It’s been a while since I last visited Fantasy Island. I think part of that was that I had a lot of moves to make to improve my teams, and didn’t want to tip off my competition. Is that selfish of me? Yeah. It definitely is. But I care more about my fantasy teams than I do yours, so deal with it. Anyway, now that my teams are back to kicking ass left and right, I’m going back to doling out fantasy advice for those of you that need it.
Pick Ups:
This is Randy Choate. He is a relief pitcher in the Tampa Bay bullpen. He has gotten more saves than anyone else in their bullpen since Troy Percival went on the DL. He hasn’t blown a save yet, unlike J.P. Howell who has blown a whopping 5 saves while collecting only 2. And Choate hasn’t given up a run in five straight appearances. He’s got an ERA of 1.93 and a WHIP of 0.43. It’s basically a matter of time before he’s their full-time closer.
Ian Stewart has been called the 3rd base Chase Utley. He struggle early with his batting average (probably due to his irregular play under former manager Clint Hurdle), but has spent the last week out-hitting all of baseball. The Utley comparison is unfair though, since he is also eligible at 2B and OF. This makes him extremely valuable as a utility guy or a replacement for injury. And if he keeps hitting like this, should crack starting lineups in no time. He is especially valuable in keeper leagues.
Randy Wells is a recent call up from the Iowa Cubs. He was brought up as a temporary fill-in when Carlos Zambrano went on the DL in early May, then got to stay with the big league team when Rich Harden got hurt (again). So what has Wells done in his time “filling in” for the Cubs? Oh, just post a 1.86 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP in 5 starts. You know, no biggie. Sure, he hasn’t won a game yet. But that’s mostly due to Carlos Marmol and Aaron Heilman blowing the leads he has given them. Wells has been so good that he has knocked Sean Marshall (he of lifetime 3.80 ERA) to the bullpen instead fo the other way around. Wells is in the rotation to stay, and you’d be stupid not to grab him.
Scott Feldman just lost for the first time in nine starts this year. He currently has a 5-1 record with a 4.01 ERA and 1.22 WHIP (which are excellent numbers for anyone whose home starts are in the Ballpark at Arlington). He is currently fighting it out with Jason Marquis for the title of “Best Jewish Starting Picher in the MLB.” There is only a first place and a second place (there is an actual discussion for position players, though, between Braun, Youkilis, and Kinsler). He doesn’t strike a lot of people out, but he should rack up plenty of wins for the division-leading Rangers. He’s available in half of the leagues on CBS, so grab him if he’s available in your league.
Drops:
Troy Tulowitzki isn’t turning it around. Neither his batting average or his power are showing any signs of life. Making matters worse is the emergence of Ian Stewart, who is leading the team in HR despite limited at bats. Working Stewart into the lineup will force Tulo onto the bench occasionally to keep Barmes’ bat in the game (though his glove will keep him from being benched permanently). Basically, Tulo is worthless as a fantasy player.
Willy Tavarez is usually worth owning just for his huge steal and decent run totals, and you just put up with his low average and RBI total. But he is suffering through hamstring issues right now and has been terrible even before his injury. It’s hard to get steals when you’re not getting on base, or even into the lineup. Try to trade Tavarez to someone who needs steals. He’ll come around some time this year, but hamstrings are tricky so there’s no telling when he’ll get back to full speed.
Chris Davis sucks my pubic hair. I drafted this guy in two of my leagues, and I couldn’t regret it more. His batting averaged was a huge drag to my roto team and his astounding strikeout total was ruining me in my points league. I dropped him like Tyson did these guys. This guy is fucking useless in fantasy and to his team right now. He needs to be sent to the minors to learn how to make contact. Everyone is wondering what the hell is wrong with David Ortiz because he’s hitting .200, but for some reason the Rangers aren’t worried about their young slugger hitting .200. Yes, Davis is on pace for over 30 homers, but he’s also on pace for 200 strikeouts.
There you have it. Heed my advice or don’t. These moves worked for me, and they should work for you too.
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