Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Halos Haymaker

For the week Aug. 6-12

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Start 'Em

1. Matt Cain - @STL, COL
2. Johnny Cueto - @MIL, @CHC
3. Clayton Kershaw - @MIA
4. Stephen Strasburg - @ARI
5. Cole Hamels - ATL
6. Jordan Zimmermann - @HOU
7. R.A. Dickey - MIA
8. Matt Garza - @SD, CIN
9. Cliff Lee - STL
10. Jon Niese - MIA, ATL
11. Gio Gonzalez - @HOU
12. Roy Halladay - STL
13. Edwin Jackson - @HOU, @ARI
14. Vance Worley - ATL, STL
15. Bronson Arroyo - @MIL, @CHC
16. Wade Miley - @PIT, WAS
17. A.J. Burnett - ARI, SD
18. Madison Bumgarner - @STL
19. Jeff Samardzija - @SD
20. Lance Lynn - SF, @PHI
21. Ben Sheets - @PHI, @NYM
22. Homer Bailey - @CHC
23. Tim Hudson - @PHI
24. Ross Detwiler - @HOU, @ARI
25. Ian Kennedy - @PIT
26. Mat Latos - @MIL
27. Yovani Gallardo - CIN, @HOU
28. Patrick Corbin - @PIT, WAS
29. Edinson Volquez - @PIT
30. Adam Wainwright - SF
31. Paul Maholm - @NYM
32. Matt Harvey - ATL
33. Johan Santana - MIA
34. Mike Leake - @CHC
35. Mark Rogers - @HOU
36. Ryan Vogelsong - @STL
37. Josh Johnson - @NYM
38. Chad Billingsley - COL
39. Joe Saunders - @PIT
40. Kris Medlen - @NYM
41. Tim Lincecum - COL
42. Joe Blanton - @MIA
43. Mark Buehrle - LAD
44. James McDonald - ARI
45. Jeff Karstens - ARI, SD
46. Jake Westbrook - SF, @PHI

Borderline Depending on League Format

47. Michael Fiers - CIN
48. Trevor Cahill - WAS
49. Kyle Lohse - @PHI
50. Mike Minor - @PHI
51. Chris Capuano - COL
52. Marco Estrada - @HOU
53. Joe Kelly - SF
54. Clayton Richard - CHC
55. Ricky Nolasco - LAD
56. Drew Pomeranz - @LAD, @SF
57. Chris Young - ATL
58. Wandy Rodriguez - ARI
59. Aaron Harang - COL, @MIA
60. Wade LeBlanc - @NYM, LAD
61. Erik Bedard - SD
62. Randy Wolf - CIN
63. Bud Norris - MIL
64. Travis Wood - @SD, CIN
65. Lucas Harrell - WAS
66. Kyle Kendrick - ATL

Extreme Caution Advised

67. Barry Zito - @STL, COL
68. Nathan Eovaldi - @NYM
69. Jordan Lyles - WAS, MIL
70. Jeff Francis - @SF
71. Jason Marquis - @PIT
72. Alex White - @LAD
73. Dallas Keuchel - WAS, MIL
74. Justin Germano - CIN
75. Chris Volstad - CIN
76. Jonathan Sanchez - @LAD
77. Christian Friedrich - @SF
78. Ross Ohlendorf - CHC
79. Armando Galarraga - WAS
80. Eric Stults - CHC, @PIT

Notes: Now this is more like it. Barry Zito has allowed 11 runs in 9.2 innings over his last two starts. Hopefully you enjoyed the run. ... Johan Santana seems likely to return from an ankle injury this week, but monitor his progress over the weekend to be sure. He'll have one more rehab start and, if all goes well, could see action for the Mets the following weekend. ... Alex White's ceiling is probably no more than a No. 4 starter, but in Colorado, that means he could be the ace. Look for White to stick in the rotation after a decent return to the big leagues against St. Louis on Thursday - 5.1 IP, 2 ER. ... Jordan Zimmermann isn't likely to win the NL Cy Young award, but he's put up a 0.75 ERA and 22:2 K:BB in 24 innings since the All-Star break. ... Ben Sheets is 3-1 with a 1.46 ERA in his four starts. He may wind up being a huge factor in the Braves' playoff chase. ... The 18 homers have resulted in Joe Blanton's 4.59 ERA, but a 115:18 K:BB in 133.1 innings is very impressive. He was dealt the Dodgers on Friday (expect Stephen Fife to head to Triple-A). The Phillies are expected to use Kyle Kendrickin Blanton's spot. Blanton was scheduled to start Friday, but he'll get pushed back a day or two. ... Mike Fiers has a pretty solid minor league track record, so while a 1.88 ERA is a surprise, he's a legitimate big league starter. ... I'm wondering whether Kris Medlen can build enough stamina to be a strong fantasy contributor, but hopefully long-term he remains a starter, as I like the upside. ... Don't sleep on Jacob Turner, as he could be up at any moment in place of Nate Eovaldi. ... If you're an Astros fan, don't you just want to fast-forward directly to 2015? ... Same for the Padres, who were giving 60 percent of their pitching starts to Jason Marquis, Ross Ohlendorf and Kip Wells before Wells was designated for assignment Friday. Wells' replacement, Eric Stults, will probably suffer the same fate soon enough. ... Patrick Corbin gets overshadowed in Arizona by Trevor Bauer and Tyler Skaggs, but he can be every bit as good as a guy like Wade Miley. ... Looking at the Rockies rotation, I wonder how many teams' No. 5 starters would be their No. 1? Without any analysis whatsoever, I'd set the over/under at 19.5. ... The Dodgers won the waiver claim for Cliff Lee, but it doesn't seem all that likely that a deal will be reached despite how good a rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Lee, Blanton, Chris Capuano and Chad Billingsley would look.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Start 'Em

1. Jered Weaver - @OAK, SEA
2. Justin Verlander - NYY, @TEX
3. David Price - @MIN
4. James Shields - TOR, @MIN
5. Chris Sale - KC (possible vs. OAK too)
6. Zack Greinke - @OAK
7. Felix Hernandez - @LAA
8. Doug Fister - NYY
9. Phil Hughes - @DET, @TOR
10. CC Sabathia - @DET
11. Jake Peavy - KC
12. Hiroki Kuroda - @DET
13. Jon Lester - TEX, @CLE
14. Max Scherzer - @TEX
15. Clay Buchholz - @CLE
16. Matt Moore - TOR
17. Wei-Yin Chen - KC
18. Derek Holland - DET
19. Jeremy Hellickson - @MIN
20. Bartolo Colon - LAA
21. Jarrod Parker - LAA
22. Matt Harrison - @BOS
23. Francisco Liriano - OAK
24. Anibal Sanchez - NYY
25. A.J. Griffin - @CHW
26. Jason Vargas - @BAL, @LAA
27. Yu Darvish - @BOS, DET
28. C.J. Wilson - @OAK, SEA (SEA start is tentative)
29. Ivan Nova - @DET, @TOR
30. Carlos Villanueva - @TB, NYY
31. Dan Straily - LAA
32. Scott Diamond - @CLE, TB
33. Josh Beckett - TEX (tentative)
34. Gavin Floyd - OAK
35. Dan Haren - SEA
36. Tom Milone - @CHW (check out his road stats)
37. Ryan Dempster - @BOS (welcome to the AL Ryan)
38. Jose Quintana - KC

Borderline Depending on League Format

39. Chris Tillman - SEA, KC
40. Justin Masterson - MIN
41. Freddy Garcia - @TOR
42. Blake Beavan - @BAL
43. Scott Feldman - DET
44. Alex Cobb - TOR
45. Felix Doubront - @CLE
46. Luis Mendoza - @CHW, @BAL
47. Hisashi Iwakuma - @LAA
48. Rick Porcello - NYY, @TEX (tough matchups)
49. Kevin Millwood - @BAL
50. Ubaldo Jimenez - BOS
51. Sam Deduno - @CLE
52. Nick Blackburn - TB
53. Brandon McCarthy - @CHW
54. Brian Duensing - @CLE
55. Miguel Gonzalez - KC
56. Tommy Hunter - SEA
57. Brett Cecil - @TB
58. Cole DeVries - TB
59. Zach McAllister - MIN, BOS

Extreme Caution Advised

60. Ricky Romero - NYY
61. Luke Hochevar - @BAL
62. Zach Britton - SEA, KC
63. Aaron Cook - TEX, @CLE
64. Bruce Chen - @CHW, @BAL
65. Aaron Laffey - NYY
66. Henderson Alvarez - @TB
67. Will Smith - @BAL
68. Phil Humber - OAK
69. Corey Kluber - MIN, BOS
70. CLE TBD - BOS
71. Jeremy Guthrie - @CHW

Notes: Josh Beckett's start is in flux this week as he deals with a back injury. Just be aware that the Red Sox could mix up their rotation as a result. Franklin Morales will start Sunday (8/5) and could take Beckett's start in the upcoming week. He might even be in line to replace Aaron Cook. ... Well, that wasn't what the Rangers quite had in mind when they traded for Ryan Dempster this week. The fact they still won the game is pretty impressive. Dempster now pitches his next start in Boston. Welcome to the AL, Ryan. ... Sam Deduno is 3-0 with a 2.48 ERA. He also has a 19:20 K:BB in 29 innings, so you won't see me recommending him this week. ... It appears Ervin Santana will have his start skipped this week, making C.J. Wilson a two-start starter. I'm thinking Wilson can overcome his Texas beatdown with starts in Oakland and at home against the Mariners. ... I'm not sure whether Brandon McCarthy (shoulder) will return this week, but I'll tentatively slot him in there. I was at McCarthy's start in Reno and he got shelled, so he might need a bit more work. ... Not quite sure what happens with Phil Humber this week, so I'll guess the White Sox go with six starters. ... Oakland pitching coach Curt Young deserves a raise. Not only do the A's have baseball's fourth best team ERA, but look at what Jarrod Parker, Bartolo Colon, Tommy Milone and A.J. Griffin have done in the second half: 86:16 K:BB. Yes, throwing strikes is good. ... Blake Beavan has a 1.2 BB/9 on the year and just one walk in his last four starts (28.1 innings). Still, when he misses, it gets ugly due to his lack of quality stuff. ... Fun stat: Aaron Cook has just four walks in 44.2 innings, but get this - he also has just four strikeouts. He also has as many homers allowed as he has strikeouts and walks combined.

MIXED LEAGUE TOP 100

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

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

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