Joe Mauer - Joe Mauer didn't play yesterday and isn't playing tonight because, as we all know, he's out with mild pneumonia. However, Mauer will be healthy to start next year (in theory) so one of the big questions heading

Jhoulys Chacin - In what will be his last start of the season, Jhoulys Chacin draws the Astros today looking for his 12th win in 2011. In 30 starts, Chacin hasn't been as sharp as he was in 2010 when

Max Scherzer - Max Scherzer's fantasy owners get a really nice matchup today as the Tigers' right hander draws the Athletics in Oakland. Scherzer's ERA has jumped from 3.50 in 2010 to 4.27 this season and his FIP has

Stephen Strasburg - In his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery, Stephen Strasburg takes the mound against the Astros at home today. The Nationals also announced on Saturday that Strasburg will pitch 3 more times this season which

Cole Hamels - This season has been, by far, Cole Hamels' best of his career. Not only does he enter today's outing against Florida with a career-low 2.58 ERA, he has also lowered his FIP from 3.67 in 2010 to

Jerome Williams - Back in 2003 a rookie right hander came on to the baseball scene in San Francisco, pitching 131 innings with a 3.30 ERA and 128 ERA+. At that time, 21-year old Jerome Williams looked like a sure

A.J. Burnett - The rumors swirling around whether AJ. Burnett may eventually be moved to the bullpen are alive and kicking this morning after the Yankees' right hander was shelled on Saturday night by, of all teams, the Twins. Burnett

Rich Harden - I've said it before but it remains true. Rich Harden is like the really good-looking girlfriend that you just can't quit. On Friday, Harden reminded fantasy owners just how good he used to be in his heyday

Juan Pierre - We're getting to the end of Juan Pierre's fantasy baseball career. Pierre is hitting .284 this season to go along with 20 steals but it's becoming obvious that age is catching up to the speedy outfielder.

Dan Uggla - We're one day closer to seeing Dan Uggla run through a huge banner with the number 57 on it. Uggla singled in his first AB and added his 27th HR of the season on Saturday to up

Asdrubal Cabrera - To illustrate how much Asdrubal Cabrera has improved his power from 2010 to 2011, you just need to look at his ISO. The Indians' shortstop posted a .071 ISO in 2010 and entered Saturday's game against the

Cleveland Indians/Ubaldo Jimenez - In the big trade news of the evening, the Indians sent 4 minor leaguers to the Rockies in exchange for Ubaldo Jimenez. The trade is pending Jimenez's physical and should be finalized Sunday. The Rockies did

Alex Rios - It's almost like Adam Dunn and Alex Rios made a bet in the pre-season to see who could be worse in 2011. Right now, Dunn's probably winning but Rios isn't too far behind, especially with his .208/.255(!)/.301

Ubaldo Jimenez - For all the hoopla about Ubaldo Jimenez's struggles earlier this season, the big right hander's stats entering today's outing against the Diamondbacks are close to his 2010 totals. He's striking out about the same number of batters

C. J. Wilson - After walking more than 4 batters per game in his first year as a full-time starter in 2010, C.J. Wilson has lowered his walk rate to just 2.91 this season which has played a major

Rich Harden - Like that crazy girlfriend you just can't quit, Rich Harden intrigued fantasy baseball managers on Saturday by tossing 6 innings and allowing just 2 ER while striking out 9. In 18 innings since coming off the DL,

Josh Tomlin - When Josh Tomlin owned a sub-3.00 ERA entering June, it was pretty clear he wasn't going to be able to maintain that level of success all season. And, predictably, Tomlin has posted a 6.60 ERA this month,

Jayson Werth - Jayson Werth went 0-for-3 with a walk Saturday against the White Sox. After 3 straight seasons with ISOs of .225 or better, Werth's power numbers have dipped since arriving in Washington. He owns just a .175 ISO

Trevor Cahill - Trevor Cahill will try to break out of his recent slump and there aren't many better slump-busters for a pitcher than the Giants' offense. After posting a 1.88 ERA in March/April and a 2.72 mark in May,

Carlos Carrasco -- After loading the bases with nobody out in the 1st inning against the Yankees on Monday, Carlos Carrasco managed to get out of the inning without allowing a run and went on to completely dominated New York

Matt Garza - In his second start since coming off the DL, Matt Garza pitched well against the Phillies on Saturday, yielding just 1 ER in 6 innings while striking out 4 and walking 3. After a rough start

Brian Duensing - Brian Duensing is learning a lesson about how luck plays into pitching stats such as wins and ERA. In 2010, Duensing posted a sparkling 2.62 ERA and went 10-3 for the Twins in 130 innings. However, he

Chone Figgins - Perhaps the most damning indictment of Chone Figgins steep and drastic decline as a hitter is that the Mariners dropped him in the lineup on Monday from second to eighth and moved Brendan Ryan (!) up

Shaun Marcum - I've been touting Shaun Marcum as an underrated fantasy SP since the pre-season and he's lived up to the height so far, posting a 6-1 record with a sparkling 2.37 ERA and 2.69 FIP. The best

Josh Tomlin - I wrote a couple weeks ago about how lucky Josh Tomlin had been through his first few starts. Well, it's a few weeks later and Tomlin's peripheral stats are still indicating that he should play the lottery.

Vin Mazzaro - I don't know much about Vin Mazzaro, but I'm pretty certain Monday was the worst pitching performance of his career, starting from tee-ball through the majors. Summoned into duty after Kyle Davies was injured in the

Welcome to a special Florida Marlins addition of the NL Player Notes! Anibal Sanchez - It's safe to say Anibal Sanchez is on fire right now. At least against the Nationals, that is. Less than a week after shutting out

Happy Mother's Day! Now onto the updates... Bartolo Colon - The Yankees got a whiff of Colon Saturday night and it didn't smell too good. The big right hander's Cinderella season took a step backwards as the Rangers tagged Colon

Chone Figgins - The underperforming infielder was scratched from Thursday's lineup due to an illness. It didn't sound too serious so expect Figgins back in the lineup this weekend. Figgins continues to struggle in Seattle, posting just a .217/.260/.304 slash

Ricky Romero - In his first 3 starts, all against weak-hitting clubs (MIN, OAK, SEA), Ricky Romero cruised to a 1.66 ERA and 20:4 K:BB mark. However, in his last start against Boston, Romero struggled with his control, walking 5

Alex Gordon – Is this the year Alex Gordon finally puts it all together and becomes an impact, middle-of-the-order hitter? If he maintains his current .426 BABIP, the answer is a resounding yes. However, considering Gordon’s career BABIP is

Yovani Gallardo – With the Brewers vs. Nationals game postponed Saturday due to rain, Yovani Gallardo had his start pushed back to this afternoon, which gives his fantasy owners a chance to go to church and pray that the big

Scott Baker – In fantasy baseball, there’s value in consistency from your starting pitchers. So there’s definitely value in a guy like Scott Baker who has posted FIPs between 3.89 and 4.08 the past 4 seasons. While his value is

Ted Lilly – Ted Lilly was cruising along just fine through four innings against the Giants Saturday until things fell apart in the 5th. With two outs, the lefty allowed three straight hits to Miguel Tejada , Freddy Sanchez and

There Is Value In Houston’s Rotation, Part Deux I wrote about Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers in Saturday’s article, so now let’s focus on Bud Norris and J.A. Happ today. First, did you know Bud Norris’ real name is David

There Is Value In Houston's Rotation The strength of this year’s Houston Astros team lies in the starting rotation which features Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers, J.A. Happ and Bud Norris. I’ll talk about Rodriguez and Myers today and leave Happ

Jason Castro Is Out. Houston, We Have A Catching Problem. Heading into spring, the Astros expected their best minor league prospect Jason Castro to claim the starting job behind the dish. Unfortunately, a torn ACL has sidelined Castro for most,

Cleveland Indians The Choices at Third Base – Jayson Nix, Jason Donald, Luis Valbuena or a box of rocks. By the rules of Major League Baseball, the Indians must employ a living, breathing human to play third base this year.

Adrian Beltre – On Friday, the Red Sox announced that their power-hitting third baseman will miss the final weekend of the season to be with his pregnant wife. In his first year with Boston, Beltre belted 28 HRs and hit

Paul Konerko – The White Sox first baseman sat out on Friday after getting beaned in the face Thursday. He should be back in today’s lineup. The big question regarding Konerko is where do you grab him in next season’s

Carl Pavano – One of the biggest surprises in fantasy baseball this season, Carl Pavano just keeps chugging along as he enters today’s start with a 3.52 ERA and 3.71 FIP. Pavano’s K/9 has dropped from 6.64 in ’09 to

Javier Vazquez – Javier Vazquez returns to the Yankees’ rotation this afternoon against the Blue Jays looking to regain his 2009 form when he posted a 2.77 FIP. For the season Vazquez has experienced a drop in his K/9 (9.77

Mat Latos – The young Padres’ ace tossed another gem on Wednesday, holding the Diamondbacks to 1 ER over 6 innings while striking out 10 and allowing just 5 base runners. Just 22-years old, Latos has some ridiculous numbers for

Mitch Talbot – After posting a surprisingly solid 3.99 ERA prior to the All-Star break, Mitch Talbot has struggled in his last 6 starts to the tune of a 6.26 ERA and 1.90 WHIP to go along with 19 Ks

Carlos Gonzalez – Carlos Gonzalez had another huge day at the plate Sunday against the Pirates, recording 4 Hits, knocking out his 25th HR of the season and stealing base No. 18. Entering Sunday’s game, Gonzalez had an impressive .245

R.A. Dickey – One of the biggest surprises of 2010, R.A. Dickey looks for win No. 8 on Sunday when he faces off against Roy Halladay and the Phillies. After posting a 4.99 FIP in ’09, Dickey is enjoying an

Ryan Braun – What’s going on with Ryan Braun? After posting a .386 OBP, .231 ISO and .320 BA in 2009, Braun’s numbers are down to a .325 OBP, .185 ISO and .273 BA in 2010. Delving deeper into the

Rich Harden – The Rangers’ right hander, perhaps saved by his impressive final start in AAA, will start today against the Angels, bumping Scott Feldman from the rotation. Prior to his strained glute injury that’s kept him from pitching in

Wandy Rodriguez – Although he took his 11th loss of the season Sunday, Wandy Rodriguez actually pitched pretty effectively by allowing 3 ER in 6 innings against the Cardinals. All 3 runs came off a Matt Holliday homer and Rodriguez

Andres Torres – After straining his groin Friday night, Andres Torres did not play Saturday and could be out again today when the Giants wrap up their series against Washington. Prior to the injury, Torres was on a recent hot

Tommy Hunter – The Rangers’ portly right hander draws yet another weak-hitting lineup when he toes the rubber against the Orioles today. Through his first six starts, Hunter has been lights out, allowing just 8 ER in more than 36

Tim Hudson – The Braves’ right hander faces the Marlins this afternoon, bringing an impressive 2.37 ERA and 8-3 record into his start. Unfortunately for Hudson’s fantasy owners and the Braves, the crafty veteran is benefiting from a ton of

Felix Hernandez – The Seattle right hander will try to build off his recent string of strong performances when he faces the Yankees in New York today. Hernandez has worked at least 8 innings and allowed 2 runs or fewer

Doug Fister – The Seattle right hander will come off the DL today (shoulder fatigue) and face the Brewers in Milwaukee. Fister has been a pleasant surprise for the Mariners and his fantasy owners this season, posting a 2.45 ERA

Scott Kazmir – You might notice that Scott Kazmir, who takes the hill against the Dodgers tonight, has won 5 of his last 6 starts and lowered his ERA from 6.09 on May 22nd to “just” 5.08 as of today.

Stephen Strasburg – The Nationals’ phenom draws the Indians this afternoon looking to follow up his major league debut performance when he whiffed 14 Pirates in 7 innings of 2-run ball. The Indians’ offense is putrid this season but comes

Casey McGehee – After a torrid start to the season, Casey McGehee has cooled off lately, posting just a .205/.222/.472 slash line in the past 14 days with 0 HR and 3 RBI. After recording a .946 OPS in April

Cliff Lee – The Mariners’ lefty toes the rubber later today against Minnesota in search of his 4th Win of the season. Through 6 games in 2010, Lee is actually pitching much better than a season ago. He’s improved his

Ubaldo Jimenez – How good has Ubaldo Jimenez been in 2010? Well, let’s count the ways. His “worst” start was April 11th against the Padres when he allowed 2 ER in 6 innings of work. He’s yielded 1 HR in

Francisco Liriano – After allowing just 3 ER in 29 IP in April, Liriano had struggled through his first 4 starts in May by yielding 16 ER in 23 IP. But Wednesday, the left hander stymied the Yankees’ offense surrendering

Josh Willingham – Willingham crushed his 7th HR of the season Saturday and is now hitting .260/.420/.481 with 25 RBI. A cheap source of power, the outfielder owns a career .212 ISO and has tallied 26, 21 and 24 HRs

Josh Beckett – Josh Beckett couldn’t escape the 5th inning against the Yankees on Tuesday, allowing 5 Runs (3 ER) on 5 Hits and 3 Walks in just 4 2/3 innings. Beckett now owns an ugly 7.29 ERA and 1.66

Daisuke Matsuzaka – Dice-K continues to be one of the biggest free agent signing busts in recent memory. The right hander took the hill against the Yankees on Monday and proceeded to allow 7 ER in just 4 2/3 innings

Jason Heyward – Heyward picked up the hat trick on Saturday by homering in his third straight game to give the rookie phenom 7 already in 2010. What else can you say about the Say Hey Kid? He’s walking in

Fausto Carmona - After starting the season with a 3-0 record and 2.96 ERA (despite a 13/12 K/BB mark), Fausto Carmona struggled against the Twins on Friday by allowing 6 ER in 6 innings of work. While he didn’t get

Chase Headley - The Padres’ third baseman continued his hot start to the season by collecting 3 Hits against the Reds Saturday afternoon. After struggling in the first half last season, Chase Headley’s production significantly increased after the All-Star break

Justin Smoak - The Smoak Monster made his major league debut Friday against the Tigers and finished 0-for-2 with 2 Walks. With Chris Davis in the minors after striking out in 35% of his ABs and hitting .188 with a

Nelson Cruz - Nelson Cruz continued his torrid start to the season by going 2-for-4 with 3 Steals and 1 RBI on Tuesday against the Red Sox. Now hitting .333 with 7 HRs and 16 RBI, Cruz has an OPS

Ubaldo Jimenez – Despite 6 walks through the first 5 innings, Ubaldo Jimenez buckled down and threw the first no-hitter in Rockies history by shutting down the Braves in Atlanta on Saturday evening. Jimenez finished the game with 7 strikeouts

Dallas Braden – Where did THIS come from? In his first start of the season, Braden struck out 10 Mariners in 7 innings while yielding just 1 ER on 4 Hits. With a career K/9 of 5.68 and a fastball

Happy Opening Night! Hunter Pence -- With Lance Berkman on the disabled list to begin the season, Pence will hit third in Houston’s lineup instead of his usual fifth spot. The change could provide short-term gains in RBI and Runs.

Seattle Mariners Right Fielder – At age 36, will this be the year that Ichiro Suzuki finally shows signs of decline? Last season, Suzuki hummed along as he always does with a .352 average, 225 hits and a career-high .465

Cleveland Indians Right Fielder – After hitting .300/.394/.489 with 20 HRs and 20 steals in 2009, Shin-Soo Choo will once again roam right field for the Indians in 2010. Choo has an excellent eye (career OBP of .386), above average

Cleveland Indians First Base - Given regular at-bats for the first time since 2002, Russell Branyan provided Seattle with an excellent first half last season, posting a .280/.382/.573 line while clobbering 22 HRs. He struggled in the second half (.193/.274/.414

Cleveland Indians Rotation: Do the Indians have one starter worthy of a roster spot in a 10-team fantasy baseball league? The fact that a post-Tommy John surgery Jake Westbrook or the horrendously wild Fausto Carmona could potentially battle for the