Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Dominating D.C.

For the week July 30 - Aug. 5

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Start 'Em

1. Stephen Strasburg - PHI, MIA
2. Ryan Dempster - PIT, @LAD (tentative - watch for trade)
3. Homer Bailey - SD, PIT
4. Madison Bumgarner - NYM, @COL
5. Cliff Lee - @WAS, ARI
6. R.A. Dickey - @SD
7. Jordan Zimmermann - MIA
8. Matt Harvey - @SF, @SD
9. Mike Leake - SD, PIT
10. Gio Gonzalez - MIA
11. Johnny Cueto - SD
12. Clayton Kershaw - CHC
13. Matt Cain - NYM
14. Cole Hamels - @WAS
15. Roy Halladay - ARI
16. Edinson Volquez - @CIN, NYM
17. Tommy Hanson - MIA, HOU
18. Jeff Samardzija - @LAD
19. Jon Niese - @SF
20. Matt Garza - @LAD (check status)
21. Bronson Arroyo - SD
22. A.J. Burnett - @CHC
23. Erik Bedard - @CHC, @CIN
24. Tim Hudson - HOU
25. Josh Johnson - @WAS
26. Kyle Lohse - @COL, MIL
27. Edwin Jackson - PHI
28. Mat Latos - PIT
29. Yovani Gallardo - HOU, @STL
30. Michael Fiers - HOU
31. James McDonald - @CIN
32. Lance Lynn - @COL
33. Ian Kennedy - @PHI
34. Ben Sheets - MIA
35. Paul Maholm - @LAD
36. Adam Wainwright - MIL
37. Aaron Harang - ARI, CHC
38. Ryan Vogelsong - @COL
39. Ross Detwiler - PHI
40. Wade Miley - @LAD
41. Marco Estrada - HOU, @STL
42. Mark Buehrle - @ATL, @WAS
43. Chris Young - @SF
44. Joe Blanton - ARI
45. Jeff Karstens - @CHC
46. Trevor Cahill - @LAD, @PHI
47. Chad Billingsley - CHC
48. Chris Capuano - ARI
49. Mike Minor - MIA
50. Vance Worley - @WAS

Borderline Dpending on League Format

51. Joe Kelly - MIL
52. Drew Pomeranz - STL
53. Joe Saunders - @PHI
54. Ricky Nolasco - @ATL, @WAS
55. Wandy Rodriguez - @CIN
56. Barry Zito - NYM
57. Carlos Zambrano - @ATL
58. Jake Westbrook - @COL
59. Josh Collmenter - @LAD
60. Stephen Fife - ARI
61. Nathan Eovaldi - @ATL
62. Randy Wolf - @STL
63. Clayton Richard - NYM
64. Wade LeBlanc - @WAS
65. Dallas Keuchel - @MIL, @ATL
66. Travis Wood - PIT
67. Lucas Harrell - @ATL
68. Bud Norris - @MIL, @ATL
69. Tim Lincecum - NYM, @COL

Extreme Caution Advised

70. Jordan Lyles - @MIL
71. Jeremy Hefner - @SF, @SD
72. Jeff Francis - STL, SF
73. Jason Marquis - @CIN, NYM
74. ATL TBD - MIA, HOU
75. John Lannan - MIA
76. Jonathan Sanchez - SF
77. COL TBD - SF
78. Christian Friedrich - STL
79. Ross Ohlendorf - @CIN
80. Kip Wells - @CIN

Notes: Jonathan Sanchez in Colorado. This should be fun. If you're a bettor, take the over on total runs whenever he takes the hill. It doesn't matter what the line is. ... Matt Garza is dealing with a triceps issue that will push back his start this week. It probably also means he doesn't get traded this month. ... You can't have much better a debut than Matt Harvey had Thursday - 11 strikeouts and he goes 2-for-2 at the dish. He'll be a highly-ranked two-start starter this week. ... Is there a better No. 4 starter in baseball than Edwin Jackson? Another strong effort last time out and a 3.52 ERA overall. ... Look for Wily Peralta to replace the traded Zack Greinke, though it's likely with the off-day, the Brewers will go with a four-man rotation for this week. That should mean Yovani Gallardo is bumped up to a two-start starter, but that's no certainty.... With Garza ailing and the price for Josh Johnson expected to be high, perhaps the Dodgers reconsider and deal prospect Allen Webster for Ryan Dempster. Dempster could then make his Dodgers debut at home against Arizona on Tuesday or Wednesday. ... Homer Bailey is 5-for-5 in quality starts this week, and, yes, I'm starting to trust him again. ... It hasn't been the best July for Tommy Hanson, but I have to recommend using him this week as a two-start starter. I think he'll be OK. ... On the other hand, teammate Mike Minor has a run of three straight quality starts going. ... Mike Leake has allowed two runs or less in six of his last seven starts. ... Bud Norris has had some really ugly road outings this year, hence the low ranking this week. ... As I write this late Friday, it's looking more and more like Ryan Dempster will wind up with the Dodgers. Obviously you're starting him regardless, so no real impact on these rankings.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Start 'Em

1. David Price - @OAK, BAL
2. Jered Weaver - @TEX, @CHW
3. Justin Verlander - @BOS
4. Chris Sale - @MIN
5. Felix Hernandez - @NYY
6. Max Scherzer - @BOS, CLE
7. Zack Greinke - @CHW
8. CC Sabathia - SEA
9. Hiroki Kuroda - SEA
10. Doug Fister - CLE
11. Tom Milone - TB
12. James Shields - @OAK
13. A.J. Griffin - TB, TOR
14. Clay Buchholz - DET, MIN
15. Phil Hughes - BAL
16. Matt Moore - BAL
17. Derek Holland - LAA, @KC
18. Ivan Nova - BAL
19. Jeremy Hellickson - BAL
20. Bartolo Colon - @BAL
21. Jarrod Parker - TOR
22. Matt Harrison - LAA
23. Carlos Villanueva - @SEA
24. Jake Peavy - @MIN
25. Anibal Sanchez - CLE
26. Jason Vargas - TOR
27. Yu Darvish - LAA
28. Travis Blackley - TOR
29. Scott Diamond - CHW
30. Wei-Yin Chen - @TB
31. Felix Doubront - MIN
32. Freddy Garcia - BAL, SEA
33. Gavin Floyd - LAA
34. Dan Haren - @TEX
35. C.J. Wilson - @TEX
36. Roy Oswalt - @KC
37. Josh Beckett - DET, MIN
38. Jose Quintana - @MIN, LAA
39. Ubaldo Jimenez - @DET
40. Alex Cobb - @OAK

Borderline Depending on League Format

41. Aaron Cook - DET
42. Blake Beavan - TOR
43. Scott Feldman - LAA, @KC (tentative)
44. Rick Porcello - @BOS
45. Jon Lester - MIN
46. Derek Lowe - @KC, @DET
47. Francisco Liriano - @BOS
48. Hisashi Iwakuma - TOR, @NYY
49. Aaron Laffey - @SEA, @OAK
50. Justin Masterson - @DET
51. Kevin Millwood - @NYY
52. Henderson Alvarez - @OAK
53. Chris Tillman - @NYY
54. Zach McAllister - @KC
55. Brett Cecil - @OAK

Extreme Caution Advised

56. Miguel Gonzalez - @NYY, @TB
57. Tommy Hunter - @TB
58. Josh Tomlin - @KC
59. Luis Mendoza - CLE
60. Ricky Romero - @SEA, @OAK
61. Zach Britton - @NYY
62. Luke Hochevar - CLE, TEX
63. Bruce Chen - TEX
64. Cole DeVries - CHW, @BOS
65. Everett Teaford - TEX
66. Ervin Santana - @TEX, @CHW
67. Phil Humber - LAA
68. Jeremy Guthrie - CLE
69. Nick Blackburn - CHW, @BOS
70. Sam Deduno - @BOS

Notes: I don't know whether it's Everett Teaford or Will Smith starting for the Royals this week, but does it really matter? Maybe I should just list their starter as Will Teaford, because you shouldn't use any of these guys no matter how they looked in their last starts. ... Ricky Romero's last two starts have been ugly - 7.1 innings, 16 hits, 14 runs, eight walks and just three strikeouts. I guess he'll turn it around, but I'm not willing to put him in my lineup until we see some progress. ... Aaron Cook has delivered four consecutive quality starts, but I have a hard time recommending him against the Tigers this week. ... Chris Tillman was once a top prospect, and like most Baltimore young arms, he's failed to live up to expectations. That may be changing now, though we probably shouldn't make too much out of two starts. The Yankees will be a huge test this week. ... Carlos Villanueva is 5-0 with a 2.86 ERA and 9.9 K/9IP. You have to use him this week in Seattle, but he can't be for real can he? He had another solid game Friday. What to do here? ... Daniel Straily could make a big impact down the stretch in Oakland. All he's done this year is post a 171:37 K:BB in 132.1 innings at the upper two minor league levels. ... Tommy Milone's crazy home/road splits continue - 0.91 ERA in Oakland, 5.77 on the road where he's allowed 17 home runs (just one at home) in just 68.2 innings. ... Neftali Feliz (elbow) is a possibility to return to the Texas rotation, presumably in place of Scott Feldman. He could start one of the games in Kansas City.

MIXED LEAGUE TOP 100

1. Stephen Strasburg - PHI, MIA
2. David Price - @OAK, BAL
3. Jered Weaver - @TEX, @CHW
4. Justin Verlander - @BOS
5. Chris Sale - @MIN
6. Felix Hernandez - @NYY
7. Max Scherzer - @BOS, CLE
8. Ryan Dempster - PIT, @LAD (tentative - watch for trade)
9. Homer Bailey - SD, PIT
10. Madison Bumgarner - NYM, @COL
11. Cliff Lee - @WAS, ARI
12. Zack Greinke - @CHW
13. R.A. Dickey - @SD
14. Jordan Zimmermann - MIA
15. Matt Harvey - @SF, @SD
16. Mike Leake - SD, PIT
17. Gio Gonzalez - MIA
18. Johnny Cueto - SD
19. Clayton Kershaw - CHC
20. Matt Cain - NYM
21. CC Sabathia - SEA
22. Cole Hamels - @WAS
23. Roy Halladay - ARI
24. Edinson Volquez - @CIN, NYM
25. Hiroki Kuroda - SEA
26. Doug Fister - CLE
27. Tommy Hanson - MIA, HOU
28. Jeff Samardzija - @LAD
29. Tom Milone - TB
30. James Shields - @OAK
31. A.J. Griffin - TB, TOR
32. Clay Buchholz - DET, MIN
33. Jon Niese - @SF
34. Matt Garza - @LAD (check status)
35. Phil Hughes - BAL
36. Matt Moore - BAL
37. Derek Holland - LAA, @KC
38. Bronson Arroyo - SD
39. A.J. Burnett - @CHC
40. Erik Bedard - @CHC, @CIN
41. Tim Hudson - HOU
42. Josh Johnson - @WAS
43. Kyle Lohse - @COL, MIL
44. Edwin Jackson - PHI
45. Mat Latos - PIT
46. Ivan Nova - BAL
47. Yovani Gallardo - HOU, @STL
48. Jeremy Hellickson - BAL
49. Bartolo Colon - @BAL
50. Michael Fiers - HOU
51. James McDonald - @CIN
52. Lance Lynn - @COL
53. Ian Kennedy - @PHI
54. Ben Sheets - MIA
55. Paul Maholm - @LAD
56. Adam Wainwright - MIL
57. Jarrod Parker - TOR
58. Matt Harrison - LAA
59. Aaron Harang - ARI, CHC
60. Ryan Vogelsong - @COL
61. Ross Detwiler - PHI
62. Carlos Villanueva - @SEA
63. Jake Peavy - @MIN
64. Anibal Sanchez - CLE
65. Jason Vargas - TOR
66. Yu Darvish - LAA
67. Travis Blackley - TOR
68. Scott Diamond - CHW
69. Wade Miley - @LAD
70. Marco Estrada - HOU, @STL
71. Wei-Yin Chen - @TB
72. Felix Doubront - MIN
73. Freddy Garcia - BAL, SEA
74. Mark Buehrle - @ATL, @WAS
75. Gavin Floyd - LAA
76. Dan Haren - @TEX
77. C.J. Wilson - @TEX
78. Roy Oswalt - @KC
79. Josh Beckett - DET, MIN
80. Jose Quintana - @MIN, LAA
81. Ubaldo Jimenez - @DET
82. Chris Young - @SF
83. Joe Blanton - ARI
84. Jeff Karstens - @CHC
85. Trevor Cahill - @LAD, @PHI
86. Chad Billingsley - CHC
87. Alex Cobb - @OAK
88. Chris Capuano - ARI
89. Mike Minor - MIA
90. Vance Worley - @WAS
91. Aaron Cook - DET
92. Blake Beavan - TOR
93. Scott Feldman - LAA, @KC (tentative)
94. Rick Porcello - @BOS
95. Jon Lester - MIN
96. Joe Kelly - MIL
97. Drew Pomeranz - STL
98. Joe Saunders - @PHI
99. Ricky Nolasco - @ATL, @WAS
100. Wandy Rodriguez - @CIN

Regan, a five-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association award winner, was named the 2010 Fantasy Baseball Writer of the Year.

Follow @vtadave on Twitter.