Projo Fantasy Sports Blog

By Rob Steingall

These recommendations are only for the fantasy week May 19-25 unless otherwise suggested.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Put 'em in

Dioner Navarro, C, Rays: Last year, he hit .285 with eight home runs and 31 runs batted in after the All-Star break. That hot hitting continues this year. He recently collected three multi-hit games against the Yankees, and heads into the weekend sporting a batting average of .387. He faces Oakland and Baltimore this week, and is shaping up to be a nice bargain for anyone who chose not to use an early draft pick on a catcher.

Daniel Cabrera, SP, Orioles: A perennial fantasy tease, Cabrera has started off the season very strong -- six of his eight starts have been quality ones. He’s walked a total of three batters his last three outings, going at least seven innings in each (two wins). He’ll get two starts this week, against the Yankees and the Rays, teams struggling to score. When he’s going good, he can be dominant, making him a nice add for those in need of pitching.

Bench 'em

Paul Konerko, 1B, White Sox: Ice cold thus far, as in barely above .200. His batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is currently .232, well below average (.300), showing that some of his struggles are due to bad luck. Konerko this week faces the Indians and the Angels, against whom he is 2 for 21 against this season. Stash him away until his fortunes begin to improve.

Justin Verlander, SP, Tigers: A huge disappointment this season, Verlander has seen his K/9 rate drop (5.4 in ’08, 8.4 in '07) and his BB/9 rate rise (3.9 in ’08, 3.0 in ’07). In April, his velocity was down almost 3 mph from last season, when he averaged 94.8 mph on fastballs. Whether it's something mechanical or a hidden injury, Verlander is a huge risk. Yes, he gets two starts against the Mariners and the Twins, but that's not a good thing given how he's pitching.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Put 'em in

Jeremy Hermida, OF, Marlins: Hermida has been on a roll lately, stringing together a seven-game hitting streak, which helped push his batting average back to around the .300 mark. His talent has never been questioned, but injuries have held him back during his first few seasons. He’ll face the Diamondbacks and the Giants this week at home, teams he hit 16 for 36 against last season.

Ted Lilly, SP, Cubs: Back-to-back double-digit strikeout performances have Lilly back on track following a sluggish start to the season. He gets two starts this week, against the Astros and the Pirates, teams he dominated last season (29/5 K/BB in 31 2/3 innings).

Bench 'em

Eric Byrnes, OF, Diamondbacks: Back in early May, Byrnes was informed by the league that he’d no longer be able to use his favorite red bats, since they were not an approved league color. Subsequently, he’s posted a batting average of just over .100 in May -- and continues to struggle at the plate while finding a new preferred piece of lumber. Keep him on your bench until he’s able to come to grips with his new wood.

Kyle Lohse, SP, Cardinals: After a terrific April, Lohse has gone into a tailspin in May, posting an E.R.A. of 10 in 17 innings. He’s also complained recently of tightness in his pitching shoulder, making him a risky play going forward until that issue gets resolved. He’ll face only the Dodgers this week, a team that pounded him last season (six earned runs in four innings).

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