Complete SP Rankings: Week 12

Source: Fake Teams by Brian Creagh

Rank

Player

First Opponent

Opponent

Second Opponent

Opponent

1

Matt Harvey

Paul Maholm

ATL

John Lannan

PHI

2

Adam Wainwright

Jeff Samardzija

CHC

Yu Darvish

TEX

3

Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Richard

SD

#N/A

#N/A

4

Cliff Lee

Ross Detwiler

WAS

#N/A

#N/A

Shuffle Up: Max Scherzer makes the leap

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Alright, gamers, this is the one Shuffle Up that matters the most. If you could consistently figure out the fickle sighs and signs of these sirens, everything else would be a breeze.

Our goal is to rank all the roto-relevant starting pitchers for the rest of 2013, thinking 5x5 value in a mixed league. The prices are used for comparison tools; don't worry about the numbers in a vacuum. Players at the same cost are considered even.

I'll add commentary later today and I welcome your intelligent disagreement. Win the debate, win the rank. But remember to support your dissent, and never forget the golden rule of roto: a player doesn't gain (or lose) 15-20 percent of bonus value simply because you're

Mostly MLB Notes: Buying Jason Heyward, examining Domonic Brown and praising Anibal Sanchez

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

For all the talk about how bad B.J. Upton has been, and believe me, it’s been warranted, Jason Heyward entered Monday sporting a .142/.283/.236 line. It’s come in a smaller sample thanks to an appendectomy, but Heyward also cost a higher pick at draft tables in March. He’s fast developing into one of the more confounding players in baseball, as after Heyward posted an .849 OPS (with a .393 OBP) as a 21-year-old rookie, he followed that with a .227/.319/.389 campaign. He bounced back last season, helping fantasy owners by hitting 27 homers, stealing 21 bases, recording 82 RBI and scoring 93 runs. With the sky seemingly the limit entering 2013, it appears he’s hell bent on continuing his

Fantasy baseball Pitching Report: Samardzija, Garza going strong

Source: SI.com

If you traveled to Vegas this offseason, you probably could have convinced one of the many sports books in town to give you about +20,000 that the Cubs would have three starting pitchers ranked inside the top 40 fantasy starting pitchers through the first two months of the season. You'd also be a lot richer today if you made that bet, because Jeff Samardzija, Travis Wood and Scott Feldman all rank among the top 40 pitchers as we sit here in the first week of June.

Mostly MLB Notes: Buying Jason Heyward, examining Dominic Brown and praising Anibal Sanchez

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

For all the talk about how bad B.J. Upton has been, and believe me, it’s been warranted, Jason Heyward entered Monday sporting a .142/.283/.236 line. It’s come in a smaller sample thanks to an appendectomy, but Heyward also cost a higher pick at draft tables in March. He’s fast developing into one of the more confounding players in baseball, as after Heyward posted an .849 OPS (with a .393 OBP) as a 21-year-old rookie, he followed that with a .227/.319/.389 campaign. He bounced back last season, helping fantasy owners by hitting 27 homers, stealing 21 bases, recording 82 RBI and scoring 93 runs. With the sky seemingly the limit entering 2013, it appears he’s hell bent on continuing his

Pitcher Profile: Jeff Samardzija Blows Away Diamondbacks

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

You ask and you shall receive!  I had numerous requests for a [player]Jeff Samardzija/player] Pitcher Profile, and since I'd only seen the fire-baller throw maybe once or twice against my Brewers, I thought it would be a great idea to break him down for Razzball Nation. I know the big righty features a huge fastball that flirts with the upper 90's, but off the top of my head I couldn't remember any specific secondary pitches so I was excited to really analyze one of his starts.  Remember when he was the top WR target for Brady Quinn?  Seems like ages ago!  Remember when he was an erratic fixture in that Cubs bullpen along with [player]Carlos Marmol[/player]?  I bet some of those innings made

Samardzija records first shutout in Cubs' win - Jeff Samardzija | CHC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Jeff Samardzija pitched a two-hitter for his first career shutout Monday against the White Sox.

Samardzija goes eight, Cubs defeat Rockies - Jeff Samardzija | CHC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Jeff Samardzija allowed two runs over eight innings and also contributed a two-run homer as the Cubs topped the Rockies 6-3 on Wednesday night.

Fantasy do-over: Auditing results from an in-season experts draft

Source: Roto Arcade by Andy Behrens

At the risk of tearing down the entire "fantasy expert" scam, we begin today with an admission: Occasionally, fantasy gurus get stuff wrong.

It's rare, but it happens. Back in March, it's possible that some of us led you to believe Roy Halladay was salvageable and that Adam Dunn was not terrible at baseball. We apologize for these misunderstandings.

With six weeks of MLB data in the books, it's time to reassess the player pool. We've assembled a group of 10 experts for an in-season baseball draft. The league settings are fairly standard: 5x5, mixed player pool, CI & MI, head-to-head, weekly lineups. Nothing too exotic.

[You can still own Paul Goldschmidt! It's not too late! Sign-up today for

Closing Time: Buying time for Tony Cingrani; Hanley Ramirez hurt again

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Casual Friday rules are in play, which means we'll go right to the bullets. But the wall-to-wall coverage of Cincinnati's rookie left-hander continues. Score like a champion today, gamer.

• Tony Cingrani returns to the mound Saturday for his fourth start with the Reds. He's quickly becoming appointment television after three electric turns (1.50 ERA, 28 K, 4 BB), including last week's six-inning domination of the Nationals (2 H, 0 R, 11 K). The Cubs will be well-armed as well, sending Jeff Samardzija to the mound. Opening pitch is 1:05 pm ET.

Cingrani owners can't just worry about their man, of course. There are peripheral elements in play; Cingrani's 2013 role with the club is

Two-Startapalooza — Week 6

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

Senior year of high school, I cheated on my final exam in religion class. Never got caught. Three others involved in the cheating scandal were each brought to justice -- they failed the test, failed the class, and had to retake the course the following semester. Did I feel guilty about my actions? F*#k no I didn't. I aced the test, and got a B+ in the class. It was the best grade I ever earned in religion. My parents were thrilled! Ever since then I've held a sort of admiration for those who cheat and get away with it, and even for some who didn't get away with it. I respect he who is ballsy enough to cruise down life's low road, while the rest of the chumps fight traffic on the high road. I'm halfway kidding, of course, but

Shuffle Up: The Tony Cingrani Problem

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Alright, gamers, settle in and let's get to work. Of all the baseball shuffles, this is the one that really matters: the starting pitcher shuffle. The fickle men of the mound are sure to define our season, for good or for bad.

We're trying to gauge everyone's 5x5 value going forward - everything to this point is merely an audition. We're only playing for 2013 here, and we're assuming a mixed-league environment. Don't worry about what the prices mean in a vacuum - they're only tools to compare the players with one another. Players at the same price tag are considered even.

I'll add comments as the night goes along, and I reserve the right to make rank changes over that time frame. Your intelligent

Complete SP Rankings: Week 3

Source: Fake Teams by Brian Creagh

Rank Player First Opponent Opponent Second Opponent Opponent 1 Justin Verlander Luis Mendoza KC 2 Cliff Lee James McDonald PIT 3 Clayton Kershaw Matt Harvey @NYM 4 David Price Phil Hughes NYY Jose Quintana @CHW 5 Felix Hernandez Brad Peacock @HOU Joe Blanton LAA 6 Stephen Strasburg Jaime Garcia STL 7 Matt Cain Patrick Corbin ARI 8 Adam Wainwright Ross Detwiler @WAS 9 Yu Darvish Tommy Hanson @LAA 10 Madison Bumgarner Ian Kennedy ARI 11 Matt Harvey Clayton Kershaw LAD 12 Cole Hamels Jeff Locke PIT Jon Niese @NYM 13 CC Sabathia Matt Moore @TB J.A. Happ TOR 14 Mat Latos Jeff Samardzija CHC 15 Jake Peavy Jeremy Hellickson TB 16 Kris Medlen Rick Porcello @DET 17 James

Over/Under: Is Giancarlo Stanton a fried fish?

Source: Roto Arcade by Brad Evans

Fantasy is a speculative game. Predict the future, and you look like a genius. Don't, and you're painfully human. Gazing into the crystal ball, here's our view on 10 intriguing over/unders this week.

Inadequately protected Giancarlo Stanton, who is still looking for his first homer and RBI on the year, combined HRs and RBI over the rest of the season 124.5

Andy – UNDER. Don't get me wrong: I think he can still be great, and he makes for a nice buy-low. But if you assume 35 homers rest-of-season, then he'll need to find 90 RBIs somehow. That's the trick. Plus he'll need to stay healthy.

Scott – UNDER. He's already hurt, I hate the lineup, I hate the negative

Over/Under: Is Gincarlo Stanton a fried fish?

Source: Roto Arcade by Brad Evans

Fantasy is a speculative game. Predict the future, and you look like a genius. Don't, and you're painfully human. Gazing into the crystal ball, here's our view on 10 intriguing over/unders this week.

Inadequately protected Gincarlo Stanton, who is still looking for his first homer and RBI on the year, combined HRs and RBI over the rest of the season 124.5

Andy – UNDER. Don't get me wrong: I think he can still be great, and he makes for a nice buy-low. But if you assume 35 homers rest-of-season, then he'll need to find 90 RBIs somehow. That's the trick. Plus he'll need to stay healthy.

Scott – UNDER. He's already hurt, I hate the lineup, I hate the negative

Fantasy baseball roundtable: Is Samardzija the real thing?

Source: SI.com

Is Jeff Samardzija the real thing, especially after his breakdown against the Braves? Who are some viable replacements for the newly-injured Jered Weaver? Our experts Eric Mack and Michael Beller have answers in this week's roundtable.

Mostly MLB Notes: Examining hot starts by Justin Upton, Chris Davis and Jeff Samardzija

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

Justin Upton posted an .899 OPS as a 21-year-old, got away from a franchise that he clearly didn’t see eye-to-eye with, and there’s a real chance last year’s disappointing season was a direct result of a since healed thumb injury. On the other hand, Upton had actually disappointed two of the past three seasons, finishing as the 122nd ranked fantasy player in 2010 and 47th last year. Upton also left one of the best hitter’s parks for a generally neutral one that happens to depress power for right-handers (Turner Field’s HR Park Index for RHB is 88 over the past three years). Despite the latter, fantasy owners thought more highly of the former and drafted him aggressively, as he was likely gone within

Roto Roundup: Jose Fernandez, Will Middlebrooks, Billy Butler, and Others

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

Sunday's MLB action marked the debut of Marlins pitching prospect Jose Fernandez, along with some big performances Jeff Samardzija, a possible closer change in Kansas City, and a huge game at the plate by Billy Butler.

Jose Fernandez dominant in his big league debut

Marlins top pitching prospect, 20 year old Jose Fernandez, made his major league debut yesterday in New York, and looked like a pitcher who has pitched in the big leagues for several

Samardzija fans 13 batters in loss to Braves - Jeff Samardzija | CHC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Jeff Samardzija struck out a career-high 13 batters over 5 2/3 innings Sunday in a loss to the Braves.

Fantasy baseball pitching report: Samardzija looks like an ace

Source: SI.com

Even before Matt Garza was placed on the disabled list to start the season, Jeff Samardzija was the Cubs' true ace. After his breakout 2012 season, Samardzija became the face of the starting rotation, and he earned key player status in Chicago -- alongside Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo -- as the Cubs continue to work their way back toward contending status. It was only a matter of time before Samardzija was named the Opening Day starter. On Monday, he showed why he deserves to be atop this rotation.

Chicago Fire: Carlos Marmol can’t close, so Kyuji Fujikawa does instead

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

The Cubs would love to trade embattled closer Carlos Marmol. Fantasy owners feel the same way. But come on now, who's kidding whom?

Chicago's opening-day victory at Pittsburgh on Monday was a walk in the park for eight innings; the Cubs pushed across three runs while the Pirates couldn't do a thing against dominating Jeff Samardzija (2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K). It seemed like a perfect setup for Marmol to work, a three-run lead against an ordinary opponent. Just avoid a total meltdown, then shake hands. Start the year with a rocking-chair save.

Alas, Marmol was born under a bad sign (and probably with a three-ball count). He fell behind all four batters he faced and only retired one man;

Jeff Samardzija dominant in win over Pirates - Jeff Samardzija | CHC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Jeff Samardzija gave up just two hits over eight shutout frames in the Cubs' 3-1 win over the Pirates on Monday.

Mostly MLB Notes: A 2013 Season Preview

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

Editor’s note: I wanted to get this posted much earlier, but I had my first kid recently (well, technically my wife had her), so that’s my excuse for the delay.

National League East

1. Washington Nationals
2. Atlanta Braves (WILD CARD)
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. New York Mets
5. Miami Marlins

Comments/Fantasy Predictions: Both Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper are top-15 fantasy players, while Dan Haren is a top-25 starting pitcher. Ryan Zimmerman proves to be a better pick than Evan Longoria, while Drew

Shuffle Up, Starting Pitchers: Exhuming McCarthy

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Alright, amigos, let's get to the prices on the mound. Here's how I rank the Top 90 arms or so for the 2013 season, 5x5.

Players at the same prices are considered even. Don't worry about the numbers in an isolated sense; what matters is how the players relate to one another. I reserve the right to tweak the list as the evening goes along. Win the debate, win the rank.

And remember the golden rule: a player doesn't gain 15-20 percent of bonus value simply because you roster him.

I'm sure there's more to the preamble but it's not coming to mind right now. I'll add commentary after the US and Mexico are done on the pitch. Make the jump, jumper.

$33 Clayton Kershaw
$32 Justin Verlander
$30

10 Bold Predictions for the 2013 Fantasy Baseball Season

Source: Fake Teams by Alex Kantecki

In keeping with the theme of the week at Fake Teams, here are my 10 bold predictions for the 2013 fantasy baseball season.

1) Jeff Samardzija will be a top-25 pitcher -- Samardzija bolted the bullpen for the starting rotation last year and finished 9-13 with a 3.81 ERA (3.38 xFIP; 3.40 SIERA) with 9.27 K/9 and 2.89 BB/9 in 174.2 innings of work. He had the second highest fastball velocity (95.1 mph) in the majors behind David Price, and his splitter is probably the best in baseball. He'll punch out 200 hitters if he reaches 200 innings, and the

Jeff Samardzija shelled in minor league game - Jeff Samardzija | CHC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Jeff Samardzija allowed five runs on six hits over four innings Wednesday in a minor league game.

Fantasy baseball 2013 team previews: Chicago Cubs

Source: SI.com

If the Cubs are searching for solace after a tough 2012, at least they don't have to exhaust themselves mentally to recall all the positive developments from the season. Jeff Samardzija proved himself a front-line starter. Starlin Castro pounded out nearly another 200 hits in his third season. Alfonso Soriano revived his sagging trade value, against all odds. Darwin Barney won a gold glove. That's about it for on-field accomplishments.

Jeff Samardzija: No Innings Limit on Tap

Source: RotoWire.com MLB

Jeff Samardzija: There will be no limits on Samardzija's innings this year, the Chicago Tribune reports. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update.

The Fantasy Freak Show Podcast: National Anthem insight, Super picks and rising Rizzo

Source: Roto Arcade by Brad Evans

Overpriced chicken wings, barley pops, good friends and random side bets you never intend on paying – that folks, is what the Super Bowl is all about.

On this week's cash money program, Scott Pianowski and Brad Evans will reveled their picks for XLVII, spun their favorite Vegas prop bets, talked up Anthony Rizzo and Jeff Samardzija, explained why Norichika Aoki is no one-year wonder and is Andrew McCutchen overrated? We unveiled our stance.

LISTEN TO

Jeff Samardzija: Fins Pointing Up

Source: Fake Teams by Alex Kantecki

I'm not a big Jimmy Buffett fan. I've been to one of his shows, like 10 years ago, and I don't remember much. Like any show, what makes a good show great is the people you share the experience with, not the artist, and Jimmy Buffett fans, or Parrotheads, are some of the better concert-going people I've come across in my concert travels.

They get super drunk, they shoot tequila down your throat without warning, and they won't let you leave their side until you pose for more pictures than yours and their camera or phone can hold. But what's most endearing about Parrotheads is their feelings toward clothes.

They wear very little

Player Profile: Paul Maholm

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Paul Maholm‘s name likely elicits, let’s see, a yawn? Before you lock that thought into your head as to what your reaction should be when the Braves’ lefties name as mentioned remember this:

Maholm had a better ERA than

Jeff Samardzija, 2013 Fantasy Sleeper

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

When looking for possible candidates for a 2013 fantasy baseball sleeper post, do you know how I found Jeff Samardzija?  No, I didn’t look up the most difficult player names to spell.  That might’ve have taken me to Samardzija.  Not to mention, Saltalamacchia or Avisail Garcia.  What the hell is an Avisail anyway?  It sounds like a nautical GIF.  (BTW, say Samardzija fast, like, three times and it trips you up; right now in my head, I’m calling him “Smegma,” so I can at least read back what I’m writing.)  So, I came upon Smegma (okay, that’s weird) for sleepers by simply looking to see which starters averaged the fastest pitch last year.  At the top of the heap is Strasburg; he ain’t

2012 Positional Review – Starting Pitchers: Hits

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Now that the 2012 season is over, it’s time to review how my predictions went for each position in fantasy baseball. To that end, I will review my top-10 at each position and give a brief rundown on how each of the ten performed. I’ll also list which player was a “Hit” (someone who lived up to expectations) as well as a “Miss” (the player who simply failed to impress).

Note: All of these rankings are taken from the

Review: NL LABR

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

The worst team of all-time.

The worst ever drafted.

How could I possibly be considered an expert drafting this team?

I heard some variance of the above in emails, in tweets, on my show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. I heard it from everyone. E V E R Y O N E. I left money on the table (a mistake I owned up to in my review of the draft). I had a

Mailbag: September13, 2012

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Jeff Samardzija' or find free 'jeff samardzija' pictures via Wylio" href="http://www.wylio.com/credits/flickr/6861569014"> Each week I’ll be answering questions that have been sent to me at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account in my never ending attempt to replace myself by explaining to everyone how I evaluate players thereby making myself obsolete.

Keeper for next season in 20th of 25 rounds, Jeff Samardzija or Brett Anderson?
– @Valen007

Very interesting question since both will

Samardzija terrific in complete game victory - Jeff Samardzija | CHC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Jeff Samardzija went the distance in a win over the Pirates on Saturday, allowing three runs on four hits.

Pitcher Ranks: Mythbuster

Source: Sporting News Fantasy Source Baseball

NL to AL. Pitchers park to hitters park. Laid-back media market to overbearing pressure cooker.

Hiroki Kuroda had to deal with all of those things this season when he moved from the Dodgers to the Yankees, and, like most pitchers who face even one of those "obstacles," he was expected by many to noticeably regress.

But the 37-year-old righty didn't flinch and is on pace for arguably the best season of his career. Kuroda's 3.14 ERA would be the second-best mark he's ever posted, and his 1.11 WHIP would be a career-best. He has seen a slight decline in strikeout rate (from 7.17 in 2011 to 6.56 this year), but that's come with a lower BB-rate (2.00) and, believe it or not, a lower HR-rate (1.00).

Also,

Samardzija to be shut down after Saturday - Jeff Samardzija | CHC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Jeff Samardzija will make his final start of the season Saturday against the Pirates.

Daily Joust: The Weekend Ahead

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Jay Bruce is at it again. He’s mashing. Over the past three weeks he’s hit .352 with eight homers, 19 RBIs and 16 runs scored. The recent rush has pushed his season marks to .265-32-93-80-7. Last season he produced a fantasy line of .256-32-97-84-8. It might look like nothing has changed but remember that he’s had 110 fewer at-bats this season.

Speaking of the Reds, Chris Heisey is hitting .469 over his last 32 at-bats for

Eaton Good In The SAGNOF Neighborhood

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

Adam Eaton went 2-for-6 with a run yesterday as the Diamondbacks called up their outfield prospect, and hit him leadoff.  The move is to fill in for Krispie, who’s out with a sore quad.  Krispie could return (he won’t go to the DL because with 40-man rosters, there’s no need to), but Eaton’s not coming up to play in one game a week.  The Diamondbacks are taking a look at players.  Getting them on the ol’ catwalk (hey, I can’t forget our 4 female readers).  To give you the brief summary up front about Eaton:  Imagine Pedroia in the outfield with more speed and less power.  He’s got spark plug written all over him (in invisible ink, so not to creep anyone out).  At five foot-eight soaking wet,

Cubs to discuss shutting Jeff Samardzija down - Jeff Samardzija | CHC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

The Cubs will discuss when they return home on September 13 whether or not to shut down Jeff Samardzija.

Votto Tuned

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

Reds announced that Joey Votto is able to return.  Crickets, pin dropping, echo…echo…echo… “God?  It’s me, Dusty Baker.  If I need him, is Votto ready to pitch?”  ”I’m afraid not, Dusty.  He’s not a pitcher.”  ”In the traditional sense?”  ”In every sense.”  ”How about as a reliever?”  ”No, Dusty.”  ”As a LOOGY?”  ”Fine, Dusty.”  ”Thanks!  Oh, and good job on creating toothpicks.”  ”I didn’t.”  ”Sure, and I didn’t ruin Kerry Wood and Mark Prior’s careers.”  The Reds said Votto could return today, but because they don’t need him and want to make sure he’s okay for the playoffs, they’re going to ease him back into the lineup.  It could

Fantasy Baseball 2012: 2-Start Pitchers Log for Sept. 3-9

Source: Bleacher Report MLB

The following 38 pitchers are expected to log two starts each for the week of Sept. 3-9.

For head-to-head league owners looking to squeeze out another six to nine strikeouts or one more win per week with unassuming free agents like Zach Britton, Jose Quintana, Jacob Turner or Milwaukee's Mike Fiers...this list might have a purpose.

For a top-10 ranking of this week's biggest two-start stars, click here.

CC Sabathia, Yankees Kris Medlen, Braves

The user’s guide to two-start pitchers, Week 22

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

September is the silly season for fantasy baseball. Rosters expand, for one thing, and a handful of non-contending clubs will turn the final month into community auditions. I'm sure some of the listings below will be altered or negated before the games are played. Let's be careful out there.

Just the tiers for now – I'm late for my hometown football auction (adventures in babysitting – no, really, I love these guys). I'll add comments, and perhaps shift some rankings around, after I get outbid for Russell Wilson.

American League

Ernie Pantusso
1. CC Sabathia -- at TB, at BAL
2. Matt Harrison -- at KC, at TB
3. Jason Vargas -- vs. BOS, vs.

Kenley’s Heart Being Questioned, Josh Beckett Knows How He Feels

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

It didn’t take long for Josh Beckett to cause people to question the heart of the Dodgers staff.  And they didn’t even have to send them a Valentine.  Look, we wouldn’t wish a heart issue on anyone but of all the Dodger closers over the years, why Kenley Jansen?  Why not Steve Howe?  He was a coke fiend.  Or Eric Gagne?  He was a steroid/HGH fiend.  Or Jonathon Broxton.  He looks like he was on the Josh Beckett diet every day of the week.  This is the same condition that sent Kenley to the DL last year and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same this year.  It’s not really something to mess with (or joke about, except in certain instances, apparently.  Don’t worry, I won’t joke about

Innings Limit: Not Strasburg

Source: Sporting News Fantasy Source Baseball

In case you haven't heard every day for the entire season, Washington's Stephen Strasburg likely will be shut down after 160 innings.

Strasburg, who is at 139.1 innings entering Tuesday's start against the Braves, might be the top pitcher taken in 2013 fantasy drafts, but he isn't the only pitcher who might be shut down in September.

To quote the best baseball movie of all time, "There are others, you know." Here's a closer look at some other fantasy-relevant pitchers up against the limit:

NON-CONTENDERS

Jeff Samardzija, Cubs. Samardzija's first season as a starter is a success. He's been especially effective since the break with a 2-3 record, 2.91/1.08 split and

Shuffle Up: The riddle of Zack Greinke

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

I'm not trying to slander every pitcher from Angels history, it just seems that way. I'll try to tackle Frank Tanana, Mike Witt and Chris Knapp before the New Year.

You should know the Shuffle Up rules by now. We're talking 5x5 roto value for the rest of the season. This isn't a keeper-league list, and it's not an A-to-Z ranking of what they've already done. I'll add comments as the day goes along, maybe tweak a ranking here and there.

Your respectful disagreement is always welcome, just make sure you defend your argument. It's good that you disagree; that's why we have a game. Just make sure you'd adding to the discussion when you comment; respect the room, gamer. And remember the golden rule: a player doesn't add

It Won’t Feel As Good When Profar Lacks Hits

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

The Rangers are thinking about calling up big-time prospect, Jurickson Profar.  When I saw that news my eyes did the John Lithgow’s eyes when he sees the gremlin on the wing of the plane in Twilight Zone, The Movie.  Then I started thinking, as I’m wont to do on occasion, Kinsler is on lock, Andrus isn’t going anywhere yet, Beltre and Olt can play 3rd, while Young can butcher all 4 positions and fly the “This guy is the heart of our team” flag.  Are the Rangers so crazed for the playoffs that they’re going to bring up the number two ranked prospect in all of baseball for a bench role?  Yes, yes they are.  In keepers, I’d grab him if he’s not already owned.  In Double-A this year, he has 13 homers

Samardzija whiffs 11 as Cubs down Astros - Jeff Samardzija | CHC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Jeff Samardzija was on his game Monday, punching out 11 Astros batters while tossing seven innings of one-run ball in the 7-1 win.

RCL Roundup: August 13

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

The Rank Railheads (RCL 40) stumbled and panthers_freak (We’ve Got the Runs — Baseball Reasons) pounced. The Railheads dropped 4 points to 110 and now sit 2 back of the new leaders in the overall standings, despite another superb week from their pitching staff. They used only 6 starts, and came away with a perfect 6 wins. Yovani Gallardo and Chris Sale each won 2, with Kris Medlen and David Price notching the other victories. Justin Verlander starred for We’ve Got the Runs with a win, 22 strikeouts, and