Projo Fantasy Sports Blog

By David Ferris

Players change teams, managers move around roles, injuries hit, some players stop hitting. There's a lot of movement in each and every fantasy week, and we're here to help you make sense of it.

Pitchers

BUY

Kyle Farnsworth, RP, Tigers: He's got a spotty track record in the ninth inning, though he did have a dynamic run closing for Detroit the last time he was in town. Jim Leyland doesn't have any other strong options for the final frame - Todd Jones is hurt, Fernando Rodney has no idea where the ball is going, Joel Zumaya is erratic and injury-prone - so by default it seems like Farnsworth will get his shot here, sooner or later.

Francisco Liriano, SP, Twins: If you've had him stashed on your bench all this time, come on, get happy. The Twins have finally accepted what everyone else has known for eons: Liriano belongs in the rotation, and Livan Hernandez isn't the answer. Liriano's gone 10-2 with a 3.28 ERA in his extended Triple-A tryout, and he's been electric of late, piling up 51 strikeouts in his last 41 innings. He's capable of being a Top 10 pitcher in the AL from here on out.

SELL

Brandon Morrow, RP, Mariners: He did an excellent job as a stand-in closer, but J.J. Putz is back in the swing of things now, and the M's want to transition Morrow into a starting role for 2009. Maybe that's a good thing down the road, but it collapses the fantasy stock for now.

HOLD

Fausto Carmona, SP, Indians: His first staff off the DL was a complete and utter mess, but Carmona got the feel of his sinker back Thursday and had the Tigers pounding the ball into the ground. It's unrealistic to expect Carmona to get back to the 2007 level of production, but based on what we saw from him yesterday, take him off the restricted list and start him next week.

Batters

BUY

Jason Bay, OF, Red Sox: The switch to The Hub isn't going to send his numbers into the stratosphere - Pittsburgh's lineup has been nearly as productive as Boston's this year, and playing under the New England microscope brings pressures of its own. But Fenway Park is certainly a better fit for Bay than PNC Park, and he's capable of filling all five stat categories when his game is right. AL-only owners, it's time to empty that FAAB piggy bank (on Bay or Mark Teixeira, take your pick).

SELL

Michael Young, SS, Rangers: He wants to play through his broken ring finger, but consider he's 0 for 9 (with a handful of strikeouts) since the injury occurred. With Texas essentially out of the race, does it make sense to run Young out there if he's not 100 percent?

Paul Konerko, 1B, White Sox: He's been in a terrible funk for the entire season, and that's not going to change from the bench - where you'll find Konerko more often than not going forward. The only way for the White Sox to get Ken Griffey into their lineup involves Nick Swisher moving to first and Konerko to the bench, and given the stats Konerko has put up through four months (.214 average, .349 slugging), maybe that's the right way to play it. Defense? Let the Chicago pitchers worry about that.

HOLD

Gerald Laird, C, Rangers: He was involved in a slew of trade rumors at the deadline, and a waiver move is always possible, but for the time being Laird is in Texas, catching most of the time, and getting a hit from one of the most offensive-friendly parks in the league. He's never going to be confused with Mike Piazza, but location makes up for a lot in this stat-chasing game we play.

 Tags  AL Stock Watch baseball Brandon Morrow David Ferris Fausto Carmona Francisco Liriano Gerald Laird Jason Bay Kyle Farnsworth Michael Young Paul Konerko

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