Fantasy Time - Pitchers

There are no baseball games on and I have no chance of winning my fantasy league where posting about fantasy could hurt me, so why not take a look at what to expect for the 2nd half for pitchers.

Pitchers I like (not personally but ones that should do well):

Roy Oswalt: Last year after a dece 1st half Oswalt really turned it on in the 2nd half going 10-2 with a 2.24 ERA a WHIP under 1 and 71 Ks. He's had a less than spectacular start this year but lately he has been quite good. His last 4 starts: 2 wins, 1.86 ERA, and 28 Ks in 29 innings. Every year the Astros seemingly get to a winning record after looking like a crappy team in the first half , and most of that is due to Oswalt's 2nd half dominance. He hasn't been bad this year, but he's kind of been very blah. In the 2nd half expect him to go from blah to very good.

Josh Beckett: Josh Beckett was a popular mild sleeper pick this year due to his average looking numbers last year which were mostly a product of bad luck. He has really turned it on of late, like really really really turned it on. Since June he's 7-1 with a 2.01 ERA. While he won't pitch like that for the remainder of the season expect top 5 numbers from this point forward.

Cliff Lee: The Indians are terrible, and if he gets traded to an NL team you are going to want him. If he stays on the Indians he'll still help you so there is some upside here.

Those are some obvious names, here are some more under the radar guys:

Carl Pavano: It pains me to say this, but he's pretty good. Not great, but pretty good and there is some value in that considering he's probably a pickup. His xFIP is already better than guys like Chad Billingsly, Max Scherzer, Ted Lilly, Cliff Lee, and Johan Santana. He obviously doesn't offer the entire package like those guys do, but if you need help in ERA and WHIP, don't be the guy that's complaining the winning team won because Pavano had a 3.5 2nd half ERA. I don't think he'll do that, but I'm guarding all my bases now.

Kevin Slowey: He had some bad luck in the first half and now he's on the DL. You shouldn't really trade anything that great for him, but his owner shouldn't require you to. Assuming he's healthy now and that it was hurting his performance in the 1st half, Slowey could be among the league leaders in WHIP in the 2nd half with a respectable ERA and a K rate that won't hurt you and could even help.

John Danks: He has had a pretty shaky first half but the totals are still quite good. He flew way under the radar all of last year and in drafts this year, I have a feeling he'll continue flying there towards a successful 2nd half.

Joel Pineiro: Not much to say here, but if you need ERA/WHIP help then why not? It looks like he's truly changed and can sustain what he has been doing.

Pitchers I don't like (some of this could be personal):

Dan Haren: I actually do like him, but is he really the best pitcher in baseball? I'll gladly stand corrected but if you can get a quality pitcher and hitter in a deal for him I'd pull the plug.

Gil Meche: Something is not right here. It's better that it's his back that's been hurting him and not his shoulder but c'mon this is pretty shitty. He was very underrated coming into the year, and because of that you probably got him with a mid round pick which was a great pick then but why keep starting the injured guy on a horribly run team that has had their trainers called out with a 4.50 ERA.

Jered Weaver: No Weaver is ever consistently this good whether it's Jered or Jeff. He was all-star caliber in the first half, he won't be all-star caliber in the 2nd half.

Joba Chamberlain: It wouldn't shock me to see him on some Buy Low lists, but Joba clearly isn't the same pitcher he was before his shoulder injury last year. He threw 95 as a starter last year and this year he's throwing low 90s which is totally acceptable for a starter but it's not Joba. The Yankees want to do all they can to prove to everyone that keeping Joba in the rotation was the smart thing to do, but they aren't stupid, Joba's recent sucktitude could earn him a trip to the DL, AAA, or the bullpen and you don't want him on your team when that happens.

Some obvious ones I feel the need to mention:

Kevin Millwood: He's been lucky and now he's entering the Texas Summer. Good luck!

Nick Blackburn: Really?

Some other names:

Carlos Zambrano: Just not feeling him right now.

Jair Jurrjens: He could surprise us and still have a nice ERA under 4, but what if he doesn't do that? There are plenty of guys that can give you his numbers if he doesn't somewhat collapse, so deal accordingly.

Johnny Cueto: If he has a good start after the break he's the best sell high candidate I can think of. Keeper leagues may want to hold tight, but I suspect something is wrong. Dusy Baker and young pitchers just don't mesh. Edinson Volquez has already proved that let's not wait to find out if Cueto will.

Pitchers I actually like but fear innings limits may factor:

Jordan Zimmermann: He's a great young pitcher on a horrible team. He's pitched way better than his numbers suggest (4.5 ERA/3.59 FIP) and I really like him for the future but why does he need to start games in September on one of the worst teams in baseball history? Keep him on your sleeper list for next year and don't bother with him for the 2nd half.

Max Scherzer: There has been speculation that he'll end up as a reliever and his performance in the first half this year has to put down those rumors- 3.61 ERA and a k/9 over 9. However, after throwing 109 innings last year is there any reason for the Dbacks to have him throw 175 like he's on pace for? Keeper leagues should obviously hold tight, but if you are relying on Scherzer to help you in the race in September you may be disappointed when he moves to the pen or is shut down for good.