Subscribe to the Feed
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Facebook
Connect thru YouTube
The fantasy baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. We have all heard this saying at some point. Well, with the calendar turning to September, owners have one month left for that final kick to the finish line. There is not enough time to allow a struggling player, especially a starting pitcher, to “get things together”. In head-to-head leagues, the difference between a win and a loss could come down to a single roster move. Should owners bench a struggling veteran in favor of a lower tier pitcher that is riding a hot streak? There are tough calls to be made, especially when setting your pitching for next week.
Mat Latos earned his fantasy "ace" status this season.
Don’t forget that there is a full slate of games on Monday, which is Labor Day. Games start at 1:05 PM Eastern time, so don’t forget to set those rosters early! Here are the projected two-start pitchers for next week, current as of the morning of the games scheduled for 9/24/10.
Recommended Two-Start Pitchers
| Pitcher / Team | Start #1 | Start #2 |
| Brett Anderson, Athletics | Vs. SEA (Jason Vargas) | Vs. BOS (Jon Lester) |
| Ryan Dempster, Cubs | Vs. HOU (Wandy Rodriguez) | @ MIL (Yovani Gallardo) |
| Tommy Hanson, Braves | @ PIT (Jeff Karstens) | Vs. STL (Jake Westbrook) |
| Tim Hudson, Braves | @ PIT (James McDonald) | Vs. STL (Kyle Lohse) |
| Edwin Jackson, White Sox | @ DET (Max Scherzer) | Vs. KC (Kyle Davies) |
| Ubaldo Jimenez, Rockies | Vs. CIN (Aaron Harang) | Vs. ARI (Rodrigo Lopez) |
| Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers | @ SD (Mat Latos) | @ HOU (Nelson Figueroa) |
| Mat Latos, Padres | Vs. LAD (Clayton Kershaw) | Vs. SF (Tim Lincecum) |
| Jon Lester, Red Sox | Vs. TB (Jeff Niemann) | @ OAK (Brett Anderson) |
| Tim Lincecum, Giants | @ ARI (Barry Enright) | @ SD (Mat Latos) |
| Francisco Liriano, Twins | Vs. KC (Sean O’Sullivan) | @ CLE (Carlos Carrasco) |
| Shaun Marcum, Blue Jays | Vs. TEX (Cliff Lee) | Vs. TB (Jeff Niemann) |
| Roy Oswalt, Phillies | Vs. FLA (Anibal Sanchez) | @ NYM (Mike Pelfrey) |
| Wandy Rodriguez, Astros | @ CHC (Ryan Dempster) | Vs. LAD (Carlos Monasterios) |
| Max Scherzer, Tigers | Vs. CHW (Edwin Jackson) | Vs. BAL (Brian Matusz) |
| Justin Verlander, Tigers | Vs. CHW (Freddy Garcia) | Vs. BAL (Jake Arrieta) |
My Ace of the Week for Week #23 is Mat Latos. Latos has allowed 2 or fewer earned runs in 21 of his 25 starts this season and he averaging more than a strikeout per inning. There is some concern that the Padres will limit his innings but they are only three games ahead of the Giants, so they still need him in order to clinch a playoff spot.
Brett Anderson has pitched extremely well at home.
For Week #23, my Sleeper of the Week section is Brett Anderson. There were some recent concerns over Anderson’s knee injury but he pitched well in his last start against the Yankees. He has allowed 2 or fewer earned runs in 5 of his last 6 starts. He faces the struggling Mariners and the injury-prone Red Sox, with two home games. This is a good week to use him since opponents are hitting just .235 against Anderson at home this season and he has nearly a 5:1 K:BB rate when pitching at home.
Risky Two-Start Pitchers
| Pitcher / Team | Start #1 | Start #2 |
| Madison Bumgarner, Giants | @ ARI (Ian Kennedy) | @ SD (Kevin Correia) |
| A.J. Burnett, Yankees | Vs. BAL (Jake Arrieta) | @ TEX (Cliff Lee) |
| Jhoulys Chacin, Rockies | Vs. CIN (Johnny Cueto) | Vs. ARI (Ian Kennedy) |
| Johnny Cueto, Reds | @ COL (Jhoulys Chacin) | Vs. PIT (Jeff Karstens) |
| Yovani Gallardo, Brewers | Vs. STL (Jake Westbrook) | Vs. CHC (Ryan Dempster) |
| Aaron Harang, Reds | @ COL (Ubaldo Jimenez) | Vs. PIT (Charlie Morton) |
| Tommy Hunter, Rangers | @ TOR (Ricky Romero) | Vs. NYY (Phil Hughes) |
| Ian Kennedy, Diamondbacks | Vs. SF (Madison Bumgarner) | @ COL (Jhoulys Chacin) |
| Cliff Lee, Rangers | @ TOR (Shaun Marcum) | Vs. NYY (A.J. Burnett) |
| Mike Pelfrey, Mets | @ WAS (Jordan Zimmerman) | Vs. PHI (Roy Oswalt) |
| Ricky Romero, Blue Jays | Vs. TEX (Tommy Hunter) | Vs. TB (Wade Davis) |
| Anibal Sanchez, Marlins | @ PHI (Roy Oswalt) | @ WAS (Jason Marquis) |
| Jason Vargas, Mariners | @ OAK (Brett Anderson) | @ ANA (Jered Weaver) |
| Chris Volstad, Marlins | @ PHI (TBD) | @ WAS (Jordan Zimmerman) |
| Jake Westbrook, Cardinals | @ MIL (Yovani Gallardo) | @ ATL (Tommy Hanson) |
| Jordan Zimmerman, Nationals | Vs. NYM (Mike Pelfrey) | Vs. FLA (Chris Volstad) |
Bench Cliff Lee? It is not as crazy as it sounds.
My Name Player to Avoid for Week #23 is Cliff Lee. Lee has allowed 4 or more earned runs in 6 of his last 7 starts and he has failed to last 6 innings in his last three starts. He is currently battling a back injury and, in recent interviews, has indicated it has caused him to have trouble locating his pitches. He told MLB.com, “I should be able to bear down and make pitches. But this is affecting my ability to be consistent with my location.” It is very difficult to bench him because he is an ace, when healthy; if your season is in the balance, though, you might have to bench Lee if you have other options.
For Week #23, the Bust of the Week is Yovani Gallardo. His performance is reminiscent of 2009, where Gallardo tired at the end of the season. He has allowed 4 or more earned runs in 6 of his last 7 starts and, during that time, his WHIP is 1.82. He battled an oblique injury earlier this season and it would not be surprising if he re-injured it at some point. It would not be surprising, if there were an injury, for Milwaukee to shut him down for the year.
Two-Start Pitchers to Avoid
| Pitcher / Team | Start #1 | Start #2 |
| Jake Arrieta, Orioles | @ NYY (A.J. Burnett) | @ DET (Justin Verlander) |
| Carlos Carrasco, Indians | @ ANA (Jered Weaver) | Vs. MIN (Francisco Liriano) |
| Nelson Figueroa, Astros | @ CHC (Tom Gorzelanny) | Vs. LAD (Clayton Kershaw) |
| Freddy Garcia, White Sox | @ DET (Justin Verlander) | Vs. KC (Sean O’Sullivan) |
| Jeff Karstens, Pirates | Vs. ATL (Tommy Hanson) | @ CIN (Johnny Cueto) |
| Wade LeBlanc, Padres | Vs. LAD (Carlos Monasterios) | Vs. SF (Jonathan Sanchez) |
| Kyle Lohse, Cardinals | @ MIL (Chris Narveson) | @ ATL (Tim Hudson) |
| Carlos Monasterios, Dodgers | @ SD (Wade LeBlanc) | @ HOU (Wandy Rodriguez) |
| Jeff Niemann, Rays | @ BOS (Jon Lester) | @ TOR (Shaun Marcum) |
| Sean O’Sullivan, Royals | @ MIN (Francisco Liriano) | @ CHW (Freddy Garcia) |