Projo Fantasy Sports Blog

By David Ferris

Do not go gentle into that good fantasy night -- there's still five weeks of play to influence your standing. Your opponents may not have the stamina for the full season, but we don't let up until the finish line hits.

Pitchers

BUY

Josh Johnson, SP, Marlins: He's far ahead of the curve just 12 months off Tommy John surgery, in part due to the way he rehabbed - Johnson dropped 30 pounds during his time off. The Marlins have the makings of a dynamic staff if they can keep everyone healthy and happy; Johnson, Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez all have top-line stuff (Nolasco was dynamic at San Francisco this week), and Chris Volstad and Andrew Miller project as middle-of-the-rotation guys at minimum. The roomy park in South Florida doesn't hurt the cause, either.

SELL

Jason Isringhausen, RP, Cardinals: He's done for the year with a torn tendon in his elbow, and it's not clear if Isringhausen is willing, in his late 30s, to go through rehab and return next year. The Cardinals have moved on, with Chris Perry grabbing the closer job and Adam Wainwright returning to the rotation this weekend. Isringhausen never seemed to completely cash in on the potential we saw a decade and a half ago, but 293 career saves isn't too shabby.

HOLD

Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers: The team isn't babying his pitch counts and the home cooking has been good to him (five super turns in a row), so let's stop worrying here and just let the kid do his thing. Keep Kershaw away from road starts in Arizona and Colorado, but you'll want to use him everywhere else.

Jon Rauch, RP, Diamondbacks: Possession is nine-tenths of the law in fantasy bullpens, but Rauch is closing fast on Brandon Lyon in Arizona, and the Snakes can't wait forever if Lyon continues to struggle in the ninth inning. Bob Melvin isn't ready to make a change today, but Lyon's next blown opportunity could be his last. If we were redrafting today, we'd snag Rauch over Lyon without hesitation; even if he's not the full closer, he's a saver play in every other category.

Batters

BUY

Willy Taveras, OF, Rockies: His bat has perked up the last couple of weeks, and he's basically stealing at every opportunity (20 bags the second half). Taveras is a far better fantasy play than he is a real-life option, but in our stat grab, why worry about it? Go get the numbers.

SELL

Rickie Weeks, 2B, Brewers: He's been productive when he's played of late, but a sore thumb and the presence of Ray Durham certainly limit the upside. Weeks put up three runs and a steal in Wednesday's game, stats you can peddle before the next issue comes up here.

Casey Kotchman, 1B, Braves: His swing has been all over the place since the trade; perhaps he's trying too hard to win over the Atlanta fans, still stung by the Mark Teixeira exit. Kotchman won't play this weekend because of a sick relative, and you might want to rest him next week as he rebuilds his swing and confidence.

Ryan Braun, 3B, Brewers: The rib injury isn't going away, and it's likely to affect his power and willingness to run down the stretch. A healthy Braun is one of the Top 5 players in the National League, but he probably won't be back at full throttle until 2009.

HOLD

Nate McLouth, OF, Pirates: He's in the middle of a washout August, but there were six months of strong production prior to that (including 2006); so let's trust the depth of the data, not the short run. He's still a $20 guy, given his power and legs.

 Tags  baseball Casey Kotchman Clayton Kershaw David Ferris Jason Isringhausen Jon Rauch Josh Johnson Nate McLouth NL Stock Watch Rickie Weeks Ryan Braun Willy Taveras

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