Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Sunday 7/3/11

Saturday's Starter One - Bartolo Colon - 6.0 Innings Pitched - 6 Strikeouts - Win - 0.00 ERA - 0.83 WHIP
Saturday's Starter Two - Doug Fister - 9.0 Innings Pitched - 7 Strikeouts - Loss - 1.00 ERA - 0.78 WHIP
Week 13 Starter Stats - 35.1 Innings Pitched - 23 Strikeouts - 5.86 K/9 - 3 Wins in 6 Starts - 2.80 ERA - 1.25 WHIP
Cumulative Starter Stats - 533 Innings Pitched - 377 Strikeouts - 6.37 K/9 - 34 Wins in 87 Starts - 3.56 ERA - 1.23 WHIP
Cumulative Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Here

Another solid day to help clean up a week that started off poorly.  Fifteen innings of one run ball will help out any ERA or WHIP.

Colon came out in his first start off the DL and turned in a strong six innings against a decent Mets lineup before being taken out after 80 pitches.  He's picked right back up where he left off before he went on  the DL and should be allowed to go deeper into his next start.  Pick him up if he's available in whatever league you are in.

Fister was robbed by his offense of a win, as the complete game of one run ball should have gotten the job done.  That's the drawback with a Mariners pitcher, can't rely on any sort of run support.  Even when Fister is great like Saturday night, he still will lose more than he wins.

Onto Sunday's starters.  Two recommendations coming right up...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Saturday 7/2/11

Thursday's Starter Stats - Carlos Zambrano - 1.0 Innings Pitched - 1 Strikeout - No Decision- 9.00 ERA - 4.00 WHIP

Friday's Starter Stats - Jason Vargas - 9.0 Innings Pitched - 7 Strikeouts - Win - 0.00 ERA - 0.67 WHIP

Cumulative Starters' Stats - 518 Innings Pitched - 364 Strikeouts - 6.32 K/9 - 33 Wins in 85 Starts - 3.65 ERA - 1.24 WHIP

Starter Stats Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

Sorry this post is so late, but better late then never.  Should still have an hour to get your moves in here on Saturday.

Thursday night didn't go well, with Carlos Zambrano lasting an inning before being removed with a back injury and placed on the disabled list.  As always, can't predict injuries here... So just forced to take the bad inning of stats and move on.

Luckily Friday night went amazing to make up for Thursday.  Jason Vargas went the distance for his third complete game shut out of the year.  I alluded to the possibility in yesterday's column, and I turned out to be right.  Doesn't get any better really.  Nine innings of shut out ball off the waiver wire is as good as it gets, especially with a solid seven strikeouts.

Onto Saturday's starters.  It's the weekend, so that means a pair of starter recommendations for you all...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Tuesday 5/24/11

Monday Starter's Stats - Jason Vargas - 4.2 Innings Pitched - 2 Strikeouts - No Decision - 9.64 ERA - 2.36 WHIP

Cumulative Starters' Stats - 400.2 Innings Pitched - 293 Strikeouts - 6.58 K/9 - 25 Wins in 64 Starts - 3.68 ERA - 1.21 WHIP

Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

I finally believed Vargas turned it around, and he went out on Monday an started week eight off in a horrible way.  He couldn't make it five innings, and had an absolutely horrible ERA and WHIP.  Vargas' biggest problem was he got blasted for two home runs in spacious Target Field.  He should be a solid starter for Seattle, but he's been inconsistent so far on the year.  It wasn't much better if you went with Bartolo Colon as an alternate it wasn't much better, as he let up six runs over six innings but at least helped you out with eight strikeouts.

I'm sorry about Vargas, but I can't do anything about Monday, just look on towards Tuesday.  A good starter with hopefully better results here Tuesday night...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Thursday 5/19/11

Wednesday's Recommended Starter's Stats - Brandon McCarthy - 7.0 Innings Pitched - 1 Strikeout - No Decision - 3.86 ERA - 1.29 WHIP

Week Seven Starters' Stats - 14 Innings Pitched - 3 Strikeouts - 1.93 K/9 - 0 Wins in 2 Starts - 3.86 ERA - 1.29 WHIP

Cumulative Starter's Stats - 357 Innings Pitched - 269 Strikeouts - 6.78 K/9 - 22 Wins in 57 Starts - 3.83 ERA - 1.23 WHIP

Starters' Stats Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

McCarthy basically gave us an identical start to what I got from Joel Pineiro on Monday, just with one strikeout instead of two.  They gave you identically average ERA and WHIP, but no strikeouts to speak of through two days.  It hasn't been any bad starts, but the starts haven't been great.  He was better than Ryan Dempster, the alternate choice, who got blown up for 9.00 ERA and 2.00 WHIP.  I told you Dempster was a bigger risk even with the higher strikeout potential, and he didn't even give you the strikeouts in this outing.  Deep league players got four innings of poor ball out of Julio Teheran, but it wasn't enough innings to really hurt your counting stats.  Another starter coming up here on Thursday, looking to deliver a great start option...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Sunday 5/8/11

Saturday's Recommended Starter One's Stats - Chris Young - Start Scratched

Saturday's Recommended Starter Two's Stats - Doug Fister - 5.2 Innings Pitched - 1 Strikeout - Loss - 7.94 ERA - 2.47 WHIP

Week Five Starters' Stats - 42.1 Innings Pitched - 27 Strikeouts - 5.74 K/9 - 1 Win in 7 Starts - 5.31 ERA - 1.35 WHIP

Cumulative Starters' Stats - 275.1 Innings Pitched - 215 Strikeouts - 7.03 K/9 - 16 Wins in 45 Starts - 3.82 ERA - 1.19 WHIP

Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

Chris Young got scratched from the start, which hurt because Dillon Gee looked in his place.  If it was a single starter day I would take the number two starter on my list for stats, but since it was a two start day, all I have to show for it is this rough Fister outing.  My ERA is creeping up dangerously close to the 4.00 line, so hopefully tho starts today will help bring it down.  Lots of guys available on Sunday, so getting right into it with a pair of recommendations now...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Saturday 5/7/11

Thursday's Recommended Starter One's Stats - Philip Humber - 7.0 Innings Pitched - 4 Strikeout - No Decision - 2.57 ERA - 0.86 WHIP
Thursday's Recommended Starter Two's Stats - Tim Stauffer - 6.2 Innings Pitched - 6 Strikeout - No Decision - 0.00 ERA - 0.75 WHIP
Week Five Starters' Stats - 36.2 Innings Pitched - 26 Strikeouts - 6.38 K/9 - 1 Win in 6 Starts - 4.91 ERA - 1.17 WHIP
Cumulative Starters' Stats - 269.2 Innings Pitched - 214 Strikeouts - 7.14 K/9 - 16 Wins in 44 Starts - 3.74 ERA - 1.16 WHIP
Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

A pair of great starts on Friday to help recover from the awful John Lackey outing on Thursday.  Both Humber and Stauffer went deep into the game and gave a handful of strikeouts.  The ERA and WHIP were good, and both guys pitched well enough to get a win.  Stauffer was fully in line for a win until Heath Bell blew the save in the ninth.  Once again here Saturday, I'm eliminating players below the 50% line from my spot start choices here.  Bud Norris is an obvious number one choice, but he is going to be owned in any league thats on top of things.  Madison Bumgarner is also a solid spot starter choice, but he probably shouldn't have been cut anyways and was likely picked back up after his two good starts.  Bartolo Colon should be owned in your league, but I'm not recommending him here at Texas anyways, so I'm also disqualifying him here. Now, onto a pair of starters who should be available in your league for Saturday...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Saturday 4/30/11

Friday's Recommendations' Stats - Daisuke Matsuzaka - 4.0 Innings Pitched - 4 Strikeouts - No Decision - 4.50 ERA - 1.75 WHIP

Week Four Cumulative Stats - 29 Innings Pitched - 17 Strikeouts - 5.28 K/9 - 2 Win in 5 Starts - 5.59 ERA - 1.52 WHIP

Cumulative Total Stats - 205.2 Innings Pitched - 157 Strikeouts - 6.87 K/9 - 14 Wins in 34 Starts - 3.72 ERA - 1.21 WHIP

Starter Spreadsheet Online Here

Daisuke had a short fairly poor day because of an elbow injury.  His fastball fell from 93 at the start of the game down to 87 when they pulled him with elbow tightness.  As always, while I count the stats, I don't take responsibility if the starter gets hurt.  I'm happy to take the four strikeouts here and just move on.  As we roll into Saturday, the pitchers are looking better as the match-ups look rockier.  It's a two-starter day as we move to the end of head to head match-ups....

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Thursday 4/14/11

Wednesday's Recommended Starter's Stats - Carlos Zambrano - 5.2 Innings Pitched - 4 Strikeouts - Win - 7.94 ERA - 1.73 WHIP

Cumulative Recommended Starters' Stats - 94 IP - 78 Strikeouts - 9 Wins in 15 Starts - 3.06 ERA - 1.13 WHIP - 7.47 K/9

Week Two Starts' Stats - 19.2 IP - 13 Strikeouts - 2 Wins in 3 Starts - 3.66 ERA - 1.12 WHIP - 5.95 K/9

Cumulative Starter Stats Spreadsheet Online Here

I have nothing to apologize for with Carlos Zambrano's stats here.  I can't believe the Cubs let them rack up 5 runs on him without taking him out in the sixth inning. Just go look at the play by play. He lets up a walk, a single, then gets a guy to ground out.  Then lets up two more RBI singles and a fielder's choice RBI.  He should have been pulled there, if you didn't get him out of there before that. Instead, he then let up a home run to Matt Downs, the number seven hitter.  They even let him give up a walk after that to further hurt his WHIP.  Big Z still managed to pick up the win because in the top of the sixth he jacked a solo home run.  Hopefully this doesn't happen again with todays starter....

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Sunday 4/3/11

Another day, another spot starter recommendation from me.  If you'd been following along so far, I've recommended Derek Lowe, Mark Buehrle, and Carlos Zambrano on the first three days of the year.  The  Buehrle and Zambrano picks suffered because their managers left them each in too long, but combined the three have thrown 17.2 innings of 3.66 ERA and 1.27 WHIP ball with 2 wins and ten strike outs.  Not bad numbers considering these are guys you are getting off of the waiver wire.  Sunday presents the best opportunity for pick ups yet, as teams get to their third ,and generally less owned, starters.   See who i like today after the jump break...