Matt Kemp has had a poor season for the lofty expectations that were set for him. I projected the Los Angeles centerfielder at .301 BA/25 HR/111 RBI/28 SB. He was ranked as the second best fantasy outfielder by most, but just hasn’t been that good. He is currently at .255/22/74/18.
While most players would be more than happy to post these numbers for a season, Kemp has been outperformed by teammate Andre Ethier and there have even been trade rumors regarding moving Kemp from the Dodgers.
For those in keeper leagues, now is the time to pounce. This guy turns 26 at the end of September and is likely to return to his once lofty status. The batting average and RBI are lower than expected, but he quietly went .302/5/17/3 in August. This is not a guy to ignore, Kemp is a guy to pursue and his owner might be willing to sell him at a discount.
Another Dodgers outfielder not putting up numbers expected of him is Manny Ramirez. He appears to be on his way to Chicago’s south side. A grumpy Manny is not a useful piece to his team, but a happy Manny can be a one-man wrecking crew.
For a reminder of his ability to turn it on, see his stats from 2008 when he was traded to the Dodgers. After sulking in Boston for 100 games, he was sitting at .299/20/68, but in only 53 games with the Dodgers, Man-Ram posted a line of .396/17/53. The moral of the story is that Manny gets bored and needs a change of scenery to regain his interest. He’s about to get the change he desires.
This week, all teams are scheduled to play at least six games while Cleveland, New York (both), Oakland, Seattle, Atlanta, Colorado, and Philadelphia are all on the docket for seven.
Now, the projected two-start pitchers for this week. For those of you in leagues who require you to set your lineup at the beginning of the week, these are guys you should strongly consider:
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Rick’s Picks
Five best bets for double-start pitchers this week
1. Roy Halladay. Best pitcher in baseball. Enough said.
2. Carlos Zambrano has had his fair share of drama this season but when his head is in the game, he is one of the best. Getting the Pirates and Mets at home this week will be the right tonic for Big Z.
3. Phil Hughes gets Oakland and Toronto at home. What’s not to like?
4. Wade LeBlanc gets the benefit of two starts this week for a somehow still upright Padres team. This team is still winning despite all the signs that say they should be mediocre. LeBlanc will take advantage at Arizona and at home against Colorado.
5. Jair Jurrjens is a tremendous pitcher at home and mediocre on the road. He gets the Mets in Atlanta and then the Marlins on the road, so look for one big outing and then a crap shoot in the second matchup.
Rick Milleman is the head fantasy baseball contributor at DraftBuddy.com. Check his annual player projections included in the Cheatsheet Compiler & Draft Buddy to help draft your championship team.
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