Our weekly digest of everything fantasy baseball. Facts don't lie and The Lineup is full of 'em. Projections for the week of Aug. 27- Sept. 2. Stats through Aug. 24:



San Diego Padres, OF
Stats: .400 AVG, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 5 R
Comment: Has looked comfortable hitting in the 3-hole, and GM Kevin Towers is looking awfully smart for snagging him cheap earlier in the season.

Cincinnati Reds, SS
Stats: .414 AVG, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 10 R
Comment: Doing so well with Alex Gonzalez hurt that manager Pete Mackanin is insisting that Keppinger will take on a Ryan Freel-type role as super-utility player when Gonzalez returns.

Texas Rangers, C
Stats: .304 AVG, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 8 R
Comment: Finished this past week's road-trip with four round-trippers in five games.


Colorado Rockies, RP
Stats: 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, 5 SO
Comment: Has settled in nicely to long-relief role. His 3.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio is best among NL relievers.

San Diego Padres, SP
Stats: 2-0, 2.77 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 4 SO
Comment: With a win on Friday against Philadelphia, Maddux became the first player to win 10 games for 20 consecutive seasons.

Los Angeles Angels, SP
Stats: 1-0, 1.17 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 7 SO
Comment: With his impressive performance against the Red Sox this past week, he improved to 7-1 for the season.



New York Mets, 1B
Stats: .226 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 0 SB
Comment: Hitless in 16 at-bats?! He just should not be on a single fantasy team right now.

Boston Red Sox, OF
Stats: .200 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3 R, 0 SB
Comment: Drew has just six HR this season — not what GM Theo Epstein was expecting when they signed him.

Baltimore Orioles, C
Stats: .000 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 R, 0 SB
Comment: Hernandez actually one-upped Delgad-woe with an 0-for-18 week.


Baltimore Orioles, RP
Stats: 0-0, 47.25 ERA, 6.00 WHIP, 1 SO
Comment: Gave up seven earned runs in just 1.1 innings of work in the mauling at Texas.

Chicago White Sox, SP
Stats: 0-2, 9.31 ERA, 2.17 WHIP, 6 SO
Comment: Season ERA is hovering around 5.00 and there is talk of possible shoulder issues.

Florida Marlins, SP
Stats: 0-1, 8.53 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 1 SO
Comment: Feisty left-hander has a trial date set for a September 10th drunk driving/resisting arrest incident.


New York Mets, C
Comment: : If he happens to return this week, feel free to start him based on his solid batting numbers this year against Atlanta (.361 AVG, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB in 9 games) and Florida (.393 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB in 7 games).

Colorado Rockies, C
Comment: Productive numbers at the catcher position this season versus the Diamondbacks (.346 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R in 7 games) and Giants (.292 AVG, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R in 7 games).

Milwaukee Brewers, 1B
Comment: While his inconsistency can drive fantasy owners batty, have no fear starting him this week. He's been very good this year against the Cubs (.327 AVG, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 11 R in 12 games) and Pirates (.323 AVG, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R in 9 games).

Los Angeles Angels, 1B
Comment: Slick-fielding first baseman is worth the start due to season stats versus the Mariners (.333 AVG, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R,in 12 games) and Rangers (.333 AVG, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, in 13 games).

Atlanta Braves, 2B
Comment: Productive season should continue this week as Johnson has had success at the dish in 2007 against the Mets (.317 AVG, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 10 R, 2 SB in 11 games) and Marlins (.297 AVG, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 11 R, 1 SB in 11 games).

Los Angeles Angels, 2B
Comment: Comment: Has hit the ground running since returning from the DL and as long as he's healthy, he's a great option in a thin second base pool.

Milwaukee Brewers, SS
Comment: Has picked it up in his past 14 games: .340 AVG, 5 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R. Play him while he's hot.

Oakland Athletics, SS
Comment: Strong play this week based on his season stats versus Toronto (.357 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R in 4 games) and Detroit (.333 AVG, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R in 7 games).

Cincinnati Reds, 3B
Comment: Have no fear starting Encarnacion this week. This season he has played ridiculously well against the Pirates (.438 AVG, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 10 R, 1 SB in 12 games) and Cardinals (.400 AVG, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R in 9 games).

Los Angeles Dodgers, 3B
Comment: Was hitting over .350 in inter-league play before switching from AL to NL and is seeing regular at-bats thanks to Nomar's latest injury.

Arizona Diamondbacks, OF
Comment: Superb numbers this season against Colorado (.327 AVG, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 4 R, 2 SB in 12 games) and San Diego (.310 AVG, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 7 R, 2 SB in 11 games).

Atlanta Braves, OF
Comment: Play Francouer with great confidence based on his excellent season numbers against the Marlins (.388 AVG, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 8 R in 12 games) and Mets (.261 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 5 R in 12 games).

Texas Rangers, OF
Comment: Big numbers in 2007 against the Mariners (.356 AVG, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 5 R, 3 SB in 12 games) and Rangers (.378 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 10 R in 13 games).

Florida Marlins, OF
Comment: Swinging a big bat this year versus the Braves (.324 AVG, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, 1 SB in 11 games) and Phillies (.333 AVG, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, in 9 games).

Cleveland Indians, SP
Comment: Cleveland is in the playoff hunt and Byrd has been valuable to them this year against the Twins (3-0, 3.13 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 9 SO in 23 IP) and White Sox (1-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 8 SO in 12 IP).

St. Louis Cardinals, SP
Comment: Gotta love the way the Cards are playing right now and Looper has two starts against teams that he has done well against this season in the Astros (1-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 4 SO in 12 IP) and Reds (0-0, 1.29 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 4 SO in 7 IP).

Los Angeles Dodgers, SP
Comment: Undefeated in his career against the Washington Nationals with 3 wins, a 3.04 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 24 SO in 26.2 IP.

Seattle Mariners, SP
Comment: Looking like the pitcher in last season's post-season. Take a gander at his August numbers: 4-0, 3.14 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 21 SO in 28.2 IP.


San Diego Padres, C
Comment: Disastrous home numbers in 2007: .194 AVG, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 10 R, 0 SB in 50 games.

Toronto Blue Jays, C
Comment: Zaun has been pathetic this season against Oakland (.143 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 0 SB in 5 games) and Seattle (.150 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 R, 0 SB in 6 games).

San Diego Padres, 1B
Comment: Just can't trust him at home this season: .254 AVG, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 31 R, 0 SB in 62 games.

Oakland Athletics, 1B
Comment: Power-outage at home in 2007: .250 AVG, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 23 R, 1 SB in 59 games.

Los Angeles Dodgers, 2B
Comment: Struggling this season against Washington (.083 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 0 SB in 3 games) and San Diego (.239 AVG, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 1 SB in 11 games).

Texas Rangers, 2B
Comment: In a slump right now and his batting average this season against the Angels (.136) and White Sox (.222) warrant a benching.

San Diego Padres, SS
Comment: Home numbers are actually much worse across the board this year: .207 AVG, 9 HR, 28 RBI, 28 R, 1 SB in 59 games.

Texas Rangers, SS
Comment: Has been a flat-out bum this year versus the White Sox (.091 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 R, 0 SB in 3 games) and Angels (.204 AVG, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 1 SB in 13 games).

Toronto Blue Jays, 3B
Comment: Being bothered by foot issues and his batting average this season against Oakland (.222) and Seattle (.222) make him a prime sit candidate this week.

Kansas City Royals, 3B
Comment: Has had a tough time being consistent this year against Detroit (.132 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 0 SB in 10 games) and Minnesota (.176 AVG, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 0 SB in 10 games).

Los Angeles Angels, OF
Comment: Those of you under the spell of his big night this past week need to realize that he is still in somewhat of a platoon situation in the outfield and has only 1 HR in 62 at-bats against the Mariners and Rangers this season.

Colorado Rockies, OF
Comment: Just don't play him when he's on the road this season: .259 AVG, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 25 R, 0 SB in 52 games.

Florida Marlins, OF
Comment: You can do a lot better than Hermida this week. Has not been effective this season versus Atlanta (.176 AVG, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB in 7 games) and Philadelphia (.136 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 R, 0 SB in 6 games).

Washington Nationals, OF
Comment: Don't buy into his early success with the Nationals. He still strikes out about once every three at-bats and is in a platoon situation in Washington.

Boston Red Sox, SP
Comment: As a member of the Red Sox, Beckett has not fared well in his career against the Yankees (3-2, 7.91 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, 26 SO in 33 IP).

Oakland Athletics, SP
Comment: Down-right horrible in his career versus Detroit (2-2, 9.67 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 11 SO in 27 IP).

Cleveland Indians, SP
Comment: Has had a terrific season, but it would be wise to sit Carmona based on his career numbers against Chicago (0-3, 7.63 ERA, 1.96 WHIP, 15 SO in 15.1 IP).

San Diego Padres, SP
Comment: Inexplicably terrible versus Arizona in his career: 1-10, 5.28 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 64 SO in 93.2 IP.


Starbonell is UPDATE! Major League Baseball Editor.

9 Consecutive strikeouts Arizona Diamondbacks 3B Mark Reynolds had between Aug. 18-21. It tied a major league record held by dual-athlete Bo Jackson.

30 Runs scored by the Texas Rangers Wednesday against Baltimore, setting an American League record. It's the first time in 110 years a team has hit the 30 run mark.

1 Career stolen bases by Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. He swiped his first bag on Tuesday versus Los Angeles.

0 Losses San Diego Padres SP Jake Peavy has on the road this season. He has 8 wins and a 1.22 ERA away from Petco Park in 2007.


Detroit Tigers, OF
Comment: The term "five-tool player" is thrown around a lot these days (and when we say a lot, we mean too often). But Maybin is someone you can certainly attach that title to. He made his debut last Friday and has been all over the place, starting with an 0-for-4 performance his first game, followed by a 2-for-3 performance his second game (which included his first major-league HR), followed by another 0-for-4 dud, followed by. . .well you get the picture. He's got first-class talent but is likely to have some consistency issues. Lucky for him, manager Jim Leyland has stated he will be patient with the youngster, which is encouraging and makes him a player worth keeping an eye on down the stretch.


The NL Central Division title is on the line as a highly anticipated match-up between the Cubs and Brewers takes place this week. The Brewers have been playing well under .500 since the end of June. The Cubs lead the season series 7-5 thus far but while they made tremendous ground in July with a 17-9 record, they have stumbled in August as the loss of outfielder Alfonso Soriano has taken its toll. The Brewers are set to send Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan and Claudio Vargas to the hill while the Cubs counter with Rich Hill, Carlos Zambrano and Sean Marshall.

 BONDS HITS HOME RUN N0. 761

• The Lineup: Aug. 18-24 2007
• The Lineup: Aug. 11-17 2007
• The Lineup: Aug. 4-10 2007
• The Lineup: July 28-Aug. 3 2007
• The Lineup: July 21-27 2007
• The Lineup: July 14-20 2007
• The Lineup: July 7-14 2007
• The Lineup: June 30-July 6, 2007
• The Lineup: June 24-30, 2007
• The Lineup: June 17-23, 2007
• The Lineup: June 10-16, 2007
• The Lineup: June 3-9, 2007
• The Lineup: May 27-June 2, 2007
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• The Lineup: April 30-May 6, 2007
• The Lineup: April 23-29, 2007
• The Lineup: April 16-22, 2007
• The Lineup: April 9-15, 2007
• The Lineup: April 2-8, 2007
• The Lineup: March 26-April 1, 2007
• The Lineup: March 19-25, 2007
• The Lineup: March 12-18, 2007
• The Lineup: March 5-11, 2007
• The Lineup: Feb. 26-March 4, 2007
• The Lineup: Feb. 19-25, 2007
• The Lineup: Feb. 12-18, 2007
• The Lineup: Feb. 5-11, 2007
• The Lineup: Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2007
• The Lineup: Jan. 22-28, 2007
• The Lineup: Jan. 15-21, 2007
• The Lineup: Jan. 8-14, 2007
• The Lineup: Jan. 1-7, 2007