Making a Difference: AL East

Every year, a few hitters either come out of nowhere or regain their former swing to have a solid season, and 2010 is no exception. Let’s take a look at three hitters from the American League East that are having very nice seasons.

Luke Scott- OF- Baltimore Orioles
Stuck on one of the worst teams in baseball and no one around him for help, Scott has put together a nice season. Hitting .289 with 20 homers and 47 ribbies (would be many more if the O’s could some runners on base in front of him), Scott could be nice pickup if you need another outfielder. Beware this week though. The O’s will be on the road, where Scott is hitting just .222, compared to .344 at home.

Adrian Belte- 3B- Boston Red Sox
If Luke Scott had a decent hitting team around him, he would be producing numbers like Beltre is. The Sox’s third-sacker has turned things back around to have a very nice comeback season. He is hitting .336 with 20 homers and 75 RBI this year in Boston. The one isue that could slow some of these numbers down is the loss of Kevin Youkilis for the rest of the season to thumb surgery.

Nick Swisher- OF- New York Yankees
Swisher is enjoying the Big Apple this season. Swisher is hitting .297 with 22 homers and 66 RBI this year. He and the rest of the Bronx Bombers will be on the road much of this week, where Swisher is hitting .302.

Two Week Streak

One of the most important stats to check out is the past two weeks category. Why two weeks and not one? It’s because you don’t want the guy who had one great game but didn’t do much the rest of the week This way, the two-week system gives you some sort of consistency.

Here are three starting pitchers to really take a look at that might be available in your league:

Wandy Rodriguez - Houston Astros
Over the past two weeks, Rodriguez has gone 2-0 with two quality starts. He’s K’d 16 in only 15 innings of work. The only issue with Wandy is the team he is on. The Astros are not good, and they won’t be for the rest of the season. Plus, they just traded away their number-one starter in Roy Oswalt, meaning the Magic Wand might be facing the opposing team’s number-one starter.

Scott Baker - Minnesota Twins
Baker, like Rodriguez, is 2-0 with two quality starts in his past two weeks of work. He had 17 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings, and he is on a team that is hot with some major bats to help him out.

Kevin Slowey - Minnesota Twins
Another Twins’ starter that enjoyed late July and early August, Slowey is also 2-0 with two QS’s. Like Baker, Slowey appreciates his team’s offensive bite by supporting him with solid run support.

Here are three hitters worth taking a look at:

Dan Uggla - 2B - Florida Marlins
Uggla has turned on the power switch over the past two weeks. Dan hit eight homers while driving in 13 runs with a .333 average. If he’s not hitting the ball, he’s walking to first base. He’s registered 10 walks in this time period.

Raul Ibanez – OF - Philadelphia Phillies
With the absence of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, Ibanez has picked his game up from an awful first half of the season. Hitting .465 with three homers and 13 RBI, Ibanez could bolster your outfield. Just be careful because that .465 is certain to go down.

Juan Pierre – OF - Chicago White Sox
The Sox are still hot, and one of the main reasons is that Pierre has picked up his game. The speedster has knocked in nine runs – pretty good for a leadoff hitter – and has a .339 average over this period. He is getting on base with base hits and walks. When he does, he steals more bases. Six stolen bases in the past two weeks creates runners in scoring position for the rest of the team to knock him home, which means more points for you in the runs category.

Running the Show

It’s time to take a peak at the running backs.

Here is the first top-15 RBs list for 2010:

1. Chris Johnson - Tennessee Titans
Johnson had one of the greatest seasons in history in 2009 with 16 total TDs and 2006 rushing yards. While those numbers are almost impossible to duplicate, it’s really hard to pick anyone other than CJ.

2. Adrian Peterson - Minnesota Vikings
Brett Favre took points away from Peterson last year by passing much more than Gus Frerotte (remember him?) and Tarvaris Jackson did in 2008 when Peterson had a monster year. Regardless of Favre, All Day is still a fantasy stud and is just below Chris Johnson for the top spot.

3. Maurice Jones–Drew- Jacksonville Jaguars
Still only 25 years old, MJD has had a fantastic start to his career. His TDs have increased from 9 in 2007, to 14 in 2008, to 16 in 2009. Why not more in 2010?

4. Ray Rice - Baltimore Ravens
Netting 1339 rushing yards and seven TDs last season, Rice can simply run the ball. The only question is if Flacco will be passing more often with the arrival of Anquan Bolden.

5. Frank Gore - San Francisco 49ers
Gore is still running for TDs and still an injury risk, but a risk well worth taking. With Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn, Jr. and Vernon Davis, the running game should open up more, which will get Gore more yards and TDs.

6. Michael Turner - Atlanta Falcons
Although Burner Turner’s number went way down last season (1699 yards and 17 TDs to 871 and 10), his abilities are still amongst the top in the NFL.

7. Stephen Jackson - St. Louis Rams
With the arrival of rookie quarterback Sam Bradford to town, does that mean more carries for Jackson? Fantasy owners hope so.

8. Cedric Benson - Cincinnati Bengals
Don’t call it a comeback…well, yeah, go ahead. Benson had a great 2009 season rushing for 1251 yards and busting through for six TDs. After those awful seasons in Chicago, Benson is back.

9. DeAngelo Williams - Carolina Panthers
Williams’ numbers took a hit in ’09 with Jonathan Stewart receiving more carries. DeAngelo still rushed for 1117 yards and had seven TDs.

10. Rashard Mendenhall - Pittsburgh Steelers
In his first full season with the Steelers, Mendenhall rushed for 1369 yards and had eight TDs. With Big Ben out for the few games at QB, look for the Steelers to attempt to run more to start the season.

11. Chris Wells - Arizona Cardinals
If Matt Leinart, taking over at QB for the retired Kurt Warner, can’t get his accuracy down, the Cards will have to run the ball more. That means more carries for Beanie and more points for you.

12. Ryan Grant - Green Bay Packers
Grant had a nice comeback year in 2009 with 1,253 rushing yards and 11 TDs. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, however, like to throw the ball more than pass. Grant is still a solid fantasy running, though.

13. Shonn Greene - New York Jets
Greene looked when he had his chance last season. The problem is the Jets brought in Ladainian Tomlinson in the offseason, who will undoubtedly take carries away from Greene, at least early in the season. If LT gets banged up, more carries for Greene.

14. Knowshon Moreno - Denver Broncos
Moreno had a nice rookie year amassing 1160 yards and nine touchdowns. The problem with any Mile High running back is the dreaded running-back-by-comity system that takes away carries. If Moreno could have full-time duties, he could easily be a top-10 fantasy RB.

15. Ryan Mathews - San Diego Chargers
Mathews will be taking over in Chargerland as the new running back. He will be behind a solid o-line, but he is a rookie. A rookie with a ton of potential.

It's Here

Well, congratulations! You officially made it! I know what is on your mind, and we are almost there. While your World Cup fantasy team kept your mind occupied for a couple of weeks, you were still thinking about IT. Well, IT is almost here. That’s right, fantasy football is right around the corner! There were some big surprises last year. How about Chris Johnson simply dominating as if he was running on the Lions’ defense all year? The fact that Bret Favre cannot only still move around without orthopedic shoes but still be one of the top point-getters amongst all quarterbacks? In fact, the old gun-slinger (can we please come up with another nickname for him that I can print?) outscored some of the top pre-season ranked QBs such as Tom Brady, Phillip Rivers and Tony Romo. How can we not be impressed with Andre Johnson’s continuous climb to the top of the wide receiver food chain? Johnson caught 101 passes for 1,569 yards and nine TDs.

Let the rankings begin with the quarterbacks. Here is the first top-15 QBs list for 2010:

1. Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints
Brees has averaged 32 TDs per season and 295 yards per game over the past three seasons. Why wouldn’t he flirt with those numbers again?

2. Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers
In two years of being the full-time starter, Rogers has averaged 29 TDs (and 4.5 rushing TDs) per season and 264.75 yards per game.

3. Peyton Manning - Indianapolis Colts
Manning is good at two things: inappropriate acts with Oreos and being consistent on the field. Whoever wants a QB who has averaged over 30 TDs the past three years, raise your glass of milk.

4. Tom Brady - New England Patriots
Throwing to a contract-year Randy Moss will benefit Brady and his owners. He will top last year’s numbers of 28 TDs and an average per game of 274.9 yards.

5. Matt Schaub - Houston Texans
All Houstonians are Texans, but not all Texans are Houstonians. Who really cares? Andre Johnson is really good, and Schaub throws to him. Add a full season of Owen Daniels as an option, and you have a top-five fantasy QB.

6. Tony Romo - Dallas Cowboys
Romo had a great year (26TDs and 280.2 yards per game) while having Roy Williams jog around the field. Now he has a potential stud in Dez Bryant passing Williams by.

7. Brett Favre - Minnesota Vikings
Even at 40 years old, Favre threw for 33 TDs, only seven INTs and averaged 262.6 yards passing per game last season. With Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian to throw to, Favre should have another excellent fantasy year.

8. Phillip Rivers - San Diego Chargers
Rivers threw for 28 TDs last season, but losing Vincent Jackson for three games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy will hurt.

9. Kevin Kolb - Philadelphia Eagles
DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Brent Celek…options. Kolb has been waiting in the Eagles’ wing for his chance, and when Philly traded QB Donovan McNabb in the offseason, Kolb was given the keys to the offense.

10. Chad Henne - Miami Dolphins
Now with a little professional experience and a true number-one receiver in Brandon Marshall, look for Henne and the Dolphins to have a very nice season until they both leave to play for the Miami Heat.

11. Jay Cutler - Chicago Bears
With Mike Martz taking over as offensive coordinator, the Bears will be sure to pass more. Vander-bilt a TD machine and this is his year.

12. Joe Flacco - Baltimore Ravens
Flacco will build on last year’s play (21 TDs) with new weapon Anquan Boldin.

13. Eli Manning - New York Giants
Cooper’s little brother had a nice season last year with a career high 27 TDs and averaging 253.8 yards per game. The “Other Steve Smith” became the “Real Steve Smith” and gives Manning a solid target every down.

14. Donovan McNabb - Washington Redskins
New team and a new hunger. McNabb has lost a step but still threw for 22 TDs and rushed for two more last season.

15. Vince Young - Tennessee Titans
If Young can just keep it together mentally, he could be even higher on this list. But until he goes a season without some sort of personal issue, he will not crack the top ten.

Summer Bats Heat Up

The past month in fantasy baseball has delivered some interesting stats. Some hitters finally woke up, began producing and even beat out some of the game’s more consistent point-getters.

Outfielder Chris Young of the Arizona Diamond Backs showed off why he was once considered a top young prospect. Young hit only .261 but hit six homers and drove in 17 runs to go along with his seven stolen bases. These numbers produced more points than Matt Holiday of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ shortstop, Rafael Furcal, brought back memories of when he was one of the best players at his position. Furcal hit .322 with four home runs, 18 RBI and even had four steals. Those numbers beat out Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins.

Carlos Quentin, outfielder for the Chicago White Sox, was a major piece of the Sox’s rejuvenation. Q posted a .303 average with eight homers and 21 RBI. Those numbers were much better than those of the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp.

One of the bigger surprises of the past month was the Florida Marlins’ outfielder, Chris Coghlan. Batting a solid .302 with eight homers and 21 RBI, Coghlan produced more points than the Detroit Tigers’ Magglio Ordonez. Coghlan does have the advantage of having an emotionally rocking ballad penned and sang by Creed’s (yes, THAT Creed’s) front man, Scott Stapp, entitled “Marlins Will Soar” uplifting the team and every individual that can hear, including Billy the Marlin, every home pre-game. “Marlins Will Soar” may be the audio version of steroids or a song that will never be remembered.

One interesting line is that of Vernon Wells of the Toronto Blue Jays. After a torrid start, and having been a huge fantasy point-scorer, Wells has been a disappointment. Hitting just .193, with 13Ks and an awful .264 OBP, Vernon has many people asking: is Wells done?

What a Relief

Closing pitchers are sometimes overlooked in fantasy baseball. Many times, you can find a relief pitcher or two in the top ten pitchers at the end of the year, especially if your league allows that player to be categorized as a relief pitcher even though the majority of his playing time was due to starting games.

Don’t count out the Chicago White Sox just yet. The Southsiders are having a nice June, and Bobby Jenks is collecting the saves. He isn’t nervous; he just sweats…a lot. Imagine if he actually had to run. Anyway, the man that was once Hank Hill’s son is getting the job done and is well worth your consideration and attention.

The Texas Rangers’ starting pitcher, Colby Lewis, is racking up fantasy points with strikeouts and wins. In most leagues, he is listed as a relief pitcher, which is great if your league dictates a minimum of at least one relief pitcher. He will continue to rack up the points as a starter if he continues to pitch the way he has for the first half of this season. The 31-year-old has a record of 7-4 with an ERA of 3.08 and has 90 strikeouts in 93.2 innings, which is good enough for top-five closers in many leagues.

Billy Wagner has had an impressive season so far. The Atlanta Braves’ closer is coming back from Tommy John surgery and has played like the old Billy Wags. He has been a key part of the Braves’ resurgence and is at the back end of a solid bullpen. With 14 saves, five wins and 43Ks, Wagner is a great option.

Two of the past top closers are having decent seasons but are not racking up the points that fantasy owners predicted they would when they were drafted. The Yankees’ Mariano Rivera and the Red Sox’s Jonathon Papelbon are barely cracking the top-15 points-getters for closers.

Turn the Page

Sometimes it just takes a quick flip of the wrist to turn the calendar and start over. Let’s take a look at some of the best hitter and pitchers from June of 2009 to possibly get an idea of what to expect this June.

Some of last year’s top hitters were the usual suspects. Albert Pujols, Ichiro Suzuki, Hanley Ramirez, David Wright and Prince Fielder were some of the top points-getters in fantasy baseball last June. Those guys are, of course, all on teams in your league. Let’s go a little deeper and find some players that might be still swimming in your free agent pool.

Scott Rolen, then of the Blue Jays and now of the Reds, had a great June of ’09 posting a .384 average with two homers and 11 RBI. Adam LaRoche, who was in Pittsburgh at the time, hit .344 with four home runs and 15 RBI (which is more shocking considering the Pirates were probably mathematically eliminated from the playoffs by June 1). Those numbers were all nice, but check out what the Angels’ Juan Rivera did last year. Rivera hit a decent .290 but hit eight homers while driving in 24 in the process.

A few quality starting pitchers had a very nice June last year. The Rockies’ Aaron Cook went 5-1 with a 2.36 ERA. Scott Baker, of the Twins, went a perfect 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA. Kevin Millwood, then of the Rangers, went 4-1 while recording a tiny 1.30 ERA. The Giants’ Barry Zito went 3-1 but had a high ERA of 5.81 and the Yankees’ Andy Pettitte was 2-2 with a 5.06 ERA. No doubt that Zito and Pettitte benefited from high powered offenses last year.

There, of course, isn’t a guarantee behind last year’s numbers that they will be duplicated; however, it is something fun to watch over the next few weeks.

Straight Outta Left Field

The fun fact of the week

Major League Baseball’s all-time caught stealing leader is Ricky Henderson with 335. Ricky was caught 42 times, the most in his career, in 1982. He did, however, make it up with stealing a ridiculous 130 bags that same season.