Projo Fantasy Sports Blog

David Ferris

Change is constant in the fantasy game, and we don't deal in brand names here, we deal with numbers. Here's a peek at a few portfolios you should be familiar with.

Hitters

BUY

Adam LaRoche, 1B, Pirates: He's the poster child for hitting when the weather heats up; his spring numbers are so ugly for his career, we don't want to print them on a family-friendly website. The worm has turned over the last 25 games, however (.359/.430/.616), and LaRoche has a career .893 OPS for the second half. Get in on this now.

SELL

Justin Upton, OF, Diamondbacks: He was great in April, mediocre in May and a total washout in June (.123 average, 25 strikeouts) as the book quickly circulated on the 20-year-old. He's not the first rookie to hit the wall quickly, but perhaps more minor-league seasoning is in order. Upton is also dealing with a sore rib cage at the moment, and the club can't rule out a DL trip.

Michael Bourn, OF, Astros: Cecil Cooper has turned him into a part-timer these days, and you can't blame the skipper -- Bourn has a skimpy .221/.276/.295 line tied to him right now. Bourn's 32 steals certainly have fantasy utility, but he's a dead spot in three categories, and even when he made it into Wednesday's lineup, he was buried in the No. 7 position. Wait until Bourn steals another base or two, then see if you can slide him to a bag-hungry opponent.

HOLD

Jeff Francouer, OF, Braves: He's back up with the big club after a short but productive time in the bush leagues. He's still a stellar fielder in right field and he's looked OK in his first two games at the plate (2 for 8, one homer). I wish we had a clearer sign that it's going to be better, but based on his career path, how can you not take a swing at the upside present?

Pitchers

BUY

Damaso Marte, RP, Pirates: A repeat stock from last week, but the saves chance is one of the most important things we do in this game. The Bucs haven't given Marte the full-on endorsement yet, but don't be tripped up -- he's got two saves this week and there's not much else behind him in John Russell's bullpen. If you've been taking a wait-see on the Matt Capps replacement, it's time to make a move -- go get Marte, even in mixed groups. The left-handed bias shouldn't work against him one bit, because he's been getting right-handers out all year (.202 batting-average against).

SELL

Aaron Harang, SP, Reds: His ailing forearm has him on the shelf for the moment, and the enigmatic Homer Bailey will get his spot Saturday. It's been a tricky run of starts for the Cincinnati rotation: Johnny Cueto has been hit or miss; Bronson Arroyo is a crafty righty at best who can't miss enough bats when he falls behind in the count; Edinson Volquez has shown plenty of dominant turns, but he's hit some speed bumps of late and still walks too many guys. Throw in a hitter-friendly park and a mercurial manager and this is one staff I'm fine to steer clear on, now that the price is bloated on Volquez's breakout.

HOLD

Jason Isringhausen, RP, Cardinals: How desperate did you say you were for saves? Ryan Franklin has found a way to eke out 12 saves in 14 opportunities, but he's clearly not a long-term solution here, and the Cards like the way Izzy has thrown the ball the last couple of weeks.

Chan Ho Park, SP/RP, Dodgers: He's got 23 strikeouts over his last three starts, and his relief work hasn't been that shabby either. Give the Dodgers credit for some thrifty work at the yard sale. Park won't get used enough to have mixed-league utility right now, but he should be deployed in any NL-only format at the moment.

 Tags  Aaron Harang Adam LaRoche baseball Chan Ho Park Damaso Marte David Ferris Jason Isringhausen Jeff Francouer Justin Upton Michael Bourn NL Stock Watch

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