FANTASY BASEBALL 2012: Daily Show (Week 1)

FANTASY BASEBALL 2012: Daily Show (Week 1)

By Muntradamus

Updated: 4/8

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Welcome to Beast Dome if this is the first time you are joining us.  I am Muntradamus and this article is the one stop shop if you want to be kept up-to-date on what is going on with your fantasy players.  I treat them all if they were my own.

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SATURDAY (4/7)

Headlines:

• Corey Hart hits 2 HRs as Zack Greinke dominates the hottest team in baseball. 
• Lucas Duda hits 2 HRs, Frank Francisco is 2/2 in saves.
• Yoenis Cespedes does it again with his 3^rd HR.  Leads the Majors.
• Dee Gordon steals 3 Bases and has game-winning RBI.
• Doug Fister hurts side, ends up on DL.

WAIVER WIRE ARTICLE COMING OUT SUNDAY.

*Notes are Team-by-Team so you can get a vibe of what your player is playing around.  It will be broken up into Pitchers and then hitters for each team.

 

Toronto:

Brandon Morrow started off nearly perfect, a J.P. Arencibia error ruined his victory as it resulted in a 2-Run HR by Jason Kipnis that should never have happened.  Either way his 7 INN, 1 H, and 0 BB is very impressive.  The 3 Ks could see an improvement.

Sergio Santos did not take long to give the Jays a reason to worry about their bullpen.  Asdrubal Cabrera took him deep to tie the game in the 9^th with a solo job.  At least he finished the INN.

Kelly Johnson went 2/5 with a HR and 2 RBIs, he is on his way to a 20 HR season easy.  Brett Lawrie went 3/5 with 2 RBIs.  It would have been nice to see the SB, but his owners will take it.  Rajai Davis came into the game as a pinch-hitter and went 1/2  with the game-winning 2-run double in extra INN.  He also stole a base.  Colby Rasmus and Eric Thames will have some job security issues.

Cleveland:

Ubaldo Jimenez was on his game tonight and only gave up 1 Hit in 7 INN.  He did however have 3 BBs, and that lead to 2 ER with 3 Ks.  He would have gotten the win, if not new closer Vinnie Pestano blew the save to the first batter he saw giving up a solo job.  He did not even get to finish the INN which is a bad sign after giving up another hit.  Later in the game Chris Perez threw a shutout INN which makes it very unclear who the closer is now.  My guess is Chris Perez.

Asdrubal Cabrera hit the big HR off of Santos to tie the game in the 9^th INN.  It was solo shot in his 2/4 game.  His momentum will probably carry him forward with that one.  Jason Kipnis hit a huge HR off of Brandon Morrow, the only hit for any Indian off of him.  The fact it came so early is a very encouraging sign for his potential 20/15 campaign.

 

Washington:

Gio Gonzalez was terrible and could not get to the 4^th INN against the Cubs of all teams.  He gave up 7 Hits in 3.2 INN while K’ing 6.  The problem was the 3 BB and the 4 ER.  Those numbers with the amount of hits in this game is a formula for disaster.  He should bounce back.  Henry Rodriguez got the save as Brad Lidge did not pitch in the game.  I would stay away from the situation until Drew Storen returns.  If I had to pick one, it would be Henry Rodriguez since he K’d 3 Batters in his lone INN.

Danny Espinosa hit his 1^st HR off of the unreliable Kerry Wood.  Espinosa should be in line for a 20/20 season as long as he does collapse like he did in the second half of last season.  Adam LaRoche went 4/5 with a HR and 2 RBIs.  He did hit over 20 HRs in every healthy season he has played.  The largest was 32, but expecting 25 HRs is not impossible.  When he is hot, he becomes a great add.

Chicago- NL:

Matt Garza was very solid as expected.  He was on his way to a win after pitching 6 INN with 2 ER and 5 Ks.  Just when he thought he had it in the bag, Kerry Wood gave up 3 ER in 0.2 INN.  Then Carlos Marmol tried to finish the INN, and gave up 2 Hits, 2 BB, and 2 ER.  He did not even get an out.  Right now the Cubs bullpen is a mess, and this is going to hurt Ryan Dempster as well.

Starlin Castro went 2/5, but the key stat was 2 SBs.  If he can hit 30, that would be a great season.  He did steal 3^rd on 1/2 SBs.

New York Mets:

R.A. Dickey gave up 5 Hits and 4 BB which resulted in 2 ER with 3 Ks in 6 INN.  That line will not work too often, he did a good job of spacing his base runners.  I would not add him based off of this performance.  Frank Francisco makes it 2/2 in saves but this time made it a bit scary with 2 Hits.  He is safe for now, the Mets appear committed to giving him the job.

Lucas Duda hit 2 HRs and is making 20 HRs seem like a joke.  He was one of the best hitters down the stretch last season, and the fences are closer in CITI field, so he should be able to exceed that number with ease.  David Wright also likes the new fence hitting a HR on a 3/5 day.  Vintage David Wright.  Josh Thole is looking interesting getting multi-hit games in his first two games.  His batting average is solid, everything else lacks.  Today he got a RBI.

Atlanta:

Jair Jurrjens was terrible.  3 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BB, and 3 Ks in 4.1 INN.  He should get hot at some point, but after this start you can leave him on your waiver wire in shallow leagues.  Deeper leagues may want to consider his potential.

Martin Prado was the lone star going 1/4 with a HR and 2 RBIs.  Anything over 20 HRs would be a great season, so far this is the start his owners were looking for.

Boston:

Josh Beckett had a rough debut giving up 7 ER in 4.1 INN.  It was against the Tigers so he will get the benfit of the doubt here, but the 3 Ks to go along with this line is not the most encouraging news.  He should be better in easier matchups.

Boston continues to get shut down by this Detroit Pitching.  Adrian Gonzalez and his 2/4 was the best thing the Red Sox had today.  Usually 2 Hits will result in a RBI for Gonzo and this deep roster.
Detroit:

Doug Fister was on his way to an easy win before hurting his side after pitching 3.2 INN with 3 Ks and 0 ER.  He immediately went on the 15- Day DL, and from here you just have to wait.  Going on the DL instantly is not the best sign.

Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder did not take long to get everyone in Detroit excited.  2 HRs from each of them give this offense instant confidence.  Alex Avila stayed hot with 2 Hits and a HR with 2 RBIs.  He should have a huge season now that Victor Martinez is no threat to take any playing time.  Delmon Young went 2/4 with 2 runs, and should have a MONSTER season batting 5^th which goes in the order of, Cabrera/Fielder/Young.  Big season coming with DUCKS ON THE POND.  Austin Jackson continued to play well with a RBI and 2 BBs.  He is doing his job as the leadoff hitter for this powerful offense.

St. Louis:

Adam Wainwright was not terrible with 3 ER and 4 Hits in 5.2 INN with 6 Ks.  He was on the wrong side of a pitching duel with Zack Greinke, and lost.  You have to be perfect neck-and-neck with him, once he gave up the 2^nd HR to Corey Hart in the 6^th INN to make it 4-0, the game was over.

The Cardinals were shutout by Greinke.  David Freese however managed to stay red hot with 2 Hits.  The start of his season is too great to ignore, and he should be added in all leagues if you need a 3B option who should eclipse 20 HRs and 80 RBIs with ease.  Rafael Fucal was able to keep his hitting streak alive, and the fact he already has 2 SBs and is still batting over .500 after a 1/4 performance has me ready to hit the trigger.  I can see 10 HRs and 20 SBs if he avoids getting injured.  Something that has come too frequently in his career.

 

Milwaukee:

Zack Greinke proved he is ready for the CY Young in the NL.  He shut down the hottest hitting team in baseball with 4 Hits, 7 Ks, 0 ER, in 7 INN.  He is ready for any team this season.  ACE FANTASY MVP STATUS right now.

Rickie Weeks went 2/4 and blasted his 1^st HR.  Good to see him get going strong after a mediocre Spring Training.  Corey Hart appears to be more than healthy with 2 HRs and 3 RBIs.  He has 30 HR-100 RBI potential in the bag if he stays healthy.  He can even give you double digit steals.  Aramis Ramirez sneaks away with his 2^nd RBI in back-to-back games as the cleanup hitter.

 

Philadelphia:

Cliff Lee started the season dominate with 6 INN, 2 Hits, and 1 ER.  The problem was, he only got 4 Ks and did not get the Win as the game was a pitcher’s duel that ended up in extra INN.  The Phillies offense looks to be a problem for their pitchers in the early going.

Shane Victorino got 2 Hits the day after stealing a base.  No problems with that.  Hunter Pence was the star with a SB, and a RBI.  100 Of those RBIs, and 20+ SBs would make his owners happy.

Pittsburgh:

Jeff Karstens only gave up 1 ER with 5 Hits in 6 INN.  The K’s will not come frequently as he only got 2 today.  However he can help in ERA and is worth monitoring.  Wins will not come easy as well pitching in Pittsburgh.  Joel Hanrahan gave up 2 BBs and 2 Ks in 1 INN.  The important thing was the 0 ER, and he remains very solid moving forward.

Andrew McCutchen stole his 1^st base on the season, and his owners are expecting at least 24 more.  Alex Presley went 2/5 with a RBI and is on my scout team.  He had a huge spring, but now is batting 2^nd which could hurt his value.  For now I will monitor him.

Chicago-AL:

Jake Peavy was solid with only 3 ER with 5 Ks in 6 INN.  That line is more than great against the Rangers.  Hector Santiago got the Save, but Matt Thornton and Addison Reed both threw shutout INN.  You cannot imagine the leash will be very long for Santiago.  At least the White Sox have a nice bullpen.

Alenjandro De Aza did not take long to get his 1^st SB.  He can possibly steal 20 bags this year with double-digit HRs, worth monitoring for now.  Alex Rios hit the game-winning HR off of Joe Nathan in the 9^th INN.  His confidence will be up moving forward.  Paul Konerko continues his solid play with 2 Hits and 3 RBIs.  Adam Dunn got a hit, but was pitched around with 2 BBs.  His confidence has to be all the way back right being the #3 Hitter.
Texas:

Derrek Holland had 5 Ks in 6 INN, but his 3 ER, 3 BB, and 3 Hits did not give him the chance for a win.  Better luck next time, at least it was not a terrible start.  I am expecting big things from Holland this season.  Joe Nathan gave up a solo HR in the 9^th, he is still the closer despite losing the game.

Ian Kinsler continues his strong start getting 2 more hits.  He was CS which ruined his fantasy day.  Adrian Beltre got on the board with his 1^st RBI, as well as Mike Napoli and Elvis Andrus.  The Rangers are still not hot.

 

Minnesota:

Francisco Liriano started the season exactly what his owners were afraid of.  5 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks, all in 4 INN.  The start will have his owners very skeptical of the ace from spring training.  I personally think he will rebound and should still be a MUST-OWN player.  His value could drop drastically if this happens again.

Joe Mauer picked up a RBI, and Justin Morenau gathered 2 Hits.  These are tough times to be a Twins fan as they are down to 0/2 very quickly.  They were shut down by Jake Arrieta, and now Tommy Hunter.

Baltimore:

Tommy Hunter pitched 7 scoreless INN which exceeds everyone’s expectations and then some.  Just like Arrieta, this was against the Twins so these stats may not translate to real teams.  For now watch him, and it may take two more times in a row like this for him to jump to an add-him situation.

Nick Markakis continues his hot start to the season going 3/4 with his 2^nd HR of the season.  That is back-to-back multi-hit games.  Matt Wieters and Adam Jones hit HR’s and both should be on their way to great seasons.  Mark Reynolds and J.J. Hardy seem to be the only two missing from this party against the Twins.
NY Yankees:

Miami:

Ricky Nolasco had one of his better starts with 3 ER in 8 INN to go along with 5 Ks.  He is a player I would monitor closely, but his also a pitcher that is horribly inconsistent.  A lot of people will take the bait now, I personally want to see it on more time.  Heath Bell came in to throwing a meaningless 9^th INN.

Hanley Ramirez and the Miami offense finally got going.  He ended up going 1/3 with a HR and 2 RBIs with 3 BBs, a SB would have been nice.  Jose Reyes continues to run like the wind going 1/5 with a SB.  Emilo Bonifacio got sneaky and stole 2 Bases.  Together this combo should have ducks on the pond for Han-Ram all season, and Gincarlo “Do not call me Mike” Stanton had a monsterous 3/5 with 3 RBIs.  He is going to put up high-end Nelson Cruz type numbers.  John Buck is one of those catchers that can put up 20 HRs, so far so good with a HR and 2 RBIs.  I want to see the second HR soon before adding him.
Cincinnati:

Mat Latos started the season exactly the way his owners did not want.  4 ER with 7 Hits in 4.2 INN is a horrible, horrible start.  Especially against a team that had no offensive flow before this, he should be fine in his next start.

Zack Cozart will be a popular add in all leagues after going 3/5 with a HR and a RBI.  That is now 5 Hits on the season for Cozart, and you expect solid batting average numbers all season long.  The HRs, RBIs, SBs are a nice bonus that should come more frequently than you think.  Joey Votto got his 1^st HR out of the way on a 1/4 effort.

Colorado:

Jamie Moyer did not pitch well against the Astros.  He does not need to be considered in any fantasy league right now.

Michael Cuddyer continues to thrive with no competition for PT.  He hit a HR today to go along with his SB he already has this year.  Big things to come.  Troy Tulowitzki continues to start the season hot with a  RBI, and a CS.  He already has a HR on the season, so this is the active start his owners were looking for.  Todd Helton picked up his 2^nd RBI in his 2^nd game, but I would still wait to add him as he may not have that 15 HR power anymore.
Houston:

Lucas Harrell pitched a 7 INN shutout with 3 Ks.  I am not a believer yet, but he does qualify at RP in most leagues so he becomes interesting.  Worth watching after this one against Colorado.

J.D. Martinez was a popular name this Spring, and he started the season nice with a 3-run HR.  It was against Jamie Moyer, so I will wait for him to do this again.  However hitting 3^rd, he is worth watching.  Chris Johnson was the new #5 hitter and went 2/4 with 2 2Bs, and a SB.  The Astros love him, and so should you, but not until he hits a HR or two.  Jordan Schafer also hit a HR to go along with 3 RBIs, I would not consider him until he steals some bases or gets another HR soon.
San Francisco:

Madison Bumgarner did not have the elite start I was looking for.  4 ER, 7 Hits, 3 Ks, in 4 INN is not going to get the job done.  I will blame it on the tough matchup for now.

Offensively the Giants are not getting any solid games together, yesterday it was Melky Cabrera.  Tonight it was Pablo Sandoval who went 2/4 with a HR and 2 RBIs, he should be able to get 30/100 with a .300 average.  The Giants offense is have problems, which will hurt all of their SPs.

Arizona:

Daniel Hudson gave up 5 Hits with 2 BBs in 6.2 INN to get the win.  The problem was the 4 ER, and 4 Ks, but for now take the win as the D-Backs offense carried him.  J.J. Putz was much more solid in his 2^nd Save situation throwing 12 Pitches with 2 Ks.  He is now 2/2 on the season.

Aaron Hill was the king with 2 HRs and 3 RBIs.  His 25+ HR potential magically disappeared last season, but this start here proves that he can easily tap into it again.  Both HRs came off of Bumgarner which is even more impressive.  He also has a solid chance of stealing 20+ Bases, I would pick him up now before everyone gets too excited.
Kansas City:

Luke Hochevar who had 4 Ks in 6.1 INN surprisingly beat the Angels.  Am I buyer, no.  Does he have the chance to beat another team, yes.  As of now he is not someone I would consider, but the start was nice with only 2 ER.  Jonathan Broxton threw the 9^th INN in a non-save situation.  He gave up 2 Hits and an ER which makes him a bit less safer than you hoped for.  He should still be added in all leagues as he should get an ample amount of opportunities before deciding he is not the closer in KC.

Eric Hosmer hit a HR which a great thing for his owners to see.  They want 30 HRs, but you will probably end up with less.  Mike Moustakas did not take long to get his 1^st HR after missing a lot of time in Spring Training.  He is one of their franchise players and should put up top 20 3B numbers.  His value in keeper leagues ranks among the highest.
LA Angels:

Dan Haren did not take long to give up a bad game with 11 Hits, 5 ER in 5.1 INN.  It was discouraging when he said he was going through a dead arm phase in Spring Training, and now starts the season off with this.  I would just chalk it up as a bad start for now.

Kendry Morales is in IMMA HIT EVERTHING mode going 4/4.  He should be solid all season, and appears to be locked as the DH.  Mark Trumbo did not get the start today at 3B.  Torri Hunter is now batting 5^th from 4^th, but was even more productive with a 2/4 game, he should be a solid 20 HRs and 80 RBIs if you need them.
NY Yankees:

Hiroki Kuroda did not continue his solid spring, and gave up 4 ER in 5.2 INN with only 2 Ks and a WHIP over 2.10.  The Yankees will usually bail him out of games like this, but today it was against David Price.  I will give him the free pass on this one.

Raul Ibanez had a pinch-hit Sac Fly.  He appears to not be starting against LHP.  Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson were strong with 2 Hits each, but the story was Nick Swisher who batted 2^nd and had a HR with 3 RBIs.  Batting 2^nd in this lineup will result in a boat load of runs, Swisher should be a very popular add if he was somehow not drafted.

Tampa Bay:

David Price had 5 Ks in 6.1 INN while hiding his 2 ER behind 5 Hits and 4 BBs.  Price did a nice job spacing out the damage, and beating the Yankees is always a great accomplishment in the fantasy baseball world.  Fernando Rodney ended up with the save, but Joel Peralta, and Jake McGee both had their shot at the save first before Rodney got the last out.  For now Rodney appears to be the closest thing to their closer with no Farnsworth.  Still not clear cut, but Rodney has the edge.

Matt Joyce was 2/3 with a HR and 3 RBIs.  I am not the biggest fan of him since he has never been great over a full-year, but this is a nice way to start things out.  Luke Scott could easily hit 20 HRs this season and appears on a good path after going 3/4 with 3 RBIs.  Him and Carlos Pena make a dangerous combo in the D-Ray lineup this season, Pena added another RBI while batting 2^nd.  Desmond Jennings continues to show off his fantasy diversity with a RBI and a SB.  You can expect that combo often.

Seattle:

Felix Hernandez was not pretty with 6 ER in 6.1 INN.  But he ended up with 7 Ks and somehow a victory.  Brandon League came in for a perfect 1-2-3 save.

Chone Figgins will not be on your waiver wire long after going 3/5 with 2 RBIs, dejavu of last game except without the SB.  He should get plenty of those.  Every Mariner got a hit tonight, yet all keep the same value.  Even Matt Saunders and his 1^st HR. However Kyle Seager had back-to-back 2 hit games, and now has 2 RBIs and a SB in that span.  Maybe worth watching if he does something again.
Oakland:

Bartolo Colon got bombed.  No other way of putting it, you can drop him.  Grant Balfour pitched a scoreless 9^th INN and will be the closer moving forward with no competition.

Jemile Weeks got on the board with his 1^st HR.  The power/speed combo potential is huge for Weeks this season.  Yoenis Cespedes continues the powerstroke, now batting cleanup with a 1/3 HR and 3 RBI game.  Kurt Suzuki had a 2-run double off of King Felix which took him out of the game in the 6^th INN.
LA Dodgers:

Chris Capuano did terrible against SD.  He is not worth considering at the moment.  Kenley Jansen is one of the best relievers that is not a closer, and had 2 shutout INN with 2 Ks.  Eventually Javy Guerra ended up with the K and his 2^nd save.

Dee Gordon was the MVP of the day with a 3 Hit, 3 SB, 1 RBI game.  Those 3 SBs make him very unique as he can easily run for 50+ if not 70.  Matt Kemp continues his campaign for fantasy MVP with 2 more RBIs giving him 6 on the season.  Andre Ethier added 2 more RBIs himself to give him 6 on his contract year.
San Diego:

Dustin Moseley did not pitch well enough to be considered for fantasy.  Andrew Cashner, and Huston Street threw shutout INN, all for nothing.  The Padres ended up losing the game, but Street should get plenty of save opportunities in these close NL West games.

Jesus Guzman continues to bat cleanup, and showed his ability with another RBI giving him 2 on the season.7

 

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Friday (4/6)

Headlines:

• Chad Billinsley K’s 11 and gives up 0 ER in debut.
• Ian Kinsler hit a HR in his first game.
• Carlos Pena had 5 RBIs including a grand-slam and the game-winner.
• Chone Figgins may be back with 3 Hits, 2 RBIs, and a SB.
• Rafel Furcal stays hot along with all the other Cardinals.
• Yoenis Cespdes hits his ML leading 2^nd HR.

Waiver Wire Add: Chone Figgins. Chad Billingsley. Carlos Pena. Rafael Furcal.

Waiver Wire Scout: Juan Rivera. Jeremy Guthrie. Bruce Chen. Eric Young Jr.

*Notes are Team-by-Team so you can get a vibe of what your player is playing around.  It will be broken up into Pitchers and then hitters for each team.

Texas:

Colby Lewis was on the mound and dominated the White Sox for the most part.  9 K’s in 6 INN with only allowing 2 ER.  He did appear hittable giving up 7 hits.  Including a HR to Adam Dunn.  Joe Nathan came in to close the door in the 9^th INN with 11 pitches giving up 0 Hits and K’ing one for his first Save.

Ian Kinsler had a hot spring, and started the season out with a 2 Hit game including a HR.  He should easy eclipse 30/30 this season.  Josh Hamilton was the only other Ranger to get two hits.  He ended up with a RBI and the key for him this season is to stay healthy.  John Danks of all pitchers kind of shut down the Rangers for the most part, there should be more fireworks against Jake Peavy.

Chicago-AL:

John Danks struck out 6 Rangers in 6 INN.  He shutdown maybe the best offensive teams only giving up 3 ER, in Texas.  He definitely gets a nice added boost and should be worth monitoring closely.  Addison Reed and Marcus Thornton both threw shutout Innings to keep the game close, Thornton appears to be the closer for now.

Adam Dunn started the season as the #3 hitter, and did not the White Sox down with another opening day HR.  Dunn is poised to have a comeback year, and watch his bat start to heat up.  Paul Konerko was the only other White Sox player to get two hits, Alexi Ramirez added a RBI single.

Minnesota:

Carl Pavano pitched horribly enough to not be worth talking about right now, 4 ER in 7 INN with 1 K is not good enough against the Orioles.

Josh Willingham was the only Twin worth talking about after hitting a 2 run HR in a meaningless 9^th INN where the game was over.  Denard Spann got two hits and the start in CF, Ben Revere started the season on the bench behind Ryan Doumit who went 0/4, he will probably play a different position the next day.  Not a good sign to get shut down by Jake Arrieta.

Baltimore:

Jake Arrieta had a great start against maybe the worst team in the AL.  He held the Twins to 2 Hits in 7 INN while racking up 2 K’s.  I would not start Jake against most teams, but pitchers facing the Twins do have an edge this season.  Jim Johnson got a cheap 2-Out save thanks to a 9^th INN HR by Willingham.  Johnson did not make it easy giving up a hit and a BB in the process.

Nick Markakis was the only Oriole who had a productive day going 2/3 with a HR, 3B, and 3 RBIs.   This is a great way for him to start the season after being a bust for so many years.  Anything over 20 HRs and 85 RBIs is a huge bonus this season.
NY Yankees:

CC Sabathia gave up a 2-Out bases loaded full-count HR to Carlos Pena in the 1^st INN.  After that he settled down giving up only 1 more ER in 6 total INN.  He struck out 7, which was nice.  Though he gave up 8 Hits and 3 BB’s which is a bit concerning.  He should be fine and this was a tough matchup.  Mr. Perfect this Spring Mariano Rivera blew an opening day save horribly with 3 Hits, 2 BB, and 2 ER in 0.1 INN.  He should bounce back.  It is worth noting David Robertson threw a 3 K INN.

Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, and Brett Gardner were the only Yankees to get two hits each.  Though 4 of the teams 5 RBIs came off the bat of Raul Ibanez who went 1/5 with a HR and 4 RBIs.  He hit a big 3-run HR off of Shields in the 2^nd to give the Yankees a lead.  He would be a good add if he gets the starts against LHP as well.
Tampa Bay:

James Shields started great, but then it all unraveled for him giving up 6 ER with 9 Hits in 5 INN.  He only K’d 3 and this was a tough start against the Yankees.  The rest of the bullpen made it look easy however as 6 different RP’s held the Yankees to not hits.  Fernando Rodney ended up with the victory, and it is hard to say if he will be closing while Farnsworth is out.   He was the most effective pitcher out of the bunch not BB’ing anybody.

Evan Longoria continued to be a star going 3/3 with a HR and a RBI.  He was elite to end last season, and it looks to be starting the way this season.  Carlos Pena was a monster with a huge Grand Slam in the 1^st INN with 2 Outs and a full-count, against CC.  He also had the game winning hit in the bottom of the 9^th INN going 3/5 with a HR, and 5 RBIs.  He should be feeling red hot after that performance.  Desmond Jennings started out the season nice grabbing 2 hits and 2 runs.  He should be an all-around fantasy star.
St. Louis:

Jamie Garcia gave up 2 ER in the 1^st INN.  After that he settled down and did not give up another run, he finished with 6 INN pitched and 3 Ks.  The bullpen had a huge lead so they threw out their garbage guys.

The Cardinals offense is starting to heat up as they tee-d off of Yovani Gallardo.  David Freese continues his red-hot start with his 1^st HR and 3 RBIs.  Nice start to the season for him, 20-80 appears easily in reach.  Rafael Furcal stayed red hot going 3/5 with a RBI, and a SB.  That is his 2^nd on the season and appears as a good add until he gets injured.  Carlos Beltran the two hit game to go along with a HR and a SB.  He looks to have a great season batting 2^nd in front of Holliday.  Holliday is now 1/10 on the season, but at least that one hit is a HR after crushing Gallardo.  He is feeding off of this hot team.  Lance Berkman hit his 1^st HR, and Yadier Molina continued his hot hitting with two hits and his 1^st HR.  Cardinals are a dangerous team right now.  If they hit Greinke well, people will be buying their offense quick.

Milwaukee:

Yovani Gallardo was shelled with 6 ER, 5 BB, 7 Hits, 4 HR, and only 3 K’s in 3.2 INN.  Rough start to the season, and his owners can only hope it was because the Cardinals are a hot team.  The bullpen was all INN eaters as this game was not even close.

The Brewers did not get anything going after the 1^st INN.  Rickie Weeks, Carlos Gomez, Mat Gamel, and Jonathan Lucroy all got two hits, which could mean they have some confidence going into next game.  That is a lot of guys to have two hits and only score 2 runs.

Colorado:

Jeremy Guthrie had a great start against a weak Astros team.  7 INN, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, and a K will not come that often, maybe the 1 K part.  The game was nice but he is still a spot-starter if anything in fantasy.  Rafael Betancourt picked up his 1^st save, but did not make it pretty giving up a Hit and a BB, while K’ing 1 in the process.

Troy Tulowitzki hit a HR in the 9^th INN for his lone hit.  He also had a Sac Fly which will add some nice value.  He is a lock for top SS in fantasy.  Todd Helton got a RBI double, showing he is not done yet.  Michael Cuddyer had a great first game going 2/4 with a RBI, and most impressive a SB.  Colorado should let him reach his full potential this season.  Dexter Fowler and Eric Young stole bases, EY could be a huge fantasy threat if he enters the starting lineup at some point, today was a pinch-run.
Houston:

Wandy Rodriguez  was solid with 0 ER in 6.1 INN with 2 Ks.  His WHIP was okay at 1.26.  He should have earned a victory, but the Astros had 4 Errors, including Wandy which lead to a 3 run INN where none of the runs were earned.  The good news is, there is hope for a comeback season.

Carlos Lee is the only Astros to trust in fantasy from any standpoint, and he started the season strong going 2/4 with a HR and 2 RBIs.  20-80 is his target, he could surpass it.  Brian Bogusevic batted 5^th behind Lee and went 1/4 with a HR.  He does have some potential, but I would let him sit on the waiver wire for now.
San Francisco:

Tim Lincecum started out the game terrible giving up 2 HRs in the 1^st INN while allowing 3 ER.  Than he settled down, only to give up 2 more ER in the 6^th INN.  He ended up with 5 ER and 7 Ks in 5.1 INN.  Arizona is no easy matchup, but Lincecum should have a better ERA game than this.

Melky Cabrera was the star hitting a double, and a 2-run HR in his Giant debut.  He finished the game with 2 Hits along with Buster Posey, and Pablo Sandoval.  Pablo had a RBI double in the game.

Arizona:

Ian Kennedy was not lights out giving up 9 Hits in 6.2 INN.  He only gave up 3 ER which was not terrible, but K’d three and ended up with the victory.  The D-Backs offense is good enough for him to be medicore and still get a win, this is a luxury Lincecum owners can dream of.  J.J. Putz got a save his debut, he did not make it pretty with allowing 2 Hits and 1 ER.  Luckily for him the lead was 2 runs.  He now makes it 2/2 in picking save guys in my Save of the day.

Chris B. Young opened up the game with a 2-run HR in the 1^st INN.  Later on Paul Goldschmidt hit a Solo HR in the same INN to give the D-Backs a huge edge.  Then in the 6^th INN Ryan Roberts delivered a 2 run double.  That was all of their first games, and all of them seem poised for big years.  Willie Boomquist was the only D-Back to get 2 hits, and nobody cares about him in fantasy.
Kansas City:

 Bruce Chen surprised the fantasy baseball world with 6 INN, 0 ER, and 4 Hits with 4 K’s.  Chen was great last season, and after a strong last start during Spring Training, he has carried his momentum to the season.  He is a decent add if you are desperate for a pitcher, wins will be scarce.

Jered Weaver shut down all Royal hitters only giving up 4 Hits in 8 INN.  Jeff Francouer was the player of the game going 1/3 with a 2B.  It will not get easier against Dan Haren and Ervin Santana to close the weekend.
LA Angels:

Jered Weaver started out the season elite with 10 K’s in 8 INN while only giving up 4 Hits.  Weaver is a solid candidate for CY Young in the AL, their offense should give him more wins.

Erick Aybar was the start with an 8^th INN 3-RBI triple.  That really broke the game open for the Angels as the game was only at 1-0 before that hit.  Torri Hunter added a 2-out RBI who is now batting cleanup.  Could mean big things for his fantasy value, especially behind Albert Pujols who went 0/3 in his Angel debut.  Peter Bourjous almost had a big fantasy day, but ended up 2/3 with a RBI and a CS.  Not a bad start, he is currently batting 9^th.
Seattle:

Jason Vargas continued his dominant pitching against the A’s giving up 2 ER in 5.1 INN with 3 Ks.  Luckily for him he ended up with the win because of Oakland playing bad defense.  He is not worth the add unless he can pitch this way against a team better than Oakland.  Brandon League pitched a meaningless 9^th INN, but most importantly only gave up 1 Hit.  He should be solid.

Seattle could get going offensively.  Dustin Ackley, Chone Figgins each had 3 Hits.  Figgins was very impressive gathering a SB and 2 RBIs.  He is worth the add in all leagues as he easily can steal 40+ Bases.  The only concern is if he can hit, and 3 Hits in one game is a great sign he is ready to go.  Kyle Seager, Matt Saunders, and Brendan Ryan all ended up with 2 Hits.  Seager had 2 RBIs, but it is good for Seattle fans to see all this offense get going.  Ichiro got his first SB of the season as well.
Oakland:

Brandon McCarthy pitched great, but his defense put him in a bad position and he had 5 Runs, only 2 of them Earned in 5 INN of work while K’ing 2.  The K’s will remain low, but his ERA will remain low as well.  McCarthy is a solid pitcher who will have a tough time getting wins on a bad offensive team.

Yoenis Cespedes hit his Major League leading 2^nd HR.  He also picked up 2 RBIs and now has 2 HR’s off of Vargas this season.  Not a bad way to pick your pitcher early, 20/20 is in reach for him.  Jemile Weeks, and Coco Crisp both got 2 hits, but neither attempted a SB.  It is odd, but at least they are both getting on.  Should result in a great year for Yoenis when he bats 3^rd.  Josh Reddick hit 3^rd and went 1/4, that should not last long.  Jonny Gomes hit cleanup and went 0/2 before getting replaced.  Neither are solid pickups as Seth Smith will continue to be a threat for playing time to both of them.
LA Dodgers:

Chad Billingsley started out the season as the leading candidate for CY Young in the NL with 11 Ks, and only 3 Hits in 8.1 INN.  The start was elite, and you have to keep rolling with him after this.  He of course earned the victory in this one as well.

Matt Kemp continues to be fantasy MVP gathering 2 Hits to go along with his 4^th RBI, and his 1^st SB.  Huge season coming, I would not trade him for anything.  Andre Ethier broke out in a mini-way going 2/4 with a 2B, 3B, and 4 RBIs.  He should have a big year in his contract season.  Dee Gordon was CS, he should still steal a ton of bases.  Mark Ellis, and Juan Rivera grabbed 2 Hits as well, Rivera had a RBI and batted cleanup behind Kemp.  We will see how long this lasts, but it is worth monitoring as he should get some good pitches to hit batting in front of Ethier as well.
San Diego:

Corey Luebke could not get anything going as he gave up 4, 2-Out RBIs in the game.  He ended up with 5 ER and 9 Hits in 4.2 INN.  The most impressive part about it was the 6 Ks, and that is great if you are using him as a RP since he qualifies there in all leagues.  Andrew Cashner who one day will be a closer, not this season, threw a shutout INN along with a BB and a K.

All Padres were shutdown by Chad Billingsley.  Jesus Guzman batted cleanup again and had a double in his first at-bat.  He had nothing else to go along with it though.

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Wednesday & Thursday (4/4-4/5)

Headlines:

• Chris Perez blows a 3 run save.  Vinnie Pestano will be a popular name soon.
• J.P. Arencibia hits a 3 run HR in the 16^th INN. Big season coming.
• Carlos Marmol is wild in debut.  Repeat of last season looming.
• Clayton Kershaw only pitches 3 INN because of a flu.
• Matt Kemp starts his MVP season with a HR and a CS.  50/50 here we come.

Waiver Wire Add: Aroldis Chapman. Kyle Lohse. Edinson Volquez.

Waiver Wire Scout: Vinnie Pestano. Jack Hannahan. Jesus Guzman.

 

Kyle Lohse- pitched 7.1 strong INN giving up 2 H and 1 ER to earn the first victory.  He is typically a fast starter and after having a solid spring he looks like a legitimate Waiver Wire add.  He will not strike out a lot with 3, but with the right matchup he can get the easy win.

Jason Motte- threw a shutout 9^th INN giving up a hit while racking up 2 Ks.  He should be a solid bet for 30+ Saves.

Josh Johnson- gave up all 3 of his ER’s with 2-Outs.  He should bounce back in the next one and the 4 Ks in 6 INN is a sign that the K potential is still there.

Jose Reyes- went 2/4 in his debut.  He will probably start running more.

John Buck- got a 2-out RBI double.  He has some hidden power and should get the ABs to hit around 20 this season.

David Freese- went 3/5 with 2 RBIs.  Nice way to start the season towards 20-85 potential.

Rafael Furcal- went 3/5 with a RBI, and a SB.  He will not last the whole season, but could give you potential 10/10 numbers in the HR/SB department.

Carlos Beltran & Yadier Molina- picked up two hits to open the season.

Tommy Hanson- pitched well in his debut, but only threw 80 pitches in 5 INN with 4 Ks and 1 ER.  The WHIP was high, but he should easily give top 30 value this season.

Johan Santana- only gave up 2 Hits in 5 INN while K’ing 5 in his debut.  Completely stunned all Brave hitters of having any type of a solid fantasy day.  Santana looks to be fully healthy and 100%.  However if he pitched one more INN he would have ended up with the victory.

Jonny Venters- looks to be over his Spring problems with 2 Ks in 1 INN.  However it was not pretty with 2 BBs and a Hit, so the explosion could happen soon.

Frank Francisco- complained of a bum knee but was able to throw the perfect 9^th INN with a K for the first save.  Job is easily his right now.

David Wright- picked up the lone RBI of the game off of his 2/4 performance.  Not a bad way to start the season, it will be big to see him build off of this early.

Lucas Duda- Left 3 runners in scoring position with 2 Outs ending up 0/4.  Should bounce back.

Michael Bourn- went 0/4 and left 3 runners in scoring position with 2 outs.  RBI opportunities do not come often for Bourn.

David Ortiz- was the only Red Sox player that was drafted in fantasy leagues that had any sort of value.  1/3 with a RBI is not great, but it will get the job done.

Austin Jackson- started the season off like a star, going 3/5 with the a triple, and a game winning RBI.  Also scored a run.  20/30 is the goal for him this season, unrealistic, but possible.

Jhonny Peralta- went 3/3 with a run scored.  20+ HRs and 80+ RBIs is all his owners expect.

Alex Avila- went 2/4 with a RBI double to score the first run of the game in the 7^th INN.  Another big season is in store with no Victor Martinez.

Jon Lester- was solid in a game where the matchup was tough.  He held Detroit to 1 ER in 7 INN with 4 Ks.  The WHIP was okay as well at 1.29.  Should be an elite season moving forward.

Justin Verlander- was lights out with 2 Hits, 1 BB, 7 Ks, and 0 ER in 8 INN.  Only to see Jose Valverde pull the carpet to blow the save, and then get the win.  The Cardinal Sin to Starting Pitchers in fantasy.

Jose Valverde- read Justin Verlander.  Blowing a 2 run after being perfect last season is not a great start.  However he was flawless this Spring so he should be more than fine.

Mark Melancon- gave Alfredo Aceves a longer leash with 2 Hits and 0.1 INN pitched which eventually led to the loss.

Alfredo Aceves- may have given up the game-winning hit, but it was Mark Melancon who put him in a very rough position.  Aceves should be fine moving forward.

Carlos Ruiz- had a big 3/3 opening game with the lone RBI.  Ironically it was on a Sac Fly.  This game seems more like a fluke than anything.

Shane Victorino- continues the momentum of his Spring with a SB on a 0/3 game.  Not bad.

Roy Halladay- shut down all the Pirates hitters giving up 2 Hits with 5 Ks in 8 INN.  Unlike Verlander, his closer held the small lead for the Victory.

Jonathan Papelbon- made it look easy with a 10 pitch shutout INN with a K.  First of many saves.

Erik Bedard- Bedard made an elite start, but was outpitched by Roy Halladay.  7 INN with 6 Hits and 4 Ks is solid, especially when only giving up 1 ER.  His move to the NL could rejuvenate his value.  He shut down a less than 100% Philly lineup, but still impressive.

Ian Desmond- was the lone brightspot for Washington as he get 3 of the teams 4 hits.  He ended up with a RBI and a SB as well making him a very nice option who has the potential to go with HRs and SBs in the same game.  I projected 10 HRs and 27 SBs on the year.

Jayson Werth- had the opportunity for a huge game, but went 0/3 with a RBI because he walked with the bases loaded late in the game.  In those 3 outs, he had 4 Runners left in scoring position on the day.

Alfonso Soriano- went 1/3 with a CS.  Nice to see him be aggressive on the basepaths.  Hopefully it keeps up, but it is not likely.  30 HRs is a possibility.

Stephen Strasburg- was nearly flawless against a soft Cubs team.  5 Ks in 7 INN with 1 ER is elite, but he only has 153 INN left.

Brad Lidge- did everything in his power to blow the save, but the Cubs are so bad that they let him have it.  Runner on 3^rd with 1 Out, and the Cubs ground into a fielder’s choice to eliminate the runner.

Tyler Clippard- Stole the win on the nice pitching performance by Strasburg.  A perfect INN is all it took for the W for Clip who was a Wins machine two seasons ago with 11.

Ryan Dempster- was one of the top pitchers of the day giving up 2 Hits in 7.2 INN with 10 Ks.  However his bullpen of Kerry Wood blew the game walking Werth with the bases loaded.  Dempster should reach 200 Ks once again.

Carlos Marmol- once again was unreliable in a tied game in the 9^th INN.  He gave up 2 Hits, including the game winning RBI single to Ian Desmond.  Should be a very rough year for Marmol who may lose his job sooner than most people think.

Yunel Esobar & Edwin Encarnacion- both ended up with 2 Hits.  They also had a combined 15 ABs, and Encarnacion was a better option with 2 RBIs at the DH spot.

Jose Bautista- is still the most feared hitter in baseball going 3/4 with a HR and 2 RBIs.  He also drew 2 BBs and is an easy candidate for MVP.

J.P. Arencibia- was the hero of the day going 0/6 for the day before hitting a 3 Run HR in the 16^th INN to give the Jays the win.  He was my BOLD PREDICTION on FantasyPros.

Jack Hannahan- was the only notable productive fantasy option on Cleveland with a HR and 3 RBIs.  A player I will be watching for waiver wire material.

Ricky Romero- was less than stellar with 4 ER in 5 INN to go along with 4 Ks.  The 3 Run HR by Hannahan came with 2 Outs in the 2 INN and it took Romero mentally out of the game.  Should bounce back strong.

Francisco Cordero- pitched well enough to get the shutout INN despite giving up a hit.  He is still just a setup man.

Sergio Santos- cleaned up with a 16^th INN save while BB’ing 1 in 0.2 INN.

Justin Masterson- was dynamite with 10 Ks in 8 INN while giving up 2 Hits and 1 ER.  Against the red-hot Blue Jays which shows he is ready for a  nice season.  He had his victory blown by Chris Perez, 3 run lead.

Chris Perez- Blew the game completely giving up 3 ER in the 9^th INN, and almost even more if Vinnie Pestano did not secure the last out to end the INN.

Vinnie Pestano- should be the closer sooner than later as he is one of the top relievers in baseball right now.  Chris Perez is treading on very thin ice.

Jose Reyes- once again got on base going 1/4.  This time he decided to try to steal a base, but ended up with the CS.

Zack Cozart- went 2/4 with a run scored.  He was getting two hits nearly every game this Spring, and it looks to continue now.

Jay Bruce- went 1/3 and hit his first of 40+ HRs this season.  He added 2 RBIs and seems to be on his way to a monster season.

Mark Buehrle- was more than solid with 2 ER in 6 INN.  Most impressive was his 5 Ks which was not something he did often with the White Sox.

Johnny Cueto- completely silenced the Marlins.  Second pitcher in a row to do that.  4 Ks in 7 INN is the type of ratio you should expect, and the 0 ER is always nice to see with that being the reason you drafted him.

Aroldis Chapman- started the season off exactly where he left the Spring  with 2 Ks in a perfect 8^th INN.  Only took an amazing 10 pitches!  He is someone to add possibly now as his role will increase no doubt.  If he becomes a starter he would offer elite performances.  You do not want someone else to have him when that time comes.

Sean Marshall- was on his way to a save before the Reds scored 2 runs in the 8^th INN.  The run that pushed it over the top came with 2 Outs to make matters worse.  Always a bad feeling when that happens for your closer.  Still pitched a perfect 9^th with 2 Ks on 11 Pitches.

Matt Kemp- Kemp is going to be fantasy MVP this season.  HR and 3 RBI in his debut with a CS shows how he can do it all.  He even left 2 runners in scoring position showing how good his day could have been.

Cameron Maybin- 2/4 with a HR and 2 RBIs is a great sign to start his year.  The HR was 445 Feet, and that gives the confidence to his owners that 10 HRs could be a lock.  The 50 SBs would make this an epic season for Maybin.

Jesus Guzman- will be batting cleanup and playing for the injured Carlos Quentin.  Guzman had a HUGE Spring, and started out his season nice with a  big RBI double.  He is a good sleeper for now.

Clayton Kershaw- worked himself out of a jam in the 3^rd INN and then called it quits with 3 Ks and 2 Hits.  The start was disappointing, as this would have been an easy win if not leaving with the Flu.

Kenley Jansen- gave room to Javy Guerra after giving up 2 ER in 1 INN.  He only got 1 K in the appearance.

Edinson Volquez- Edinson was solid with 7 Ks in 5 INN with 2 ER.  It was against the Dodgers, but it was still impressive as he is on his way to being vintage Volquez.  He will be a popular add in all leagues with his nice K potential.  The Padres will not win a lot of games for him with their offense.