The Lineup is here to dish out fantasy insight on all things baseball. Here are five storylines you should be following this week:

Since giving up a three-run blast to St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols in Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS, Houston Astros reliever Brad Lidge has never been the same. After a poor 2006 saw the struggling righthander post an ugly 5.28 ERA, Lidge seemed poised to bounce back. But after giving up six runs in two relief appearances — that included a blown save — something had to give. The Houston Chronicle reported, "Astros manager Phil Garner removed Brad Lidge from the job and handed it to Dan Wheeler." This marks the fourth time since May 2006 that Lidge has been relieved of ninth-inning duties. While Wheeler gains some short-term fantasy value with this news, it does not help his cause that he had a heart-attack save on Tuesday against the Cubs, allowing two runs and putting the tying runs on base before getting the final out. For those still hanging on to Lidge, keep him tucked away on your bench for now.

Fantasy owners who drafted Texas Rangers reliever Eric Gagne have been impatiently waiting for the moment he officially becomes the team's closer. Those fretful owners are going to need more patience as the The Dallas Morning News reported, "The Rangers are making the safe choice — the best choice — by letting Otsuka close until they are certain about Gagne's ability." Gagne began the season on the disabled list, though it was not because of injury. The Rangers simply wanted him to get more rehab outings before taking an MLB mound. Akinori Otsuka has been handling closer duties without any problems and was very successful last season when he posted 32 saves with a 2.11 ERA. It seems as if the Rangers are dedicated to making Gagne their closer when he's ready, but those who own Otsuka should keep the Japanese righthander until Gagne is able to prove he can close consistently. Gagne has only played in 16 games in the past two seasons.

The Atlanta Braves are starting their season off on the right foot after missing the playoffs last season for the first time in 16 years. Atlanta starts off the week completing a road series against the Washington Nationals and then heads home to take on the Chicago Cubs before finishing the week at Shea Stadium in a matchup versus the New York Mets. Starting pitcher Chuck James (1-0, 0.82 ERA) looks to build on his hot start, pitching against both the Nats and Mets; he's a strong start for the week. Ace John Smoltz (1-0. 3.75) also gets two starts this week against New York and Washington and should be starting in all fantasy lineups. Outfielder Andruw Jones started showing some of his power in week two. Look for third baseman Chipper Jones to be productive against New York and Washington as last year he hit .292 with 18 runs, 7 HRs and 16 RBIs in 24 games against the two teams combined. Similarly, expect catcher Brian McCann to keep raking the ball as he hit at a .345 clip against the Cubs, Nats and Mets in 2006. It could be a very productive week for the Braves.

The Arizona Diamondbacks expected pitcher Randy Johnson, rehabbing in the minors, to return this week. But The Arizona Republic revealed that, "Ever since Randy Johnson moved onto a starter's five-day schedule near the end of March, the Diamondbacks tentatively have targeted his return date to be around April 19. But Johnson said Wednesday he might not be ready by then." Johnson had off-season back surgery after his second disappointing season with the New York Yankees. Fantasy owners who drafted him hoping that a return to the National League and Arizona would result in numbers closer to his pre-Yankee totals should keep him reserved until it is made official that Johnson is ready to go. The fact that Johnson himself is doubting his ability to pitch in the majors should cause some alarm. The Diamondbacks have been getting solid performances out of starting pitchers Micah Owings and Edgar Gonzalez, so they can afford to let Johnson get in a couple more rehab starts if they wish.

Battling biceps tendonitis all spring, Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jered Weaver has made significant progress in his rehab starts in the minors. Now, according to The Los Angeles Times, "[Weaver] is scheduled to make his 2007 debut Monday." His first start is going to be against a tough Boston Red Sox lineup at Fenway Park. Weaver exploded onto the scene in his rookie year in 2006, going 11-2 with a 2.56 ERA, 1.033 WHIP and 105 strikeouts in 123 innings. Fantasy owners should play a wait and see approach. This is the Red Sox we're talking about, so it's OK to bench him this week. A word of caution: This is an affliction that he has been dealing with since college ball. So his durability is a concern.