Ryan Zimmerman - There are some fantasy players who are universally despised by leagues all over the country. I have a feeling Ryan Zimmeran is one of those guys. He's been a player that has been hyped for quite some time, only to disappoint at the plate and frequently get injured. The problem this time? The flu. Yeah, I know he can't help it and doesn't compare to his shoulder issues from earlier in the year, but its still frustrating. The good news for Zimmerman is that he's been putting up solid numbers (finally) since September 1st with 5 HR, 13 RBI, and an OPS of about .850. Anyway, he was out of the lineup on Wednesday with the flu and it might be best to keep him on your bench Thursday if you have a decent back-up. As we all know, the flu can drain your energy so it make take a day or two for it to run-its-course with Zimm.

Jonathan Sanchez - It definitely looks like Jonathan "O" Sanchez got tired by the end of the season. In September, he was only 2-for-5 in quality starts and posted less than 4.0 IP the other three times. Last night was the same story, going 3.1 IP on 7 ER, 3 K's, 7 hits, and 1 BB. Sanchez has some nasty stuff and has shown he has the ability to put up some respectable strikeout totals. In 158 IP, Sanchez almost matched each inning pitched with a strikeout with a 157 total K's. Despite an inflated ERA of 5.01 and WHIP of 1.45, his K/9 of almost 9.0 deserves roto consideration and at 25-years-old, has room for growth heading into 2009. He should remain on your radar.

Conor Jackson - Jackson has been on a roll recently, raising his average for the season to .305 by knocking 9 hits in the last 3 games. The D-Backs 1B is hitting .381 for the month but has just 5 RBI and no home runs to add to it. So, while he has been posting decent hit-totals for roto purposes, the power we witnessed in July (5 HR) has since disappeared. He has not hit a HR since July 27th, which is almost 190 AB ago (think he's due?). He's a low-end fantast 1B since there are so many options at the position with most of his significant value being driven by NL-only leagues. Personally, I like to utilize 1B as a power position and focus on capturing average from the middle-infield positinos with fill-ins like Placido Polanco or Mike Aviles. But, Jackson should climb draft boards next year and isn't a bad option if you're looking for good value with further upside.

Lance Berkman - In the past, Berkman has disappointed in the 1st half and then rebounded in the 2nd. This year, it was just the opposite. Berkman began the season on a tear and, for awhile, looked like he might flirt with Triple Crown numbers. Before the all-star break, Berkman's line looked like this: .347 avg, 1.094 OPS, 1.01 FPI, 15.2 HR/AB, .92 BB/K, 15 SB, 73 RBI. Perhaps the lightning storm in Chicago scared him a little too much. Since the break, Berkman is hitting .261, .835 OPS, 0.64 FPI, 29.6 HR/AB, .96 BB/K, 1 SB, and 31 RBI. What happened? Nobody knows for sure, but at this rate he'll finish with less than 30 HR, his lowest total since '03. His full-season totals will still warrant top-2 round (maybe early 3rd) consideration in most drafts next year.

Randy Wolf - Wolf was a solid acquisition for the Astros and not a bad strikeout guy for your fantasy team. You would think a move from pitcher-friendly Petco to hitter-friendly Minute Maid would have adverse effects on Wolf's overall numbers. But in fact, the opposite has been true. With San Diego, Wolf was 6-10 with a 4.74 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and a 7.9 K/9. Since being traded to Houston, Wolf is 6-2 with a 3.57 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and a K/9 of 7.3. So the K-totals have remained consistent, but his ERA, WHIP, and Win totals have all improved since making the move to a winning team. Wolf has been solid of late with 5 QS in his last 6 outings. While he floated around free agent wires earlier in the season, his K totals alone will be worthy of a late-round gamble next season.

There are over 100 player news blurbs posted in the member area each morning. Members can read the rest of today's player news by clicking here. Not a member? Join today.