Fantasy daily notes for August 21
Click through for information on specific matchups and injuries for the day's games.
Starting pitcher rankings for August 21
| Name | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Felix Hernandez | R | CLE | 10 | 11-5 | 2.60 | 1.04 | 2-0 | 1.44 | 0.40 |
| 2 |  | David Price | L | KC | 9 | 16-4 | 2.39 | 1.10 | 2-0 | 1.55 | 0.83 |
| 3 |  | Stephen Strasburg | R | ATL | 10 | 14-5 | 2.91 | 1.13 | 3-1 | 3.68 | 1.18 |
| 4 |  | Adam Wainwright | R | HOU | 10 | 11-10 | 3.87 | 1.22 | 3-0 | 1.64 | 0.86 |
| 5 |  | Cliff Lee | L | CIN | 8 | 2-7 | 3.83 | 1.16 | 1-1 | 3.34 | 0.98 |
| 6 |  | Tim Lincecum | R | @LAD | 7 | 6-13 | 5.45 | 1.50 | 2-2 | 3.38 | 1.42 |
| 7 |  | A.J. Burnett | R | @SD | 6 | 15-4 | 3.54 | 1.19 | 3-1 | 3.60 | 0.93 |
| 8 |  | Paul Maholm | L | @WAS | 5 | 11-7 | 3.39 | 1.17 | 2-1 | 1.57 | 0.83 |
| 9 |  | Max Scherzer | R | TOR | 4 | 12-6 | 4.41 | 1.39 | 2-1 | 4.07 | 1.48 |
| 10 |  | Lucas Harrell | R | @STL | 5 | 10-8 | 3.81 | 1.33 | 2-1 | 2.37 | 1.26 |
| 11 |  | Trevor Cahill | R | MIA | 7 | 9-10 | 3.75 | 1.32 | 1-1 | 3.24 | 1.28 |
| 12 |  | Brett Anderson | L | MIN | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 13 |  | Jhoulys Chacin | R | @NYM | 6 | 0-3 | 7.30 | 1.86 | -- | -- | -- |
| 14 |  | Ervin Santana | R | @BOS | 3 | 6-10 | 5.59 | 1.34 | 2-0 | 3.70 | 0.90 |
| 15 |  | Ivan Nova | R | @CHW | 3 | 11-6 | 4.76 | 1.45 | 1-2 | 8.49 | 1.67 |
| 16 |  | Marco Estrada | R | CHC | 4 | 0-5 | 4.52 | 1.23 | 0-1 | 4.50 | 1.50 |
| 17 |  | Ricky Romero | L | @DET | 5 | 8-10 | 5.47 | 1.52 | 0-3 | 4.15 | 1.31 |
| 18 |  | Joe Blanton | R | SF | 4 | 8-11 | 4.96 | 1.24 | 0-2 | 8.22 | 1.63 |
| 19 |  | Scott Feldman | R | BAL | 4 | 6-8 | 4.63 | 1.33 | 1-2 | 4.19 | 1.29 |
| 20 |  | Ricky Nolasco | R | @ARI | 3 | 9-12 | 4.94 | 1.44 | 1-3 | 5.63 | 1.79 |
| 21 |  | Chris Young | R | COL | 5 | 3-6 | 4.50 | 1.41 | 1-1 | 4.24 | 1.53 |
| 22 |  | Cole De Vries | R | @OAK | 1 | 2-4 | 5.04 | 1.29 | 0-2 | 8.83 | 1.79 |
| 23 |  | Francisco Liriano | L | NYY | 5 | 4-10 | 5.22 | 1.42 | 1-0 | 4.79 | 1.31 |
| 24 |  | Homer Bailey | R | @PHI | 4 | 10-8 | 4.16 | 1.40 | 1-2 | 8.24 | 2.19 |
| 25 |  | Jason Marquis | R | PIT | 3 | 8-11 | 5.30 | 1.46 | 2-2 | 5.47 | 1.14 |
| 26 |  | Chris Tillman | R | @TEX | 1 | 5-2 | 3.65 | 1.29 | 2-1 | 5.56 | 1.32 |
| 27 |  | Roberto Hernandez | R | @SEA | 6 | 0-1 | 7.50 | 1.67 | 0-1 | 7.50 | 1.67 |
| 28 |  | Aaron Cook | R | LAA | 3 | 3-6 | 4.58 | 1.21 | 1-2 | 4.76 | 1.41 |
| 29 |  | Luke Hochevar | R | @TB | 3 | 7-11 | 5.24 | 1.38 | 1-2 | 5.18 | 1.27 |
| 30 |  | Chris Rusin | L | @MIL | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Rk.: The author's ranking of that pitcher for that day only. T: Pitcher throws left-handed or right-handed. Opp: The pitcher's opponent for the day. QR: "Quality Rating," or the starting pitcher's matchup rating -- separate from the author's ranking -- which accounts for past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days), opponent and ballpark. OPS is the primary statistic used in the calculation. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst. So, for example, a 10 is a must-start rating, while a 1 should be avoided (if possible); a 1-2 is poor, 3-4 is fair, 5-6 is average, 7-8 is very good and 9-10 is excellent. W-L: Pitcher's win-loss record. ERA: Pitcher's earned run average. WHIP: Pitcher's average number of walks plus hits surrendered per inning.
Many aces are coming out to play Tuesday, with nine starters owned in at least 92 percent of ESPN.com fantasy leagues (Max Scherzer, Paul Maholm, Stephen Strasburg, Cliff Lee, David Price, Adam Wainwright, A.J. Burnett, Felix Hernandez and Tim Lincecum). That doesn't leave a ton of great options likely to be on your waiver wire, but here are four starters, all owned in less than 30 percent of the ESPN universe, that are worth a look for Tuesday:
Lucas Harrell (6 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) has been on fire in his past seven starts, holding his opponents to two runs or less in all seven outings. During this span, he is 3-2 with a 2.06 ERA and 7.8 K's/9. Harrell has been even better on the road during this ride, going 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA and 7.6 K's/9 in his past four away starts. Tuesday's opponent, the St. Louis Cardinals, are tough at home (310 runs, fifth-most in majors), but they have been slumping in the past nine games at Busch Stadium, averaging just 3.1 runs per game with a .211 BA/.269 OBP/.346 SLG line. Don't expect him to outpitch Adam Wainwright, who is 11-1 with a 1.73 ERA in 99 career innings versus Harrell's Houston Astros, but Harrell has established himself as a strong play in the majority of fantasy leagues.
Jhoulys Chacin (5 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) is making his first appearance since May 1 because of arm fatigue caused by a nerve impingement in his chest. He proved he was healthy last Thursday when he pitched into the eighth inning in Triple-A Colorado Springs, allowing just one run on five hits. Chacin has always been a great road pitcher in his career, sporting a 3.35 ERA and 8.3 K's/9. Walks have usually been his downfall, but he's facing a New York Mets team that has drawn just 33 free passes in its past 13 contests (2.5 per game), leading to a woeful .278 on-base percentage and 4-9 record. Another aspect in Chacin's favor is that mound opponent Chris Young is 1-5 with a 5.32 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in eight starts since July 1. This includes getting blasted for seven runs on seven hits (three doubles, three homers) in his last home start, a 13-0 loss to the Miami Marlins on Aug. 8. Chacin might not be suitable for standard-sized fantasy leagues yet, but he's certainly worthy of starting on the road against a subpar offense.
Ervin Santana (29 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) doesn't have an ideal matchup against the Boston Red Sox, but his past three outings at Fenway Park have been superb, with a combined pitching line of 18 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 6 BB and 15 K's. This includes four no-hit innings with seven strikeouts in his last appearance in Boston. Santana has also pitched very well in his past four outings -- all Los Angeles Angels wins -- going 2-0 with a 3.70 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 16 strikeouts and just four walks. And finally, Santana should get plenty of run support, considering his mound opponent is Aaron Cook, who carries a 4.96 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and unbelievably low 0.8 K's/9 ratio at home this season. With the Red Sox sporting a 2-6 home record this month, go ahead and start Santana in AL-only formats Tuesday.
Marco Estrada (2 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) is only worth fantasy consideration when the matchup is right, and a home tilt against the Chicago Cubs is about as right as it's going to get. The Cubs are 4-15 since July 31, batting .218 and slugging .345. They are also 1-10 in their past 11 road games, batting .200 with a .311 SLG. Estrada has enjoyed pitching at Miller Park, posting a 1.18 WHIP with 35 K's and just seven walks in 35 2/3 innings over his past seven home starts. He's also a great win candidate against mound opponent Chris Rusin, who is making his major league debut after posting poor numbers at Triple-A this year (8-8, 4.59 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 87 K's, 52 BB). Take a chance on Estrada in NL-only formats Tuesday.
Hitter matchup ratings for August 21
| Overall | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | |
| | 1 | 3 | 1 | 9 | | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | |
| | 8 | 5 | 9 | 5 | | 5 | 8 | 1 | 1 | |
| | 7 | 8 | 4 | 9 | | 5 | 1 | 6 | 6 | |
| | 7 | 7 | 5 | 8 | | 10 | 9 | 10 | 5 | |
| | 9 | 8 | 9 | 4 | | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | |
| | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | 9 | 10 | 4 | 10 | |
| | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | | 4 | 7 | 1 | 8 | |
| | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | | 7 | 6 | 6 | 9 | |
| | 5 | 10 | 2 | 4 | | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | |
| | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |
| | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | | 8 | 9 | 5 | 7 | |
| | 9 | 10 | 5 | 4 | | 10 | 9 | 10 | 2 | |
| | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | | 7 | 9 | 4 | 5 | |
| | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | | 7 | 3 | 7 | 5 | |
Hitter ratings account for the opposing starting pitcher's past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days) as well as ballpark factors. "LHB" and "RHB" ratings account only for left- and right-handed batters, respectively. OPS is the primary statistic used in the calculation. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst. So, for example, a 10 is a must-start rating, while a 1 should be avoided (if possible); a 1-2 is poor, 3-4 is fair, 5-6 is average, 7-8 is very good and 9-10 is excellent.
• In 32 games played in Oakland in his career, Justin Morneau is batting .314 with 10 HR, 8 2B and 28 RBIs.
• Yoenis Cespedes has been more successful batting in his home ballpark this season than on the road. Entering Monday, Cespedes is batting .329 with a .969 OPS in the Coliseum compared to his road numbers of .284 and .801.
• Entering Monday, Bryan LaHair is 73-for-251 (.291 BA) with 13 home runs against right-handed pitching compared to just 3-for-48 (.063 BA) and 1 homer against lefty's. LaHair is set to face right-hander Marco Estrada on Tuesday.
• Chris Young is 1-4 with a 5.59 ERA since the All-Star break, but is 5-3 with a 4.02 ERA in his career against the Rockies.
• Dan Uggla has fared well against Washington starter Stephen Strasburg; in 15 at-bats he has 8 hits (.533 BA) with 2 doubles and 2 home runs.
Michael Cuddyer, OF, Rockies: 15-day DL, right oblique strain. He aggravated his right oblique in Saturday's game and could miss the remainder of the season.
Starling Marte, OF, Pirates: 15-day DL, strained right oblique. He will be replaced by Jose Tabata, who was recalled from the minors.
Neil Walker, 2B, Pirates: Day-to-day, dislocated finger. He hasn't started since Aug. 15, but he was able to pinch-hit on Sunday. The team is hoping he will rejoin the lineup in the middle of this week.
Kevin Youkilis, 3B, White Sox: Day-to-day, sore right knee. He did not play Sunday but should return to the field later this week. Ray Olmedo has been replacing Youkilis at third base.
Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Rockies: Out 2-3 days, bereavement list. He will not play for a few days due to a death in his family. Charlie Blackmon was recalled from the minors to take his spot on the roster.
Mark Teixeira, 1B, Yankees: Day-to-day, wrist injury. He hasn't played since Aug. 16, but expects to return to action early this week. He will likely have to deal with the pain for the rest of the season, then undergo wrist surgery in the offseason.
Alejandro De Aza, OF, White Sox: Day-to-day, back injury. He injured himself Friday night and hasn't played since. He should be able to return in the early part of this week, though.
Brett Anderson, SP, Athletics: Expected to make 2012 debut Tuesday. He has been out since June 5, 2011, following Tommy John surgery, so his innings might be limited for a few outings.
Placido Polanco, 3B, Phillies: Activated from 15-day DL. He should resume his role as Philadelphia's regular third baseman for the rest of the season.
Jhoulys Chacin, SP, Rockies: Activated from 15-day DL. He will start Tuesday for the first time since May 1, when he faces the Mets in Citi Field.
David Cooper, 1B, Blue Jays: Day-to-day, lower back tightness. He did not play Sunday and was replaced by Edwin Encarnacion at first base. The team doesn't expect Cooper to miss much more time, if any.
Jordy Mercer, SS, Pirates: Day-to-day, wrist injury. He was hit by a pitch on the wrist during Saturday's game and might need a stint on the DL.
Luis Cruz, SS, Dodgers: Day-to-day, leg cramp. He left Sunday's game early with his injury, but isn't expected to miss much time, if any.
Josh Rutledge, SS, Rockies: Day-to-day, left quad injury. He was injured Sunday, and it's unclear when he will return to action.
Eric Young Jr., OF, Rockies: Day-to-day, left intercostal strain. He was injured Sunday and could require a stint on the DL. Andrew Brown replaced Young Jr. in Sunday's game.
Chipper Jones, 3B, Braves: Day-to-day, sore knees. He did not play Sunday, but he should return to the lineup in a couple of days.
Chris Getz, 2B, Royals: 15-day DL, broken thumb. He injured himself in Friday's game and likely is out for the remainder of the season. Johnny Giavotella is expected to be the team's regular second baseman for the rest of the year.
Felix Doubront, SP, Red Sox: 15-day DL, knee injury. The move was made retroactive to Aug. 10.
