Here's a quick recap of my Week 22 recommendations: Danny Duffy was terrible, Jose Quintana's two-start status was squashed by rain and Jon Niese failed to record a quality start in two turns. Ian Kennedy was my lone bright spot with seven innings of one-run ball against the Giants on Monday, including seven strikeouts, and he gets the Rockies in start No. 2 later this afternoon. Not fantastic. I'm relying on my band of "trustables" to restore order in Week 23.
Start!
Max Scherzer (DET) -- Mon-@CWS (Sale), Sun-KC (Santana)
Chris Sale (CWS) -- Mon-DET (Scherzer), Sun-CLE (McAllister)
Jered Weaver (LAA) -- Mon-@MIN (Hernandez), Sat-@HOU (Oberholtzer)
Julio Teheran (ATL) -- Tue-@MIA (Koehler), Sun-SD (Cashner)
Jarrod Parker (OAK) -- Tue-@MIN (Hendriks), Sun-@TEX (Perez)
Jordan Zimmermann (WSH) -- Tue-@NYM (Gee), Sun-PHI (Martin)
Gio Gonzalez (WSH) -- Mon-@NYM (Torres), Sat-PHI (Hamels)
Shelby Miller (STL) -- Tue-MIL (Estrada), Sun-SEA (Ramirez)
Francisco Liriano (PIT) -- Tue-@TEX (Darvish), Sun-CHC (Wood)
Ervin Santana (KC) -- Mon-@CLE (Jimenez), Sun-@DET (Scherzer)
Pretty, pretty good
Dillon Gee (NYM) -- Tue-WSH (Zimmermann), Sun-MIA (Koehler)
Kris Medlen (ATL) -- Mon-@MIA (Alvarez), Sat-SD (Kennedy)
Ricky Nolasco (LAD) -- Mon-ARI (Delgado), Sat-SF (Lincecum)
Ubaldo Jimenez (CLE) -- Mon-KC (Santana), Sat-@CWS (Rienzo)
Jhoulys Chacin (COL) -- Mon-@SF (Lincecum), Sun-@ARI (Delgado)
Chris Tillman (BAL) -- Mon-NYY (Sabathia), Sat-@TOR (Rogers)
Andrew Cashner (SD) -- Tue-@PHI (Martin), Sun-@ATL (Teheran)
Ivan Nova (NYY) -- Tue-@BAL (Gonzalez), Sun-@BOS (Lester)
Bronson Arroyo (CIN) -- Mon-CHC (Wood), Sun-@MIL (Estrada)
Martin Perez (TEX) -- Mon-PIT (Cole), Sun-OAK (Parker)
Carlos Torres (NYM) -- Mon-WSH (Gonzalez), Sat-MIA, Gm. 1 (Turner)
Randall Delgado (ARI) -- Mon-@LAD (Nolasco), Sun-COL (Chacin)
Play the matchups
Zach McAllister (CLE) -- Tue-KC (Guthrie), *Sun-@CWS (Sale)
Ryan Vogelsong (SF) -- *Tue-COL (De La Rosa), Sun-@LAD (Ryu)
Gerrit Cole (PIT) -- Mon-@TEX (Perez), *Sat-CHC (Baker)
Tim Lincecum (SF) -- *Mon-COL (Chacin), Sat-@LAD (Nolasco)
Not this week
Marco Estrada (MIL) -- Tue-@STL (Miller), Sun-CIN (Arroyo)
Miguel Gonzalez (BAL) -- Tue-NYY (Nova), Sun-@TOR (Redmond)
Jeremy Hellickson (TB) -- Tue-BOS (Buchholz), Sun-@MIN (Hendriks)
Liam Hendriks (MIN) -- Tue-OAK (Parker), Sun-TB (Hellickson)
Pedro Hernandez (MIN) -- Mon-LAA (Weaver), Sat-TB (Moore)
Tom Koehler (MIA) -- Tue-ATL (Teheran), Sun-@NYM (Gee)
Ethan Martin (PHI) -- Tue-SD (Cashner), Sun-@WSH (Zimmermann)
Todd Redmond (TOR) -- Tue-LAA (Williams), Sun-BAL (Gonzalez)
CC Sabathia (NYY) -- Mon-@BAL (Tillman), Sat-@BOS (Lackey)
Jerome Williams (LAA) -- Tue-@TOR (Redmond), Sun-@HOU (Clemens)
Travis Wood (CHC) -- Mon-@CIN (Arroyo), Sun-@PIT (Liriano)
My picks
Dillon Gee (15.9% ESPN; 29% Yahoo!)
2013: 11-9, 173.1 IP, 6.44 K/9, 2.23 BB/9, 3.53 ERA, 1.28 WHIP
I last wrote about Gee on Aug. 28, saying all of these goodies, but the Mets hurler continues to be a widely available commodity despite my unwavering fist pumping. Since the All-Star break, Gee is 4-2 with a 2.14 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 35:11 K:BB ratio in 63 innings. Only six starters have a better ERA since the break, including Jose Fernandez (1.33 ERA), Clayton Kershaw (1.70), Zack Greinke (1.94 ERA) and Matt Harvey (2.05 ERA) -- that's good company. Opposing batters are hitting just .219/.261/.345 against Gee in the second half, compared to .284/.340/.452 (ah!) in the first half. While his strikeout rate has fallen far, Gee has gone six innings or more in 13 straight outings (and 17 out of his last 18). The 27-year old gets a pair of dormant offenses at home in Week 23, starting with the Nationals on Tuesday and ending with the Marlins on Sunday. Gee is a must start.
Ubaldo Jimenez (23.2% ESPN; 25% Yahoo!)
2013: 10-9, 147.1 IP, 8.98 K/9, 4.58 BB/9, 3.79 ERA, 1.40 WHIP
Like Gee, Jimenez has put together a strong second half, posting a 2.22 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with 53 strikeouts and 22 walks in 48 2/3 innings. Unlike Gee, you're likely to get a whole lot of Ks from Jimenez, as the erratic righty has two 10-strikeout games in his last three turns (and eight or more strikeouts in three out of his last four). Jimenez faces a pair of soft-hitting offenses from the AL Central in Week 23, starting with the Royals at home and finishing with the White Sox on the road. Both teams are in the bottom third in team wOBA, with Kansas City (.305 wOBA) ranking 23rd and Chicago (.299) ranking 29th. I'm riding the Jimenez hot streak, no matter how dangerous. The 29-year old stifled Baltimore his last time out, pitching six innings of shutout ball with four strikeouts and only four hits allowed.
Jhoulys Chacin (40% ESPN; 50% Yahoo!)
2013: 13-8, 176.1 IP, 5.72 K/9, 2.55 BB/9, 3.16 ERA, 1.20 WHIP
Chacin is another favorite recommendation of mine, and be barely qualifies with his 50 percent ownership in Yahoo! leagues. The Rockies righty is 4-4 with a 2.56 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 44:14 K:BB ratio in 63 1/3 innings since the break. Chacin has had trouble with the long ball in the past, but his HR/FB rate has fallen from 11.6 percent in 2012 to 4.5 percent in 2013, thanks to a 46.9 percent groundball rate (up from 38.5 percent in 2012). Since the start of August, Chacin has averaged over 7 innings per start, posting a 2.37 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 49 1/3 innings. Chacin gets the Giants and Diamondbacks in Week 23, in which he is 3-1 against this season. Start the breakthrough pitcher in all formats.
Andrew Cashner (8.6% ESPN; 28% Yahoo!)
2013: 8-8, 151.1 IP, 6.36 K/9, 2.74 BB/9, 3.45 ERA, 1.24 WHIP
I've been a fan of Cashner since his Cubbies' days, but admit I've been a little disappointed by his 2013 numbers. His 17 percent strikeout rate (down from 26.5 percent in 2013) ranks 69th out of 84 qualified starters, but, on the plus side, his 7.3 percent walk rate is an improvement over last year's 9.3 percent. Cashner is no longer a high-strikeout arm, but the Padres starter does have 14 punch outs in his last 14 innings. Cashner gets the free-swinging Phillies and Braves in Week 23, so start him where you have him. The 26-year old has gone exactly seven innings in five out of his last six starts.
Alex Kantecki also writes for Vigilante Baseball and The Dynasty Guru. You can poke him on Twitter at @rotodealer.