Projo Fantasy Sports Blog

By Rob Steingall

These recommendations are only for the fantasy week May 5-11 unless otherwise suggested.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Put 'em in

Ervin Santana, SP, Angels: After a forgettable '07, Santana once again looks like the pitcher who won 16 games two seasons ago. He faces the Royals and the Rays this week, two lineups filled with young and inexperienced hitters. His BB/9 is at 2.0 this year, down from 3.5 in '07, which shows he's got much better command of his pitches. He could be looking at a 7-0 start with two strong showings.

Carlos Quentin, OF, White Sox: Quentin battled shoulder and hamstring injuries in '07. An October surgery to correct a torn labrum looks to have set him straight. He entered the weekend leading the league in homers and on-base percentage, and is among the league leaders in RBI. He faces the Twins this week, a very hittable staff, before traveling to Seattle to finish the week. He's quickly becoming a must-play in all formats.

Bench 'em

Boof Bonser, SP, Twins: Bonser gets only one start this week, against a powerful Red Sox lineup. In his only start against them in '07, he allowed three runs in five innings of work. Lefties hit Bonser very well last season, posting a .349 batting average against him. Expect him to hit the showers early this week.

Kenji Johjima, C, Mariners: An interesting week for Johjima, as he was signed to a lucrative contract extension only to be benched in favor of the recently called up Jeff Clement for two games later in the week. While Clement will primarily DH, he'll still be around to vulture some at-bats from Johjima going forward. Johjima saw his batting average dip below .200 last week, so keep him on your bench until he begins producing at his historic rate.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Put 'em in

Ryan Dempster, SP, Cubs: The Cubs' former closer is doing a great job in his conversion back to the starting rotation, starting the season with a 4-0 record and 3.16 E.R.A. He gets two starts this week, on the road against the Reds (1.29 E.R.A. in 14 road innings in '08), and at home against the Diamondbacks.

Jeff Kent, 2B, Dodgers: The fact that Kent is once again stroking the ball shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, as he has been one of the most consistent second basemen over the past decade. Kent faces the Mets and the Astros this week, two teams that have been battling pitching inconsistencies all season. Kent hit .440 last season against the Astros, his highest average against any National League opponent.

Bench 'em

Johnny Cueto, SP, Reds: One of the most added players in fantasy baseball after his first major-league outing, Cueto has struggled since, giving up five or more runs in three of his last four starts. Cueto gets starts against the Cubs and the Mets this week, two of the better offensive teams in the National League. Cueto could still be special, so be patient with him while he's on your reserve roster.

Khalil Greene, SS, Padres: Greene looks to really be struggling in the early going, as he is homerless in more than 100 at-bats this season after swatting 27 in '07. He's traditionally a batting-average killer you can live with due to his power bat and run production at shortstop, but this year he's done nothing but frustrate fantasy owners and drive them to the waiver wire for a replacement.

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