majors.

1
2A - C.C. Sabathia(55414)
AXax - Francisco Liriano(45435)
AB - Jeremy Bonderman(33545)

23abcxyz - Mariano Rivera(5244544554)
abcxyz - Akinori Otsuka(5354344452)
abxyz - Scot Shields(3452454543)
abcx - J.J. Putz(5335455454)
abxy - Bobby Jenks(3544355445)
BY - Hector Carrasco(4345353324)

2
ABY - Felix Hernandez(35454)
BXY - Roy Halladay(52434)
AX - Kevin Millwood(53454)
BC - Matt Clement(40050)
B - Josh Beckett(25004)
Y - Bartolo Colon(402)

3bcyz - Julian Tavarez(3323334342)
abcxyz - B.J. Ryan(5444454343)
abxy - Justin Duchscherer(4224434434)
aby - Todd Jones(4541130342)
bxy - Huston Street(4433343434)

3
ACXZ - Curt Schilling(43334)
BCZ - Randy Johnson(13405)
CZ - Freddy Garcia(42421)
C - Jeff Weaver(04313)

abcyz - Kiko Calero(3334545454)
abxyz - Mike Timlin(2434535434)
Kevin Gregg(243221240)
Travis Harper(0213022223)

A
BCXYZ - Johan Santana(34535)
BX - Jose Contreras(34324)
BY - Rich Harden(44400)
CZ - Jake Westbrook(42424)
X - Mike Mussina(35444)
X - Daniel Cabrera(54044)
X - Javier Vazquez(34343)
Kenny Rogers(10545)
Scott Kazmir(43043)

B
XY - Kelvim Escobar(43335)
Barry Zito(34522)
John Lackey(23530)
Erik Bedard(10034)

Scott Downs(1435003442)

C
Nate Robertson(32432)

Za - Joe Kennedy(3043242450)
ax - Dennys Reyes(4401542343)
Z - Carl Pavano

X
Dan Haren(53533)

Y
Esteban Loaiza(00305)

Z
Mark Buehrle(33212)
David Wells(00)

a
bcxyz - Joe Nathan(5442545453)
bcxyz - Bob Wickman(3544244432)
bcxyz - Juan Rincon(3443424343)
bcxyz - Francisco Rodriguez(3422352445)
bcyz - Francisco Cordero(3245443225)
bxy - Scott Schoeneweis(4333544334)
by - George Sherrill(3245505034)
xy - Fernando Rodney(4453433303)
xz - Elmer Dessens(4213454434)
b - Ambiorix Burgos(1412243444)
x - Jon Papelbon(4553345335)
x - Fernando Cabrera(4344431413)
y - Neal Cotts(4442435255)
Scott Feldman(2543423451)
Rick Bauer(4341422244)

b
cyz - Rafael Betancourt(4453435352)
xyz - Ron Villone(4333333443)
cy - Kyle Farnsworth(1344124314)
cz - Octavio Dotel
yz - Rudy Seanez(4235544423)
y - David Riske(14334523)
y - Jay Witasick(2332)
Tyler Walker(3334332432)

c
yz - Guillermo Mota(2542154114)
yz - Eddie Guardado(3550430303)
yz - Jeremy Affeldt(34123)
yz - Dustin Hermanson
z - Brendan Donnelly(5242353234)
z - LaTroy Hawkins(3203442224)
z - Todd Williams(4343333333)
z - Keith Foulke(4133353313)
z - John Halama(3213431222)
J.C. Romero(4423342343)
Mike Myers(5053003453)
Brian Meadows(3243343224)

x
y - Chris Ray(3543434422)
C.J. Wilson(4334453423)
Rafael Soriano(2334434515)
Kurt Birkins(3533435025)
Joel Zumaya(4351235433)
Sean Green(5333514333)
Joaquin Benoit(3523322343)

y
z - Jason Frasor(3434415243)
Manny Delcarmen(2253433441)
Justin Speier(3254330253)
Ron Flores(13341323)
Cliff Politte(3252220111)
Marco Carvajal

z
Rodrigo Lopez(32340)

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

Rather than bother with Cory Sullivan after he sac bunted seven times in his last two games, we're dumping him and adding Corey Patterson to give us the maximum cost-efficient HR/SB boost of any player we don't own.

SP(6)
Johan Santana: Sun:@PIT(Ol.Perez)
Roy Oswalt: No start.
Pedro Martinez: Sat:BAL(K.Benson)
Chris Carpenter: Sun:COL(J.Fogg)
Randy Johnson: No start.
Jake Peavy: Sat:@LAA(Er.Santana?)
Roy Halladay: Sun:@FLO(Jo.Johnson)
Mark Buehrle: No start.
Curt Schilling: Sun:@ATL(J.Smoltz)
Felix Hernandez: Sat:SF(J.Schmidt)
John Lackey: No start.
Dan Haren: No start.

Cap concerns result in us leaving Santana benched instead of Schilling. Mike Gonzalez also will flip with Houston Street for the weekend.

Offensively, Patterson bumps Mauer to catcher, displacing the injured Josh Willingham. Helton, Pujols, Edwin Encarnacion, and Holliday also stay seated.

Rotohelp.com(11th lg; 306th overall)
Week 11b: June 16-June 18

C	Victor Martinez		1020 
C	Joe Mauer		770
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	Chad Tracy		1020
OF	Jermaine Dye		840
OF	Nick Swisher		620 
DH	Mark Teixeira		1470
OF	Corey Patterson		910

SP	Pedro Martinez		1700
SP	Chris Carpenter		1550
SP	Jake Peavy		1240
SP	Roy Halladay		1230 
SP	Curt Schilling		1070
SP	Felix Hernandez		960
RP	Ryan Dempster		1180 
RP	Mike Gonzalez		1120
RP	Jon Papelbon		890
RP	Chris Ray		820

Total Salary for Week 11b:	29970

Today's Fantasy Rx: If scrounging for saves on the Rays with Tyler Walker out for two weeks, only Shawn Camp merits any consideration given the fairly weak skill sets of his teammates, and even he doesn't particularly impress me right now. Other closers lacking an obvious backup include Baltimore's Chris Ray and Toronto's B.J. Ryan, so don't bother holding any of the other relievers on the Orioles or Jays with any serious hope of lucking into an injury-related promotion.