It's an interesting week with America's best baseball players in China for the Olympics. Here's what to expect:
Two-Start PitchersAmerican League
Must Start
A.J. Burnett - @DET (Zach Miner), @BOS (Tim Wakefield)
Scott Kazmir - @OAK (Gio Gonzalez), @TEX (Tommy Hunter)
Justin Verlander - TOR (Shaun Marcum), BAL (Dennis Sarfate)
John Danks - BOS (Josh Beckett), @OAK (Greg Smith)
Josh Beckett - @CHW (John Danks), TOR (Shaun Marcum)
Solid Options
Tim Wakefield - TEX (Tommy Hunter), TOR (A.J. Burnett)
Javier Vazquez - KC (Brian Bannister), @OAK (Gio Gonzalez)
Glen Perkins - NYY (Sidney Ponson), SEA (R.A. Dickey)
Shaun Marcum - @DET (Justin Verlander), @BOS (Josh Beckett)
Gio Gonzalez - TB (Scott Kazmir), CHW (Javier Vazquez)
Fausto Carmona - BAL (Dennis Sarfate), LAA (John Lackey)
Just Okay
Dennis Sarfate - @CLE (Fausto Carmona), @DET (Justin Verlander)
Garrett Olson - @CLE (Jeremy Sowers), @DET (Zach Miner)
Jeremy Sowers - BAL (Garrett Olson), LAA (Joe Saunders)
Zach Miner - TOR (A.J. Burnett), BAL (Garrett Olson)
Brian Bannister - @CHW (Javier Vazquez), @NYY (Sidney Ponson)
Sidney Ponson - @MIN (Glen Perkins), KC (Brian Bannister)
Tommy Hunter - @BOS (Tim Wakefield), TB (Scott Kazmir)
Sports
National League
Must Starts
Johan Santana - @WAS (Odalis Perez), @PIT (Jeff Karstens)
Tim Lincecum - @HOU (Roy Oswalt), @ATL (Chuck James)
Rich Harden - ATL (Chuck James), @FLA (Chris Volstad)
Cole Hamels - @LAD (Clayton Kershaw), @SD (Cha Baek)
Edinson Volquez - @PIT (Jeff Karstens), STL (Kyle Lohse)
Kyle Lohse - @FLA (Chris Volstad), @CIN (Edinson Volquez)
Dave Bush - WAS (Garrett Mock), @LAD (Derek Lowe)
Solid Options
Clayton Kershaw - PHI (Cole Hamels), MIL (Jeff Suppan)
Roy Oswalt - SF (Tim Lincecum), ARI (Randy Johnson)
Derek Lowe - PHI (Kyle Kendrick), MIL (Dave Bush)
Randy Johnson - @COL (Ubaldo Jimenez), @HOU (Roy Oswalt)
Anibal Sanchez - STL (Joel Pineiro), CHC (Ryan Dempster)
Jonathan Sanchez - @HOU (Brandon Backe), @ATL (Mike Hampton)
Ubaldo Jimenez - ARI (Randy Johnson), @WAS (Odalis Perez)
Chris Volstad - STL (Kyle Lohse), CHC (Rich Harden)
Jeff Suppan - @SD (Cha Baek), @LAD (Clayton Kershaw)
Pedro Martinez - PIT (Zach Duke), @PIT (Zach Duke)
Kyle Kendrick - @LAD (Derek Lowe), @SD (Chris Young)
Just Okay
Charlie Morton - CHC (Rich Harden), SF (Tim Lincecum)
Brandon Backe - SF (Jonathan Sanchez), ARI (Brandon Webb)
Zach Duke - @NYM (Pedro Martinez), NYM (Pedro Martinez)
Jeff Karstens - CIN (Edinson Volquez), NYM (Johan Santana)
Cha Baek - MIL (Jeff Suppan), PHI (Cole Hamels)
Joel Pineiro - @FLA (Anibal Sanchez), @CIN (Homer Bailey)
Odalis Perez - NYM (Johan Santana), COL (Ubaldo Jimenez)
The following pitchers are owned in less than 50 percent of fantasy leagues, but have starts this week that should make them solid options:
American League
Wednesday, 8/13 - Jeremy Guthrie @ CLE - Guthrie has a 3.26 ERA on the season, but that number actually improves on the road. With a 1.17 WHIP, this guy would have double digit wins on almost any team besides the Orioles. He should fare well against Cleveland's mediocre offense.
Wednesday, 8/13 - Kevin Slowey vs. NYY - Slowey has been very solid at home this season, sporting a 3.71 ERA when pitching in that garbage bag-covered stadium in Minnesota. The Yankees are clearly a tough opponent, but Slowey merits consideration.
Friday, 8/15 - Tim Wakefield vs. TOR - Nobody seems to have much faith in Wakefield: he's owned in just 20 percent of leagues despite an impressive 3.67 ERA. He's allowed just one run in his last 12 1/3 innings (before Sunday's game in Chicago), while striking out 10. Toronto is a bottom five offense in the AL.
National League
Monday, 8/11 - Dave Bush vs. WAS - Bush has a 3.30 ERA at home, and the Nationals have the worst offense in the major leagues. It's not brain science.
Wednesday, 8/13 - Joe Blanton @ LAD - So far this month, Blanton has allowed five hits and one run in 14 innings. On Wednesday, he'll face the Dodgers, who have one of the poorer offenses in the major leagues.
Wednesday, 8/13 - Paul Maholm vs. CIN - Maholm is owned in 10 percent of fantasy leagues, but he has a 3.76 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP on the season. In two starts against Cincy this season, Maholm has two wins and a 1.46 ERA.
Friday, 8/15 - Jamie Moyer @ SD - Moyer was an inning away from notching his sixth consecutive quality start on Tuesday. This week he has a match-up with San Diego's brutal offense, so the streak should begin anew.
Friday, 8/15 - Wandy Rodriguez vs. ARI - Rodriguez continues to pitch well at home, where he's sporting a 3.31 ERA. He'll face Arizona's mediocre offense, and that should lead to another quality outing.
Total GamesAmerican League
7: BAL, BOS, CHW, CLE, DET, TOR
6: KC, MIN, NYY, OAK, TB, TEX
5: LAA, SEA
National League
7: FLA, HOU, LAD, MIL, NYM, PHI, PIT, SF, STL, WAS
6: ARI, ATL, CHC, CIN, COL, SD
American League
Baltimore - 4 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties
Boston - 6 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Chicago White Sox - 5 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Cleveland - 4 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties
Detroit - 4 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties
Kansas City - 5 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Los Angeles Angels - 3 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Minnesota - 5 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
New York Yankees - 5 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Oakland - 4 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Seattle - 3 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Tampa Bay - 3 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties
Texas - 4 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Toronto - 5 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Notes:
Los Angeles faces lefties in two of its five games this week.
Good For:Jeff Mathis (.273 vs. LHP),
Bad For:Mike Napoli (.148)
Seattle faces lefties in two of its five games this week.
Good For:Adrian Beltre (.356 vs. LHP), Willie Bloomquist (.351), Jamie Burke (.387), Jeff Clement (.240), Raul Ibanez (.318), Jose Lopez (.350)
Bad For:Kenji Johjima (.181), Ichiro Suzuki (.262)
Tampa Bay faces lefties in three of its six games this week.
Good For:Jason Bartlett (.337 vs. LHP), Ben Zobrist (.278)
Bad For:Carl Crawford (.248), Eric Hinske (.133), Evan Longoria (.250), Dioner Navarro (.231), Carlos Pena (.183)
National League:
Arizona - 4 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Atlanta - 4 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Chicago Cubs - 5 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Cincinnati - 5 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Colorado - 2 vs. Righties, 4 vs. Lefties
Florida - 7 vs. Righties, 0 vs. Lefties
Houston - 5 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Los Angeles Dodgers - 5 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Milwaukee - 5 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
New York Mets - 5 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Philadelphia - 6 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Pittsburgh - 6 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
San Diego - 3 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties
San Francisco - 4 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties
St. Louis - 6 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Washington - 4 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties
Notes:
Colorado faces lefties in four of its six games this week.
Good For:Garrett Atkins (.404 vs. LHP), Jeff Baker (.324), Chris Iannetta (.409), Willy Taveras (.287), Troy Tulowitzki (.324)
Bad For:Clint Barmes (.267)
San Diego faces lefties in three of its six games this week.
Good For:Scott Hairston (.291), Chase Headley (.340)
Bad For:Josh Bard (.179), Adrian Gonzalez (.201), Tadahito Iguchi (.175)
For the latest on injuries, check out Rotoworld's handy Injury Page.
Carlos Lee - OF - Finger - Out indefinitely
Vernon Wells - OF - Hamstring - Return mid-August?
Aaron Hill - 2B - Head - Out indefinitely
Ryan Braun - OF - Back - Day-to-day
Adam Wainwright - SP - Finger - Return early August
Tom Glavine - SP - Elbow - Return mid-August
Kerry Wood - RP - Back - Day-to-day
Orlando Hudson - 2B - Hand - Out indefinitely
Justin Upton - OF - ribs - Return August
Eric Byrnes - OF - Hamstring - Out indefinitely
Nomar Garciaparra - SS - Knee - Return mid-August
Takashi Saito - RP - Elbow - Return September?
Rafael Furcal - SS- Back - Return September?
Victor Martinez - C - Elbow - Return late August
Travis Hafner - DH - Return August?
Erik Bedard - SP - Shoulder - Out indefinitely
John Maine - SP - Shoulder - Return mid-August
Billy Wagner - RP - Arm - Return late August
Adam Jones - OF - Foot - Return September
Khalil Greene - SS - Hand - Out for season
Adam LaRoche - 1B - Ribs - Return mid-August
Matt Capps - RP - Shoulder - Return late August
C.J. Wilson - RP - Elbow - Out indefinitely
Evan Longoria - 3B - Wrist - Day-to-day
Rocco Baldelli - OF - Hamstring - Return early August
Mark Grudzielanek - 2B - Ankle -Likely out for season
Alexi Casilla - 2B - Thumb - Return late August?
Michael Cuddyer - OF - Foot - Out for season
Joba Chamberlain - SP - Shoulder - Return September
Jorge Posada - C - Shoulder - Out for the season
Hideki Matsui - DH - Knee - Out indefinitely
Phil Hughes - SP - Ribs - Out indefinitely
For this week's top waiver adds, read my opinion in this week's Waiver Wired.
AL
1. Gil Meche
2. Ian Kennedy
3. Phil Hughes
4. Anthony Reyes
5. Brad Ziegler
NL
1. Rickie Weeks
2. Brad Penny
3. Lastings Milledge
4. Clayton Kershaw
5. Chris Perez
