Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Sunday 5/22/11

Saturday Spot Starter One's Stats - Clayton Richard - 5.0 Innings Pitched - 2 Strikeouts - Loss - 5.40 ERA - 1.60 WHIP
Saturday Spot Starter Two's Stats - Mark Buehrle - 7.0 Innings Pitched - 1 Strikeout - Win - 2.57 ERA - 1.00 WHIP
Week Seven Starters' Stats - 39.1 Innings Pitched - 15 Strikeouts - 3.43 K/9 - 1 Win in 6 Starts - 2.75 ERA - 1.12 WHIP
Cumulative Starters' Stats - 382.1 Innings Pitched - 281 Strikeouts - 6.61 K/9 - 23 Wins in 61 Starts - 3.72 ERA - 1.22 WHIP
Starter Stats Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

One good and one bad start combine for an average day here Saturday.  Clayton Richard got beat up by Seattle in a surprise of a start.  It wasn't long enough or bad enough to kill your ERA or WHIP, but there weren't enough strikeouts  to make up for it.  Luckily, Buehrle gave a solid start with basically exactly what you've come to expect from him.  You can't bank on him for strikeouts, but his ERA and WHIP are passable on the year and good against certain matchups and he picks up a decent amount of Wins with the White Sox.  Not enough strikeouts to own him regularly, but hes always good in matchups.

Week Seven has been a slow strikeout week, but we've been churning along the ERA and WHIP.  Have a pair of guys going with more strikeout potential on Sunday coming up...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Wednesday 5/11/11

Tuesday's Recommended Starter Stats - Kevin Correia - 6.1 Innings Pitched - 2 Strikeouts - Loss - 5.69 ERA - 1.58 WHIP
Cumulative Starters' Stats - 300.1 Innings Pitched - 235 Strikeouts - 7.02 K/9 - 18 Wins in 49 Starts - 3.67 ERA - 1.19 WHIP

Correia laid a bit of an egg on Tuesday, but a look at the play-by-play shows why you can't kill him.  One of the four earned runs came on a two out single by Andre Ethier, and then the other three came on a homer by Matt Kemp in the next at bat.  Ethier has hit successfully in all but two games to start the year, and Kemp has been as hot as anyone to start the year.  Sometimes you just get unlucky.  If you took Correia you weren't missing much with Jason Hammel, who let up four earned runs to the Mets.  Those in deeper leagues had Rick Porcello pitch a good game for them.  Not a lot of strikeouts, but ERA, WHIP and a win.  Starters for Wednesday coming up...

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 Friday 5/6/11

Thursday's Recommended Starter's Stats - John Lackey - 4.0 Innings Pitched - 1 Strikeout - Loss - 1.50 ERA - 0.67 WHIP

Week Five Starters' Stats - 23 Innings Pitched - 16 Strikeouts - 6.26 K/9 - 1 Win in 4 Starts - 7.04 ERA - 1.39 WHIP

Cumulative Starters' Stats - 256 Innings Pitched - 204 Strikeouts - 7.17 K/9 - 16 Wins in 42 Starts - 3.87 ERA - 1.18 WHIP

Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

Just takes one awful start to ruin all your stats, and that's what Lackey gave us right here.  I could mention that four of the runs came with two outs in the third inning, but that would excuse the prior four runs.  All I can do here is promise to go with my gut and not my brain and to never ever start John Lackey again.  Hopefully can make up for it here on Friday.  I'm going to offer up two starter recommendations today for those of you chasing after Lackey yesterday.  Normally only offer two on Fridays and Saturdays, but playing catchup early here...

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickup For Sunday 5/1/11

Saturday's Spot Starter Recommendation One - Tim Stauffer - 6.2 Innings Pitched - 7 Strikeouts - No Decision - 2.70 - 0.75
Satruday's Spot Starter Recommendation Two - Brandon Beachy - 7.0 Innings Pitched - 5 Strikeouts - No Decision - 2.57 ERA - 0.57 WHIP
Week Four's Starters' Stats - 42.2 Innings Pitched - 29 Strikeouts - 6.12 K/9 - 2 Wins in 7 Starts - 4.64 ERA - 1.24 WHIP
Cumulative Starters' Stats - 219.1 Innings Pitched - 169 Strikeouts - 6.93 K/9 - 14 Wins in 36 Starts - 3.65 ERA - 1.18 WHIP
Spot Starter Spreadsheet Viewable Online Here

It was a very solid Saturday.  First, in the afternoon, Beachy gave us seven solid innings with five strikeouts and was in line for a win when they left him in to start the eighth and he let two men on base, who both ended up scoring.  It still amounted to a very good spot start, and 0.57 WHIP is amazing.  He's down to 0.99 WHIP on the season and shouldn't be dropped now that you own him, he won't be around to pick up next time through.  Later, in a Saturday night game, Tim Stauffer was just as good.  He had two more strikeouts than Beachy, but didn't go quite as long and gave up an extra hit.  Neither guy picked up a win, but both pitched well enough to pick one up.  As always these are guys available in more than 50% of leagues, and there are two more coming up now to help those trying to catch up on the last day of the match-up...

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 Saturday 4/23/11

Friday's Recommended Starter's Stats -  Tyson Ross  - 4.1 Innings Pitched - 0 Strikeouts - Loss - 6.24 ERA - 1.85 WHIP

Week 3 Starters' Stats - 32.1 Innings Pitched - 29 Strikeouts - 8.07 K/9- 1 Win in 5 Starts - 1.95 ERA - 0.99 WHIP

Cumulative Starters' Stats - 156.2 Innings Pitched - 126 Strikeouts - 7.24 K/9 - 11 Wins in 25 Starts - 3.27 ERA - 1.15 WHIP

Starter Spreadsheet Online Here

Due to a postponement in Minnesota, instead of my original choice for Friday, I'm defaulting to my second recommendation, Tyson Ross.  I warned that Ross was a risky second option yesterday, and it showed.  He pitched just 4.1 innings and let up four hits and four walks without giving a strikeout.  It would have been decent despite the strikeouts, but he was pulled with two men on base, and the reliever Jerry Blevins proceeded to walk the bases loaded, then walk a run home credited to Ross, and let up a two run single which one run of was credited to Ross, before they pulled Blevins.  Anyways, Ross had strikeout potential, but wasn't showing it as a starter on Friday night.  Still have fin numbers on the week though.  Because we are getting to the last two days of the weekly match-ups, I'm offering up a pair of spot starter recommendations for those attempting to catch up....

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter Pickups For Monday 4/18/11

Sunday's Recommended Starter's Stats - Jeff Francis - 6.1 Innings Pitched - 1 Strikeouts - Loss - 4.27 ERA - 0.95 WHIP

Week 2 Starter Stats - 50 Innings Pitched - 32 Strikeouts - 3 Wins in 8 Starts - 4.68 ERA - 1.18 WHIP - 5.76 K/9

Cumulative Starter Stats - 124.1 Innings Pitched - 97 Strikeouts - 10 Wins in 20 Starts - 3.62 ERA - 1.19 WHIP - 7.02 K/9

Starter Spreadsheet Online Here

One of my Sunday spot starters didn't make it, and the other one didn't do anything good for your team.  I'm just going to put week two behind me and point to the fact that my cumulative numbers are still pretty good despite a horrible week two.  Anyways, onto my starter recommendation for Monday on a free week three start....

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 Wednesday 4/6/11

Tuesday's Starter Stats - Gavin Floyd - 7.0 IP - 5 Strikeouts - No Decision - 5.14 ERA - 1.29 WHIP

Cumulative Starter Stats  - 36.2 IP - 28 Strikeouts - 3 Wins - 3.19 ERA - 1.15 WHIP
(Full Starter List With Full Stats Here)

Floyd was my first big miss so far this year.  The five Ks weren't bad, but any ERA over 5.00 has to be considered a failure.  Buehrle had a worse ERA, but that was only because he was left in too long with the White Sox having a double digit lead.  I apologize for Floyd, but if you've been taking my starter recommendations since I've started it shouldn't affect your ERA too much.  Anyways, just click through the jump break to find out who I like today.

Fantasy Baseball Spot Starter For 3/31/11

Every good fantasy baseball player knows the value of the spot starter.  In head to head leagues, good spot starts can help you win four categories a week and in roto leagues you need to use spot starters to accumulate more stats when your starting pitchers either have bad days or are injured.  That's why I'm going to offer daily recommendations for spot starter pickups.  Obviously I'm only going to offer guys that are readily available in most leagues but I haven't decided on the official ownership cut-off yet.  Also, the plan is to offer these spot starters a day or two in advance so you have time to put in the pickup and get the player starting on your roster before the day that it happens.