Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Saturday 7/16/11

/8/11 Starter's Stats - R.A. Dickey - 7.0 Innings Pitched - 4 Strikeouts - No Decision - 2.57 ERA - 1.00 WHIP
Week 14 Final Stats - 35 Innings Pitched - 27 Strikeouts - 6.94 K/9 - 2 Wins in 5 Starts - 1.80 ERA - 0.86 WHIP
Cumulative Starters' Stats - 582.2 Innings Pitched - 413 Strikeouts - 6.38 K/9 - 37 Wins in 94 Starts - 3.40 ERA - 1.19 WHIP
Cumulative Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

Took some time off for the All-Star break, but I'm gonna call it start limiting myself.  ESPN Standard Roto leagues cap at 200 starts, and I'm still on pace to blow past that number.  Might announce and take another week off of start recommendations come Football ramp up.

Last start was last Friday, and Dickey continued a long hot streak of starters.  Up to twelve starts in a row of two earned runs or less.

This Saturdayday we have a pitcher likely making his second and last appearance in this column, as he'll be over the 50% owned line by his next go around in the rotation...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Friday 7/8/11

Thursday's Starter Stats - Cory Luebke - 6.0 Innings Pitched - 8 Strikeouts - Loss - 3.00 ERA - 1.00 WHIP

Week 14 Starter Stats - 28 IP - 23 Strikeouts - 7.39 K/9 - 2 Wins in 4 Starts - 1.61 ERA - 0.82 WHIP

Cumulative Starter Stats - 575.2 IP - 409 Strikeouts - 6.39 K/9 - 37 Wins in 93 Starts - 3.41 ERA - 1.20 WHIP

Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

Riding a nine game hot streak here into Friday, with the worst of any of the starts having come today.

Luebke was solid on Thursday and gave us six innings with just two earned runs and a flat 1.00 WHIP.  Not as good as the last few days, but still a very fine start when you add in the eight strikeouts.  Luebke is still striking out more than a batter per inning and gets to pitch in the friendly confines of Petco when he is home.  He's definitely worth a pickup if you need pitching help in your league.

Andrew Miller was the alternate option for Thursday, and he wasn't very good.  Three runs over five innings without any strikeouts isn't what you want out of a starter, but he did give you a win and that's why he was the alternate choice for the day.  Getting the win makes the start salvageable.

Friday is a good spot starter day, featuring many former recommendations.  We're going to go with a pitcher we've spot started for each of his last two rotation turns...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Thursday 5/26/11

Tuesday Starter's Stats - Kyle McClellan - 6.0 Innings Pitched - 4 Strikeouts - No Decision - 0.00 ERA - 0.33 WHIP
Wednesday Starter's Stats - Erik Bedard - 6.0 Innings Pitched - 4 Strikeouts - Win - 0.00 ERA - 1.17 WHIP
Week Eight Starter Stats - 16.2 Innings Pitched - 10 Strikeouts - 5.40 K/9 - 1 Win in 3 Starts - 2.70 ERA - 1.20 WHIP
Cumulative Starters' Stats - 412.2 Innings Pitched - 301 Strikeouts - 6.56 K/9 - 26 Wins in 65 Starts - 3.58 ERA - 1.20 WHIP
Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

Was never able to re-update yesterday's post, so I'm going to just talk about McClellan's stats on Tuesday here.  And it was a great start.  He let up a two run home run, but it was in an inning extended by an error, and wasn't charged to his ERA.  Other than that he only let up just one hit over the six innings he was in there.  He didn't catch a win, but it was an otherwise great six innings to add to your team.

On Wednesday, I had a good day with everyone i talked about.  Bedard delivered six innings of actual shut out ball (even though that doesn't matter in fantasy) but scattered six hits in a walk over that time so the WHIP was just good, not amazing like McClellan's Tuesday.  Luckily he did pick up the win that McClellan didn't.  If you couldn't get Bedard and went with Ervin Santana, you still got a win in six innings, but he let up an earned run over that time.  Deep league players got good ERA and WHIP from Mike Minor, but he didn't pick up the win in a game that went to extra innings.

No Pickup/Drop column today, as I have work early tomorrow and it's four AM as i write this.  I'm not just dodging Denard Span's hot week, as Brantley has been nearly as good.  Just very late at night.  Thursday's travel day starter coming up....

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups for Thursday 5/5/11

Tuesday's Recommended Starter's Stats - R.A. Dickey - 6.0 Innings Pitched - 1 Strikeout - Loss - 9.00 ERA - 1.33 WHIP
Wednesday's Recommended Starter's Stats -Vance Worley - 6.0 Innings Pitched - 7 Strikeouts - Win - 1.50 ERA - 0.67 WHIP
Week Five Starters' Stats - 19 Innings Pitched - 15 Strikeouts - 7.11 K/9 - 1 Win in 3 Starts - 4.74 ERA - 1.00 WHIP
Cumulative Starters' Stats - 252 Innings Pitched - 203 Strikeouts - 7.25 K/9 - 16 Wins in 41 Starts - 3.64 ERA - 1.15 WHIP
Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

Once again, sorry about the shortened column yesterday.  It's going to happen on occasion unfortunately, because life gets in the way, but hopefully it will continue to be a rare occurrence.  Tuesday's spot starter was R.A. Dickey, who got blasted.  I still like him going forwards at home, but I want to wait a few weeks until I know he has the knuckleball going right again.  It wasn't breaking well Tuesday, and it showed in his stat line. Luckily I bounced back with the Vance Worley pick on Wednesday.  Strikeouts were there...The win was there...The ERA and WHIP were there...It was a great fantasy start.  Week five's numbers are solid save the ERA, which we'll get down over the next few days.  As a side note, Colby Lewis is owned in 50% of league still so is ineligible for my list, and Brandon Beachy is owned in 49.7% of leagues, and any active leagues so it would be cheap for me to recommend him here today.  Beachy is the best guy available under 50% and is my recommendation if he's available, but otherwise my official Thursday recommendation is coming up...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Tuesday 5/3/11

Monday's Starter's Stats - Bartolo Colon - 7.0 Innings Pitched - 7 Strikeouts - No Decision - 3.86 ERA - 1.00 WHIP
Cumulative Starters' Stats - 240 Innings Pitched - 195 Strikeouts - 7.31 K/9 - 15 Wins in 39 Starts - 3.56 ERA - 1.16 WHIP
Cumulative Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Here

On the first day of week five, Bartolo gave us seven very workable innings.  The 3.86 ERA isn't great, but it's coverable, and you have to be excited to pick up seven strikeouts and a solid seven innings of 1.00 WHIP.  Bartolo is going to eat a lot of innings for the Yankees this year with stats very similar to this, except with a good chance at plenty of wins.  As a note for the starters today, Kyle McClellan and Anibal Sanchez are both under the 50% owned line as i write this on Monday night, but will both likely elevate over the 50% line by Tuesday proper.  As such I'm not ranking either of them...Both should be owned but I'm not really excited about starting either of them  If you want the guy I am excited about, Tuesday's spot starter is coming up...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Wednesday 4/20/11

Tuesday's Recommended Starter's Stats - Brandon Beachy - 6.0 Innings Pitched - 7 Strikeouts - Win - 0.00 ERA - 0.67 WHIP
Week 3 Starters' Stats - 14.0 Innings Pitched - 17 Strikeouts - 10.93 K/9- 1 Win in 2 Starts - 0.00 ERA - 0.57 WHIP

Cumulative Starters' Stats - 138.1 Innings Pitched - 114 Strikeouts - 7.42 K/9 - 11 Wins in 22 Starts - 3.25 ERA - 1.13 WHIP

Starter Spreadsheet Online Here

Week Three is off to a great start so far.  First Carlos Zambrano came through huge on Monday, and now Brandon Beachy does the job today.  I didn't expect him to be this good, but he does have the stuff to strike guys out like this on a regular basis, and to be nearly unhittable when he's on like he was tonight   14 innings of no run ball with more than a strikeout per inning is more than you can really ask for from spot starters, but hopefully I can keep the streak going on Wednesday...

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 Wednesday 4/13/11

Tuesday's Recommended Starter - Jeff Francis - 7.0 Innings Pitched - 5 Strikeouts  - 3 Runs - No Decision - 3.86 ERA - 1.29 WHIP
Cumulative Recommended Starters' Stats Through Monday - 88.1 IP - 74 Strikeouts - 8 Wins in 14 Starts - 2.75 ERA - 1.09 WHIP - 7.54 K/9
Recommended Start Stats in Week 2 - 14 IP - 9 Strikeouts - 1 Wins in 2 Starts - 1.93 ERA - .86 WHIP - 5.79 K/9

Starter Spreadsheet Google Doc Here

Jeff Francis had a solid spot start Tuesday even though he didn't pick up the win.  Five strikeouts in seven innings is always nice from a free agend, and his ERA and WHIP weren't offensive in anyway.  If he had had more run support and gotten the win it would have been an all around fine start.  Wednesday's spot starter recommendation coming up....

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Friday 4/8/11

Thursday's Starter Stats - Edwin Jackson - 8.0 IP - 13 Strikeouts - Win - 1.13 ERA - 0.63 WHIP

Cumulative Stater Stats - 49 IP - 43 Strikeouts - 7.9 K/9 - 4 Wins in 8 Starts - 3.49 ERA - 1.18 WHIP
Starter Spreadsheet here

I told you Jackson was a no-brainer.  The Tampa lineup is just dreadful, and Jackson made them look silly.  His one earned run came in the eighth inning, late in a start for this early in the year.  The 13 Ks are one less than the last three guys I suggested combined.  All in all it was an amazing start for fantasy purposes.  As I wrote in my Week 1 Thoughts and Pickups column Thursday, Jackson is worth rostering in all leagues.  He has a decent match-up with the As next followed by another game against Tampa Bay.  But if you need help sooner for this week's matchup, I have another great starter for you after the jump...

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...