Saturday, May 21, 2011

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Saturday 5/21/11

Thursday's Spot Starter's Stats - Chris Narveson -7.1 Innings Pitched - 4 Strikeouts - No Decision - 0.00 ERA - 0.68 WHIP
Fridays's Spot Starter's Stats - Ryan Vogelsong - 6.0 Innings Pitched - 5 Strikeouts - No Decision - 1.50 ERA - 1.00 WHIP
Week Seven Starters' Stats - 27.1 Innings Pitched - 12 Strikeouts - 3.95 K/9 - 0 Wins in 4 Starts - 2.31 ERA - 1.06 WHIP
Cumulative Starers' Stats - 370.1 Innings Pitched - 278 Strikeouts - 6.76 K/9 - 22 Wins in 59 Starts - 3.72 ERA - 1.22 WHIP
Starter Stats Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

First, I'd like to apologize for Friday's lack of a column.  Didn't get it done before work, and couldn't gut it out after work.  I'd understand if you weren't confidant in the prediction, even though it worked out.  But first lets talk about Thursday's spot starter, Narveson, who delivered a gem.  7.1 innings of no run ball with a 0.68 WHIP is great for a free agent pickup.   The four strikeouts weren't anything to write home about, but nothing to complain about either, and he just didn't luck into the win.  The same thing happened with Friday's starter, Vogelsong, who went six innings but let up a single earned run leading to him not earning a decision.  The early spot starts in the week by Joel Pineiro and Brandon McCarthy weren't great, but they were good enough for Vogelsong and Narveson to bring the ERA and WHIP to great numbers.  You'd like more strikeouts, but there's always the new day.  As always, the recommended starters are available in more than fifty percent of ESPN leagues.  Saturday means the weekend, and the weekend means a pair of spot starters....

Saturday's Recommendation One - Clayton Richard - San Diego Padres vs Seattle Mariners - 10:05 PM ET - 1.2% Owned in ESPN Leagues

It's an ugly Saturday of inter-league play here and Richard is the top of a bad heap.  However, you can't pass up this matchup.  Richard gets to play the Seattle Mariners horrible offense, at home in Petco Park, and The Mariners won't have the benefit of the DH.  That is a matchup that cant be turned down.  Richard's ERA is 4.79 but he has had a run of horrible matchups so far this year.  He has done well even against some strong teams and has been very successful in the quality matchups.  Richard is also my deep league recommendation here, because anyone who is owned in fewer leagues really isn't worth playing, unless you want to take a flier on twenty-eight year old Micah Owings.

Saturday's Recommendaion Two - Mark Buehrle - Chicago White Sox vs Los Angeles Dodgers - 2:10 PM ET - 9.6% Owned in ESPN Leagues

Buehrle is Buehrle, as I described the last time I recommended him to you, but once again circumstances conspire to make him the best option.  He was solid enough on Sunday, delivering a win and six strikeouts even though he had poor ERA and WHIP.  He draws the weak Dodgers lineup in inter-league play here at home and should be able to deliver again here on Saturday night.  He can rack up innings and pick up strikeouts and the ERA and WHIP shouldn't be offensive.  He's the better shot at the win here on Saturday.

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