Happy Opening Day!
Well, I guess Opening Day was yesterday. Er, Wednesday. Errr… last week. Whatever. Many teams have already gotten underway, but today the rest of the league celebrates the start of the 2012 season. That means that the first full week of baseball is on tap, and today we'll preview it from a fantasy perspective.
You'll find this feature here on Rotoworld every Friday throughout the summer. The Week Ahead will always include a tiered listing of two-start pitchers for the upcoming week (Monday-through-Sunday) as well as breakdowns of lefty/righty match-ups and total games for each team, recommended streamers (pitchers owned in less than 50 percent of fantasy leagues with favorable match-ups) and injury updates. Frequently I'll highlight hitters who figure to benefit from a particularly advantageous set of pitching match-ups on deck.
If there's anything else you'd like to see covered here, or if you have questions or comments, feel free to fire me an email at nels2807@gmail.com. If you're interested in reading my other stuff, along with Twins coverage from a bunch of other great writers, check out TwinsDaily.com.
And now, let's get down to business with the year's first edition of TWA.
Going Twice…
American League
Strong Plays
Yu Darvish: SEA (Noesi), @MIN (Hendriks)
Neftali Feliz: SEA (Beavan), @MIN (Blackburn)
C.J. Wilson: @MIN (Blackburn), @NYY (Nova)
Matt Moore: @DET (Porcello), @BOS (Doubront)
Decent Plays
Felix Doubront: @TOR (Alvarez), TB (Moore)
Derek Lowe: CWS (Humber), @KC (Mendoza)
Philip Humber: @CLE (Lowe), DET (Porcello)
Rick Porcello: TB (Moore), @CWS (Humber)
Nick Blackburn: LAA (Wilson), TEX (Feliz)
Ivan Nova: @BAL (Hammel), LAA (Wilson)
Tommy Milone: KC (Mendoza), @SEA (Noesi)
Graham Godfrey: KC (Duffy), @SEA (Beavan)
Hector Noesi: @TEX (Darvish), OAK (Milone)
Kyle Drabek: BOS (Bard), BAL (Hammel)
Henderson Alvarez: BOS (Doubront), BAL (Chen)
At Your Own Risk
Jason Hammel: NYY (Nova), @TOR (Drabek)
Luiz Mendoza: @OAK (Milone), CLE (Lowe)
Blake Beavan: @TEX (Feliz), OAK (Godfrey)
National League
Strong Plays
Edwin Jackson: @NYM (Pelfrey), CIN (Bailey)
Cole Hamels: MIA (Sanchez), NYM (Pelfrey)
Shaun Marcum: @CHC (Volstad), @ATL (Minor)
Clayton Kershaw: PIT (Correia), SD
Decent Plays
Jake Westbrook: @CIN (Bailey), CHC (Maholm)
Kevin Correia: @LAD (Kershaw), @SF (Zito)
Mike Pelfrey: WAS (Jackson), @PHI (Hamels)
Chris Narveson: @CHC (Maholm), @ATL (Beachy)
Anibal Sanchez: @PHI (Hamels), HOU (Happ)
J.A. Happ: ATL (Beachy), @MIA (Sanchez)
Homer Bailey: STL (Westbrook), @WAS (Jackson)
Mike Leake: STL (Lohse), @WAS (Detwiler)
Chris Volstad: MIL (Marcum), @STL (Lynn)
Paul Maholm: MIL (Narveson), @STL (Westbrook)
Trevor Cahill: @SD, @COL (Chacin)
Brandon Beachy: @HOU (Happ), MIL (Narveson)
At Your Own Risk
Ross Detwiler: @NYM (Gee), CIN (Leake)
Barry Zito: @COL (Chacin), PIT (Correia)
Jhoulys Chacin: SF (Zito), ARI (Cahill)
Happy Opening Day!
Well, I guess Opening Day was yesterday. Er, Wednesday. Errr… last week. Whatever. Many teams have already gotten underway, but today the rest of the league celebrates the start of the 2012 season. That means that the first full week of baseball is on tap, and today we'll preview it from a fantasy perspective.
You'll find this feature here on Rotoworld every Friday throughout the summer. The Week Ahead will always include a tiered listing of two-start pitchers for the upcoming week (Monday-through-Sunday) as well as breakdowns of lefty/righty match-ups and total games for each team, recommended streamers (pitchers owned in less than 50 percent of fantasy leagues with favorable match-ups) and injury updates. Frequently I'll highlight hitters who figure to benefit from a particularly advantageous set of pitching match-ups on deck.
If there's anything else you'd like to see covered here, or if you have questions or comments, feel free to fire me an email at nels2807@gmail.com. If you're interested in reading my other stuff, along with Twins coverage from a bunch of other great writers, check out TwinsDaily.com.
And now, let's get down to business with the year's first edition of TWA.
Going Twice…
American League
Strong Plays
Yu Darvish: SEA (Noesi), @MIN (Hendriks)
Neftali Feliz: SEA (Beavan), @MIN (Blackburn)
C.J. Wilson: @MIN (Blackburn), @NYY (Nova)
Matt Moore: @DET (Porcello), @BOS (Doubront)
Decent Plays
Felix Doubront: @TOR (Alvarez), TB (Moore)
Derek Lowe: CWS (Humber), @KC (Mendoza)
Philip Humber: @CLE (Lowe), DET (Porcello)
Rick Porcello: TB (Moore), @CWS (Humber)
Nick Blackburn: LAA (Wilson), TEX (Feliz)
Ivan Nova: @BAL (Hammel), LAA (Wilson)
Tommy Milone: KC (Mendoza), @SEA (Noesi)
Graham Godfrey: KC (Duffy), @SEA (Beavan)
Hector Noesi: @TEX (Darvish), OAK (Milone)
Kyle Drabek: BOS (Bard), BAL (Hammel)
Henderson Alvarez: BOS (Doubront), BAL (Chen)
At Your Own Risk
Jason Hammel: NYY (Nova), @TOR (Drabek)
Luiz Mendoza: @OAK (Milone), CLE (Lowe)
Blake Beavan: @TEX (Feliz), OAK (Godfrey)
National League
Strong Plays
Edwin Jackson: @NYM (Pelfrey), CIN (Bailey)
Cole Hamels: MIA (Sanchez), NYM (Pelfrey)
Shaun Marcum: @CHC (Volstad), @ATL (Minor)
Clayton Kershaw: PIT (Correia), SD
Decent Plays
Jake Westbrook: @CIN (Bailey), CHC (Maholm)
Kevin Correia: @LAD (Kershaw), @SF (Zito)
Mike Pelfrey: WAS (Jackson), @PHI (Hamels)
Chris Narveson: @CHC (Maholm), @ATL (Beachy)
Anibal Sanchez: @PHI (Hamels), HOU (Happ)
J.A. Happ: ATL (Beachy), @MIA (Sanchez)
Homer Bailey: STL (Westbrook), @WAS (Jackson)
Mike Leake: STL (Lohse), @WAS (Detwiler)
Chris Volstad: MIL (Marcum), @STL (Lynn)
Paul Maholm: MIL (Narveson), @STL (Westbrook)
Trevor Cahill: @SD, @COL (Chacin)
Brandon Beachy: @HOU (Happ), MIL (Narveson)
At Your Own Risk
Ross Detwiler: @NYM (Gee), CIN (Leake)
Barry Zito: @COL (Chacin), PIT (Correia)
Jhoulys Chacin: SF (Zito), ARI (Cahill)
Streamer City
The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:
American League
Tuesday, 4/10: Jeanmar Gomez vs. CWS
Gomez had himself a nice spring to win Cleveland's fifth starter job, with a 1.37 ERA in 19 2/3 innings. We'll see if he can carry it forward into his first start against the Sox.
Wednesday, 4/11: Carl Pavano vs. LAA
Pavano was sub-par overall last year, but posted a 3.01 ERA with two complete games at Target Field.
Friday, 4/13: Bartolo Colon @ SEA
Coming off a solid season in New York, Colon is moving to a much more pitcher-friendly environment in Oakland. He dominated the Mariners in his first turn this year; can he do it again?
National League
Tuesday, 4/10: Randall Delgado @ HOU
One of the intriguing young pitchers in Atlanta's mix, the 22-year-old right-hander averaged 9.5 K/9 in the minors and has the stuff to dominate Houston's lineup.
Wednesday, 4/11: Joe Saunders @ SD
Saunders went 3-1 with a 1.47 ERA in four starts against the Padres in 2011.
Total Games
American League
6: BAL, BOS, CLE, CWS, DET, KC, LAA, MIN, NYY, OAK, TB, TOR
7: SEA, TEX
National League
6: ARI, ATL, COL, HOU, LAD, MIA, NYM, PHI, PIT, SD, SF, STL
7: CHC, CIN, MIL, WAS
Lefty/Righty Breakdowns
American League
BAL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
BOS: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CLE: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CWS: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
DET: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
KC: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
LAA: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
MIN: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYY: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
OAK: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SEA: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TB: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TEX: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
TOR: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
National League
ARI: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
ATL: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CHC: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CIN: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
COL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
HOU: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
LAD: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
MIA: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
MIL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYM: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
PHI: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
PIT: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
SD: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
SF: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
STL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
WAS: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
The Infirmary
You can get a full listing of injured players at Rotoworld's Injury Page but here's the latest on a few prominent players who have been out of action:
Jerome Williams: Out until mid-April (hamstring)
Stephen Drew: Out until late April (ankle)
Tim Hudson: Out until early May (back)
Chipper Jones: Out until mid-April (knee)
Brian Roberts: Out until May (concussion)
Andrew Bailey: Out until July (thumb)
Carl Crawford: Out until early May (wrist)
Daisuke Matsuzaka: Out until June (elbow)
Bobby Jenks: Out until June (back)
Grady Sizemore: Out until June (back)
Brandon Inge: Out until mid-April (groin)
Scott Baker: Out until late April (elbow)
Michael Pineda: Out until May (shoulder)
Dallas Braden: Out until June (shoulder)
Brett Anderson: Out until August (elbow)
Ryan Howard: Out until mid-May (achilles)
Chase Utley: Out indefinitely (knee)
A.J. Burnett: Out until early May (eye)
Tim Stauffer: Out until mid-April (triceps)
Franklin Gutierrez: Out until late April (pectorals)
Freddy Sanchez: Out until late April (shoulder)
Ryan Vogelsong: Out until mid-April (back)
Allen Craig: Out until mid-April (knee)
Chris Carpenter: Out until May (neck)
B.J. Upton: Out until May (back)
Drew Storen: Out until late April