By Bob Bonett
Here is a look at players making fantasy news from April 26 to May 2.
Players of the week:
B.J. Upton: Upton is proving week in and week out that his season is not a fluke, and he is for real. The Devil Ray phenom hit two bombs, stole three bases, and hit at a .450 clip the last week. If he is somehow available in your league, GET HIM!
Phil Hughes: Hughes showed flashes of the brilliance that garnered him top pitching prospect in the Minor Leagues accolades with over six innings of no-hit baseball against the Rangers. He then smashed fantasy owners’ (and Yankee fans’) dreams by going down with a severe hamstring pull.
Worth giving a look:
Troy Tulowitzki: His numbers aren’t great, but they are improving, and Clint Hurdle is noticing. The Rockies shortstop is slotted in the two-hole in the Rockies order in front of Matt Holliday and Todd Helton in Coors Field. That means lots of runs, and good power for a shortstop.
Chris Sampson: The Astros pitcher has gone largely unnoticed in fantasy leagues despite an impressive, albeit short, résumé. In his career, including seven starts and 17 appearances, Sampson is 5-2 with a 2.73 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. Just beware of Sampson’s .284 BAA so far this year, (largely the product of a dreadful 4 IP, 14 hit outing).
Send ’em to the waiver wire:
Scott Rolen: Alright, don’t drop Rolen. But if you are going to make him your third basemen, pay more attention to the years he batted .270 with 20 homeruns than the years he hit .300 with 34 dingers.
Ervin Santana: I know, Santana is everybody’s darling. I’ve got this strange feeling that Santana’s abilities were largely overrated due to his postseason performance, though. Remember, his regular season stats last year included a mediocre 4.28 ERA and 1.23 WHIP.
Injury updates:
Jim Thome: Thome’s stint on the DL shouldn’t last more than the minimum 15 days. He’s getting old, but a strained rib cage won’t keep him out long.
Micah Owings: Owings returned to action Thursday night after missing a few starts with a strained hammy. Owners probably dropped him while he was on the DL, so look to add the Arizona SP with great upside.
Buy low:
Garrett Atkins: A lot of people are nervously shopping the Rockies’ 3B wary that 2006 was a fluke. Take advantage of these guys; Atkins will deliver similar stats to last season’s.
Tom Gordon: Everybody is making the assumption that with Brett Myers being moved to the bullpen, Gordon is on the hot seat. Trust me, he is not. Gordon earned the closer role, and has performed well there. Hold on to him as a 30-save guy.
Sell high:
Johnny Damon: I’m getting a little nervous about Damon. Injuries, a slow finish to last year and a slow start to this year may mean the decline has begun for the Yankees leadoff man.
Armando Benitez: How long do you honestly expect the big righty to keep this up? Benitez will start surrendering nightly homeruns soon enough. Dealing him for two up-and-coming closer, (think Henry Owens and Matt Capps), would be a great long-term investment.
If you want fantasy baseball advice, send an e-mail to [email protected], and we’ll analyze the question next issue.
