Extra Innings

AL/NL Hitting Planner for Week 4!!!!

Must Start Hitters for Week 4

1. SS Edgar Renteria DET

2. OF Justin Upton ARI

3. 1B Derek Lee CHC

4. 1B Mike Jacobs FLA

5. C   A.J. Pierzynski CHW

6. OF Jason Bay PIT

7. 1B James Loney LAD

8. OF Nick Markakis BAL

9. SS Orlando Cabrera

10. C Victor Martinez CLE

11. OF Jeff Francoeur ATL

12. 1B Casey Kotchman LAA

13. OF Jason Kubel MIN

14. OF Hideki Matsui NYY

15. OF Raul Ibanez SEA

Sit’em

1. SS Troy Tulowitzki COL

2. OF Adam Dunn CIN

3. 2B Jeff Kent LAD

4. 3B Bill Hall MIL

5. C Ryan Doumit PIT

6. 3B Troy Glaus STL

7. OF Aaron Rowand SF

8. 1B Aubrey Huff BAL

9. SS Julio Lugo BOS

10. 2B Placido Polanco DET

11. OF/DH Jack Cust OAK

12. 1B Ben Broussard TEX

13. DH Frank Thomas TOR

14. SS David Eckstein TOR

15. 3B Joe Crede CHW

National League:

Atlanta Braves:

They will be playing four games at home against the Nats and Marlins and finish up in New York on a crucial three game series. OF Jeff Francoeur last week against the Nationals had 2 homeruns and a career high 7 RBI. He added over 15 pounds of muscle and he is on his way for a huge year. With closer Rafael Soriano on the DL  RP Peter Moylan was the ideal choice at closer but he was put on the DL earlier this week, tough luck for fantasy owners who drafted RP Rafael Soriano.

Arizona Diamondbacks:

It is going to be a tough week for the Diamondbacks hitters in week 4. They will face the Giants at home and face the Dodgers and Padres on the road look for low scoring games. However, has anyone seen the progress of 1B Connor Jackson. Coming into play this week, he is hitting .310 with one homerun and 10 RBI. He is worth starting in any format.

Chicago Cubs:

Fantasy owners have to be pleased with the power numbers of 1B Derek Lee. Last year his power numbers were down but so far he is looking like the Derek of old. Coming into play he has 4 homeruns and 9 RBI. More importantly he is slugging .692 and of his 18 hits 10 of them have been for extra bases. 2B/SS Ryan Theriot was an interesting name coming into the season but his play has diminished week by week. He is only hitting .244 with 2 RBI. That is not going to cut for any fantasy owner and he should not be owned at this point.

Cincinnati Reds:

Rookie 1B Joey Votto is 6 for his last 13 and it is only a matter of time until he becomes the starter in Cincinnati. OF Adam Dunn was given the day off on Sunday because he is batting only .167. He only has 1 homerun with 5 RBI. Going on the road may help Adam Dunn and his owners. In his last 7 days he has 1 homerun and 3 RBI. Do not panic, he is just going a tough start. This would be a great time to trade for him while his value is low.

Colorado Rockies:

After starting off slow, OF Matt Holiday is back to his All-Star status, he is hitting .340 with 3 homeruns and 11 RBI. Is it time to panic for owners of SS Troy Tulowitzki? He has not registered and RBI and has not a homerun. He is batting .159 and one has to wonder if the league has caught to him. Put him on the bench until he starts to hit again.

Florida Marlins:

OF Jeremy Hermida has made the most of his playing time. In only 5 games he has 2 homeruns and 6 RBI and is hitting .318. 1B Mike Jacobs continues to impress. In his last 4 games he has 3 homeruns and 5 RBI. He is a solid option in week 4. The Marlins will play on the road in Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Milwaukee all are good hitters park.

Houston Astros:

Home SD at CIN, STL One has to start worry about the offense of the Astros. Only 1B Lance Berkman and SS Miguel Tejada are hitting over .300. Add OF Carlos Lee and they have hit 10 of the 16 homeruns and have accounted for 24 of the 49 RBI’s. Rookie C J.R. Towles has not lived up to the hype. He has good power numbers (3 homeruns and 7 RBI) but is only hitting .207. The Astros have a favorable week upcoming. They will host the Padres and play in Cincinnati and finish in St. Louis.

Los Angeles Dodgers:

OF Andre Either is having a great start to the season. He is hitting .286 with 2 homeruns and 9 RBI; with OF Juan Pierre and OF Matt Kemp sharing time Either is a reliable starter for all fantasy formats. Despite not playing everyday OF Juan Pierre in his last 4 games is hitting .462 with 4 RBI. However, OF Matt Kemp in his last 5 games is hitting .375. Each cannot be trusted in any starting fantasy lineup and should be put on the bench.

Milwaukee Brewers:

In his last 6 games 3B Ryan J. Braun is hitting .120 and 1B Prince Fielder is doing worse, he is hitting .087. Despite this two not hitting the team is playing well and look for both to turn it around soon. In week 4 the Brewers will play 7 games all at home. They will host St. Louis, Philadelphia and Florida. C Jason Kendall continues to hit and has been a great find for the Brewers and fantasy owners who have him in their lineup. OF Gabe Kapler is hitting .423 with 4 homeruns and 11 RBI and makes him an interesting player for week 4, he is a possibility for NL-only leagues this week.

New York Mets:

OF Ryan Church has played very well to start the season. He is hitting .326 with 1 home run and 8 RBI. OF Angel Pagan is also becoming a reliable fantasy player. Pagan has 10 RBI but more importantly is leading the team with a .381 average.

Philadelphia Phillies:

With OF Shane Victorino on the DL, look for OF Jayson Werth to take over. In his first start he went 2-4 with a home run and had 2 stolen bases. In limited playing time he is hitting .421. The Phillies have had a run of bad luck filling 3B since Scott Rolen was traded to St. Louis. This year they signed Pedro Feliz and so far their investment has not paid off. He is hitting only .200 and should not start in any format.

Pittsburgh Pirates:

1B Adam LaRoche and the Pirates have yet to come to terms on a long-term contract. After starting the season strong C Ryan Doumit in his last 5 games is hitting .176. The Pirates will play 7 games and they will all be at home. OF Nate Mclouth is the real deal and do not be worried to have him in any fantasy lineup.

St. Louis Cardinals:

Of Ryan Ludwick in his last 4 games is hitting .417 with 3 home runs and 5 RBI. He should be all everyone radar as a sleeper for the rest of the year. New comer 3B Troy Glaus is not having a great start for the Cardinals. He is hitting .222 to start the season.

San Diego Padres:

Since coming off the DL OF Jim Edmonds is batting .290. 2B Tadahito Iguchi is fitting in very well in San Diego. He is hitting .296 with 3 RBI. At this point he can be available to have 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases.

San Francisco Giants:

OF John Bowker has started his Giants career with a bang. In his first two games as a Giant he hit a home run in each game. In only 6 at-bats he has 7 RBI and 2 home runs. Of Fred Lewis in his last 7 games is hitting .435 and will continue to play because of the injury to OF Dave Roberts. He does not have much power but has the ability to steal bases. In 6 career minor league season he has stolen over 30 bases three times. Both players are worth owing in NL only leagues.

Washington Nationals:

As a team in the last 7 days the Nats are hitting only .193. The only positive is the play of OF Lastings Millledge. To start the season he is hitting .308 with 1 home run and 5 RBI. He has scored 8 runs in only 13 games played. He should be own in all formats and is a nice number 5 OF.

American League:

Baltimore Orioles:

Rookie OF Adam Jones is starting to play well. In his last 6 games he is batting .350 with 1 home run and 1 RBI. After his hot start 1B Aubrey Huff is only hitting .136 in his last 6 games. The O’s will play 6 games in week 4, traveling to Seattle and Chicago.

Boston Red Sox:

SS Julio Lugo should start looking over his shoulder. Rookie SS Jed Lowrie made his debut on Tuesday. Despite hitting .280 it is only a matter of time until the Sox are fed up. He should start in AL-only leagues but be weary of his status as a starter. 3B Mike Lowell looks to be back by week 5. His swelling in his thumb has gone down drastically and he is on schedule to return by the end of the month.

Chicago White Sox: 6

C A.J. Pierznski continues to be hot. He is hitting .421 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI. 3B Joe Crede has started to slow down. In his last 6 games he is hitting .200 yet has of his 4 hits 2 of them are home runs. New arrival SS Orlando Cabrera is starting to adjust in Chicago. In his last 6 games he is hitting .368 and has raised his average from .158 to .255. Look for him to start in all AL only leagues and most mixed formats.

Cleveland Indians:

DH Travis Hafner in 54 at-bats has only 2 home runs. Last year his power numbers decline drastically. He is more than capable to hit over 30 home runs yet he is only slugging .435. C Victor Martinez has yet to homer in his first 32 at-bats. Regardless, he is hitting .375 and is the most potent power hitting catcher in the game.

Detroit Tigers:

SS Edgar Renteria is starting to get hot. In his last 7 games he is hitting .386 with 1 home run and 7 RBI. 2B Placido Polanco continues to struggle. In his last 6 games he is hitting only .190, look for other options at 2B. The Tigers have a great week ahead. They will play 7 games playing the Rangers and Angels at home and starting the week by ending a 3 game series on the road in Toronto.

Kansas City Royals:

At home cle tor Fantasy owners desperate for steals may want to look at OF Joey Gathright. In 13 games this season he has stolen 6 bases. 1B Ross Gload quietly is hitting .326 in 43 at-bats.

Los Angels Angels:

1B Casey Kotchman is having the start all Angel fans have wanted. He is hitting .352 but more importantly he has 4 home runs and 10 RBI. If he continues at this pace he will hit over 30 home runs. Most of his damage has come in the last week. In his last 6 games he has 3 home runs and 9 RBI, while hitting .478. He is a must start for week 4.

Minnesota Twins:

Both C Joe Mauer and 1B Justin Morneau had a tough week. Mauer in his last 5 games is hitting .220, while Morneau is slightly better at .227. Rookie OF Carlos Gomez has only 4 hits in his last 28 plate appearances. OF Jason Kubel has been hot over his last 6 games. He has 2 home runs and 9 RBI.

New York Yankees:

OF Hideki Matsui is having another solid year. He is hitting .314 and along with A-Rod both have 3 home runs and 8 RBI. 2B Robinson Cano continues to struggle at the plate. In his last 7 games he is hitting .160.

Oakland Athletics:

OF/DH Jack Cust has seen better days. He is hitting .083 in his last 5 games. On a positive note OF Emil Brown is having a fine year. In his last 7 games he is hitting .304 with 4 RBI. SS Bobby Crosby continues his stellar play to start the year. Over the last week he has 6 RBI and is hitting a respectable .286.

Seattle Mariners:

SS Yuniesky Betancourt does overwhelm anyone with his numbers but continues to hit for average. He is hitting .294 with 5 RBI. OF Raul Ibanez who usually heats up after the All-Star break has started off with a ban, he has 5 home runs and 14 RBI. C Kenji Johjima in his last 5 games is hitting .438. It is safe to put him into fantasy lineups for week 4.

Tampa Bay Rays:

3B Evan Longoria is finally up from the minors and hopefully for his owners here to stay. He has started off well hitting .333. In limited playing time OF Eric Hinske is hitting .313 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI. Both SS Jason Bartlett and 2B Akinori Iwamura have been awful. Each are hitting under .240 and it is only a matter of time until IF Willy Aybar gets an opportunity, he is hitting .292.

Texas Rangers:

OF Milton Bradley is hitting .341 to start the year. He is on a 10 game hitting streak and a good stopgap option in AL-only leagues. 3B Hank Blalock seems to be right on track for a rebound year. He is hitting .296 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI.

Toronto Blue Jays:

2B Aaron Hill is on the verge of becoming an All-Star for years to come. He already has 2 home runs and 12 RBI. It seems this year that OF Alex Rios will challenge for 30-30. He already has 4 steals and he ended last year with 24 home runs. Look him to become a fantasy star the rest of the season.

Teams playing 7 Games

Atlanta Braves

Arizona Diamondbacks

Chicago Cubs

Cincinnati Reds:

Colorado Rockies:

Florida Marlins:

Houston Astros:

Los Angeles Dodgers:

Milwaukee Brewers:

Philadelphia Phillies:

St. Louis Cardinals:

San Francisco Giants:

San Diego Padres:

Washington Nationals:

Boston Red Sox:

Detroit Tigers:

Toronto Blue Jays:

Texas Rangers:

Pittsburgh Pirates:

New York Mets

Teams playing 6 Games:

New York Yankees:

Oakland Athletics:

Baltimore Orioles:

Chicago White Sox:

Cleveland Indians:

Kansas City Royals:

Los Angels Angels:

Minnesota Twins:

Seattle Mariners:

Tampa Bay Rays: