By Kevin Kleps, Fantasy Correspondent
Last month, we analyzed the closer situation for every team – with apologies to fantasy owners who rushed to acquire Masa Kobayashi on the waiver wire – and looked at the hitters who had vastly exceeded expectations.
Since we don’t want to ignore the guys who get full-time pay for part-time work, let’s look at the keys to any fantasy season – the starting pitchers. If you have a stud or three who pitches twice in a playoff week, you’re going to be difficult to beat, especially if you were astute or lucky enough to draft or pick up one of these guys – the starters who didn’t seem good enough to draft but who are throwing so well they are regulars in any format.
Some, we like. Others, not so much.
Buy
Cliff Lee, Indians: He might become the Tribe’s second Cy Young winner in as many years, only he’s no threat to join C.C. Sabathia on the way out of Progressive Field at the trade deadline. Lee is 10-1 with a 2.55 ERA heading into his start June 20 against the Dodgers. He was terrible last season (5-8, 6.30 ERA), causing many owners to forget how productive he was from 2004-06, when he was a combined 46-24. The Tribe is finally starting to hit, which should mean enough support for Lee to threaten the 20-win plateau.
Edinson Volquez, Reds: Fantasy’s best pitcher was traded for the majors’ RBI leader (the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton) before the season. Edge: Reds. Volquez, who won’t turn 25 until July 3, is 9-2 with a 1.64 ERA and a ridiculous 105 strikeouts in 88 innings. More amazing: He has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his 15 starts, and he’s given up one earned run or fewer 11 times. You don’t need me to tell you to start him every week.
Joe Saunders, Angels: He had won 15 games before this season, and with a record of 10-3, he’s on pace to beat that number by eight this year. I wouldn’t count on 23 wins, and I’d be a little leery of his three losses in his last seven decisions, but Saunders is pitching for one of baseball’s best teams, so the victories should continue. In points-based leagues that award a point for a strikeout, his value isn’t as high, especially in one-start weeks. Saunders has only 46 Ks in 94 innings.
Ervin Santana, Angels: Even the biggest Angels homer couldn’t have forecasted this. After 70 games, Saunders and Santana (8-3, 3.40 ERA) are a combined 18-6. Santana, like Lee, had a miserable 2007 (7-14, 5.76 ERA), causing owners to overlook his 2005-06 numbers (a combined 28-16 record). Santana has the edge over Saunders in points leagues, thanks to 82 strikeouts in 95 1/3 innings. He’s a regular starter.
Ryan Dempster, Cubs: He and Kerry Wood have traded places, with Wood now a regular starter as the Cubs’ closer, and Dempster (8-2, 2.81 ERA), who saved 85 games from 2005-07, serving as Chicago’s much-needed No. 2 starter to Carlos Zambrano. In 2000, Dempster was 14-10 with a 3.66 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 226 1/3 innings for the Marlins. Don’t expect 200 Ks this season, but he has struck out 53 in 52 2/3 innings in his last eight starts.
Shaun Marcum, Blue Jays: Owners might be frustrated that he’s winless in his last three starts, which isn’t his fault. Marcum has given up only four earned runs in 21 innings in that span, and he’s 5-3 with a 2.43 ERA on the season. Since allowing three earned runs in seven innings in his first start of the season, April 4 against the Red Sox, he has yielded more than two earned runs twice in 13 starts. He’s only started 53 career games, and he’s the American League ERA leader, leading me to believe the wins will soon follow the impressive ERA and strikeout totals.
Gavin Floyd, White Sox: Mark Buehrle? Javier Vazquez? Jose Contreras? No, no and no. The first-place White Sox’s wins leader is this youngster, who is 7-3 with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. Prior to this season, he had won only eight times in 29 starts. Floyd isn’t going to help you in strikeouts (he has 49 in 84 2/3 innings), but that’s not enough to bench a 15- or 16-game winner.
Click on to page 2 for the fast starters you might want to use as trade bait.
Kevin Kleps has covered fantasy sports for almost a decade at The News-Herald in suburban Cleveland. Have a question for Kevin? Shoot him an e-mail at kkleps@hotmail.com.
