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 is great news for his fantasy owners. In his last start, Strasburg was strong, allowing just 2 hits over 5 innings and striking out 4. He only threw 56 pitches in his first start which makes recommending him in your lineup today a bit tricky. For managers in need of strikeouts, ERA and WHIP, Strasburg is worth the start based off his ability and matchup. However, if you're in desperate need of a QS or win, you may want to bench him due to the limited number of pitches he's going to toss. Looking ahead to next season, all indications are that Strasburg should be a top tier starter with the only concern being his health. He'll be the most intriguing high risk/high reward starter in 2012 drafts and auctions.
Javier Vazquez - I was a big believer in Javier Vazquez having a nice bounce back season in 2011, but he got off to such a horrible start that my prediction of 180 strikeouts looked ridiculous from start 1. However, since July, Vazquez has been outstanding, posting ERAs of 3.16, 2.48 and 1.29 during the past three months with a 74:14 strikeout-to-walk rate including a 5.71 mark in August. For the season, Vazquez now owns a very respectable 3.87 FIP with a 7.40 strikeout rate and 2.62 walk rate. If you're looking for a spot starter down the stretch, Vazquez could be worth a look, especially in today's outing against the Pirates.
Vance Worley - Vance Worley draws a tough matchup this afternoon against the Brewers in Milwaukee. Worley's been one of the better surprises in the National League this season, posting a 7.83 strikeout rate, 2.94 walk rate and 0.65 HR rate. He's also got a 2.85 ERA and 3.26 FIP. Worley isn't tallying a ton of grounders (40% GB rate) so he'll probably deal with some regression sooner or later consider he has a .271 BABIP. It's hard to be confident in Worley repeating his 2011 success next season as his current numbers are significantly better than anything he posted in the minors. He's an iffy start today but should continue to be deployed against less potent offenses moving forward.
Emilio Bonifacio - One of the more surprising infielders for fantasy teams in 2011, Emilio Bonifacio is finishing up quite a productive season. He's improved his walk rate to a career-best 10% while owning a .295/.366/.386 slash line after going 2-for-5 with 2 steals Saturday. Bonifacio's BABIP is really high at .371, but keep in mind he's got a career-high 24% LD rate and has the speed to beat out a bunch of infield hits. So while I don't think he can maintain a BABIP that high but it shouldn't drop too much if he continues to smack liners at his current rate. With 36 steals in 45 chances, a BA around .300 and a chance at 80 runs, Bonifacio makes a decent enough 3B or SS play in most leagues.
Hunter Pence - The Phillies' right fielder went 3-for-3 with a HR on Saturday versus the Brewers and is now hitting .312/.367/.494 with 19 HRs and 86 RBI for the season. One of the most consistent hitters during the past 3 seasons, Pence is posting a higher BA than usual which can be attributed to a BABIP mark that's about 50 points higher than his 2008, 2009, and 2010 numbers. His power is similar to past seasons, although it's likely he won't reach 25 HRs for the 4th straight season. It's also a bit disappointing that Pence hasn't swiped as many bases with just 7 this season compared to 18 in 2010. Looking toward 2012, Pence is a safe No. 3 OF in 10-team leagues and maybe a No. 2 in deeper formats.
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