Fantasy Clicks: Sunday Afternoon Revelations

Recent Fantasy Clicks 7-20-09: Ian's Opening Salvo/Parting Shot 7-17-09: It's All About The Slot -- #6 7-15-09: MLB All-Star Game Revelations 7-13-09: Another Twin-Killing Under The Dome 7-10-09: The Giant Beast Walks Among Us 7-08-09: It's All About The Draft Slot: #1 7-06-09: Just Another Day At The Bronx Zoo 7-03-09: Meet Your Fantasyland All-Stars 7-01-09: Fitz & His Merry Men Of Angry Rushers 6-29-09: The Joys Of Stealing Home On The Road 6-17-09: Joe Versus The Volcano Of Expectations 6-15-09: Phabulous Phantasy Goodness in Philly 6-12-09: Fenway Franks & Losers' Angst 6-10-09: Where Fantasy Eagles Dare Fly 6-08-09: Marathon Men Take Over Petco Park 6-05-09: Mr. 300 Goes To Washington 6-03-09: Just Shooting The Bayou Brees 6-01-09: Angels and Speed Demons in SoCal 5-29-09: Fantasy Foxes Invade the Desert 5-27-09: SI's Bout with NFL Mock Madness 5-25-09: M&M Boys' A-list production 5-22-09: It Was A 20-to-1 Shot, Doc 5-20-09: SI's Bout with NFL Mock Madness 5-18-09: Split Personality, Sweeping Reform 5-15-09: Chris Davis ... Built For Fun 5-13-09: Not Favre From Over? Ugh! 5-11-09: Prince Albert's Great American Voyage 5-08-09: Manny's Suspended Animation 5-04-09: Man Of Steal Rides Again 4-29-09: Dangers Of RB Overpopulation 4-27-09: It's All About The O's 4-24-09: The New Falconer 4-22-09: Fantasy Breakdown Of NFL Sked 4-20-09: The Utlimate Fantasy Catch-22 4-17-09: Cyclist Of The Century 4-15-09: NFL Slices Of Heaven, Part II 4-13-09: All Hail The Check-Swing King 4-10-09: Welcome To Adventureland 4-08-09: NFL Slices Of Heaven 4-06-09: Opening Night Revelations 4-03-09: Draft Night Revelations, Part II 3-30-09: Draft Night Revelations, Part I 3-27-09: Draft Rules To Live By 3-23-09: Catch A Rising Star 3-20-09: Look Out For Pick No. 1 ... and 24 3-18-09: PVR Perfect 3-17-09: Don't Forget About Me 3-13-09: Welcome To Spring Break 3-12-09: LT2 Losing His Charge 3-11-09: Sudden Impact 3-09-09: Hip, Hip ... Hurry Back, A-Rod 3-06-09: Revenge Of The Cyst 3-05-09: A Disappointing Deadline Day 3-04-09: Cosmic Charlie 3-02-09: Aces In The Hole 2-27-09: Depth Perceptions 2-23-09: NFL Combine Revelations 2-20-09: Designated Long Drivers 2-19-09: The Brady Hunch 2-16-09: Seeking Sweet Relief 2-13-09: Sneak peek at an MLB mock draft 2-12-09: Boozer's Snoozer Of A Season 2-11-09: Impossible to ignore 2-9-09: The Secret Life of A-Rod 2-6-09: Pick of the 2B litter 2-5-09: Time for a fantasy bailout 2-4-09: Another winged wonder? 2-2-09: Super Bowl Revelations 1-30-09: Super Bowl Clicks 1-29-09: Aussie Re-Open 1-27-09: Fire sale! 1-26-09: Tim Lincecum vs. the world 1-23-09: The can't-miss kid? 1-22-09: Rip off! 1-20-09: No consolation prizes 1-19-09: Championship Sunday Revelations 1-16-09: Into the great wide open 1-15-09: Chickens, a King and free throws 1-13-09: Grab your Skates 1-12-09: Divisional Playoff Revelations 1-09-09: Playoff horse of a different color 1-07-09: Rocky Mountain Low 1-05-09: Wild Card Revelations 1-02-09: Playoff-A-Palooza

Sunday Afternoon Revelations

Ian Kinsler (left): AP

In the interest of making Clicks bigger and better than ever, we'll spotlight each Sunday's most fantasy-friendly game, NFL Revelations-style. Our choice to cap off Week 15 was a no-brainer, featuring the only game to end on a walk-off homer ... courtesy of a stud who gave yours truly one of the greatest parting gifts in the annals of fantasy transactions:

Rangers 5, Twins 3 (10 innings)
What I Liked: Note to self: If David Murphy is hitting below The Mendoza Line from April-June next year (and he will) ... DO NOT PANIC! For the second straight year, the Rangers outfielder has proffered a second-half explosion out of nowhere; and once again, I jumped ship on Murphy wayyyyyyyyyyy before his actual fantasy expiration date. Does the monkey ever learn? On Sunday, Murphy collected three hits and raised his average to a highly respectable .279 ... considering he was batting .194 on May 19.

What I Liked, Part II: Four regular fantasy contributors (Murphy, Ian Kinsler, Delmon Young, Marlon Byrd) each tallied two hits on Sunday. Regarding Byrd (two runs), he's the perfect No. 3 or 4 outfielder in real baseball, a guy who'll quietly provide 10 HRs, 80 RBIs and hit. 285 every season.

What I Liked, Part III: Twins starting pitcher Francisco Liriano had another solid outing (6 Ks, 2 earned runs in 6 innings), following up on a good-to-great last 30 days (3.86 ERA, 31/14 K-BB ratio). I say "good-to-great" only because many fantasy owners were thoroughly disgusted with his April/May output and subsequently had him lumped in the pitcha non grata class of Dontrelle Willis or Sidney Ponson by June. But let this be a lesson to everyone: Sure, Liriano may never recapture his pre-elbow-surgery form from 2006 (12-3, 2.16 ERA, 144/32 K-BB ratio) ... but he's still capable of anchoring Minnesota's staff for the stretch run. He's even worth a quasi-blockbuster trade in mixed leagues.

What I Bronx Cheered: Nick Punto's homer and three hits brought temporary relief to the AL-only owner who's been riding out NP's porous production all season (obviously out of necessity). In the last 30 days, Punto's hitting .186 (8-for-43) with seven runs, one home run, two RBIs and just two steals. Yikes!

What I Loved: Kinsler led off Sunday's game with a home run, struck out a couple of times and then ended the extra-inning affair with a two-run blast in the 12th (three RBIs total). That's the good news. On the sad front, I'm sorry to report that I traded him (along with Jon Lester) for a pair of American League All-Stars around the 7th Inning Stretch. I'll address that blockbuster deal in a few minutes.

What Made Me Cringe: Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer combined to go 0-for-11, while stranding eight runners on the basepaths. Ordinarily, I wouldn't make a big fuss over Mauer's occasional bouts with mortality ... but if memory serves, this is his second consecutive week of being in What Made Me Cringe for Fantasy Revelations. Budding trend or footnote to all-world season? As the '80s supergroup Asia once crooned, Only Time Will Tell.

Fantasy 2-Pack: Pitchers

These pitchers are scheduled for two starts in Week 16 (July 20-26). Hence, they're potential gold in weekly leagues:

Ted Lilly, Cubs
Cliff Lee, Indians
Derek Lowe, Braves
Max Scherzer, Diamondbacks
Gavin Floyd, White Sox
Tommy Hanson, Braves
Nick Blackburn, Twins
Kevin Millwood, Rangers
Ervin Santana, Angels
Dallas Braden, Athletics
Andy Pettitte, Yankees
David Price, Rays
John Smoltz, Red Sox
Joel Pineiro, Cardinals
John Lannan, Nationals
Chad Gaudin, Padres
Jorge De La Rosa, Rockies
Doug Davis, Diamondbacks
Armando Galarraga, Tigers
Jonathan Sanchez, Giants
Rick Porcello, Tigers
Jeff Niemann, Rays
Ross Ohlendorf, Pirates
Jamie Moyer, Phillies
Ryan Sadowski, Giants
Todd Wellemeyer, Cardinals
Jason Schmidt, Dodgers
Brian Moehler, Astros
Sergio Mitre, Yankees
Livan Hernandez, Mets
Tim Stauffer, Padres
Clayton Richard, White Sox
Micah Owings, Reds
Garrett Olson, Mariners
Brett Cecil, Blue Jays
Gio Gonzalez, Athletics
Anthony Swarzak, Twins
Mike Burns, Brewers
David Hernandez, Orioles
Virgil Vazquez, Pirates
Sean O'Sullivan, Angels
Rodrigo Lopez, Phillies

Tuesday's Hero

Need an emergency starting pitcher off the waiver wire in time for Tuesday's games? Here's one diamond in the rough to consider, as a short-term fix and possible long-term keeper:

Clayton Richard, White Sox (vs. Rays)
This is usually the spot where I divulge a handful of reasons as to why the recommended starter should flourish for one day. But I'm taking a complete leap of faith -- with really nothing to stand on -- involving Richard, who owns a dreadful 10.50 ERA and 1.89 WHIP since June 20. And since he'll be facing the red-hot Rays Tuesday night, I would totally understand if you just ignored this advice and moved on to "The Road to Wellville" segment. But here's why I'm touting Richard in the short term: He's desperate to be the White Sox' No. 5 starter for the stretch run ... and he MUST pitch well in both auditions for Week 16 (Chicago has eight games in that span) -- otherwise, he may be consigned to "Triple-A ace" status the rest of the season.

The Road To Wellville

These hitters should fare remarkably well against average-to-subpar pitching throughout Week 16 (July 20-26):

Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox (@ Rangers, vs. Orioles)
Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox
Jason Bay, Red Sox
David Ortiz, Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox
J.D. Drew, Red Sox
Nick Green, Red Sox
Jason Varitek, Red Sox
Derek Jeter, Yankees (vs. Orioles, vs. Athletics)
Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
Mark Teixeira, Yankees
Johnny Damon, Yankees
Robinson Cano, Yankees
Jorge Posada, Yankees
Brett Gardner, Yankees
Nick Swisher, Yankees
Ian Kinsler, Rangers (vs. Red Sox, @ Royals)
Josh Hamilton, Rangers
Nelson Cruz, Rangers
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Rangers
Michael Young, Rangers
Hank Blalock, Rangers
Marlon Byrd, Rangers
Elvis Andrus, Rangers

Tough Road Ahead

On the flip side, these hitters are likely headed for a mini-slump in Week 16 (July 20-26), due to poor pitching matchups. I'm not saying "Don't start 'em" ... just be wary of these guys facing at least four top-end hurlers during this period. Note: Hanley Ramirez isn't mentioned with the Marlins, for obvious reasons, given that he's Hanley Freaking Ramirez ... and that I would feel stupid for even suggesting another slump at any point this year:

Chris Coghlan, Marlins (@ Padres, @ Dodgers)
Emilio Bonifacio, Marlins
Jeremy Hermida, Marlins
Dan Uggla, Marlins
Cody Ross, Marlins
John Baker, Marlins
Jorge Cantu, Marlins
Chipper Jones, Braves (vs. Giants, @ Brewers)
Ryan Church, Braves
Brian McCann, Braves
Martin Prado, Braves
Yunel Escobar, Braves
Casey Kotchman, Braves
Garret Anderson, Braves
Nate McLouth, Braves
Jim Thome, White Sox (vs. Rays, @ Tigers)
Alexei Ramirez, White Sox
Gordon Beckham, White Sox
Jermaine Dye, White Sox (although he usually tears it up at Comerica Park)
Chris Getz, White Sox
A.J. Pierzynski, White Sox
Scott Podsednik, White Sox
Paul Konerko, White Sox
B.J. Upton, Rays (@ White Sox, @ Blue Jays)
Carl Crawford, Rays
Evan Longoria, Rays
Jason Bartlett, Rays
Ben Zobrist, Rays
Carlos Pena, Rays
Willy Aybar, Rays
Dioner Navarro, Rays

Man-Child Prodigies Update

The hype machine for some of MLB's super prospects hitting the majors reached "ludicrous speed" (thanks, Spaceballs) back in late May ... that is, until a few of them temporarily crashed and burned amid all the pomp and circumstance. Here's a 30-day progress report on the league's most ballyhooed phenoms:

Tommy Hanson, Braves: 13/10 K-BB ratio in 23.1 innings, 1.93 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 2 wins
Rick Porcello, Tigers: 6/8 K-BB ratio in 13.1 innings, 7.43 ERA, 2.33 WHIP, 0 wins
David Price, Rays: 16/13 K-BB ratio in 18 innings, 6.50 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 2 wins
Derek Holland, Rangers: 20/4 K-BB ratio in 13.2 innings, 4.94 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 2 wins
Matt Wieters, Orioles: 14-for-63 (.222) with 5 runs, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs, 0 steals
Andrew McCutchen, Pirates: 26-for-101 (.257) with 14 runs, 1 HR, 14 RBIs, 8 steals

The Great Divide

I glean real joy in obsessing over K/BB ratios in fantasyland baseball -- especially when faced with the daunting task of rebuilding WHIP totals from April/May shambles. To wit, here are the 20 best strikeout-to-walk pitching ratios since June 20 (minimum 25 strikeouts):

1. Michael Wuertz, Athletics -- 28/2
2. Josh Beckett, Red Sox -- 27/3
3. Ted Lilly, Cubs -- 32/4
4. Dan Haren, Diamondbacks -- 41/5
5. Tim Lincecum, Giants -- 47/9
6. Ricky Nolasco, Marlins -- 40/6
7. Felix Hernandez, Mariners -- 39/8
8. Zack Greinke, Royals -- 30/5
9. Justin Verlander, Tigers -- 45/12
10. Roy Oswalt, Astros -- 37/10
11. Chris Carpenter, Cardinals -- 34/7
12. Cole Hamels, Phillies -- 28/5
13. Aaron Harang, Reds -- 34/9
14. Jon Lester, Red Sox -- 37/11
15. Adam Wainwright, Cardinals -- 47/15
16. Jose Contreras, White Sox -- 28/7
17. Chad Gaudin, Padres -- 39/15
18. John Lackey, Angels -- 38/14
19. Wandy Rodriguez, Astros -- 33/12
20. James Shields, Rays -- 26/6

We Interrupt Fantasy Clicks ...

... to announce the arrival of Sports Illustrated's fantasy football spectacular, available online and at magazine racks nationwide. This 168-page tome is chock-full of rankings, columns (two from yours truly), features, draft-day advice, in-season strategies, booms, busts and an experts' mock draft, enlisting an army of SI's award-winning fantasy and NFL writers (including Peter King). Last but not least, it boasts perhaps the coolest cover of any fantasy magazine you'll ever see!

Am I overselling it a little bit? Perhaps. But the early feedback I've gotten from my fantasy brethren suggests SI's first major foray into fantasy football will be an absolute triumph -- and that it could become an all-time best seller within the genre. (UPDATE: My well-placed moles have informed me that SI's fantasy mag is indeed the top seller to date ... sweeeeeet!)

The Missing Links

Need a helping hand with your fantasy baseball research? Well, here are the Web sites that I check every morning (and night) -- all in the name of 24/7 roster improvements:

**Baseball America
**Baseball America's 2009 Top Prospects
**Rotowire Player Search Database (great for targeting prospects)
**MinorLeagueBaseball.com's Stats page
**MLB.com's Fantasy Page
**Baseball-Reference
**Baseball Prospectus
**Accuscore.com
**Retrosheet
**The Hardball Times
**Dallas Morning News' Rangers blog (co-writers Richard Durrett, Jeff Wilson)
**Seattle Times' Mariners blog (Geoff Baker, author)

Postscript: It goes without saying, you MUST become a regular subscriber (or at least make it a "Favorite" on your desktop) to your players' team blogs in respective newspapers (like San Diego Union-Tribune writer Bill Center's engaging insight on Padres Adrian Gonzalez, Jake Peavy, Heath Bell, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Chase Headley, Oscar Salazar, Kyle Blanks, etc.). These sites should be your daily lifeline when conducting research. And for those playing in AL- or NL-only leagues, your absolute best friend from April to September should be the ever-changing depth charts running on MLB.com's team pages.

Total Bases Recall

Justin Upton: AP

For the loyal Clicks readers of fantasy football, you've heard me prattle on a thousand times about the importance of Targets -- the number of times a receiver is thrown to -- and how it's a fail-safe method for evaluating receivers. Well, I am equally passionate (fanatical?) about Total Bases in fantasy baseball. By my way of thinking, TB is the perfect convergence of coveting power hitters and on-base machines who make a living from doubles. It's also a stellar indicator of future success. Here are the top 30 leaders (with ties) in total bases (through July 19):

1. Albert Pujols, Cardinals -- 232
2. Prince Fielder, Brewers -- 200
3. Adam Lind, Blue Jays -- 197
4. Justin Morneau, Twins -- 197
5. Aaron Hill, Blue Jays -- 190
6. Mark Teixeira, Yankees -- 189
7. Chase Utley, Phillies -- 184
8. Ryan Howard, Phillies -- 182
9. Pablo Sandoval, Giants -- 182
10. Mark Reynolds, Diamondbacks -- 181
11. Raul Ibanez, Phillies -- 180
12. Ian Kinsler, Rangers -- 180
13. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins -- 180
14. Ryan Braun, Brewers -- 179
15. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers -- 179
16. Robinson Cano, Yankees -- 179
17. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners -- 177
18. Miguel Tejada, Astros -- 174
19. Adam Dunn, Nationals -- 173
20. Brad Hawpe, Rockies -- 173
21. Justin Upton, Diamondbacks -- 173
22. Russell Branyan, Mariners -- 172
23. Evan Longoria, Rays -- 172
24. Jermaine Dye, White Sox -- 171
25. Michael Young, Rangers -- 171
26. Kendry Morales, Angels -- 169
27. Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals -- 169
28. Matt Kemp, Dodgers -- 168
29. Nelson Cruz, Rangers -- 167
30. Jason Bay, Red Sox -- 166
31. Paul Konerko, White Sox -- 166
32. Carlos Pena, Rays-- 166

Analyze This

Getting rid of a fantasy man-crush is never easy. That's why it comes with a heavy heart that I had to part with Ian Kinsler in the SI.com & Friends league on Sunday -- in the pursuit of categorical titles in batting average and runs (with Dustin Pedroia) ... while also securing the services of the incomparable Zack Greinke. But this deal could easily blow up in my face, since I also surrendered Red Sox starter Jon Lester, who's been on a certifiable tear in the last 30 days (37/11 K-BB ratio, sub-1.50 ERA, sub 1.15 WHIP). IF this was a boneheaded move, then surely the delicate geniuses at Accuscore would let me know, courtesy of their customized player projections from this point forward (July 20-Oct. 1):

My team (This Week's TWIB Notes)
Pedroia: .319 average (.384 OBP), 55 runs, 5 HRs, 36 RBIs, 10.9 steals

Greinke: 6.3 wins, 2.29 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 95 strikeouts

Owner B
Kinsler: .278 average (.349 OBP), 56 runs, 15.7 HRs, 47.9 RBIs, 16.3 steals
Lester: 7.9 wins, 3.71 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 88.8 strikeouts

Analyze That

As long as we have the Accuscore Projectionator 5000 cranking, here's the projected breakdown of an intriguing 3-for-3 swap from a CBS mixed league:

Owner A
Jorge Posada: .271 average (.366 OBP), 25.1 runs, 8.4 HRs, 33.5 RBIs, 0.8 steals
David Price: 3.9 wins, 4.72 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 91.1 strikeouts
Edinson Volquez: 5.1 wins, 3.84 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 62.1 strikeouts

Owner B
Victor Martinez: .302 average (.376 OBP), 36.1 runs, 9.7 HRs, 42.1 RBIs, 0 steals
Rich Harden: 4.6 wins, 4.09 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 86.6 strikeouts
Felix Hernandez: 6.6 wins, 2.86 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 88.8 strikeouts

Verdict: This has all the makings of a blowout in Owner B's favor. Harden and Felix prevail in wins, ERA, WHIP and strikeouts and Martinez has a decided edge over Posada -- even though he's hitting a Buddy Biancalana-esque .120 (with three homers) since June 20.

Speaking Of V-Mart ...

Now that I have Arizona's Miguel Montero on-board in the SI.com league, I would like to trade V-Mart for one frontline starting pitcher. On the surface, it should be a no-brainer to get top-of-the-line value for an All-Star who's 1st in hits, 1st in runs, 1st in RBIs and 3rd in HRs among all catchers. And yet, given his massive downturn and substantial injury history, I cannot even get 60 cents on the dollar in a 1-for-1 swap. It's been said in all walks of life, and the same applies for fantasy baseball: Timing is everything!

The Untouchables

Gut feelings aside, these stars should NOT be dealt in any garden-variety 1-for-1 or 2-for-2 swap this season: (If you're using them as a means to a blissfully lopsided trade in your favor ... then, by all means, do the deed!)

Hitters
Evan Longoria, Rays
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
Ryan Braun, Brewers
Prince Fielder, Brewers
Jason Bay, Red Sox
Torii Hunter, Angels
Derek Jeter, Yankees
Chone Figgins, Angels
Mark Teixeira, Yankees
Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
Adam Jones, Orioles
Brian Roberts, Orioles
Carl Crawford, Rays
Joe Mauer, Twins (a 9th-round steal for risk-taking owners)
Matt Kemp, Dodgers
David Wright, Mets
Nick Markakis, Orioles
Andre Ethier, Dodgers
Adrian Gonzalez, Padres
Hanley Ramirez, Marlins (it's a bird, it's a plane ... no, it's Han-Ram!)
Albert Pujols, Cardinals
Justin Morneau, Twins
Matt Wieters, Orioles (don't overthink this ... let him play)
Chase Utley, Phillies

Starting Pitchers
Johan Santana, Mets
Roy Halladay, Blue Jays
Zack Greinke, Royals
Jon Lester, Red Sox
CC Sabathia, Yankees
Edwin Jackson, Tigers
Yovani Gallardo, Brewers (I'm finally ready to move heaven/earth to land him)
Matt Cain, Giants
Tim Lincecum, Giants
Chad Billingsley, Dodgers
Josh Johnson, Marlins
Dan Haren, Diamondbacks
Johnny Cueto, Reds
Justin Verlander, Tigers
Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers

Relief Pitchers
Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox
Joe Nathan, Twins
Trevor Hoffman, Brewers
Francisco Rodriguez, Mets
Matt Capps, Pirates (he has officially run out of free passes here)
Francisco Cordero, Reds
Mariano Rivera, Yankees
Heath Bell, Padres
Jonathan Broxton, Dodgers
Joakim Soria, Royals

Positional Assumptions

In most leagues, a player becomes eligible for a new position once he's played five games at that spot in the current season. Here's a list of players who have either earned new-position eligibility ... or are on the cusp of accomplishing this often-overlooked and underappreciated status:

3B Chris Davis, Rangers (now 1B-eligible)
2B Clint Barmes, Rockies (now SS-eligible)
SS Gordon Beckham, White Sox (now 3B-eligible)
SS Jhonny Peralta, Indians (now 3B-eligible)
3B Hank Blalock, Rangers (now 1B-eligible)
C Ramon Hernandez, Reds (now 1B-eligible)
3B/OF Chris Coghlan, Marlins (should be 2B-eligible by mid-June)
2B Jose Lopez, Mariners (now 1B-eligible)
2B Emilio Bonifacio, Marlins (now 3B-eligible)
DH Jason Giambi, Athletics (now 1B-eligible)
2B Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians (now SS-eligible)
3B Mark Reynolds, Diamondbacks (now 1B-eligible)
3B/1B Carlos Guillen, Tigers (now OF-eligible)
1B Conor Jackson, Diamondbacks (now 1B-eligible)
1B Pablo Sandoval, Giants (now 3B-eligible)
2B Mark DeRosa, Cardinals (now 1B/3B- and OF-eligible)
OF Felipe Lopez, Diamondbacks (now 2B-eligible)
OF Skip Schumaker, Cardinals (now 2B-eligible)
3B Garrett Atkins, Rockies (now 1B-eligible)
OF Adam Dunn, Nationals (now 1B-eligible)
OF/2B Mark Teahen, Royals (now 3B-eligible, thanks to Alex Gordon's injury)
SS Michael Young, Rangers (now 3B-eligible)
3B Jorge Cantu, Marlins (now 1B-eligible)
2B Alexei Ramirez, White Sox (now SS-eligible)
C Victor Martinez, Indians (now 1B-eligible)
OF Kendry Morales, Angels (now 1B-eligible)
SS Ben Zobrist, Rays (now 2B- and OF-eligible)
OF Nick Swisher, Yankees (now 1B-eligible)
3B/SS Marco Scutaro, Blue Jays (now 2B-eligible)
3B Ian Stewart, Rockies (now 2B- and OF-eligible)
2B/OF Jerry Hairston, Jr., Reds (now 3B- and SS-eligible)
SS/OF Ben Zobrist, Rays (now 2B-eligible)

Running Hot

All-Star snub aside, Pablo Sandoval has been a fantasy monster in the last month, hitting .337 (31-for-92) with 14 runs, seven homers, 23 RBIs and two steals on his résumé since June 20. And yet, the Giants third baseman (with 1B eligibility) can easily be had in trade talks ... for the low, low price of a bigger "name" player with good-to-middling stats. Don't believe me? Well, try pitching one of these deals (below) in your fantasy league ... and we'll see just how much weight Big Sandy's first-half run carries with skeptical fantasy owners:

**Sandoval for Alex Rios
**Sandoval for Jimmy Rollins
**Sandoval for Alfonso Soriano
**Sandoval for Scott Kazmir
**Sandoval for Erik Bedard
**Sandoval for Adam Wainwright
**Sandoval for Carlos Zambrano
**Sandoval/Denard Span for Troy Tulowitzki/Cliff Lee
**Sandoval/Edwin Jackson for Rich Harden/Brian Roberts
**Sandoval/Matt Cain for Daisuke Matsuzaka/Kevin Youkilis
**Sandoval/Nyjer Morgan for Jered Weaver/Russell Martin
**Sandoval/Randy Wells for Hideki Matsui/Andre Ethier/Pedro Martinez
**Sandoval/Jason Bartlett/Javier Vazquez for Jonathan Broxton/Aaron Harang/Jim Thome

Stock Report

In case you care, here's an update for the much-talked-about AND highly volatile SI.com & Friends fantasy league. It's your typical 14-team, 5x5, roto-style setup:

1. This Week's TWIB Notes (Jay Clemons) -- 94 points (back on top after 1-day hiatus)
2. The Farmer John Family (Scott Wraight) -- 88 points (15-point, 5-slot bump in seven days)
2a. Pete Rose's Best Bet (Tim Dwyer) -- 88 points (just missed on Kinsler's bombs)
4. Teixeira's Slow Start (Jon Machota) -- 87.5 points (a very-nasty 6-point Sunday slide)
5. Prestige Worldwide (Charlie Kight) -- 84 points (being the better Kight brother ...)
6. Being Kenny Powers (Bobby Kight) -- 80.5 points (... only counts for bragging rights in '09)
7. Downtown Killer B's (Mike Bernaiche) -- 80 points (the leaders should fear him -- he's legit!)
8. Krasmanian Devils (Lonny Krasnow) -- 73 points (not bad for autodraft team/stand-pat owner)
9. Packham Mortuary (Drew Packham) -- 68.5 points (so much for Broxton's bad toe)
10. Hoboken Highlanders (David Katz) -- 64.5 points (needs greatness in three more categories)
11. The Funcookers (Jeff Ritter) -- 64 points (refuses to part with Carlos Gomez)
12. Joker Marchants (Josh Wymer) -- 60.5 points (dead-last in three pitching realms -- d'oh!)
13. Brandon & Jason Show (Marcus/Schwartz) -- 59 points (eyeing the SI.com football draft))
14. Hackensack Bulls (Cory McCartney) -- 58.5 points (the Atlanta Braves of fantasyland -- not enough offense)

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