Fantasy Baseball 2011: Weekend Warriors

Tyson Ross – In 28 and two thirds innings pitched, Ross has kept the ball in the park since replacing Dallas Braden in the Athletics rotation. In three starts, Far from a strikeout machine (5.02 K/9), so he relies heavy on ground ball outs and he’s been stellar getting batters to the ball on the ground at a 49.4% rate. His 2.51 ERA is hard to kick out of the rotation and if it wasn’t for the lack of run support Ross would be 3-0. The White Sox bring their struggling right handed lineup to the Coliseum so start Ross with confidence as the 2^nd round pick from 2008 has fantasy sleeper written all over him.

Erik Bedard – Call me a sucker for the veteran lefty, but when healthy Berdard is one of my favorite to watch.  Control was a problem through five starts, but in his last three outings Berdard has an impressive 15:4 K: BB ratio, 1.90 ERA and 0.943 WHIP. How many more times will he pitch in 2011, I really have no clue. While healthy, he’s a must grab and a must start at Cleveland who’s offense while hitting well, has wholes up and down the order. Owned in less than 8% of ESPN leagues grab Berdard and hope his bones aren’t so brittle.

Matt Joyce – The hottest team in the American League resides in Tampa Bay, and it’s no surprise with the way Joyce is tearing the cover off the ball. The Rays 5^th hitter has a five game hitting streak going and has raised his BA 37 points since April 30^th. The return of Evan Longoria and the hot start of Ben Zobrist allow Joyce to see pitches he can drive, resulting in a line drives rate over 30%.  The Orioles 1, 2 punch of Brad Bergesen and Jake Arrieta on Saturday and Sunday makes Joyce a great 3OF for this weekend’s festivities.

Julio Borbon - Ron Washington changed the lineup on Tuesday resulting in Borbon leading off for the Rangers. Projected as a 40-50 steal guy in 2010 Borbon struggled with the bat in an inconsistent/disappointing season Borbons approach has changed and  his .279BA reflects his minor league numbers so there is optimism in Arlington. For fantasy players Borbon has been keeping the legs moving with six steal attempts in nine games, so it’s possible he reaches his potential from last season. In need of steals for your h2h league this weekend grab Borbon whose ownership is at a measly 25%. If he can grab that leadoff spot, the runs will be plenty for Borbon as the Rangers offense will be top tier once it hits summer.