The Good, The Bad, and The Two Start Pitchers July 22 Jul 22, 2012 | More

Position Players to Start

Jose Reyes has not been able to deliver on the high expectations the Marlins had for him when they signed him this offseason.   Reyes’ speed is his biggest asset, and this season he just hasn’t been able to reach base often enough to utilize that speed.   This week Reyes will get a week of matchups against pitchers that he has historically hit well against.   He will probably have better luck getting on base and should be able to swipe a few bases and rack up some runs for your fantasy team this week.  

Mark Trumbo has not experienced any post Home Run Derby hangover and, in fact, has continued to smack long balls since the break.   The big righty is entrenched as the cleanup batter for the powerful Angels, and should see plenty of run producing opportunities through the second half.   His power has been limited against this week’s starters, but he has strong batting averages.    Expect the excellent output to continue as Trumbo stays hot this week.  

No player has been hotter than Neil Walker of late.   The Pirates second baseman racked up an impressive seventeen game hitting streak that was snapped last week, regrouped and went back to collecting hits.   With a career batting average of .400 or better against four of the starting pitchers he faces this week the hit parade should continue.  

Position Players to Avoid

Elvis Andrus has been pretty ordinary of late and the chances of a breakout week this week are slim.   Although Andrus has only a handful of at bats against several of the starters he faces this week, he has struggled mightily when matched up with them.   Look elsewhere to fill your shortstop slot this week.  

Carlos Santana has started hitting a little better of late, but is still not the reliable offensive catcher that fantasy owners expected.   With a career average of around .200 against the starters he will face off with this week, the Indians catcher will have a tough time again this week.  

A couple of “Mendoza line sluggers” Mark Reynolds and Adam Dunn will likely struggle to be much help for your team this week.   Both Reynolds and Dunn have some home runs against this weeks’ foes, but their overall performance leaves a lot to be desired.   The home runs are nice, but the price is too high to chase that hope.  

Two Start Pitchers

Two favorable matchups:

Mat Latos

Zack Greinke

James McDonald

Adam Wainwright

Ian Kennedy

Josh Johnson

C.J. Wilson

Split decision:

Ryan Vogelsong

R.A. Dickey

Gio Gonzalez

Wandy Rodriguez

Double trouble:

Justin Masterson

Hideki Kuroda

One Start Wonders

Even though these guys get only one start this week, all signs point to them having the opportunity to register good numbers.   Make sure to have them active.  

James Shields

Tim Lincecum

Tim Hudson

Tommy Hanson

Wait til Next Week

Trevor Cahill

A.J. Burnett

Ryan Dempster

Josh Beckett

Max Scherzer