New York's fistbaseman Carlos Delgado will get his numbers sooner or later. The Mets current lineup is the most dangerous offense in the 'Bigs"

Hitters: 3B Wilson Betemit continues to be a no-show for the Dodgers offensively. I suppose going 3-for-10 over the past three games could be considered progress though considering he was just 2-for-28 previously. NL-only leaguers really have no choice but to stick with the first-year starter, but he sorely needs to step up his play or he could face a reduction in playing time.

Pitchers: The Dodgers have to be very pleased with the performance of LHP Randy Wolf through his first four starts. The 30-year-old, nearly two years removed from Tommy John surgery, has pitched extremely well thus far (3-1, 3.38 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 25K/6BB in 24 IP). Obviously a must-start in NL-only leagues right now, Wolf also warrants consideration in mixed leagues.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

Hitters: Though there has not been a whole lot of power attached (0 HR and 4 2B), OF Kevin Mench has been swinging the bat well over the past five games. During that stretch he is 10-for-21 with 2 RBI and 6 R. He is not yet worth picking up in mixed leagues, but he does bear watching.

Pitchers: CL Francisco Cordero has been lights out. He has picked up five saves so far without giving up a run in seven innings of work. During that span, Cordero has allowed just one hit, walked two and struck out thirteen. Opposing batters are hitting just .048 against him.

NEW YORK METS

Hitters: 1B Carlos Delgado is still mired in an early season funk. He is batting a meager .209 with 0 HR and 10 RBI with 17 K in 67 AB. This is a guy who has hit 30 or more homers in each of the last ten seasons and has accumulated a .282 career batting average. The left-handed slugger surely did not all of the sudden forget how to hit so he is a good buy low target.

Pitchers: Don’t let the nice looking numbers (3-1, 2.70 ERA in four starts) fool you. LHP Tom Glavine has not been throwing the ball as well as the stats would indicate. He has a 1.37 WHIP and 11K/12BB so he is quite lucky to have the shiny ERA he has at the moment. Trouble could be on the horizon if the future Hall of Famer does not show a little better control in future starts.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Blame Brett Myer or manager Charlie Manuel if you like, but the Phils success rides on the bat of Howard.

Hitters: 1B Ryan Howard, currently day-to-day with a sprained ligament in his left knee, is off to a disappointing start (.213-1-7 in 47 AB). Once healthy, he should snap out of his slump soon enough. Do not do anything drastic as there will surely be owners in your league trying to buy on the cheap over the next few days.

Pitchers: The decision to move RHP Brett Myers, the team’s Opening Day starter, to the bullpen after just three starts was a stunner. However, mixed leaguers would be wise to hang on to him as there is a good chance manager Charlie Manuel will in the not too distant future realize the error of his ways. LHP Jamie Moyer (2-1, 3.05 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 14K/8BB in 20.2 IP) is quietly giving his NL-only league owners a solid return on their investment. The veteran is sure to hit his share of rough patches this season, but he should continue to have pretty decent value in NL-only leagues.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Hitters: 1B Adam LaRoche has actually been dropped in a fair amount of mixed leagues due to his horrible start (.100-2-5 in 50 AB). If he is in your league’s free agent pool, pick him up. He is overdue to break out of this slump any day now and should still be a solid option at first base. Let us not forget that LaRoche started slowly a year ago as well (.200-4-12 with 28 K in 75 April AB).

Pitchers: LHP Tom Gorzelanny has pitched well in his first three starts. He is 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 11K/4BB in 20.1 IP. Opposing batters are hitting a paltry .208 against him over that span. It is doubtful that he will continue at this clip much longer, but he will remain a solid play in NL-only leagues as long as he can stay healthy. Mixed leaguers may want to consider picking him up for the short-term.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Through the smile Pujols knows it is going to be a long season. This Cards team isn't very good

Hitters: We are now 17 games into the season and 1B Albert Pujols is still struggling. Oh, my, what are we to do?!? Relax, that’s what. Trust me, he’ll be fine. If anyone should be worried it should be the Cardinals and their fans—not about Pujols but about the rest of their offense. The Cardinals have managed to score just 50 runs this season—2.94 per game—while hitting .227 as a team.

Pitchers: The trendy preseason picks to help solidify the team’s starting rotation, RHP Adam Wainwright and RHP Anthony Reyes, have had a rough go of it so far. Reyes is 0-3 with a 5.62 ERA and Wainwright is 1-1 with a 3.20 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 12K/10BB. Surprisingly, RHP Braden Looper and RHP Kip Wells have started the season in style. Wells is just 1-3 despite a 3.12 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 22K/9BB in 26 IP. Looper is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 14K/8BB in 26 IP. Both Wells and Looper are sure to fade, but are certainly worth using until they do.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

Hitters: 1B Adrian Gonzalez got better as the season went along last year posting strong second half numbers (.336-11-45 with .960 OPS in 72 games) and has begun this season in similar fashion. The 24-year-old hit his fifth homer Saturday and now boasts a .308 batting average and 16 RBI through 18 games.

Pitchers: In his defense, RHP Clay Hensley has been hampered by a blister on his middle right finger since late March. However, there is no denying the fact that coming into Saturday's game he had been dreadful in April (0-3, 12.21 ERA, 2.29 WHIP, .375 BAA and 7K/8BB in 14 IP). He should get back to having some value in NL-only leagues once the blister problem subsides, but until then, we would not recommend using him.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

Hitters: OF Barry Bonds has driven in 11 of the 55 runs scored by the Giants

Without Bonds the Giants offense is anemic; with him they are average.

through 16 games this season. He has also accounted for 5 of the teams 8 HR. Plain and simple, Bonds (.349-5-11 in 43 AB) is a scalding hot player on a frigidly cold offensive team.

Pitchers: He is not yet an option in mixed leagues, but LHP Noah Lowry has thrown the ball pretty well over his first three starts (1-2, 2.70 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 9K/8BB in 20 IP). Though he has yet to garner a win for his efforts, RHP Matt Cain has a 1.80 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 17K/9BB and measly .125 BAA in 20 IP). RHP Russ Ortiz is 2-1 with a 4.35 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 11K/6BB in 20.2 IP. Ortiz still looks like a very poor bet in NL-only leagues though with that poor K/BB ratio and .305 BAA.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Hitters: SS Felipe Lopez has been a bit of a disappointment so far. His .308 batting average is nothing to sneeze at, but fantasy owners were likely hoping for more than his current stolen base pace. Through 18 games Lopez has swiped just two bags after posting a career high 44 thefts in 2006. The steals figure to come eventually, but not at the same rate they did a year ago. Something along the lines of 30-35 SB would be a reasonable bet for 2007.

Pitchers: RHP John Patterson has not resembled the pitcher we have seen over the past two years. He is still working his way back from offseason forearm surgery so perhaps he just needs a little more time to get things going again, but mixed leaguers should be able to find better options in the interim. Our advice is to stash him on the bench, if possible. If not, drop Patterson and simply keep a close eye on him as the season progresses.