Fantasy Baseball Tonight 7/20

Jeff Francoeur has injected some offense into the pathetic Mets' lineup. Tonight against the Nats Frenchy had three hits including a homer and drove in three runs. Since being traded by the Braves on July 10th, he now has eight RBI in seven games. You would think as the Mets start to get healthier and there are some better players around him, Francoeur's numbers should increase. However, I am not saying go run out and get him, but if you have an injury or someone who REALLY is making you mad, he could be a decent option. I picked him up in one league that I am in with 16 teams in it and he is one of my starters.

For those of you in deep leagues where you might own Rodrigo Lopez, he pitched well again, but I think his time in the Phillies rotation might be short lived. He allowed just one run over six innings and struck out five against the Cubs, which is pretty impressive. With Hamels, Happ, Moyer, and Blanton set in stone, Lopez time might be short after the signing of Pedro Martinez. The Phillies are also usually in the lead when rumors of trades of Roy Halladay are being discussed, so it seems this moment in the sun will be short lived. If you have been counting on him, I suppose you should do so until he implodes or he is removed from the rotation. He did have a couple of good years for Baltimore a while back, but I am not expecting this pitching to continue.

David Hernandez has pitched pretty well under the radar for the Orioles. He allowed just a home run to the Yankees on Monday, and that was to Eric Hinske. In six starts, Hernandez has allowed more than three runs only once, although his strikeout numbers are a little lower than you would like with 21 in 38 innings pitched. There is a certain amount of risk with Hernandez because he is young, and the fact that he pitches for the Orioles means he won't get a ton of wins in that division. But he has now pitched reasonably well against the Yankees, Angels, and Tigers this season, so he might be worth a look in deeper leagues.

Tommy Hanson had his first double digit strikeout game tonight, a nice bounce back after allowing four runs in five innings his last time out. He also went seven innings for the second time in three starts, which is also nice to see a young guy start to be able to pitch deeper into games. I don't think I need to tell you to start Hanson every time he takes the mound, but if you are having any doubts, here goes..........Be sure you start Tommy Hanson every time out! There you go.

Johnathan Sanchez made his first start since throwing his no hitter, and had another pretty decent start. It was a long way from another no hitter, but considering how he was throwing before that, anyone who picked him up should be happy with it. Sanchez allowed three runs over six innings, walked three and struck out eight. He's not going to carry your team by any means, but if he can keep the ERA under control, Sanchez has always been good for the Ks.

Frank Francisco's latest trip to the DL is due to pneumonia. The move was made retroactive to July 11th, which means he is eligible to come back this Sunday, July 26th. C.J. Wilson will close in his absence

After hearing that Carlos Quentin would need a week to get back into shape to play actual games, he showed up tonight activated from the Disabled List and in the lineup for the Sox. He was able to get one hit in his return.

Nelson Cruz has a slightly fractured finger, but he is going to attempt to play through it. He should be back in the lineup tomorrow. Brandon Phillips had a similar injury, and he was able to play through the pain.

Mets' prospect Jonathon Niese looks to be in line for the start that Fernando Nieve would be taking except that he was the latest Met to hit the DL. Niese has been great in the minors lately (5-0, 0.72 ERA in his last seven starts), but he has struggled in the majors when the Mets have given him a chance.

As always, your comments and questions are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Also, don't miss the "Fantasy Baseball Tonight" podcast four nights a week from Monday-Thursday. The Big Show on Wednesday is co-hosted by Todd Farino of fantasybaseballsearch.com, RC Rizza of junkyardjake.com and myself, Ryan Hallam at fightingchancefantasy.com. To hear the show go to www.blogtalkradio.com/the_true_guru. You can also hear me weekly on the Tuesday Night show. Join me with Jeff Mans every Tuesday night at 10pm EST for all the the info and craziness we can pack into one hour. A can't miss if you plan on winning your league.