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

Playing host to the struggling Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies, the red-hot San Francisco Giants look to keep the wins rolling this week. Outfielder and lightning-rod of controversy Barry Bonds has gotten off to a torrid start this season and should continue to be started this week against both squads. As good as Bonds has been, pitching has been a key reason behind the Giants' recent success, so look for starter Barry Zito to build on his last two strong starts as he is scheduled to throw against the Rockies this week — whom he already shut down on April 16 in his first career start against Colorado. Aging shortstop Omar Vizquel has had a slow start to 2007, but a matchup against Colorado could be just what the doctor ordered; Vizquel hit .414 against the Rockies in 2006. In the series against the Phillies, starting pitcher Matt Cain will look to keep pitching out of his mind. Cain had a rough time against the Phillies last season, going 0-1 in two starts with a 6.30 ERA, but both of those games came in the first half of the season before Cain settled in and pitched great; he's a solid start this week. Second baseman Ray Durham hit .444 against Philadelphia last season so he should be starting in almost all fantasy formats for that series unless you have a far superior option at the two-bag. Overall, fantasy owners should ride the wave of success Giants players are enjoying while it lasts.

Following months of hype, New York Yankees starting pitcher Philip Hughes was called up this past week and made his big league debut against the Toronto Blue Jays. While the final line seems uninspiring — 4.3 innings, 4 earned runs, 7 hits, 1 walk, 5 Ks — those of us who watched the game saw what all the hubbub was about. Able to throw a mid-90s fastball while mixing in a knee-buckling curve and a still-developing changeup, Hughes has the tools to be an immediate impact. The results of Hughes' first Major League start may have something to do with nerves. According to MLB.com, Hughes stated, "Maybe if I go back and do it all over again, it's going to be a different outcome, but it's still my first game at Yankee Stadium. I'm going to be a little nervous." One of the things that scouts and Yankee brass alike have mentioned about the 20-year old talent is his maturity. He makes it a point to not let something like a poor start bother him and if that is the case, The Lineup expects Hughes to have a more fantasy-friendly performance this coming week against the Texas Rangers. While highly touted pitching prospects are normally a huge risk, Hughes' skill and run support potential is just too good for fantasy owners to ignore. If you own him, start him.

During the 2006 season — when players with names like Liriano, Verlander and Papelbon were setting the baseball world on fire — fantasy owners started to feel as if investing in rookie pitching would no longer be the risky process it once was. Well, if New York Mets starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey has taught us anything, it is that we should temper our expectations when a young "phenom" takes the Major League hill. Pelfrey has been so unimpressive this season, that The New York Times is revealing, "With a few starters pitching exceedingly well at Class AAA New Orleans, Pelfrey's grip on his job is growing increasingly tenuous." When he was officially named the fifth starter for the Mets, fantasy owners raced to the waiver pool to snatch him up, if he was not already drafted. But after some poor starts, particularly his dreadful appearance against the Colorado Rockies this past week, Pelfrey owners are starting to question the young talent. See how Pelfrey pitches in his next game against the Florida Marlins because it could very well be his last major league appearance in 2007 if he does not shape up. Should he end up getting shelled and/or ends up in the minors by the end of this week, it is not worth owning him in fantasy formats unless you are playing in a keeper league.

While nothing sounds too serious at the moment, the Chicago White Sox might want to tread carefully with the health of designated hitter Jim Thome. The Chicago Sun-Times revealed that, "the White Sox decided Tuesday to leave Thome, slowed by a minor irritation in his right rib cage, out of the starting lineup." Granted, it was raining and they were playing the lowly Kansas City Royals, so you could say the Sox were just playing it safe. Still, fantasy owners may be having flashbacks to 2005 when injuries limited Thome to only 59 games. It is advisable to keep starting Thome for the time being as he is one of the better power-hitters in the game when healthy, evidenced by his 2006 numbers of 42 HR, 108 runs and 109 RBI. Just make sure that you monitor this bothersome ribcage injury very closely to see if it becomes a lingering issue. A DL stint would be the last thing that Thome owners would want to hear.

Fantasy players everywhere had Texas Rangers catcher Gerald Laird high on their sleeper list when the team named him their starting backstop. But so far in 2007, he has not been able to bring his average near the Mendoza line and the Rangers may be having second thoughts. The Dallas Morning News reports, "So how patient should the Rangers be with Laird. . . Chris Stewart could see a little more action, maybe playing twice a week." Bet Texas wishes it had not just let catcher Rod Barajas walk during the off-season. The Lineup does not necessarily feel that the Rangers are going to abandon ship on Laird and get Stewart heavily involved. But those of you holding onto Laird may have dead weight sitting on your bench. Depending on how deep your league is and how many catchers your team is required to play, The Lineup is sure that you could find better help at catcher out there on the waiver wire. Catchers such as John Buck of the Kansas City Royals offer decent upside for the season. If you happen to be in a league where there are slim pickings for free agent catchers, you may want to hold on to Laird for at least another week or so to see if he snaps out of his funk.