D-Train Derailed

What is going on with Dontrelle Willis? This is a question I've been trying to answer for over two months. After a 5-1 start in April, Willis has dropped 8 of his 10 decisions since and just can't seem to get it together. Something I've noticed in the last two seasons is that teams who draft Dontrelle in fantasy, which I did twice this season, don't do particularly well.

I would have no problem with my real team acquiring the D-Train. Let's not forget that he won 22 games in 2005 and could have won the Cy Young Award. But since then, Willis has not regained that form and fantasy owners have felt his struggles. The ERA (5.13) and the WHIP (1.65) leave much to be desired this season, even though the Marlins are not particularly good.

Anyway, the point is this: If you can't unload him this season, just be aware of who his starts are against for the rest of 2007. Don't be afraid to bench him if you don't feel comfortable about the opponent. When he gets pounded in back-to-back starts against the Nationals and Cardinals, it's hard to find any more favorable match-ups for him. He's better than he's shown, but be very cautious when trying to place a fantasy value on him in the future.

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PS I used his mugshot as a show of frustration. Is that wrong?

Encouraging Signs

After many months of waiting, Brad Lidge finally got back in the save column. He faced four batters while pitching a scoreless inning for the second straight night on Tuesday. And since the Astros were actually ahead on the road in the 9th inning, Lidge got a chance to close it out.

The upsetting thing is that Lidge has been the subject of many trade rumors, though the Astros are now indicating they want to keep him. Of course, his value will plummet if he's dealt with the purpose of making him a middle reliever. But if he stays put and stays healthy, Lidge should provide fantasy owners with solid stats over the next two months.

I know the Astros stink, and they just lost a series in Washington, but they should improve somewhat down the stretch. Milwaukee is finally coming back to Earth, and Houston will be playing other teams in baseball's worst division for the rest of the summer. The Cubs should win the N.L. Central barring major injury.

Elsewhere, a couple of guys who had dreadful first halves are starting to show signs of coming out of it in July. Barry Zito beat the red-hot Cubs Tuesday night and Jermaine Dye is swinging a good bat despite the White Sox being a non-factor in the A.L. Central. Luckily I dropped Zito in one of my leagues just before his last start so I missed out. He's been bad overall, but his durability and the fact that he's now in the N.L. make him at least a viable second-string starter in fantasy. With Dye, the fact that Paul Konerko has been mashing as well makes a big difference, but it also just makes you wonder what was going beforehand (maybe the picture can provide a clue).

If you're in 10-team leagues, it's possible that one or both of these guys could be available. And if you're leagues without trade deadlines or with ones that haven't passed yet, then they're likely available in small deals. Don't give up too much though.

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Frustration Abounds!

At this point in the season, standard rotisserie leagues are difficult to make up ground in. When you look at the standings and see where you're struggling, it's getting to the point where you have to decide whether you can make up significant ground in certain categories, or whether you should just punt certain one or two altogether - meaning to focus only on the stats where you can make up ground.

In head-to-head leagues, there's still time for most to recover ground. What kills me personally is that in my own head-to-head league, the two commissioners decreed that everyone bench their squads for the All-Star-shortened week. Consequently, my team is having the best 4 days of all time. Oh good, Miguel Cabrera homered again. That's 2 today.


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PS Howie Kendrick to the DL. He hasn't had the year I hoped for.

A Thousand Apologies

My friends and readers - there's no excuse for 2+ weeks of inactivity. It will not happen again. I guess my All-Star break lasted a little too long. Anyway, we have a big second half ahead. Many moves are still to be made, and nearly every league is still up for grabs. So as my dear friend and former broadcast partner, Eric Gladstein, says: STAY ACTIVE. Maybe I should take that advice when it comes to this blog.

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