Pitch or Ditch for Saturday-Monday, June 16-18
ZACH’S PICKS
SATURDAY
Lee @ Romero
Fiers @ Hendriks
Friedrich @ Fister
Burnett @ Jimenez – Coming off two straight strong outings, I’ll pitch Ubaldo vs. woeful Pirates’ lineup.
Ohlendorf @ TBD (OAK)
Harrell @ Grimm
An. Sanchez @ Shields
Saunders @ Big Erv – This could be 2-1 or 10-9. Playing it safe and passing.
Lincecum @ Millwood – If Timmy doesn’t pitch well here, my panic meter will kick into high gear.
Pettitte @ Zimmermann
B. Chen @ Kelly
Hammel @ Beachy – Hammel has been shaky of late but I’ll give him a shot.
Lester @ Samardzija
Humber @ Billingsley
Bailey @ Niese – Homer has five quality starts in his last six outings.
SUNDAY
Guthrie @ Scherzer – I think Max will do well here. COL struggles to score on the road.
Lincoln @ Gomez
Kendrick @ Alvarez – Alvarez a decent option in deeper leagues though. I just don’t see a lot of upside.
Johnson @ Cobb
Greinke @ Blackburn – Blackburn’s been very inconsistent lately.
Norris @ Lewis – How can we trust Norris @TEX after he gets roughed up by Giants?
Kennedy @ Richards – Richards not yet mixed league material.
Richard @ Colon – Great matchup for both.
Bumgarner @ King Felix
W. Chen @ Delgado – Chen’s been hit or miss lately but I’ll roll the dice on him here.
Nova @ Jackson
Mendoza @ Wainwright
Quintana @ Capuano – Quintana not a terrible choice in deeper leagues, but in 12-teamers I’m ditching.
Beckett @ Maholm
Cueto @ Young
MONDAY
Minor @ Sabathia – I’m not expecting Minor to have same kind of success he enjoyed last time out vs. Yanks.
Latos @ Lowe – Latos earning back my trust.
Garza @ Peavy
Cain @ Williams – Williams has been lights out at home.
Arrieta @ Dickey
J. Sanchez @ Happ – This could get ugly.
TBD (TOR) @ Wolf
Noesi @ Miley – Gotta love Miley here.
Harrison @ Marquis
mlbtstufantasy411
Andrus for Melky?
Alex,
Totally depends on your position/category needs. Long-term I have less faith in Melky but you can’t ignore the results so far.
Zach
10 TM, mixed, non-keeper league
Alex,
There are a lot of variables here (what positions you’re looking for, who’s your backup SS etc.) but in a vacuum I still prefer Andrus as a high-end option at a thin position. Productive outfielders are easier to find.
Zach
If you had to pick one of these guys for the rest of the season who would it be – Carlos Zambrano, Ubaldo Jiminez or Doug Fister?
gareth,
Assuming he proves to be healthy, I’ll go with Fister. I just think that he’s the safest, least blowup-prone pitcher of that group.
Zach
Some one dropped Avila in my league he’s a must pick up right if I drop Rosario
In addition who do u like better long term Beckham, Espinosa or plouffe as far as total offence
John,
I’ll say Espinosa. He’ll hurt your AVG but I like the power/speed combo.
Zach
John,
Yep. That’s a low risk high reward move.
Zach
ROS Presley or Revere?
Thx!
Jim,
I’ll say Revere. Presley needs to show more plate discipline in order to get on base enough to make his speed a factor.
Zach
Thinking about dropping Ricky Ro for Felix Doubront , Wei-Yin Chen, Phil Hughes or Ivan Nova. What do you think?
DONT DO IT..
Lucas,
I wouldn’t. Ricky Ro has too much upside. Plus, last year he was lights out in the second half. I’m nowhere near ready to give up on him.
Zach
hey guys,,
who should i drop when longo comes back,, brandon inge or chipper?
thanks
David,
Inge. Chipper will always be an injury-risk but he won’t kill your AVG. And he’d be your backup anyway.
Zach
Which DL player should I drop (20 team) Gardner, Ogando, or Norris? My DL spot is occupied.
Jon from Texas
Jon,
Ogando. When all three are healthy, he’s the least valuable, partly because he’s merely a middle reliever.
Zach
Zach,
John Axford seems to be the week spot in my pitching rotation. Should I continue to hold on to him, or drop him for Brett Myers, Jonathan Broxton, Ernesto Frieri, Ryan Cook, or Tyler Clippard? They are all available, and in the backround looms the RP I dropped earlier in the year Drew Storen.
Herman
Herman,
What kind of league are you in that all of those closers are available? I’d hang onto Axford but definitely find a way to pick up some of those other guys, particularly Myers and Broxton.
Zach
Zach,
Yes Hiroki Kuroda question one last time. He was sent to waivers, and will become available, and I was just thinking, should I pick him up and drop Yovani Gallardo?Comparing the two goging forward, who do you think will have a better year? The Milwaukee Brewers are driving me nuts thats why I ask?
Herman
Herman,
Nah, Gallardo still has too much upside. I’d take him over Kuroda…more K’s and then there’s the NL factor. Pitchers in the AL East always carry added risk.
Zach
Andrus for Melky? Really? Melky has the 9th most fantasy points this season in our league. Trade most anyone for him
What do you think of Granderson and Jennings for Braun? 14 team keeper League scores both walks and average.
Matt,
You’re giving up too much. Granderson should be close to enough to land Braun. You might have to add another player but not a player of Jennings’ caliber. You would be selling way too low on him here, particularly since it’s a keeper league.
Zach
Thanks!
I thought switching in Middlebrooks and Nava isntead. Any thoughts on the long term outcome of Middlebrooks + Granderson for Braun?
Matt,
If this is a straight keeper league, with no dollar/round values involved, I’m OK with Granderson/Middlebrooks for Braun, provided that the loss of Middlebrooks won’t leave you too thin at the 3B position.
Zach
Hi Zach, I have pitching aplenty on my roster in my 10 team keeper. Made a few trades this year and currently have a stud 1-4 punch with Gio,Mad-Bum, Lee, and Cain. My other starters are Lester, Garza, Pettite and Cahill. Obviously my first 4 guys are start each time out types, but with the other 4 would you just pick and choose the best matchups? 1600 innings cap, so I can’t roll them all out each time obviously, I might try and trade some of them for hitting as the season goes on to reduce my overload, but not sure people will be willing to do it? Thoughts?
Dan,
I think you would really benefit from a trade here. I really see all those other SPs, with the possible exception of Cahill, as start every time guys as well, so using matchups could be very aggravating. Even if you can get a stud hitter for one of your front four SPs, I’d definitely consider it.
Zach
Hi Goose which 2 of these arms do you like to fill out a rotation:
Cahill, Kuroda, Hughes, Nova, Pettite…lotta Yankees in there.
Short one this week!
BB
BB,
I’ll take Cahill and Pettitte. Kuroda would be my third choice.
Zach
14 team mixed keeper league,
Is kimbrel enough to land trout? (the guy with trout has only 15 saves on the entire year)
Hey Zach,
My OF is Granderson, Allen Craig, Angel Pagan, Matt Joyce, and Kemp (DL). Alex Rios is available. My concerns would be Pagan and Joyce (who fell apart in the second half last year). Make a move to add Rios, and, if so, who?
Thanks.
Rich D.
Rich,
I’d add Rios for Joyce, without question. Rios is frustrating to own as well, but he’s simply having the better season and I’m just not sold on Joyce long-term.
Zach