Week 17 Fantasy Hitting Planner

The Fantasy Baseball Hitting Planner is the essential guide to setting your lineup for the upcoming week. Every weekend, we provide you with favorable and unfavorable matchups as well as lineup changes for each team.

This week's news and notes for each team:

Arizona Diamondbacks
Schedule: PHI3, @NYM3
Heating Up: Since the All-Star break, Miguel Montero has an eight-game hitting streak during which he's batting .455 (15 for 33) with four home runs. The Diamondbacks now trust him in the middle of the order, giving you justification to trust him in your Fantasy lineup. Stephen Drew looks like he's ready to redeem himself after a poor first half, batting .483 (14 for 29) with one home run over his last seven games.
Cooling Off: Gerardo Parra has only four hits in the second half, batting .125 (4 for 32). Leave the rookie for NL-only leagues.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Diamondbacks face four left-handers this week, but they don't have any lefty-righty platoons.
Lineup Changes: Ryan Roberts and Augie Ojeda have split time at second base following the Felipe Lopez trade. Roberts has a little more upside offensively, but Ojeda's glove might keep him in the lineup. Give Roberts a look if you're desperate in a deeper NL-only league.

Atlanta Braves
Schedule: @FLA3, LAD3
Heating Up: Yunel Escobar has seemingly adapted to his new role in the lineup, becoming more of a run producer now that he's batting in the middle of the order. Over his last seven games, he's batting .444 (12 for 27) with three home runs and nine RBI and is looking more and more like a must-start Fantasy shortstop.
Cooling Off: Ryan Church hasn't hit any better as a Brave than he did as a Met. In fact, he's batting only .214 (6 for 28) since the trade. Don't bother with him in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Braves face one left-handed pitcher this week. Matt Diaz will likely replace Church that game.
Lineup Changes: None.

Baltimore Orioles
Schedule: KC4, BOS3
Heating Up: Nick Markakis, an underachiever for much of the season, looks like he might have his usual second-half surge. He's batting .353 (12 for 34) with three home runs since the break and remains a must-start.
Cooling Off: Aubrey Huff is 0 for 13 over his last three games and batting .147 (11 for 75) in July, lowering his season batting average to .248. He might have a rebound week ahead, though, since he faces nothing but right-handers, against whom he's hitting .271 compared to .222 against lefties, and plays all of his games at home, where he's hitting .285 compared to .218 on the road.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Orioles face only right-handed pitchers this week, so Ty Wigginton might not get many opportunities to play. In contrast, Luke Scott should get a full week to play. He looks like a good sleeper in all leagues.
Lineup Changes: None.

Boston Red Sox
Schedule: OAK4, @BAL3
Heating Up: David Ortiz isn't on a blistering pace anymore, but he's still on a useful one, batting .333 (7 for 21) over his last six games.
Cooling Off: J.D. Drew is batting .091 (5 for 55) over his last 15 games and is clearly in too much of a slump for you to consider starting him. Jason Bay's cold streak has lasted even longer. He's batting .203 in July and .220 since May, but he built up some credit in Fantasy with his hot April and May and remains too valuable to sit.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Red Sox face three left-handed pitchers this week, so Rocco Baldelli will get three starts, most likely in place of Drew.
Lineup Changes: With Drew struggling so, the Red Sox dropped him back down the order, moving him from the leadoff spot to seventh. On its own merit, the move hurts his Fantasy appeal, but it can only be a good thing if it gets him hitting again. The Red Sox's acquisition of Adam A. LaRoche means he and Mike Lowell both will likely become part-time players. They look like just AL-only options going forward. Jed Lowrie has gotten most of the starts at shortstop since returning from a wrist injury, but Nick A. Green still spells him at times.

Chicago Cubs
Schedule: HOU4, @FLA3
Heating Up: Alfonso Soriano is ready to make up for lost time after slumping in May and June, batting .438 (14 for 32) with three home runs during an eight-game hitting streak. Don't even think about benching him. Kosuke Fukudome is showing he saved some of his good hitting for the summer, batting .400 (12 for 30) over his last eight games. He's still mostly just an NL-only option. Aramis Ramirez is looking fully recovered from his shoulder injury, batting .583 (7 for 12) with two home runs over his last three games.
Cooling Off: No player is significantly underachieving right now.
Injury Concerns: Derrek Lee left Saturday's game with back spasms that he doesn't think are serious. Back spasms have a tendency to linger, though, so if Lee doesn't return Sunday, you should probably bench him if you have a viable alternative.
Platoon Possibilities: The Cubs face two left-handed pitchers this week, so Fukudome and Mike Fontenot will sit twice in favor of Reed Johnson and Jeff Baker.
Lineup Changes: None.

Chicago White Sox
Schedule: @MIN3, NYY4
Heating Up: A.J. Pierzynski has multiple hits in three of his last four games, batting .529 (9 for 17) during that stretch. He might struggle against the lefties on the schedule this week, however. Scott Podsednik is batting .417 (10 for 24) and deserves a look in all leagues now.
Cooling Off: Jermaine Dye is batting .133 (4 for 30) over his last eight games, but he was due for a downturn after some ridiculous hitting that began in late June. Same goes for Paul Konerko, who's batting .045 (1 for 22) over his last six games. Both are good enough to start in Fantasy even when cold, but neither is necessarily a must-start.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The White Sox face four left-handed pitchers this week. Chris Getz will likely sit those games in favor of Jayson Nix. Jim Thome will probably sit a few of those games as well, but likely not all four.
Lineup Changes: Carlos Quentin, trying to play with plantar fasciitis, hasn't needed a day off yet, playing six straight since coming off the DL. He did take one game off during a doubleheader, which is nothing out of the ordinary. The foot could always become a problem again, but he looks like a relatively safe start right now in mixed leagues.

Cincinnati Reds
Schedule: SD4, COL3
Heating Up: Willy Taveras looks like he's starting to come around after an awful June, batting .318 (14 for 44) over his last 10 games. His speed still makes him a viable option. Joey Votto is more than just a viable option, batting .435 (10 for 23) with two home runs over his last six games.
Cooling Off: Brandon Phillips doesn't have a single extra-base hit in the second half, though he is batting .290 (9 for 31) during that stretch. It's no reason to sit him, but it's worth noting. Edwin Encarnacion, who went 7 for 7 with two home runs coming out of the All-Star break, is batting only .095 (2 for 21) since. Sit him.
Injury Concerns: Ryan Hanigan missed Saturday's game with a stiff neck. With Ramon Hernandez (knee) already on the DL, the Reds had to turn to Craig Tatum behind the plate. This injury likely won't sideline Hanigan for more than a day or two, and he's a bit of a sleeper with his .323 batting average. Laynce Nix has missed two straight games with a stiff neck of his own, but he's just a platoon player.
Platoon Possibilities: The Reds don't face a single left-hander this week, which would've made Nix a decent sleeper if not for his neck injury. Jonny Gomes usually takes his place against lefties.
Lineup Changes: None.

Cleveland Indians
Schedule: @LAA3, DET3
Heating Up: Ryan Garko homered in a second straight game Saturday and is batting (8 for 16) over his last five games. He doesn't have to sit as often with Mark DeRosa out of the picture, and he has some low-end mixed-league appeal as sort of a poor man's Casey Blake.
Cooling Off: Shin-Soo Choo has only one extra-base hit and only one multi-hit game since the All-Star break, batting .182 (6 for 33) during that time. He's still a must-start.
Injury Concerns: Grady Sizemore, still trying to fight through inflammation in his left elbow, was in too much pain to play Saturday, which makes you wonder how much longer he'll keep playing with the Indians out of contention. If he plays Sunday, you should continue to use him as you normally would, but he might have to stop playing sooner rather than later.
Platoon Possibilities: The Indians face one left-handed pitcher this week, but they don't have any clear lefty-righty platoons with Travis Hafner back playing every day.
Lineup Changes: None.

Colorado Rockies
Schedule: @NYM4, @CIN3
Heating Up: Ian Stewart, who has battled a hamstring injury recently, is looking more and more like a major-league regular, batting .412 (7 for 17) over his last seven games.
Cooling Off: Clint Barmes, who has had a mostly good summer, is batting .136 (3 for 22) over his last five games. He's still probably better than what you could find on the waiver wire, especially at shortstop.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Rockies face three left-handers this week. Seth Smith will probably sit for Ryan Spilborghs against Johan Santana, but he might get to start against the other two. Garrett Atkins has also started subbing for Stewart against tough left-handers.
Lineup Changes: The Rockies have named Smith their everyday left fielder, giving him a chance to prove his .400 on-base percentage and .900 OPS will translate to regular at-bats. He had an underwhelming first week on the job, but he's worth watching in all leagues, because if those numbers do translate, he'll deserve a starting spot in most.

Detroit Tigers
Schedule: @TEX3, @CLE3
Heating Up: Placido Polanco is batting .375 (9 for 24) with one home run over his last six games. His batting average is still well below .300, making him not much of a mixed-league option, but he could have a big week with three games at Texas.
Cooling Off: Brandon Inge is batting .154 (4 for 26) in nine games since the All-Star break, but these cold streaks aren't out of the ordinary for him. Who else would you start at catcher?
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Tigers face two left-handers this week, which means Magglio Ordonez will only start twice in favor of Clete Thomas.
Lineup Changes: Carlos Guillen, out since early May with right shoulder inflammation, returned to the lineup Friday and played both games of a doubleheader. He looks like the team's regular DH, bumping Marcus Thames to the outfield, which could create something of a logjam between Thames, Josh Anderson and Ryan Raburn. Thames is the only one with any mixed-league appeal, though Guillen could quickly become viable if he proves healthy and effective.

Florida Marlins
Schedule: ATL3, CHC3
Heating Up: Jorge Cantu still isn't hitting for much power, but he's batting .356 (16 for 45) over his last 11 games. You could do worse at your corner infield spot. Chris Coghlan hasn't seen a big spike in his batting average recently, but he does have three home runs over his last seven games, giving him five on the season. He could still make a contribution in mixed leagues before season's end.
Cooling Off: After hitting consistently for most of the first three months, Cody Ross is tanking in July, batting .163 (8 for 49) over his last 13 games. Sit him.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Marlins don't face any left-handed pitchers this week, so John Baker should play virtually every day, maybe sitting a game just to keep his knees fresh. Jeremy Hermida and Chris Coghlan should each get six starts, keeping Brett Carroll on the bench.
Lineup Changes: None.

Houston Astros
Schedule: @CHC4, @STL3
Heating Up: Michael Bourn is batting .333 (10 for 30) with five stolen bases over his last eight games. If you don't have him active, you must play in a shallow league or have a loaded roster.
Cooling Off: Kazuo Matsui, who entered the All-Star break on a hot streak, looks like just an NL-only option again. He's batting .174 (4 for 23) over his last six games.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Astros don't face any left-handed pitchers this week, but the closest thing they have to a lefty-righty platoon is at third base, where Jeff Keppinger often spells Geoff Blum against left-handed pitchers.
Lineup Changes: With Lance Berkman (calf) and Darin Erstad (hamstring) both on the DL, backup catcher Chris Coste has had to step up as the fill-in first baseman. He's worth a look in NL-only leagues as a catcher-eligible player getting everyday at-bats elsewhere.

Kansas City Royals
Schedule: @BAL4, @TB3
Heating Up: Alberto Callaspo has gotten his batting average back over .300 with a seven-game hitting streak during which he's batting .393 (11 for 28). Give him a look if you need middle infield help this week.
Cooling Off: Miguel Olivo, who was a big find off the waiver wire when he hit .295 with eight home runs in June, has been a disaster at the plate lately, going 1 for 15 over his last six games and batting just .161 (9 for 56) in July. He's just a No. 2 Fantasy catcher.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Royals face two left-handed pitchers this week. Mike Jacobs might sit those two games in favor of backup catcher John Buck, but the Royals don't have many options with Jose Guillen (knee) on the DL.
Lineup Changes: Guillen's injury allows Willie Bloomquist to remain in the lineup even with the return of Alex Gordon. Bloomquist has some low-end appeal in Rotisserie leagues since he qualifies at shortstop and can steal bases.

L.A. Angels
Schedule: CLE3, @MIN3
Heating Up: The Angels have three hot middle infielders, which explains why they can't decide on two to play every day. Maicer Izturis is batting .383 (23 for 60) over his last 15 games, Erick Aybar is batting .500 (30 for 60) over his last 15 games, and Howie Kendrick is batting .565 (13 for 23) over his last seven games.
Cooling Off: Gary Matthews, who's getting to play every day with all the injuries to the Angels outfield, is batting .185 (5 for 27) over his last seven games.
Injury Concerns: Juan L. Rivera has missed seven straight games with a hamstring injury, but he might return as the designated hitter. If he doesn't -- or even if he does, really -- he's a risky start for the upcoming scoring period. Unless he hits a couple bombs Sunday, play it safe and reserve him.
Platoon Possibilities: The Angels face three left-handed pitchers this week and have several confusing lefty-righty situations going on right now. Izturis seems to start at second base against the righties, sitting for Kendrick against lefties. The Angels have gone back to subbing Brandon Wood for Kendry Morales against lefties -- at least the tougher ones. Also, Reggie Willits and Robb Quinlan have a platoon going in left field until Rivera returns.
Lineup Changes: Other than the Angels' introduction of new lefty-righty platoons, none.

L.A. Dodgers
Schedule: @STL4, @ATL3
Heating Up: Andre Ethier, an up-and-down player all year, is batting .591 (13 for 22) with two home runs over his last six games. Keep in mind, though, he did all of that damage at home. The Dodgers are on the road this week, where he's hitting .214 with only four of his 20 home runs.
Cooling Off: Casey Blake is cooling off as expected this month after a mostly hot summer. He's batting .160 (4 for 25) over his last seven games and is certainly a candidate to bench in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Dodgers face all right-handers this week, not that they have any lefty-righty platoons to begin with.
Lineup Changes: Orlando Hudson is back hitting second after batting in the lower third of the order to open the second half. Obviously, he can only benefit from hitting in front of Manny Ramirez. Ethier has dropped back behind Ramirez, but it obviously hasn't affected him.

Milwaukee Brewers
Schedule: WAS4, @SD3
Heating Up: Craig Counsell's hot hitting is keeping his bat in the lineup. He's batting .469 (15 for 32) during an eight-game hitting streak, but he's just an NL-only option since he lacks both power and speed. Ryan J. Braun, who's obviously a must-start, is batting .364 (8 for 22) with three home runs over his last five games.
Cooling Off: J.J. Hardy hasn't looked any better in the second half than he did in the first. He's batting .143 (4 for 28) over his last eight games. If he didn't play such a weak position, you wouldn't even consider starting him.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Brewers face only right-handed pitchers during their seven-game week, so Casey McGehee probably won't sub for Craig Counsell enough to make him worth your while.
Lineup Changes: The Brewers acquired Felipe Lopez from the Diamondbacks early last week, ending Mat Gamel's stint in the majors. Lopez becomes the team's everyday second baseman and leadoff man and has a better chance of scoring runs with the Brewers than he did with the Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, McGehee still doesn't get everyday at-bats with the move since the Brewers continue to use Counsell.

Minnesota Twins
Schedule: CHW3, LAA3
Heating Up: Joe Mauer, who came out of the All-Star break cold, is back to normal now, batting .455 (10 for 22) over his last six games.
Cooling Off: Denard Span, who had a monster game right before the break, has had trouble getting going since, batting .200 (7 for 35) with 10 strikeouts. He's normally pretty consistent -- that's his main appeal -- but you're better off sitting him now until he gets hot again.
Injury Concerns: Joe Crede hasn't played since Wednesday because of an inflamed AC joint in his shoulder. The Twins don't plan to put him on the DL, but if he's not back Sunday, you can't really trust him for the upcoming week. He's just an AL-only option anyway. Brian Buscher has started in his absence.
Platoon Possibilities: The Twins face three left-handers this week, but they don't have anyone who routinely sits against left-handers.
Lineup Changes: None.

N.Y. Mets
Schedule: COL4, ARI3
Heating Up: Angel Pagan continues to thrive as the Mets leadoff hitter, batting .379 (11 for 29) with two doubles and two triples over his last seven games. He's still not a mixed-league option yet, but he deserves more attention than he's getting. Jeff Francoeur looks like he might be making some progress with the Mets, batting .379 (11 for 29) with two home runs over his last seven games. Keep an eye on him to see if it continues.
Cooling Off: David Wright hit his first home run of the second half Saturday, but he's still batting only .233 (7 for 30) since the break. His season doesn't seem to be getting any better, but he's still a must-start at a weak position.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Mets face two left-handed pitchers this week, but they don't have many options available to them with Gary Sheffield (knee) now on the DL. Fernando Tatis will certainly start against the lefties, but he might start against some righties as well. Jeremy Reed and Cory Sullivan might also factor. Tatis is the only one with any value in NL-only leagues.
Lineup Changes: Other than the mad scramble to replace Sheffield, none.

N.Y. Yankees
Schedule: @TB3, @CHW4
Heating Up: Jorge Posada is batting .462 (6 for 13) with two home runs over his last four games. He's an obvious must-start.
Cooling Off: Nick Swisher is still on the wrong side of streaky, batting .143 (4 for 28) over his last 11 games. Hideki Matsui's slump is even worse and arguably less expected. He's batting .050 (1 for 20) over his last seven games.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Yankees face three left-handed pitchers this week, but they don't have any clear lefty-righty platoons. Brett Gardner and Eric Hinske are more likely to start against righties and Swisher and Melky Cabrera against lefties, but it's more of a tendency than a rule.
Lineup Changes: None.

Oakland Athletics
Schedule: @BOS4, TOR3
Heating Up: Orlando Cabrera didn't slow down any over the last week, batting .400 (10 for 25) over his last six games. He's batting .379 (33 for 87) in July.
Cooling Off: Jack Cust, who looked like he was heating up with two home runs immediately after the break, is batting only .077 (1 for 13) over his last four games. Despite his power, he's an inadvisable start in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: Jason Giambi had to go on the DL with a strained quadriceps. Former prospect Daric Barton takes his place in a platoon at first base, and he couldn't possibly perform any worse than Giambi has this year.
Platoon Possibilities: The Athletics face four left-handers, one right after another at the end of the week. Their lineup is still a bit up in the air after the Matt Holliday trade, but Nomar Garciaparra, Rajai Davis and Bobby Crosby all figure to start against left-handers, replacing Ryan Sweeney, Eric Patterson and Barton.
Lineup Changes: Patterson looks like the biggest beneficiary of the Holliday trade, and he has enough speed to help in deeper Rotisserie leagues. But again, the first time he had a chance to play against a left-handed pitcher Saturday, the Athletics sat him.

Philadelphia Phillies
Schedule: @ARI3, @SF4
Heating Up: Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth, who both were trending in the opposite direction last week, have gotten hot lately. Victorino is batting .467 (14 for 30) over his last seven games, and Werth is batting .500 (9 for 18) over his last five games. Both are must-starts.
Cooling Off: Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez are also must-starts, but they've disappointed lately. Utley is batting .100 (2 for 20) over his last five games, and Ibanez is batting .167 (3 for 18) over his last five.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Phillies face two left-handed pitchers this week, but they don't have any lefty-righty platoons.
Lineup Changes: None.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Schedule: @SF3, WAS3
Heating Up: Surprising slugger Garrett Jones is getting better before he gets worse. He has multiple hits in five of his last six games, batting .500 (12 for 24) with three home runs during that stretch. You pretty much have to start him now no matter what you suspect he might do in the future. Ryan Doumit is back to being a must-start, batting .353 (6 for 17) with two home runs over his last four games.
Cooling Off: Freddy Sanchez is batting .100 (3 for 30) over his last seven games. Sit him if you have viable alternatives.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Pirates face two left-handed pitchers this week, meaning Delwyn Young figures to spell Brandon Moss twice.
Lineup Changes: Steve Pearce has taken over for the departed Adam A. LaRoche at first base. He has some power potential, but he wouldn't start on most major-league teams. Leave him for NL-only leagues.

San Diego Padres
Schedule: @CIN4, MIL3
Heating Up: Kyle Blanks has shown off some of his power lately, hitting two home runs over his last five games. He's batting.286 (4 for 14) during that stretch.
Cooling Off: Adrian Gonzalez's batting average has dipped all the way to .247, and he's 1 for 9 over his last four games. You can't really justify sitting him, but he's doing nothing good for you right now.
Injury Concerns: David Eckstein, still on the DL with a hamstring injury, will likely return sometime early this week. He doesn't have much Fantasy appeal, but he certainly has more than Luis O. Rodriguez, who he'll send to the bench.
Platoon Possibilities: The Padres face all right-handed pitchers this week, but their lineup tends to change every day anyway.
Lineup Changes: Blanks has gotten more opportunities to play lately, replacing Will Venable in the lineup. He has more upside than Venable, but he's just an NL-only option right now. With backup catcher Henry Blanco (hamstring) joining starting catcher Nick Hundley (wrist) on the disabled list, the Padres have turned to Jose Lobaton and Eliezer Alfonzo behind the plate. Ignore both outside of deeper NL-only leagues.

San Francisco Giants
Schedule: PIT3, PHI4
Heating Up: Randy Winn is batting .370 (10 for 27) over his last seven games, but he has zero home runs and one stolen base since the end of May. He's just an NL-only guy at this stage of his career.
Cooling Off: Edgar Renteria is batting only .140 (7 for 50) over his last 15 games. Since he doesn't hit for average anymore, he's not worth owning in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: Aaron Rowand both pinch hit and played the field Saturday, but the Giants still talk like he might have to go on the DL with a deep bruise in his right forearm. He'll have an MRI on Monday. Surely you can do better than him in mixed leagues this week.
Platoon Possibilities: The Giants face four left-handed pitchers this week. Nate Schierholtz might get to start against the lefties if Rowand remains sidelined, though Andres Torres normally platoons with him. Travis Ishikawa doesn't have a clear platoon partner now either with Rich Aurilia (toe) on the DL, but the Giants could rearrange the rest of their infield to allow a backup middle infielder to play against lefties.
Lineup Changes: Torres is starting in Rowand's place for now. He has a little bit of pop and speed, but you can leave him for deeper NL-only leagues.

Seattle Mariners
Schedule: TOR3, @TEX4
Heating Up: Ichiro Suzuki is as hot as usual over his last six games, batting .346 (9 for 26), which is actually lower than his .358 season average. Keep him active.
Cooling Off: Ronny Cedeno is starting to look like a .178 hitter again, going 0 for 13 over his last four games.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Mariners face three left-handed pitchers this week, which means Ken Griffey will likely sit three times for Mike Sweeney. Jack Hannahan might also have to sit in favor of Chris Woodward, though he has started against more lefties lately.
Lineup Changes: The Mariners called Michael Saunders, one of their top prospects, up from the minor leagues Saturday and started him -- against a left-handed pitcher, no less. He figures to get everyday at-bats and is worth adding in all AL-only leagues because of his upside.

St. Louis Cardinals
Schedule: LAD4, HOU3
Heating Up: The whole middle of the order is hot for the Cardinals. Matt Holliday, whose hot streak from Oakland has carried over to St. Louis, is batting .560 (14 for 25) with two home runs over his last six games. Ryan Ludwick has been a monster all of July, batting .397 (31 for 78) with six home runs. Even Rick Ankiel, batting only .236 on the season, is batting .476 (10 for 21) with two home runs over his last six games.
Cooling Off: Yadier Molina is heading back in the wrong direction, batting .217 (5 for 23) over his last seven games. He's not a clear No. 1 Fantasy catcher.
Injury Concerns: Troy Glaus continues to play the outfield on a minor-league rehab assignment, but the Holliday trade pretty much ensures he won't have a regular job in St. Louis. A trade remains a possibility.
Platoon Possibilities: The Cardinals face three left-handed pitchers this week. Skip Schumaker might have to sit those games in favor of Brendan Ryan, but the Cardinals middle infield is still a bit up in the air after the acquisition of Julio Lugo.
Lineup Changes: Holliday has hit cleanup, behind Albert Pujols, since coming over from Oakland, meaning he has a good chance of having runners on base ahead of him every time he comes to the plate. Lugo has started both games since joining the Cardinals -- at shortstop against a right-hander and at second base against a left-hander. He looks like an everyday player and has some NL-only appeal. Ankiel, despite his poor hitting most of the year, has started both games with Holliday in the lineup, bumping rookie Colby Rasmus to the bench. The two will probably split at-bats.

Tampa Bay Rays
Schedule: NYY3, KC3
Heating Up: Ben Zobrist had his 12-game hitting streak end Thursday, but he bounced right back with three hits Saturday, giving him a .379 (22 for 58) batting average over his last 15 games. Keep him active.
Cooling Off: Carlos Pena's and Pat Burrell's batting averages have both dipped below .230 lately. Pena is batting .152 in July and is a candidate to sit if you have viable alternatives. You probably already have Burrell sitting in mixed leagues, but he's batting .160 (4 for 25) over his last seven games.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Rays face one left-handed pitcher this week, so Gabe Kapler likely won't get more than one start. Gabe Gross usually starts against righties, though the Rays occasionally work Willy Aybar into the mix as well.
Lineup Changes: None.

Texas Rangers
Schedule: DET3, SEA4
Heating Up: Nelson R. Cruz isn't exactly hot, but he deserves a mention here just because he's managed to hit pretty well despite playing with a broken right ring finger. He's 3 for 8 with a double and three steals in three games since the injury, and he remains a must-start.
Cooling Off: Josh Hamilton's disappointing season is getting worse before it gets better. He's batting .071 (2 for 28) over his last seven games. As crazy as it sounds, you might want to consider benching him in mixed leagues. Andruw Jones, still just a part-time player, is batting .069 (2 for 29) over his last nine games, lowering his season batting average to a Dodger-like .222. Leave him for AL-only leagues.
Injury Concerns: Jarrod Saltalamacchia missed his second game Saturday with an illness that might or might not be swine flu. Vicente Padilla has swine flu, so it's certainly possible. Either way, he looks like he'll miss a few games this week. As much as he has underachieved this season, he's not much of a mixed-league option anyway.
Platoon Possibilities: The Rangers face three left-handed pitchers this week, which means Jones will get at least three starts. He occasionally spells David Murphy against righties as well.
Lineup Changes: None.

Toronto Blue Jays
Schedule: @SEA3, @OAK3
Heating Up: After hitting under .200 most of July, Aaron Hill has suddenly started playing like an angry, angry man. He's batting .364 (8 for 22) with four home runs over his last five games. Alex Rios, an underachiever for most of the first half, is batting .360 (9 for 25) with two home runs during a seven-game hitting streak.
Cooling Off: Lyle Overbay, whose Fantasy value is already going to be low just because he's a platoon player, is batting .077 (1 for 13) over his last five games.
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Blue Jays face three left-handed pitchers this week, so Overbay will sit three times for Kevin Millar. Jose A. Bautista will also start against the lefties, though Dave Dellucci is no sure bet to start against the righties.
Lineup Changes: The Blue Jays might work utility player Joe Inglett into the lineup every now and then, but he's barely viable even in AL-only leagues.

Washington Nationals
Schedule: @MIL4, @PIT3
Heating Up: Adam Dunn continues to swing a hot bat in July, going 12 for 27 (.444) with two home runs over his last eight games. Ryan Zimmerman has homered in two straight games, going 5 for 8. Both players are must-starts.
Cooling Off: Nick Johnson has moved down in the order and not fared well as a result, batting .211 (4 for 19).
Injury Concerns: None.
Platoon Possibilities: The Nationals face two left-handed pitchers this week, but they don't have any lefty-righty platoons.
Lineup Changes: The Nationals have juggled their batting order again, dropping Johnson from second to fifth and moving Cristian Guzman back up to second. Johnson might get a few more RBI in his new spot, and Guzman has better protection. Both remain just low-end options in mixed leagues.

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