This is it, fellas and three girl readers. The last train is leaving the station. The giddy has just about got up and went. It’s your last chance and I’d throw every single pitcher, not just the ones I have listed here if it meant the difference in my league. You need to do what you do. The line for last week was 3.50 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 108 Ks and 6 Wins in 153 2/3 IP. To recap, these aren’t guys I’d drop anyone worthwhile to get, these starters are meant for streaming purposes and all of their ownership in ESPN is under 50%. These streamers are in no particular order. Also, in the final days of the season, managers juggle their lineups more, so there’s no guarantee all of these guys are listed on the right day. Anyway, here’s some borderline starters for this week in fantasy baseball:
Friday, October 1st
Fausto Carmona – I’ve been recommending for a few weeks in a row now. Like Carmona, huh, Grey? Answer, man! What, too italicized for you? I’m trying to answer, random italicized voice. Go ahead, money. I don’t like Carmona, but he does have an ERA below 2 in September.
Tony Pena – What’s more exciting than owning both pitchers in an Indians/White Sox matchup? Not much, I tell ya.
Rick Porcello – Is it bad that I don’t like any of the pitchers I’m recommending today? Yeah, prolly.
Jordan Zimmermann – I’ll say this, at least I’ll like Zimmermann next year. Here, he goes into Metco. It’s a’ight.
Saturday, October 2nd
Carlos Carrasco – How many Indians pitcher can I recommend? Geez… I’ve been in the monkey house too long.
Chris Capuano – Not a fan at all, but I’m assuming the Reds will be benching most of their hitters.
Brian Matusz – In his last three starts, he has a 0.69 ERA (rawr!).
Tim Stauffer – Pray the Giants have clinched and the Padres are still battling for the Wild Card. Though I’m not sure that situation is mathematically possible.
Alex Sanabia – Has a 3.06 ERA in his last three starts and gets the Pirates. Done and done.
Sunday, October 3rd
Randy Wolf – Gets what will undoubtedly be the Reds minor league squad in the last game of the season.
Marc Rzepczynski – You, “Honey, I can’t go to brunch with you. I’m watching my pitcher in the final game of the season.” Her, “What’s his name?” “Um…” “You’re lying to me.” “No, I just can’t pronounce his name.” “I want a divorce.”
No particular order? This seems to use chronological order. Harf.
Hey Grey. Been awesome reading ur stuff all year, you do a great job. I just wanted to see if you think this is nuts. Im in a h2h points 5 man keeper. Mid season i realized my team had little chance so i traded some good players for hanley and braun (to go with pedroia and josh johnson) and focus on next year. i ended up backing into the playoffs and making the finals. how you might ask? its a pitcher friendly league and i decided to pick up some guys who look like they could provide value. i picked up carlos zambrano (had him for all his starts) derek lowe (had him for all of september) jhoulys chacin (had him since he got recalled) and randy wolf right after his 12 run start since i consider him my good luck charm, ian kennedy mid august when he was inexplicably dropped, and brian duensing since he became a starter. Those 6 have somehow been 6 of the best pitchers in baseball in the past 6 weeks. Crazy, right?
@Mike from Jersey: Thanks for the kind words! Where in Jersey? That is a pretty crazy story. H2H can do those sort of things because it has so little to do with what came before.
So…the real question. How do you pronounce Rzepczynski?
Hey Grey,
Narveson vs. Mets or Volstad vs. Pitt tonight? Thanks.
@GopherDay:
I think it’s Chep-Zincs-Skee no?
@GopherDay: Try to avoid any potential arguments on Sunday? Just say The RZE. Or zep-CHIN-skee.
@MVP night: Volstad unless you really need Ks.
@GopherDay: The broadcasters usually pronounce it zep-chin-ski
any chance you could rank these SP in terms of 2011 and keeper value.
Lester, Latos, Hanson, B. Anderson, Gallardo, Mike Minor, Dan Hudson, Ian Kennedy, Niese, Nolasco.
thanks grey.
Thanks to Grey Albright, “too much time in the monkey house” has become a regular colloquialism for me. Overall, it’s better received than “beware small sample size” (…wife shakes head in annoyance). However, it usually requires explanation. Which is fine, but I’ve only seen Project Runway a few times. I like it, and have a few DVR’d that I look forward to watching (don’t tell me what happens to Mondo), but I’m hesitant to give the impression that I’m such a big fan that I go about my day quoting Tim Gunn. So, as to avoid this, I’ve started saying, “As my Uncle Tim says…” So, yes, I’m lying about having an Uncle Tim (Gunn) in order to not front as someone who closely follows a particular TV show. This only makes sense in my mind because, the more I think about it, I wish that Tim Gunn WAS my uncle.
If the Padres lose today and tomorrow, the Giants win today and tomorrow, and the Braves lose Friday, the Giants will have clinched the West, the Braves will be 90-70, and the Padres will be 88-72 with two games left for both teams, meaning that the Padres could force a playoff v. ATL if they won Sat and Sun and the Braves lost both days.
I think.
Certainly not the best case scenario for the Friars.
But even if the Giants haven’t clinched, I think that Stauffer could be a good play-6 IP, 0 ER, 5 baserunners and 5 K last time he pitched against em, though it was at Petco.
@Justin: Lester, Anderson, Gallardo, Hanson, Latos, Hudson, Kennedy… Things could change, don’t hold me to it in five months.
@peter: As a brother, too close. As a father, too many questions. But as an uncle, he is perfect. Last episode is sitting on Tivo, haven’t watched it yet, but Mondo is my pick to win it all. Though my picks usually get knocked off around the halfway mark.
@royce!: Thanks for breaking down the math.
Gallardo could be a (relative) sleeper next season. Why? His 3.83 ERA. Here’s why I say he could be a sleeper.
2010 FIP leaders, MLB (includes yesterday’s games):
Josh Johnson – 2.42
Francisco Liriano – 2.49
Cliff Lee – 2.65
Adam Wainwright – 2.87
Jered Weaver – 2.97
Justin Verlander – 2.98
Jon Lester – 2.99
Roy Halladay – 3.02
Yovani Gallardo – 3.03
Felix Hernandez – 3.05
Mat Latos – 3.05
Clayton Kershaw – 3.13
Chad Billingsley – 3.15
Tim Lincecum – 3.16
Ubaldo Jimenez – 3.16
Gallardo’s BABIP was .340 and his LOB% 69.8. xFIP of 3.43… he might go low 3 to very high 2 ERA next year.
@Travis: Yeah, I’ll like Gallardo next year, this year there was an innings bump from ’08 to ’09 that worried me.
@Grey Big up for another season’s worth of help, homes. Maholm as another one Friday night? Two straight solid from him, no Hanley, Marlins whiff a ton. Also considered Yunesky Maya in Metco. I likely need two garbage starters this week, what are your top 2? Thanks!
@Tarasco’s Secret Stash: No problem. Carmona, Porcello… They’re not great.
Spot start Chris Narveson against the Mets tonight?
Fair lawn, reppin bergen county
@cruisinkc: Sure
@Mike from Jersey: Nice, I lived in Hackensack for a little bit.
@Grey: You like Matusz or Stauffer better for their weekend start?
@ThE sHiT: Stauffer
king felix will not pitch again this year espn reports
@Grey: Thanks. Sanabia, Matusz, Lewis, Capuano, and Anibal are available for my other stream start. Do I still grab Sanabia?
@AL KOHOLIC: Dammit!
@ThE sHiT: Yeah, go with him.
@Grey: Done and done. Muchos gracias!
So bonifacio just saved himself some ridicule in the offseason for having a sub .350 OPS thanks in part to his generosity for giving me a ball. All I had to do was ask for one!
@Grey: yeah i need him against steve in the keeper
@ThE sHiT: De nada.
@Eddy: Ha
@AL KOHOLIC: Yeah, that stinks. Was counting on him.
@Grey: Thanks for convincing me not to start Liriano and Garza…
@ThE sHiT: Yeah, I’m glad I didn’t either.
@Grey: Who should make my final start this year in my roto league?
C Hamels @ Atl
B Anderson @ Sea
M Latos @ SF
M Scherzer @Bal
I hate Matt Garza….cmon gimme at least a QS against the freakin Royals
I wish Dyson would do his job. I picked him up to steal, not drive in runs. I guess he didn’t get the memo that I’m up 24 RBI right now but I’m down 2 steals, dammit. The dammit there makes my comments much more authoritative.
Lester is going to cost me the Roto win with this=(
Out of all the players to ruin me, I’d have never guessed Jon Lester. We had a thing, he and I. Sad, sad day.
Alvarez is going to be a STUD these next several years. And I have him locked up for practically his career. I think yes.
Need some ks with Kershaw officially being shutdown, Hamels probably only pitching a few innings, and the rest of my starters are probably done, save for maybe Big Time Timmy Jim if he’s needed Sunday. I’m playing Chone today for Utley, but if Utley is in, Chone is useless, so he could be droppable. I’m tied in saves and I have Soria, Capps, Feliz, Lyon, and Takahashi. He’s still got Romero, DLR, Bills left to pitch this weekend. I can snag Dempster and Wolf for their Sunday starts, or pick up Sanabia or Matusz or Stauffer. What do you think? Who to drop and who to pick up? I’m thinking of Chone and Takahashi for Wolf and Dempster.
@Joe B: Anderson… Why only one?
@Buddo Chezuski: Yup
@Wilsonian: Ha!
@Dumbmutt: Damn
@tall chicks: Ouch
@GopherDay: Nice!
@Wilsonian: Wolf and Dempster…
@Grey: and should I go with my gut and drop Chone and Takahashi? Thanks man, just a few more days. We’ll get through this together.
Grey,
Thanks for a great season of mostly good advice! hahahaha. Seriously I don’t know how you do it. This is an amazing resource.
I am in a keeper league and we caught the commish cheating this year…what a mess. Anyway, looking for a new league to join, any advice on finding one. I would start my own, but I can’t drum up enough interest.
Cheers,
Bostonbeerman
@Grey: As I am to understand the RCL league rules, once your SP reach 180 starts, you cease to accumulate anymore pitching stats. I have the aforementioned pitchers yet to get their last starts… Now I can start two of them (B Anderson and C Hamels) on Saturday, but who’s start will count towards my stats??? I picked up stud relievers to accumulate stats while I wait to pick a SP to play my last start. Am I wrong on the way I interpreted the way this works?
Just got back from Petco…Darwin dashed the playoff hopes! Damn natural selection!!!
Holy Shizz. I had Murphy on my Keeper team up until yesterday, per your advice. I went with Alvarez for the add. With the contributions of Aviles, Pierre, Bautista, Stanton and Alvarez, my offensive line for today is 19 for 33, 12 Runs, 3 HRs, 16 RBIs, 4 SB, .576 AVG and 1.520 OPS. WOW. Also, I dropped Kid Hudson and added Sean Marshall to chase holds, but he ended up with a win. Happy Meh.
@Anonymous: Well played.
On the not so bright side, I’m facing the team with Pierre in my dynasty where I’m actually in the championship. (3rd place game in other league). 8 steals over last 9 games is pretty damn impressive. Aviles is doing his best to counteract it for my team: 5 SBs over the 7 games I’ve had him on my team for.
@Grey: sorry dude, meant drop Chone and Takahashi for Dempster and Wolf. I need some ks as well, just snagged 2 saves out of Soria and Feliz, and I wouldn’t be playing Chone over Utley anyway. Praying for steals out of Dyson and Pierre (just picked him up off waivers) to give me the win.
@Anonymous: Yeah, Aviles has put on a nice show.
@Wilsonian: Sure, drop Takahashi.
Bautista hits #54. Over/Under on how many he hits next year: 40
@Anonymous: Under. He chokes, hits 8 1/2 home runs making me not regret trading him away in my dynasty league. (The half homerun he hits and trips over second base and breaks both his arms.)
@Anonymous: 30
Holy flying feces… one of my roto teams has a batting line of 10/5/22/2/.417 tonight. Raise your hand if you planned to have Alvarez, Stubbs and Stanton carry you through the last week of the season… that’s what I thought.
@Grey: thanks man. Do you think Stubbs plays the last three games of the season, or does he sit for the B squad?
@Wilsonian: oh, and if the main thing you need is steals would you play him over Hart?
@Awesomus Maximus: Well, it ain’t Miggy and Hamilton.
@Wilsonian: Probably plays 2.
@Wilsonian: Not over Hart.
@Grey: over Dyson?
@Wilsonian: Actually, I changed my mind. I would play him over Hart.
@Wilsonian: I’d play Stubbs and Dyson.
@Grey: Yeah, I love when ‘studs’ like Miggy and Hanley crap on your H2H playoff dreams. Roto only for me next season.
@Grey: haha, thanks dude. What made you change your mind?
@Awesomus Maximus: Yeah, it’s very annoying.
@Wilsonian: Hart hasn’t stolen more than one base in any month since April.
Alvarez and Snider! Do you think both are sleepers for next year?
@ThE sHiT: Yup
@bostonbeerman: There’s actually a keeper league looking for owners in the forum right now.
@bostonbeerman: Oops, forget it. It’s basketball.
@Grey: I’m going to be looking for a roto league and maybe a keeper as well. I have only done H2H in my 6 years of fantasy.
@ThE sHiT: I’d definitely give roto a try, it’s more challenging and rewarding.
@Grey: Yeah, my usual leaguemates won’t want to try it, so Ill have to find some other league. Roto sounds a lot better from hearing a bunch of you guys curse H2H…
@ThE sHiT: They both have their good and bad, but I think roto is a more “pure” form of the game. Every year at least a few solid performers miss significant time at the end of the season for one of various reasons (team already made the playoffs, team has no shot at the playoffs, has a mild injury and there’s no reason to push him, has no injury but doesn’t feel like pushing himself, etc.), and the H2H owner gets the shaft (especially on sites where said player is on a “can’t drop” list, so you’re just stuck with an unproductive roster spot). The roto owner at least has the full year of production to lean on.
I kept a log of all the stats in my H2H league this year, then filtered them roto style just to see if there would be a discrepancy between the outcomes. My team would have won roto by over 20 points, but in H2H, I got knocked out of the first round of the playoffs because my opponent had hot bats for a week and I had unproductive studs for a week.
@ThE sHiT: Just join an RCL next year.