Line of the Day: 07/31/2010

OF Carlos Gonzalez, COL went 4-for-4, hit for the cycle, and did so in very dramatic fashion by hitting a walk-off home run. Toss in two RBI, two runs and a stolen base and this was a no-brainer. In his last four games, he's 12/18 and homers in all four. CarGo has been fantasy gold for those owners that weren't afraid to use an ADP of 131.1 to get him. He's projecting 34 HR, 111 RBI, 109 Runs and 24 SB and currently the third-ranked outfielder behind Carl Crawford and Josh Hamilton.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/30/2010

3B/SS Jhonny Peralta, DET was 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and two runs in his Tigers' debut. He should get some playing time at shortstop when Brandon Inge returns, which could impact his position eligibility for next season. A 20+ HR potential from a player with 3B/SS eligibility is worthy of a look. He's only 11% ESPN and 26% Yahoo! owned.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/29/2010

SP Anibal Sanchez, FLA threw a one-hit shutout at San Francisco, walking one and striking out eight to earn his eighth win of the season. His 3.33 ERA and 1.35 WHIP make him worthy to stream in favorable match ups going forward. He's only 17% ESPN and 22% Yahoo! owned.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/28/2010

1B/OF Garrett Jones, PIT was 4-for-4 with a single, double and two home runs (11 total bases), three RBI and two runs. Jones hasn't kept up his 2009 pace for homers but still on pace for 23 with 98 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He's a nice option at first base but not an upper-tier guy. Pittsburgh always seems to be a source of some nice fantasy options and Jones should continue to be part of that mix for 2011.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/27/2010

SP Cliff Lee, TEX pitched nine innings of five-hit ball allowing an unearned run while walking no one and striking out 13 Oakland batters at home. He did not figure in the decision in the Rangers' extra-inning win. Lee has now pitched into the ninth inning in each of his first four starts with the Rangers. He's now sporting a K:BB ratio of 25:1 with Texas. Need more? Lee is projecting to go 223 innings this season and on pace to walk only 11 batters. SERIOUSLY?!?!

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/26/2010

SP Matt Garza, TB threw a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers, the first in Tampa Bay Rays history. Garza struck out six and allowed only one walk. He and Max Scherzer matched no-hitters through five innings. The first hit of the game was a sixth inning grand slam by Matt Joyce of Scherzer. I got to watch the final few innings courtesy of MLB Network. Thank you! Garza is projecting 18 wins and showing he can truly be the ace of any fantasy baseball staff.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/25/2010

C/1B Buster Posey, SF was 4-for-5 with two doubles and and RBI. Nothing special, right? How about the fact that he raised his season's batting average to .371! Oh, and he's in the midst of an 18-game hitting streak. Those patient Posey owners are raking in the benefits and racking up the numbers. Question now, is he a keeper?

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Waiver Saviors: 07/25/2010

Here are some names of note that are widely available in ESPN and Yahoo! leagues in the latest installment of Waiver Saviors:

• 1B/OF Luke Scott, BAL (17.7% E; 21% Y!) is on another of his typical, streaky tears. Since returning from the DL, he's hitting .458 (11/24) with 4 HR, 8 RBI, 5 runs and a 1.458 OPS in 6 games. For a guy hitting around .300 for the season and projecting 30 HR, you'd expect higher ownership numbers.
• OF Jack Cust, OAK (6.5% E; 8% Y!) is on fire in July. Hitting .346 (18/52) with 6 HR, 18 RBI, 14 runs and 14 walks, Cust could be a very nice add in OBP and/or OPS leagues.
• 3B Pedro Alvarez, PIT (25.6 E; 25% Y!) may finally be living up to his potential. In July, he's raised his average from .152 to .252 by hitting .315 (23/73) with 7 HR, 15 RBI and 13 runs. He could help you at the CI position in deep leagues or be a nice gamble in a keeper league if you are already thinking about next season.
• SS Starlin Castro, CHC (43.3% E; 24% Y!) has got his groove back and loving his move into the #2 spot. Over the last 7 days, he's 13/27 (.481) with 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 runs and 2 SB. Castro is a player with huge fantasy baseball upside and worthy of a roster spot in all formats.
• SP Vincente Padilla, LAD (34.8% E; 31% Y!) is starting to look like a pitcher that deserved starting opening day. He's allowed two runs or less in each of his last six starts and and sporting a nice 61:15 K:BB in 68.2 IP on the season.
• RP Chris Perez, CLE (45.7% E; 37% Y!) is back in the closer role for the Indians, replacing the oft-injured Kerry Wood again. Perez should be owned in any format that uses saves. He has 3 Saves (and 2 Holds) and a 11.32 K/9 ratio over his last 10.1 IP.

Are you already in a rebuilding stage or attempting to identify next season's keepers? At what point do you consider yourself too far out of the running? It better not be once you draft your fantasy football team.

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Line of the Day: 07/24/2010

OF Jack Cust, OAK was 2-for-2 with two home runs, two RBI, three runs and two walks against the White Sox. Cust is hitting a robust .346 (18/52) in July with six homers, 18 RBI, 14 runs, 14 walks and a 1.305 OPS. If you are struggling in the outfield, Cust could be a nice addition while he's hot. Widely available (6.5% E; 8% Y! owned), Cust is worth a look.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/23/2010

2B Kelly Johnson, ARI was 4-for-4, hitting for the cycle, driving in three runs and scoring two. Overall, Johnson is the 4th-ranked second baseman. He's projecting to finish the season with 27 HR, 84 RBI, 101 runs and 15 stolen bases. Not bad for a guy with an ADP of 224.4. If the Diamondbacks are serious sellers, look for lots of teams to inquire about Johnson.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/22/2010

3B Alex Rodriguez, NYY was 3-for-5 with two doubles, a homer (#599), four RBI and a run. AROD is about to join a very elite group of individuals with 600 or more home runs (Bonds, Aaron, Ruth, Mays, Griffey, Sosa), regardless of your feelings on the validity of some of this group's members. Five more years of 30+ home runs and Rodriguez will be the new "Home Run King".

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/21/2010

3B Pedro Alvarez, PIT was 3-for-5 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs. Alvarez has homered twice in each of his last two games and now has all seven of his homers in July. Speaking of July, he's hitting .339 (21/62) with those seven home runs, 15 RBI and 12 runs this month. Only 9.1 % ESPN and 18% Y! owned, now would be the time to grab him if you are floundering at the 3B or CI positions. He's projecting 23 HR and 65 RBI, most of which would be gained by the owner picking him up today.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/20/2010

3B Aramis Ramirez, CHC went 3-for-5 with three home runs, seven RBI and three runs. Ramirez is on a TEAR right now and any dreams of getting him off waivers have vanished. In 15 July games, he's gone 23/60 (.383 BA) with 9 HR (15 XBH), 24 RBI, 23 R, a .406 OBP and a 1.356 OPS. His average is now up to .226 after hitting only .152 in April and .173 in May. You are being greatly rewarded if you simply stashed him on your bench until now instead of dumping him.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/19/2010

1B Miguel Cabrera, DET was 3-for-6 with two home runs, three RBI, two runs and a walk. Cabrera is now hitting .340 on the season with 24 HR, 82 RBI and 67 runs. He's in the Top 3 in all Triple Crown categories and projecting 43 HR, 146 RBI and 120 runs. An ADP of 11.5 seems like a steal now. He will easily be a Top 5 fantasy player next year, if not the top pick in many formats.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/18/2010

SP Paul Maholm, PIT pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout against the Astros. Maholm. Really. I KNOW! Maholm walked none and struck out one. If you were part of the 0.7% that own him in ESPN leagues, you probably deserve a start from him that didn't make you wanna kill yourself. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Ups and Downs: 07/18/2010

This edition of Ups and Downs looks at a few players being added and dropped the most (according to ESPN leagues) and the possible reasons why.

• 3B Aramis Ramirez, CHC (+24.2%) has been on a tear in July (.375, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 14 R) and looking like his first half woes (.207 BA pre All-Star break) may be behind him. His ownership numbers are high (91.3% E; 79% Y!) but could be available if your league mates have already moved on to fantasy football.
• SP Edinson Volquez, CIN (+23.8%) returned from Tommy John surgery (and a 50-game drug suspension for PEDs) with a quality start in which he went six innings, allowing three hits, an earned run, two walks while striking out nine in a win at home versus Colorado. Volquez is fairly available (35.8% E; 45% Y! owned) right now but don't wait much longer to pick him up. Another quality start and his ownership numbers could double.
• SP Madison Bumgarner, SF (+16.2%) is proving that he belongs in the big leagues. After just four starts this season, Bumgarner is 2-2 with a 2.57 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 21 K's in 28 IP. He's pitched seven or more innings in three of those four starts, too. If you need a good, young starter (especially in a keeper league), now may be the time to claim Bumgarner (31.9% E; 28% Y! owned).
• OF Chris Coghlan, FLA (-21.4%) is rumored to be headed to the DL or at least be out of the line up for the short term. Coghlan is projecting 9 HR, 51 RBI, 101 R and 17 SB this season, which is actually better than last season's numbers, except for BA (.263 compared to .321). Owners must be finding better options on waivers.
• SP Carlos Silva, CHC (-16%) was lit up for six earned runs in just 1.1 IP in his last start. Owners are probably seeing this as the last straw towards the "beginning of the end". Silva is 1-3 over his last six starts after opening the season 8-0.
• 1B Gaby Sanchez, FLA (-15.5%) was a very popular "add" just a couple of weeks ago. He's gone 10/40 with 0 HR, 0 RBI and only 2 R over the last 15 days and no longer worthy of a CI or UTL spot.

What other players are you buying, selling or simply cut and running away from? Is the All-Star break the unofficial point of worrying if a guy is going to turn it around or not? Share your thoughts with me in the comments section or hit me up on Twitter. I could always use some more followers there, if you're into that sort of thing.

Line of the Day: 07/17/2010

2B/SS Reid Brignac, TB was 3-for-5 with two home runs, five RBI and two runs scored. Brignac really isn't a fantasy-relevant player (1.3% E; 3% Y! owned) but his first home run could have plenty of fantasy impact. It's being reported that his first blast of the day sent Yankees' SP A.J. Burnett into a tirade that left him with two cut palms. Yankees' manager Joe Girardi is saying Burnett will stay on track to make his next scheduled start.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/16/2010

C Bengie Molina, TEX was 4-for-4, hitting for the cycle, with four RBI and a run. Unfortunately, he left the game in the eighth with tightness in his right quadriceps after legging out a triple. Molina is hitting .290 with two home runs and six RBI in nine games with the Rangers.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/15/2010

SP Tim Lincecum, SF tossed a complete-game, six-hit shutout in a  2-0 win over the Mets. Lincecum allowed one walk and struck out five while throwing 110 pitches. It was his first complete game and first shutout of the season. He's on pace for 18 wins and 248 strikeouts in 228 innings pitched. You get what you pay for with Lincecum (ADP 8.9) and he has yet to disappoint.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/11/2010

OF Carlos Quentin, CHW was 2-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI and 2 runs scored. That now gives him three multi-homer games out of his last four and 19 overall. In his last 33 games, Quentin has 14 home runs and 35 RBI. The .244 batting average could be hard to swallow right now, but he's projecting 38 home runs and 121 RBI. If Quentin can hit .280 in the second half, 40 bombs should be a given. Hopefully you were lucky enough to grab him off waivers recently (like I did) after a frustrated owner finally dumped him.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/10/2010

SP Travis Wood, CIN took a perfect game into the ninth against the Phillies and wound up with a no-decision as the Reds lost the game in extra innings. Wood finished the game allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out eight. Nothing so far suggests this as a typical game for Wood, but keep an eye on his next few starts to see if this a building block for future success or simply an anomaly.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Did You Know? 07/10/2010

Here are some statistical tidbits worth knowing:

• SP Brett Myers, HOU has 18 consecutive outings of six or more innings.
• SP Cliff Lee, TEX allowed three home runs in his first nine innings as a Ranger, after allowing a measly five homers in 105 2/3 innings with the Mariners.
• 2B/3B Neil Walker, PIT ranks fourth among National League rookies with a .289 batting average and has reached safely in 27 of his 34 games.
• C/1B Buster Posey, SF has homered five times in his last seven games and hitting .351 in 37 games. How is he only owned in 79 % of ESPN leagues and 62% of Yahoo! leagues?
• OF Nick Markakis, BAL, a lefty, is hitting .392 (40/102) versus lefties.
• OF Michael Stanton, FLA hit his third in the last five games and pushed his extra-base hit streak to six games. He's struck out 44 times and only walked six times in just 27 games.
• SP Ian Kennedy, ARI has allowed 19 home runs in 18 starts but has struck out 100 in 111.1 innings pitched.
• OF Adam Jones, BAL hit his 13th home run and is on pace for 26. His career high is 19.
• SP Scott Kazmir, LAA is 0-4 in his last four starts and has allowed a whopping 30 earned runs in 19 2/3 innings.
• C Chris Snyder, ARI is tied for fourth among all catchers with ten homers.
• OF Angel Pagan, NYM has five multi-hit efforts in the last six games, going 12-for-26 with five extra-base hits and four stolen bases. His 19 stolen bases have him tied for fourth in the NL.

Hope you find these statistical gems helpful heading into the All-Star break. Be sure to look me up on Twitter, if you're into that sort of thing.

Line of the Day: 07/09/2010

1B/OF Adam Dunn, WAS was 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs. This was Dunn's second multi-homer game in his last three and the same for Line of the Day awards. Chicks aren't the only ones that love the long ball as proven by my "I ♥ Adam Dunn" tattoo. Who wouldn't love a guy that hits 40 bombs a year? I know, people that enjoy good batting averages. I've been touting my love for Dunn for years now and how to survive his usual .240ish batting average. He's so much more fun to own now that he's hitting in the .280's.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/08/2010

SP John Danks, CHW pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout, striking out seven and not issuing a walk in a dominating performance. He had a no-hitter through six innings. Danks is now 8-7 with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He's on pace for 15 (or more) wins.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/07/2010

1B/OF Adam Dunn, WAS was 3-for-4 with three home runs, five RBI and three runs. It was Dunn's 26th multi-homer game in his career, but the first time he hit three home runs in a game. He's now reached the 20-homer mark for the 10th consecutive year and projecting to finish with 38. It will be interesting to see if Dunn stays with the Nationals or gets traded. Stay tuned.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/06/2010

In an unprecedented move, the entire Colorado Rockies offense has earned Line of the Day after rallying from a 9-2 deficit after six innings, scoring nine runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Cardinals 12-9 in stunning, walk-off fashion. OF Seth Smith (pictured) continues to shine when called upon to either start or come off the bench late. Fantasy owners hope the Rockies figure out the crowded outfield situation (CarGo, Hawpe, Fowler, S. Smith, Spilborghs) soon.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter. COSFBA is a Colorado-based fantasy baseball site dedicated to all aspects of the game of baseball, on and off the field.

Line of the Day: 07/05/2010

1B Joey Votto, CIN didn't get an All-Star nod but maybe a Line of the Day award on his mantle will make the snub a little less of a bitter pill to swallow. Votto was 3-for-4 with a double, two home runs, two RBI, three runs and a walk. At his current pace, Votto projects at 41 HR, 117 RBI, 111 Runs, 97 BB and 14 SB. Tough to see the logic but someone's always going to be left out who's very deserving to be there.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/04/2010

OF Drew Stubbs, CIN celebrated the 4th of July with a bang...three of them. Stubbs homered three times in five at bats, driving in five runs and scoring three. If not for the lowly .240 batting average, Stubbs could be an upper-tiered outfielder. Stubbs is projecting 22 HR, 83 RBI, 89 Runs and 32 stolen bases. Problem is he also projects 171 strikeouts. He's only 22% owned in both ESPN and Yahoo! league, so if your team can absorb a .240 hitter, he's definitely worth owning.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/03/2010

DH Jim Thome, MIN was 3-for-4 with a double, two homers, three RBI and three runs. Thome is no longer a fantasy-relevant player (1.1% E; 4% Y! owned) but continues to rack up impressive career numbers. His two homers moved him past Hall of Famer and former Twin Harmon Killebrew into 10th place on the career list with 574.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/02/2010

SP Mat Latos, SD pitched eight shutout innings, allowing four hits while striking out seven and walking none. Latos moved to 9-4 on the season with a 2.62 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP and has struck out 91 in 99.2 IPs. If you were smart enough to draft (ADP 212.6) him or grab him off waivers, congrats. You get a fantasy gold star.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Ups and Downs: 07/02/2010

This edition of Ups and Downs will look at a few players being added and dropped the most (according to ESPN leagues) and the possible reasons why.

• SP Trevor Cahill, OAK (+35.1%) has a seven game winning streak (over nine starts) and has allowed one earned run or less in six of his last nine starts. Overall, Cahill is 8-2 with a 2.74 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Available in over 40% of all ESPN leagues, Cahill currently looks to be a solid fantasy starter.
• 1B Gaby Sanchez, FLA (+27.6%) is hitting .373 (38/102) over the last 30 days with four home runs, 16 RBI, 15 runs and even two stolen bases. If your league uses expanded roster spots like CI or IF, Sanchez should be owned. ESPN projects him to finish the season with 17 HRs, 78 RBI and 85 runs. Not the type of production you want out of your primary first baseman, but worthy of a roster spot in deeper leagues. He's only owned in 46.8% of ESPN leagues.
• OF Carlos Quentin, CHW (+25.8%) has been a very frustrating player to own this season. It doesn't look like owning him will do anything positive for your team's batting average (.229 so far) but he has been trying to turn things around lately. Over the last 15 days, he's hitting .333 (14/42) with a robust 1.213 OPS aided by five home runs. Add in 14 RBI and eight runs and Quentin could be a very nice add. Your window to add him, though, has officially closed. He's now owned in 95.3% of all ESPN leagues. He's still on pace for 29 HRs and 109 RBI.
• SP Brett Cecil, TOR (-25.5%) has lost his last three starts and pitches at NYY today. He's given up 16 ER over his last 15.2 IP. He's widely available (23.1% owned), so keep an eye on his next few starts to see if he rights the ship and becomes ownable or at least streamable.
• OF Mike Stanton, FLA (-25.1%) and all of his home runs in the minors have not translated into success in the majors, yet. Through 19 games, he's struggling with a .230 average with two home runs, 31 strikeouts and just 6 walks. If you have the roster space and are in a keeper league, now might be a good time to stash him on the bench. PS, he's still just 20 years old.
• RP Manny Corpas, COL (-22.5%) had his chance as the Rockies closer and made a mess of that opportunity. With Houston Street back in the closer role, Corpas should be dropped in all formats.

Who are you buying or finally dumping from your roster? Is the All-Star break the unofficial point to give up on guys like Aaron Hill or are you hanging in there longer? Feel free to comment here or follow me on Twitter.

*Statistics accurate through 07/01/2010

Line of the Day: 07/01/2010

SP Jered Weaver, LAA earned his eighth win, pitching seven shutout innings against the red hot Texas Rangers. Weaver allowed only two hits while walking two and striking out six. His ERA is now 2.82 with a 1.06 WHIP. Weaver is also the major league leader in strikeouts with 124 in 108.2 innings pitched. If you drafted Weaver (ADP 142.4), you've definitely gotten a great return on a mid-round pick. Question now is, "Has Weaver pitched well enough to start the All-Star game in Anaheim?" We shall see.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.