Fantasy Football

I don’t think we’re in the NL anymore…

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Javier Vazquez

Here are a few starters having a rough transition to the American League. I’m sure those SP in contract years are watching…

Back for a second round in the big city are ya?

Javier Vazquez (SP-NYY)

Javy didn’t have the greatest of tenures during his first stay in the Bronx in 2004. He finished just 14-10 with a horrific 4.91 ERA and 150 strikeouts. Vazquez isn’t exactly thriving in the pinstripes this trip either. Just two weeks into the season and four trips to the hill, over 4,000 owners in Yahoo! leagues have dropped Javier today due to his 1-3 start and 9.00 ERA.

Verdict: Hold in all formats. Find a nice spot on the pine for him until he turns it around, or is determined to be a lost cause.

This park isn’t as friendly as Petco!

Jake Peavy (SP-CWS)

Not such a great start to your first full season in Chicago, is it Jake? In four starts, Jake is 0-1 with a 7.66 ERA and a 1:1 K:BB ratio. Maybe both Peavy and Vazquez are taking the switch to the AL a little tougher than we thought. You think he regrets not exercising his “no-trade” clause a second time?

Verdict: See Javier Vazquez above.

Everything IS bigger in Texas. Including your ERA.

Rich Harden (SP-TEX)

Like the two previous pitchers, Harden has had a tough time adjusting to the AL in his first four starts in Texas. Three of Harden’s four outings have been for 4.1 innings or less. Rich is has been walking almost as many batters as striking out and his ERA is hovering around 5. There are two Texas pitchers I’d rather have on my roster, and one isn’t even there yet. Colby Lewis & Derek Holland (who as of this article is @OKC)

Verdict: Don’t let the door hit ya’ where the good lord split ya’!

An AL SP to Keep an Eye on:

Joe Saunders (SP-LAA)

There are only 3 SP in all of MLB has more wins than Saunders over the past two seasons. Any guesses? Doc (37), CC (36) and Cliff Lee (36). That’s right, Joe’s win totals over the past two equal that of Tiny Tim’s (33) and are more than Haren, Verlander and Wainwright (30 each), more than Greinke (29), King Felix (28) and Javy Vazquez (27). All of the previous, EXCEPT Saunders finished in the CY Young voting in 2009. Saunders was not considered a CY finalist due to his high ratio numbers. He’s not going to give you stellar 5-category numbers, but he will get you some much needed W’s without destroying your ERA & WHIP.  Expect Saunders to get back on track and look like he did in the previous years. Joe is currently owned in only 22% of Yahoo! leagues.

Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports Blog, Roto, Javier Vazquez, New York Yankees, Rich Harden, Texas Rangers, Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox, Joe Saunders, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Fonzy Scheme


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Rough transition back to the AL for these pitchers..