Projo Fantasy Sports Blog

By Rob Steingall

We conclude the 2008 Fantasy Baseball Season with our final Weekly Planner with advice for the final week and a glance toward 2009.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Put 'em in

Ryan Shealy, 1B, Royals: He's been on fire over the past week, blasting five home runs and driving in 10. He is on the road this week against the Tigers and the Twins, which bodes well for his owners, as he's done most of his damage away from Kauffman Stadium (.438 road batting average).

Kevin Millwood, SP, Rangers: Pitching two complete games during the past month qualifies him for workhorse status, and his three wins over that timeframe are quite useful as well. He gets two starts this week against the Athletics and the Angels, clubs he has had good success against in '08. He owns wins over both, a complete game against the Angels, and an ERA of 1.35 against Oakland. He's a fine play during this crucial playoff period.

Bench 'em

Alex Gordon, 1B/3B, Royals: He certainly hasn't lived up to his "post-hype sleeper" status in '08, posting a .254 batting average with only 14 home runs before going down with a torn right hip flexor. It is highly unlikely the time off changed anything, and he is bound to disappoint you further this week away from home, where he is batting a putrid .249.

John Lackey, SP, Angels: In full "recharge" mode heading into the playoffs, you shouldn't expect much more than five or six innings out of him going forward. Manager Mike Scioscia is being very careful with his ace and, unfortunately for you, he doesn't care about your fantasy team's playoff push. His lone start this week, against the Rangers, is bound to be a short one.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Put 'em in

Jayson Werth, OF, Phillies: A big part of the Phillies' latest resurgence, the outfielder has flashed power (seven home runs and 20 RBI) and a high average (.337) during the past month. He is home all week against the Braves and the Nationals, so you can certainly expect a few more long balls off his bat to leave the friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park.

Aaron Harang, SP, Reds: He's come back from the dead during the past month, posting a 1.93 ERA and 1.02 WHIP, along with a complete game. He gets two turns this week, against the Marlins and the Cardinals. His consistently high strikeout rate (7.7 K/9) is always a plus when he starts, so consider him a top option going forward.

Bench 'em

Aaron Rowand, OF, Giants: Nothing short of a bum during the past month (.224 average and one home run), he belongs on all waiver wires from here on out, unless you need his meager stats in an NL-only league. He's at home all week, where he is batting only .264 on the season. Lucky for him, he doesn't need to perform to earn his truckload of money.

Anibal Sanchez, SP, Marlins: Pros: He is striking out nearly a batter per inning during the past month. Cons: He has an ERA of 8.22 over the same time span. If you need further motivation not to start him, he's on the road during his lone start this week, where he has an ERA of 8.00. He could be a huge bargain next spring if he bounces back to his pre-injury form.

 Tags  Aaron Harang Aaron Rowand Alex Gordon Anibal Sanchez baseball Jayson Werth John Lackey Kevin Millwood Rob Steingall Ryan Shealy Weekly planner

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