Carlos Zambrano is one of the two start studs we recommend this week.
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As we enter Week 22 of the fantasy baseball season a couple of important mileposts are upon us. First of all, the waiver trade deadline is August 31st, and it’s entirely possible that some trades could go down before the week is over. Several teams that are in contention still have unmet needs heading into the stretch drive, so expect the rumor mill to be churning all week long especially as the deadline approaches. Secondly, August 31st is also the traditional trade deadline for the vast majority of fantasy leagues. If you are considering a trade to bolster your fantasy team’s chances for a money finish, and need a little free advice or an evaluation, you are welcome to post your question in our baseball forums, or you can send me an email with any questions you might have at TimM@sportsgrumblings.com. I promise to get back to you within 12 hours on the forum and within about 8 hours if you email me directly. Finally, MLB rosters expand to 40 players as of Sept 1st, and many teams will be calling up prospects from the minor leagues to bolster their benches and add depth for the stretch drive. Many of these call ups present an opportunity for the savvy fantasy manager. Stay tuned to the news pages, and various columns on Sports Grumblings.com for the latest on the September call ups and their impact on the fantasy landscape.
Including this week, there are just five weeks left of fantasy baseball. Five weeks left for you to catch the teams in front of you in the standings, or to fend off challenges from those below you in the standings. We here at Sports Grumblings will be with you right to the bitter end of the regular season with all of our regular columns and good advice to help you DOMINATE your league. If you are looking for some ideas for players you should trade for, look no further than our Team Power Rankings for a few clues. The teams that are sitting atop our Power Rankings have the highest proportion of players that can help your fantasy team. This is true of both offensive players that can provide home runs, RBI, and runs scored, as well as stolen bases, AND the starters and closers that can bring you wins, strikeouts, saves, and decent ratio stats. Other places you can get information on players to target in the trade market or on the waiver wires would include Waiver Wire Wonders, Matt Swain’s fine weekly column that covers players you will find on waivers in many leagues. If you’re looking for pitchers to stream, so that you can make up ground in the pitching categories, should be sure to check out Bryan Everson’s Extra Innings. If it’s closers or middle relievers you need to make your team better, the column for you is Pen Names. Each week Damian Schaab posts his closer and reliever rankings in addition to giving you his own brand of sound advice and insight. Then there is Burning Up the Bases, where Kevin Burgoyne, The Statistocrat, finds all the base stealers you need, and gives you insight into finding hidden stolen bases each week. When the rookies and other prospects are called up at the end of this week, they will more than likely end up being profiled by Seth Frankel on the pages of In Focus. Finally, the other great place to go here at Sports Grumblings where you can find all kinds of fantasy information and advice of all types is the almost daily Grumble. Each day, a different SG expert takes the helm and brings you their unique perspective on fantasy sports, and they always toss in some extra advice that you won’t find anywhere else.
Finally, as always, I will bring you all the fantasy tips I usually bring to every week’s Leading Off. I’ll be here every week, right to the end of the season. Don’t forget that you can email me any time at TimM@sportsgrumblings.com, and I will gladly answer.
Oh, and one last thing. For those of you with Premium memberships to Sports Grumblings, every Friday and Saturday evening there is a fantasy football expert available for instant gratification style support. Simply visit our Premium Support page, click on the big green icon, and you will be able to chat with the expert on any and all things football. That will do it for Leading Off this week. Catch you next week with more tasty fantasy goodness.
Two Start Pitchers for Week 22
Low Risk - Go ahead and start these two start pitchers with confidence for Week 22.
Jurrjens vs. Marlins, @ Nationals
Lilly @ Pirates, vs. Phillies
Zambrano @ Pirates, vs. Phillies
Haren @ Padres, vs. Dodgers
Webb @ Padres, vs. Dodgers
Francis @ Giants, @ Padres
Lowe @ Nationas, @ Diamondbacks
Peavy vs. Diamondbacks, vs. Rockies
Cain vs. Rockies, @ Reds
Pettitte vs. Red Sox, vs. Blue Jays
Shields vs. Blue Jays, vs. Orioles
Halladay @ Rays, @ Yankees
Liriano @ Mariners, @ A’s
Baker @ Mariners, @ A’s
Weaver vs. A’s, vs. Rangers
Lackey vs. A’s, vs. Rangers
Medium Risk – Start these pitchers if you can tolerate a moderate risk to your ratios.
Olsen @ Braves, vs. Mets
Myers vs. Dodgers, @ Cubs
Moyer vs. Mets, @ Cubs
Rodriguez vs. Reds, vs. Cardinals
Wakefield @ Yankees, vs. White Sox
Jackson @ Tigers, vs. Mariners
Galarraga vs. Indians, vs. Royals
Meche vs. Rangers, @ Tigers
Smith @ Angels, vs. Twins
Karstens vs. Cubs, vs. Brewers
Billingsley @ Phillies, @ Diamondbacks
High Risk – I wouldn’t do this if I were you. These guys can do some real damage to your stats.
Balester vs. Dodgers, @ Braves
Arroyo @ Astros, vs. Giants
Moehler @ Mets, vs. Cardinals
Reineke vs. Diamondbacks, vs. Rockies
Waters vs. White Sox, @ Rays
Burres vs. White Sox, @ Rays
Richard @ Orioles, @ Red Sox
Greinke vs. Rangers, @ Tigers
Braden @ Angels, vs. Twins
Feldman @ Royals, @ Angels
Millwood @ Royals, @ Angels
By the Numbers
The Phillies, Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, Twins, Angels, A’s, and Rangers are all playing seven (7) games during Fantasy Week 22. The Brewers and Cardinals are scheduled to play just five (5) games during the week, while the rest of the teams will play six (6) games.
Park Factors
Hitters Parks
The Phillies play all seven of their games in hitters parks, including three at home.
The Reds play all of their games in hitters parks this week, including three at home.
The Astros play six out of seven games at home this week.
The Red Sox play all six games in hitters parks, including three at home.
The Yankees, Tigers, and Rays are at home for six games this week.
The White Sox play six games on the road in hitters parks this week.
The Indians play six games in hitters parks, including three at home.
Pitchers Parks
The Braves play all six of their games in pitchers parks this week, including three at home.
The Nationals, Pirates, Padres, and Angels are at home all week.
The Brewers play all five of their games on the road in pitchers parks.
The Rockies play all six of their games on the road in pitchers parks.
The Twins play seven road games in pitchers parks this week.
The A’s play seven games in pitchers parks, including four at home this week.
Speed is the Name of the Game
Have your speedsters from the following teams active this week, as they are more likely than not to get some chances to steal.
The Rockies, Diamondbacks, Braves, Dodgers, Mets, Cubs, Orioles, Red Sox, White Sox, Rays, Angels, and Blue Jays should all reap the benefits of playing teams weak against stolen bases.
Tim McCullough is the Managing Editor of Sports Grumblings, and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA). He has more than 10 years of experience playing and writing about fantasy baseball and football. If you need advice on your fantasy teams, would like to ask a question, or offer comments or suggestions, he can be reached anytime at