Fantasy Players of the Week
AL Hitter: Kendry Morales, 1B, Angels (.542, 7 R, 3 HR, 10 RBI) - Morales was one of the bigger question marks coming into this season, but so far, it's pretty obvious that his breakout 2009 was just the beginning.
NL Hitter: Mark Reynolds, 1B/3B, Diamondbacks (.421, 5 R, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 1 SB) - After a slow start, Reynolds went on a tear last week, more than doubling his RBI output on the season. And he's likely now unavailable in a trade.
AL Pitcher: John Danks, SP, White Sox (2-0, 14 Ks, 1.69/0.69) - Danks had a great week, even outdueling laser hot David Price in a game against the Rays. His second great start helps him edge Phil Hughes' near no-hitter.
NL Pitcher: Mike Pelfrey, SP, Mets (2-0, 9 Ks, 0.00/1.33) - The WHIP is a little higher than you'd like, but all you can really ask of a guy is to give up no runs and get the win, and Pelfrey did that twice last week. Would've been nice if he pitched like this back when I drafted him last year.
Go Pick Up
AL Hitter: Brett Gardner, OF, Yankees (36% owned) - In case you haven't noticed, Gardner is getting regular playing time in the Yankees' lineup. That means he shouldn't have any trouble blowing past his career-high 48 runs from a year ago. He's also got plus speed, and the Yankees love sending him, so his 9 SB are just the beginning. His .327 batting average is probably an aberration, but .290 isn't unreasonable at all.
NL Hitter: Scott Rolen, 3B, Reds (28%) - Rolen is looking like he did a half a decade ago when he was healthy and productive. The chances of him continuing to be both are pretty slim, but you gotta ride him while he's hot.
AL Pitcher: Joel Zumaya, RP, Tigers (13% owned) - Don't necessarily count on him getting more wins (he's 2-0), but it looks like he's recaptured his rookie pitching form. Even better, he hasn't walked a batter yet in 12 IP. Closer Jose Valverde has been very good as well, so I wouldn't expect Zumaya to wrestle the closer role from him, but good innings are good innings, and Zumaya may have quite a few of them to offer.
NL Pitcher: Livan Hernandez, SP, Nationals (18% owned) - I can't believe I'm recommending that you go pick up Hernandez, but the numbers are right there. Three starts with 7+ IP, just 2 ER over 24 innings, and a WHIP under 1.00. I'd be an irresponsible fantasy writer if I didn't tell you to go pick him up.
A Tearful Goodbye
Though it pained me to do so, I waived two of this year's draft picks from my keeper league team: Drew Stubbs, and...sigh...Chris Davis. As last year's second place finisher, it's my responsibility to act like a team wanting to win this year, and after giving me zero production from 3B, then getting demoted, Davis really was just not going to offer anything in the near future. If no one picks him up, I'll keep an eye on him, but I'm expecting someone to be willing and able to take a flier on him.
Stubbs' departure was a little easier to palate for two reasons. First, he's well behind my top four outfielders (Matt Kemp, Vernon Wells, Alfonso Soriano, Alex Rios), and I've already got Carlos Lee riding the pine while he figures out what to do, so Stubbs was essentially sixth on my OF depth chart. Second, he's already cleared waivers, so I feel comfortable thinking I didn't make a big mistake. I will be interested to see how long it takes for his hits (9) to eclipse his runs (11).
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