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A Mets-Reds double-bill may seem tempting, but with Johan Santana scheduled to pitch the first game it might not be all that advantageous to start your Cincinnati hitters over someone else more reliable.

Time	Visitors		L/R	Record	ERA	WHIP		Home		L/R	Record	ERA	WHIP
1:10 p.m.		Matt Belisle	R	1-2	6.91	1.88	@		Johan Santana	L	3-2	2.91	1.01
7:30 p.m.		Bronson Arroyo	R	1-4	8.63	1.95	@		Mike Pelfrey	R	2-2	5.27	1.90
3:40 p.m.		Darrell Rasner	R	1-0	3.00	0.83	@		Jeremy Bonderman	R	2-3	4.17	1.59
3:40 p.m.		Max Scherzer	R	0-1	5.40	1.20	@		Ryan Dempster	R	4-1	2.72	1.07
3:40 p.m.		Joel Pineiro	R	2-2	4.33	1.37	@		Ben Sheets	R	4-0	2.29	0.89
4:05 p.m.		Jamie Moyer	L	2-2	4.15	1.59	@		Tim Lincecum	R	4-1	1.49	1.37
7:05 p.m.		Dustin McGowan	R	2-2	2.95	1.34	@		Aaron Laffey	L	0-2	2.84	0.79
7:05 p.m.		Chuck James	L	2-1	7.62	1.62	@		Tom Gorzelanny	L	2-3	6.91	1.90
7:10 p.m.		Daisuke Matsuzaka	R	5-0	2.43	1.20	@		Glen Perkins	L	0-0	0.00	0.00
7:10 p.m.		Garrett Olson	L	1-0	2.08	1.08	@		Brett Tomko	R	1-3	4.98	1.46
7:10 p.m.		Joe Saunders	L	6-0	2.61	1.10	@		Scott Kazmir	L	0-1	6.75	2.25
7:10 p.m.		Andrew Miller	L	2-2	7.96	2.12	@		Michael O'Connor	L	1-0	6.35	1.76
8:05 p.m.		Dana Eveland	L	3-2	3.05	1.23	@		Kevin Millwood	R	2-3	4.94	1.69
10:05 p.m.		Ubaldo Jimenez	R	1-2	5.82	1.94	@		Greg Maddux	R	2-3	4.09	1.25
10:10 p.m.		Javier Vazquez	R	3-3	3.30	1.21	@		Jarrod Washburn	L	2-4	4.81	1.30
10:10 p.m.		Chris Sampson	R	1-3	7.96	1.92	@		Chad Billingsley	R	2-4	4.54	1.57

Out
Chad Cordero, RP, Nationals (shoulder)
David Eckstein, SS, Blue Jays (ankle)
Johnny Estrada, C, Nationals (elbow)
Chone Figgins, 3B, Angels (hamstring)
Paul Lo Duca, C, Nationals (hand)
John McDonald, SS, Blue Jays (ankle)
Martin Prado, 2B, Braves (thumb)
Nick Punto, 2B, Twins (hamstring)
Vernon Wells, OF, Blue Jays (wrist/hamstring)

Day-to-day
Erick Aybar, 2B, Angels (hand)
Troy Glaus, 3B, Cardinals (triceps)
Ken Griffey Jr., OF, Reds (illness)
Chris Denorfia, OF, A's (back)
Ray Durham, 2B, Giants (hamstring)
Cliff Floyd, OF, Rays (knee)
Keith Foulke, RP, A's (neck)
Rafael Furcal, SS, Dodgers (back)
Tom Gorzelanny, SP, Pirates (back)
Jose Guillen, OF, Royals (neck)
Orlando Hudson, 2B, Diamondbacks (hamstring)
Conor Jackson, 1B, Diamondbacks (eye)
Mike Jacobs, 1B, Marlins (quadriceps)
Howie Kendrick , 2B, Angels (hamstring)
Victor Martinez, C/1B, Indians (neck)
Angel Pagan, OF, Mets (shoulder)
Brandon Phillips, 2B, Reds (calf)
Jimmy Rollins, SS, Phillies (ankle)
Omar Vizquel, SS, Giants (knee)
Matt Wise, RP, Mets (forearm)
Michael Young, SS, Rangers (hip)

Hitters: Victor Martinez was in the lineup as DH on Wednesday, but was out on Thursday. Since it's not easy to just find a replacement catcher, it's probably best to roll with V-Mart, as there is hope he can at least be DH again by Saturday (especially since he is 5-for-6 against Jays' starter Dustin McGowan). That could also mean the slumping Travis Hafner might be left out. Check Friday's lineup for an indication of how Saturday's will look. ... Not expected to run until Friday at the earliest, Chone Figgins has to be very doubtful for Saturday with his sore hammy. Brandon Wood is, unfortunately, not making the most of yet another opportunity; he's still striking out too much. ... Owners benefitting from Rafael Furcal's ludicrous start to the season will be glad to know that he is expected back this weekend. Chin-lung Hu heads back to the bench. ... A couple of Diamondbacks' regulars could miss time. Conor Jackson is day-to-day after colliding with Shane Victorino at first base on Wednesday, and Orlando Hudson continues to be hobbled by a hamstring. Both players were out of the lineup Thursday and should be considered very doubtful for Saturday (unless you see them in the lineup Friday, of course). ... After just getting over a thumb issue, Mike Jacobs has now hurt his quad. You have to think the Marlins will be cautious as Jacobs is starting to look a bit fragile. Only start him Saturday if you see him Friday. ... Howie Kendrick's return (that was supposed to be before this weekend) has been pushed back again. Sigh. ... Having an off-day Thursday probably helps, but look closely at Brandon Phillips' status as Saturday approaches. He left Wednesday's game with a hurt calf and wasn't in the lineup for Friday's rain out. Actually, with Ken Griffey Jr. and Phillips ailing plus Johan Santana pitching one of the double-header games, you should almost consider your Reds as if they had just one game when making lineup decisions. ... Jimmy Rollins is hopeful to be back in time for this weekend's series in San Francisco. Get him activated right away as he has had plenty of time to heal up. ... Michael Young is to be considered day-to-day with hip issues. Ramon Vazquez would go in his place and offers decent batting average if you need him as a fill-in for deep-league rosters. ... Adrian Beltre has Javier Vazquez's number from their days in the NL West. Beltre is 13-for-31 (.419) versus Vazquez. ... The entire Mets lineup becomes "must-start" thanks to two contests against borderline pitchers (Matt Belisle and Bronson Arroyo). ... Vernon Wells' injury should give the Blue Jays and fantasy owners a chance to test out Toronto's newest acquisitions. Kevin Mench stole a base in his first game, but many pundits have been looking for a breakout power season from him for a while. Brad Wilkerson can offer low-average, decent output hitting and with the right circumstances has quite a bit of power.

Pitchers: Johan Santana, Ben Sheets, Tim Lincecum, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Javier Vazquez and Chad Billingsley are your studs with no question marks. Start 'em. Billingsley is on this list thanks to his strikeout numbers and the fact that the combined Astros lineup is 5-for-41 (.122) against him. ... Max Scherzer still gets a nod of approval. His defense didn't exactly help his major league debut go smoothly, yet he still whiffed more than a batter per inning. The Cubs are a tough offense against righties, but Scherzer should be able to strike out enough guys to log a quality start. ... I have a rule I've been using this season: "don't start any pitcher against the Diamondbacks." That certainly applies to Ryan Dempster's Saturday start. He narrowly escaped Cincinnati in his last outing, as all five runs he allowed were unearned. Even down Conor Jackson and Orlando Hudson, the Diamondbacks offense is still formidable. ... Cleveland still isn't hitting and Dustin McGowan is rolling. He makes a strong start. ... The Angels have slipped against lefthanders over the last week, but are still a top-10 offense versus southpaws. All the same, I'm starting Scott Kazmir. He is a smart pitcher and knows his mechanics were off in his return from the DL last weekend. I'm expecting Kazmir to have righted the ship by Saturday. ... Joe Saunders has been doing what he needs to do as a junk-ball lefty to give his team a chance to win. It may be a bit of a duel between Kazmir and Saunders, so watch for a quality start from each. ... Dana Eveland has actually been a bit sub-par away from McAfee Coliseum. He has a 4.99 ERA in four road starts. Similar trends have proven to be too accurate in recent years (Ervin Santana, Wandy Rodriguez) to dismiss them as anomalies. Eveland has been solid and the Rangers aren't great against lefties, but if I am in a tight matchup he is on my bench for this one. ... The Yankees and Jeremy Bonderman have seen a lot of each other. In 218 combined at-bats, the team is hitting .317 off Bonderman. Several key players also have hit Bonderman better than .400: Johnny Damon (15-for-35), Hideki Matsui (11-for-22), Melky Cabrera (7-for-16) and Bobby Abreu (6-for-11). ... Left-handed hitters tend to tee off against the Mets' Mike Pelfrey; he allows a .341 batting average and .939 OPS to them for his career. With names like for Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr. and Joey Votto in the opposing lineup, I'm avoiding Pelfrey.

Hitters: There is a possibility that Omar Vizquel will be able to play his first games of 2008 over the weekend, after knee surgery in February. The Giants are clearly a team that will be running this year, and Vizquel has traditionally offered cheap speed. Ray Durham may be moved to the DL with a sore hamstring to accommodate Vizquel. ... The Blue Jays are down to Marco Scutaro as their starting shortstop after both David Eckstein and John McDonald hurt their ankles. Scutaro offers some cheap middle-infield speed for AL-only owners. ... Deep AL-only players can stop hoping for Chris Denorfia to contribute anytime soon. Already relegated to the bench with the addition of Rajai Davis to the A's outfield, Denorfia looks like his miss time with a hurt back. ... Cliff Floyd's imminent return to Tampa Bay off the DL brings him back to a much different situation than the one he left. Eric Hinske is now his main competition for playing time at both DH and the outfield. Gabe Gross and Jonny Gomes further muddy the picture. Look for Gomes to get in the lineup against lefties; as he is the only right-handed hitter of the foursome. But who starts in right field for Saturday's game against southpaw Joe Saunders is anyone's guess. ... Paul Lo Duca is reported to miss 4-6 weeks with a broken hand that had already landed him on the DL earlier this season. Johnny Estrada is also expected to hit the DL soon for his ailing elbow. Wil Nieves is the last man standing and it's safe to say he has the job to himself for the next few weeks. ... Already relegated to a reserve role with the return of Moises Alou, Angel Pagan has hurt his shoulder in Wednesday's game. He had already taken a huge hit in value with Alou coming back, so now he is officially droppable in even the deepest of leagues. ... Start Chris Duncan, as not only is he going up against a righty, but he has a great record against Ben Sheets (7-for-12, .583/.643/1.250). Rick Ankiel will also be in the lineup. ... Continue to leave Fred Lewis on the bench as the Giants work their way through a gauntlet of lefties. ... Frank Thomas feasts on Kevin Millwood. The Big Hurt is 12-for-20 (.600) with a pair of home runs. ... Felix Pie will be favored over Reed Johnson with a righthander on the mound. ... Geoff Jenkins should start over Jayson Werth against a tough righty like Tim Lincecum.

Pitchers: I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Michael O'Connor has a solid game against the Marlins; they have been clueless when it comes to southpaws. An OPS of .833 against righties is impressive, but Florida has a .624 OPS against lefties. O'Connor could reward deep-league owners who take a chance. ... Bronson Arroyo hasn't quite been as bad as his ERA would suggest, but I still wouldn't march him out against the Mets lineup. His K/9 is much higher than his career numbers (8.07), but so is his batting average-against (.360). Both those numbers should come down (with his ERA) and make him useful against weaker opponents. Leave him out of this contest though. ... A couple of deep-league worthy relievers could be back from the DL this weekend. The Mets' Matt Wise and the A's Keith Foulke are expected to be activated soon. Both offer some decent strikeout numbers and hold opportunities (for those leagues that use the stat). ... Darrell Rasner had mesmerizing numbers in Triple-A, and pitched a solid start last Sunday against the Mariners. The Tigers offense has gone cold over the past week, but they are still dangerous at home and just as liable to put up a crooked number in multiple innings against a starter. If Rasner can handle the Tigers, then I'd be very confident in him going forward, but that is a big "if." ... A cheap quality start could be had from Joel Piniero. The Brewers are still struggling against all right-handed pitching. ... I like Jamie Moyer in his start against San Francisco. He will be the sixth straight left-handed starter that the Giants have had to face. They'll be getting so sick of southpaws by the time Saturday rolls around, it should give Moyer an edge. ... Aaron Laffey has looked great in his two starts this season, and while the Blue Jays offense hasn't exactly been stellar, a lot of the players who helped Toronto finish second in OPS versus lefties last season are still around. Alex Rios, Vernon Wells and Aaron Hill could unload on an unsuspecting southpaw at anytime. I have a feeling Laffey will be OK in this matchup, but I think there are enough good matchups for pitchers on this day, that there is no reason to risk Laffey. ... Chuck James is being recalled from Triple-A for a start against the Pirates. As he continues to work his way back from shoulder troubles last year, I haven't seen a high enough pitch count to warrant using him. Besides, the Pirates are dangerous against lefties. ... After skipping a start to let some back pain subside, Tom Gorzelanny should still be left off rosters for now. His command has been atrocious this season, so until we see a start with minimal walks, bench him. ... Garrett Olson is an option for deep AL-only leagues. He nibbles and uses a lot of pitches, but has gotten the job done in two starts this season. The Royals aren't exactly an imposing offense for a left-hander to face either. ... You never know what you're going to get from Brett Tomko. The Orioles have been a sputtering offense lately, while Tomko struck out seven over shutout innings in his last outing. Still, Tomko was rocked by the Rangers, Indians and Angels in his three starts before that one. There is no use gambling on him here unless all other options have been exhausted. ... Glen Perkins is a left-hander making his first big-league start. The Red Sox eat pitchers like him for breakfast. Stay away. ... Andrew Miller has already faced the Nationals twice this season, but unlike his counterpart (Redding), I could see this way going Miller's way. He's been concentrating more on location than striking people out lately, and Washington is a bottom-10 offense. Explore other options first, because Miller has more potential to blow up in your face, but he could benefit deep league owners. ... The A's lineup has a combined average of .341 versus Kevin Millwood (126 at-bats). I'd avoid him. ... With Ubaldo Jimenez, I still look at the 22 walks versus 23 strikeouts and say "No, thanks." That's before even looking at the matchup, which happens to be against the weakest offense in the majors. Still, not with those walk numbers. ... Colorado has been mashing over the past week (.869 OPS). It might not be the best time to send Greg Maddux up against them. ... The White Sox don't excel against lefties and their big bats have been fairly cold lately. Jarrod Washburn might make a sneaky spot start in this contest. He does have a decent 4.09 ERA in 16 starts versus Chicago. ... The Dodgers are only middle-of-the-pack versus righties, and Chris Sampson is actually an OK start anywhere but Minute Maid Park. The anti-Wandy Rodriguez has a 15.75 ERA in three home starts and a 4.50 ERA in three road starts. He makes a deep NL-only gamble. ... Matt Belisle won't go deep enough into a ball game to make him worth your while.

The only forecast that sounds like it could affect a baseball game comes from Kansas City. The call is for showers and thunderstorms in the morning and a 60 percent chance they continue through into the evening. Plan your Orioles and Royals starters accordingly. ... There is no inclement weather anywhere else. Only Washington has a slight chance of showers for the Marlins-Nationals game. ... Cardinals, Brewers, Red Sox, Twins, Angels, Rays, White Sox and Mariners are all weather-proof.

Sean Allen is a fantasy baseball and hockey analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.