Week 2 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.

Weather planner: Taking into account all games with at least a 50 percent chance of precipitation according to Weather.com, the following games could potentially get rained out: Colorado at Chicago Cubs (70 percent chance) on Monday and Cleveland at Kansas City (70 percent chance) on Monday.

This week's news and notes for each team:

Arizona Diamondbacks
Schedule: STL3, @SF3
Heating Up: Felipe Lopez homered twice in the season opener and has stabilized the leadoff spot for the Diamondbacks. Give him a look in mixed leagues.
Cooling Off: Justin Upton has nine at-bats so far and hasn't gotten a hit in any of them.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Diamondbacks face two left-handers this week, making Chad A. Tracy a safe bet for at least four starts. Most likely, Eric Byrnes and Upton will both get into the lineup for those games, though Tony Clark could end up a stealing a start or two of his own.
Lineup Changes: With the Diamondbacks overloaded at the corner infield and corner outfield positions, Eric Byrnes and Justin Upton have lost the most at-bats to each other, though Mark Reynolds (third base) and Conor Jackson (first base and left field) each sat once last week. Reynolds and Jackson -- two low-end mixed-league options -- appear the safest starts of the bunch, but all bets are off if anyone gets hot.

Atlanta Braves
Schedule: FLA3, @PIT3
Heating Up: Rookie Jordan Schafer made a loud first impression by homering in his first at-bat and has two homers and three multi-hit games so far. He has the upside to make an impact in mixed leagues. Also, Kelly Johnson, known for his streakiness, hit his second home run Saturday and is 8-for-19 over his last four games. Get him active in all leagues.
Cooling Off: Jeff Francoeur, after all the hype this spring and the home run opening day, hasn't done anything worth noting. He's hitting only .190 (4-for-21) with one walk.
Injury Concerns: Garret Anderson (calf) sat for the third straight game Saturday, though the Nationals had a left-hander (John Lannan) on the mound. The Braves have an off day Monday, so Anderson could potentially get two more days of rest before you have to worry about his availability for Fantasy Week 2. Since he's barely serviceable in mixed leagues anyway, you might just want to bench him.
Platoon Possibilities: The Braves face two lefties this week, meaning Anderson might make only four starts, healthy or not. The Braves have kept Schafer and Johnson in the lineup against left-handers so far.
Lineup Changes: Johnson has served as the leadoff hitter, with Yunel Escobar batting second. Brian McCann, not Anderson, has hit cleanup, which only means more at-bats and more RBI chances for the Fantasy stud.

Baltimore Orioles
Schedule: @TEX3, BOS3
Heating Up: Adam Jones reached base five times in the season opener and is hitting .389 (7-for-18) overall. He hasn't even homered or stolen a base yet, so he might only get hotter from here.
Cooling Off: Facing both righties and lefties, Luke Scott hit only .154 (2-for-13) over the first four games and, as a result, was out of the lineup Saturday -- even against a right-hander. Bench him in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Orioles project to face only one left-hander next week, so Ty Wigginton won't get many at-bats unless he continues to start for Scott against righties.
Lineup Changes: None, though the Orioles might try to work Ryan P. Freel into the lineup on occasion.

Boston Red Sox
Schedule: @OAK3, BAL3
Heating Up: Even after an 0-fer Saturday, Kevin Youkilis is still hitting .526 (10-for-19). He has yet to go deep, though. Jason Bay went deep twice Saturday and has so far walked more than he has struck out.
Cooling Off: Jed Lowrie has done little to secure the starting job at shortstop with Julio Lugo sidelined by a knee injury, hitting .056 (1-for-18). His upside makes him impossible to cut in Fantasy.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Red Sox face three lefties in succession to open Fantasy Week 2 (April 13-19), making J.D. Drew a poor start in mixed leagues. Rocco Baldelli will start in his place.
Lineup Changes: None

Chicago Cubs
Schedule: COL2, STL4
Heating Up: Mike Fontenot walked three times Saturday and is batting .389 (7-for-18) with a 1.143 OPS. The Cubs haven't shied away from starting him against lefties, so he looks like a must-add in all leagues. Kosuke Fukudome is 8-for-15 over the last three games, but he does sit against lefties. Ryan Theriot is batting .563 (9-for-16), but he has only one stolen bases.
Cooling Off: The middle of the Cubs order has gone ice cold, with Derrek Lee batting .091 (2-for-22) and Milton Bradley batting .063 (1-for-16). You'd have to have an abnormally strong bench to sit either, though.
Injury Concerns: Geovany Soto's status remains up in the air after he missed most of the first week with inflammation in his right shoulder. The injury is minor, but the Cubs can't afford to carry only one catcher, so if Soto doesn't make quick progress over the weekend, he'll have to go on the DL. In shallower mixed leagues, you probably can't afford to take the risk of starting him. In deeper NL-only leagues, Koyie Hill, who homered earlier in the week, could make an impact off the waiver wire.
Platoon Possibilities: The Cubs face only one left-handed pitcher this week, so you don't stand to lose much by giving Fukudome a look in mixed leagues. NL-only owners shouldn't count on Reed Johnson for anything.
Lineup Changes: None

Chicago White Sox
Schedule: @DET3, @TB4
Heating Up: After an 0-for-6 start, Carlos Quentin has homered in two straight games and is batting .250 (4-for-16).
Cooling Off: Alexei Ramirez began the season 0-for-13 and is batting only .118. He did go 2-for-4 Saturday, though.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The White Sox have six games against right-handed pitchers and only one against a lefty this week. Chris Getz and Dewayne Wise should get plenty of at-bats, assuming they keep their jobs.
Lineup Changes: With Getz and Wise both struggling, manager Ozzie Guillen decided to flip them in the batting order. Neither has any appeal outside of AL-only leagues, and Wise could potentially lose his job with Brian N. Anderson on the roster.

Cincinnati Reds
Schedule: @MIL3, @HOU3
Heating Up: Joey Votto has so far lived up to his sleeper potential, hitting .438 (7-for-16) with two home runs. Consider him a must-start.
Cooling Off: Jay Bruce has yet to homer in his sophomore season and is hitting only .188 (3-for-16).
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Reds face two lefties this week. Jerry Hairston will likely start those games with Chris Dickerson starting the other four. As part-time players, neither has much value in mixed leagues.
Lineup Changes: None

Cleveland Indians
Schedule: @KC3, @NYY4
Heating Up: Despite a poor spring that seemed to indicate otherwise, Travis Hafner has seemingly regained the power that disappeared with last year's shoulder injury. He homered in consecutive games before getting a breather Saturday and is batting .313 (5-for-16). Time to get him active in all leagues.
Cooling Off: Mark DeRosa has not made a good first impression with his new team, going 0-for-12 in his first three games and 2-for-10 in his last two. Hard to find a second baseman to replace him in Fantasy, though.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Indians face only one left-hander in seven games, but none of their usual starters sits against lefties.
Lineup Changes: Victor Martinez has actually spent more time at first base than catcher in the first few games, with Kelly Shoppach starting behind the plate. Ryan Garko stands to lose the most at-bats in that scenario and no longer has any appeal in mixed leagues. Shoppach has enough power potential to make an impact in mixed leagues as long as he continues to get at-bats. As for Martinez, he might start nearly every game this season if continues to play first base, giving him a huge boost over other catcher-eligible players. You should obviously continue starting him at catcher even after he gains eligibility at first base.

Colorado Rockies
Schedule: @CHC2, @LAD3
Heating Up: Troy Tulowitzki looks like a completely different player after last year's debacle, hitting .333 (5-for-15) with three home runs and more walks (five) than strikeouts (two). Also, Ryan Spilborghs has continued swinging a hot bat into the regular season, batting .318 (7-for-22).
Cooling Off: Seth Smith risks losing his starting job to rookie Dexter Fowler if he doesn't start hitting better. He has only one hit in 12 at-bats, though it was a home run. Todd Helton (.188) and Garrett Atkins (.150) have also come out of the gate slowly.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Rockies play only five games this week and face left-handed pitchers in three of them. Needless to say, you wouldn't want to start Smith or Ian Stewart if you can avoid it.
Lineup Changes: The Rockies have gotten creative finding at-bats for Stewart, even starting him at second base in the season opener. If he ever gets full-time at-bats, he could make a huge splash in mixed leagues. Fowler, a switch hitter, has emerged as the platoon partner for Smith, making him usable in NL-only leagues. Also, Yorvit Torrealba started twice in the first five games, so Chris Iannetta, for all his upside, might lag behind other catchers in at-bats, just like he did last season.

Detroit Tigers
Schedule: CHW3, @SEA3
Heating Up: Miguel Cabrera has played like the best player in baseball over the first week, batting .500 (11-for-22) with three home runs. Brandon Inge, who qualifies at catcher even though he plays third base, also has three home runs, walking more than he strikes out, but he's 1-for-8 over his last three games. Still, he deserves to start at catcher in all Fantasy leagues.
Cooling Off: Carlos Guillen, who has played mostly designated hitter and left field after bouncing around the infield last year, is batting only .167 (3-for-18). You can afford to sit him for now in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Tigers face only two left-handers this week, which potentially means Jeff Larish will get more at-bats than Marcus Thames at designated hitter. All of Thames' starts so far have come against left-handers. Both players have power potential, but ignore them in mixed leagues until one clearly establishes himself as the favorite, if that ever happens.
Lineup Changes: Josh Anderson has also cut into the at-bats of Thames and Larish, giving the Tigers a better defensive outfielder than Guillen, who moves to designated hitter when Anderson starts. Anderson's slap-hitting ways should eventually relegate him to a reserve role, though.

Florida Marlins
Schedule: @ATL3, @WAS3
Heating Up: Emilio Bonifacio hasn't slowed down -- literally and figuratively -- since his inside-the-park home run and three stolen bases on opening day. He had three hits Saturday to raise his batting average to .538 (14-for-24). Also, Hanley Ramirez has eliminated any concerns about him batting third, hitting .421 (8-for-19) with two home runs.
Cooling Off: Cody Ross, a notoriously streaky player, has only two hits in his first five games, batting .105.
Injury Concerns: Alfredo Amezaga might return from his knee injury at the beginning of this week, but he won't get enough at-bats to make an impact in most Fantasy leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The Marlins will most likely face only one left-handed pitcher next week, so John Baker is a safe and underrated option for mixed leagues that require the use of two catchers.
Lineup Changes: None

Houston Astros
Schedule: @PIT3, CIN3
Heating Up: Hunter Pence already has three multi-hit games and two home runs. He's batting .368 (7-for-19).
Cooling Off: Carlos N. Lee homered Friday but has yet to really take off, hitting .263 (5-for-19). Still, he's too valuable to sit in Fantasy.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Astros will face only one left-hander this week, making Geoff Blum again far more valuable than Jeff Keppinger in NL-only leagues.
Lineup Changes: Pence's hot streak has moved him up to second in the batting order, trading places with Ivan Rodriguez. Batting in front of Lance Berkman can only help his chances.

Kansas City Royals
Schedule: CLE3, @TEX3
Heating Up: Mark Teahen's spring power surge hasn't carried over into the regular season, but he has been the only Royal to hit with any consistency, batting .294 (5-for-17).
Cooling Off: The two prizes of the Royals farm system who have only disappointed in the major leagues so far, Billy Butler and Alex Gordon, have continued to disappoint at the start of the season. Butler has one hit in 17 at-bats. Gordon has two hits in 15.
Injury Concerns: Gordon left Saturday's game with a tight hip, giving you another reason to bench him. The injury sounds like a day-to-day one, though. Seemingly out of nowhere, Jose Guillen went on the DL with a partially torn hip flexor. He should need only two weeks on the DL, so don't panic if you own him in an AL-only league. Alberto Callaspo will likely get most of the starts in his absence, allowing Mark Teahen to move back to the outfield. Unfortunately, Teahen might not gain second base eligibility until later in April as a result.
Platoon Possibilities: The Royals face two left-handers this week, but they don't have nearly as much flexibility now with Guillen sidelined. Their lineup should pretty much remain intact.
Lineup Changes: The Royals have had to juggle their lineup a bit with Guillen out of the cleanup spot, but David DeJesus has consistently hit third. Mike Aviles stands to see the biggest increase in value if he moves up to the second spot.

L.A. Angels
Schedule: @SEA3, @MIN3
Heating Up: After spending the first few games on the bench as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery, Mike Napoli made only his second start of the season Saturday and homered twice. He hit 20 home runs in 227 at-bats last season. Until he clearly regains the starting job from Jeff Mathis, though, he remains an iffy start in mixed leagues.
Cooling Off: Howie Kendrick homered in the season opener but is batting only .158 (3-for-19) since. He has plenty of potential, but you can probably find someone safer for now in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Angels face three right-handers and three left-handers this week, but they don't have any traditional platoon players.
Lineup Changes: Erick Aybar beat Maicer Izturis for the starting shortstop job this spring, but he might have to give it back if he doesn't start hitting better. So far, he's batting .083 (1-for-12). Leave him for AL-only leagues.

L.A. Dodgers
Schedule: SF3, COL3
Heating Up: Orlando Hudson homered for the first time this season Saturday and now has multiple hits in three of his last four games. He's batting .353 (6-for-17) during that stretch and .292 overall. Also, Matt Kemp has at least one hit in every game this season. He's batting .348 (8-for-23) with one home run and one stolen base.
Cooling Off: Russell Martin has yet to homer or steal a base, and he's batting only .150 (3-for-20). You obviously wouldn't sit him, though.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Dodgers face three left-handed pitchers next week, but their lineup shouldn't change much as a result. Left-handed hitters James Loney and Andre Ethier should continue to play as usual.
Lineup Changes: The Dodgers dropped Ethier from fourth in the lineup to sixth Saturday, mostly because he has only one extra-base hit in 20 at-bats so far. Moving him down the order doesn't sound like the answer, though. He did most of his damage last year batting in front of Manny Ramirez. Feel free to reserve him in mixed leagues if you have viable alternatives.

Milwaukee Brewers
Schedule: CIN3, @NYM3
Heating Up: Of all the players to get hot for the Brewers, Mike Cameron has a 1.010 OPS, having walked six times to go along with a home run and two stolen bases. He still shouldn't start except as a low-end option in mixed leagues.
Cooling Off: Ryan J. Braun, who missed much of spring training with a sore rib muscle, has yet to homer this season and is batting only .238 (5-for-21). Also, J.J. Hardy, one of the team's hotter players this spring, is batting .100 (2-for-20). Both remain must-starts.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Brewers face only one left-handed pitcher this week, but they don't have anyone in their lineup who sits against lefties anyway.
Lineup Changes: None

Minnesota Twins
Schedule: TOR4, LAA3
Heating Up: Denard Span must have just wanted to play a practical joke on the Fantasy-playing world with his .190 batting average this spring, because he's now hitting .333 (7-for-21) with a .481 on-base percentage. Get this Shane Victorino lite on your roster if you can still get him off the waiver wire.
Cooling Off: As a full-time starter, Carlos Gomez is hitting only .158 (3-for-19) without any home runs. The Twins could use his poor hitting as an excuse to get Delmon Young back in the lineup on an everyday basis.
Injury Concerns: After weeks of his sore back not making any progress, Joe Mauer suddenly feels good enough to accelerate his rehabilitation, though team doctors continue to hold him back. You obviously can't use him this week, but he could up returning before the end of April.
Platoon Possibilities: The Twins will face one, maybe two, lefties this week, but they play seven games. Jason Kubel will still make five starts, and Young might have trouble getting at-bats.
Lineup Changes: In their effort to cram four outfielders into three spots, the Twins opted to add a fifth player and fourth spot to the rotation, introducing presumed designated hitter Kubel. Span, Gomez and Michael Cuddyer man the outfield, with Young filling in for Kubel against left-handed pitchers. Young will also substitute for each outfielder on occasion, though both Span and Cuddyer have played every game so far. Span and Gomez remain usable mixed-league options, but Cuddyer and Kubel now have low-end appeal at best. Young still deserves a bench spot in mixed leagues, but only because of his upside.

N.Y. Mets
Schedule: SD3, MIL3
Heating Up: Ryan Church has apparently recaptured the stroke he had last year before suffering a severe concussion, hitting .526 (10-for-19). He has yet to homer, but he again deserves a roster spot in mixed leagues. Also, Carlos Delgado has played just like last year's second-half self, hitting .421 (8-for-19) with a home run.
Cooling Off: Brian Schneider is hitting .200 (3-for-15). He doesn't have much Fantasy appeal, but hey, he's the only Mets regular hitting less than .280.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Mets will face right-handed pitchers in all six of their games this week, so Church and Daniel Murphy will continue to play every day, as they did last week.
Lineup Changes: None

N.Y. Yankees
Schedule: @TB3, CLE4
Heating Up: Nick Swisher has gotten an opportunity to start each of the last three games and has made the most of it, hitting .538 (7-for-13) with two home runs. As a part-time player, he still shouldn't start in mixed leagues, but he bears watching. Also, two players coming off disappointing seasons, Robinson Cano (.444) and Jorge Posada (.313), have done nothing but good so far.
Cooling Off: Hideki Matsui homered in the first game of the season but has only one hit since. He's batting .111 (2-for-18).
Injury Concerns: Mark Teixeira had to miss Saturday's game against the Royals with a wrist injury that he says only affects him from the right side of the plate. The injury doesn't sound particularly serious, and since the Yankees face five right-handers his week, Teixeira should end up making most, if not all, of his starts. Alex Rodriguez will resume baseball activities Monday, including swinging a bat. His return remains perhaps as much as a month away, though, so keep him reserved.
Platoon Possibilities: The Yankees face two left-handed pitchers this week, though nobody in their lineup sits specifically against left-handers.
Lineup Changes: The Yankees will surely look for ways to keep Swisher's bat in the lineup, most likely stealing at-bats from Matsui or Xavier Nady. Until this situation sorts itself out, you might want to bench all three players in mixed leagues.

Oakland Athletics
Schedule: BOS3, @TOR3
Heating Up: Jack Cust finally homered Saturday, though the usually all-or-nothing player had swung a hot bat all week, hitting .467 (7-for-15) with more walks (six) than strikeouts (four). Also, Jason Giambi has looked good in his return to Oakland, hitting .368 (7-for-19).
Cooling Off: Nomar Garciaparra, expected to play a utility role, has gotten plenty of starts in the first week, but he's hitting only .211 (4-for-19). Also, Matt Holliday hasn't fared well away from the thin air of Coors Field, hitting .214 (3-for-14) without a home run. He remains a must-start, obviously.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Athletics face three left-handed pitchers this week, though they haven't yet demonstrated a tendency to sit any of their left-handed hitters against left-handed pitchers. On the surface, Cust might look like a candidate to cool off during a lefty-loaded week, but he tends to hit righties and lefties the same.
Lineup Changes: After a hot spring, Travis Buck hasn't had a consistent spot in the lineup and, as a result, has puttered to an .091 (1-for-11) start. The Athletics seem to prefer Garciaparra over him, so leave Buck for deeper AL-only leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies
Schedule: @WAS3, SD3
Heating Up: Chase Utley hasn't homered yet as he makes his way back from offseason hip surgery, but he has gotten off to a .444 (8-for-18) start. Start him always.
Cooling Off: Jimmy Rollins doesn't have an extra-base hit or a stolen base yet, and he's hitting .130 (3-for-23). You obviously have to stick with him until he comes around.
Injury Concerns: Carlos Ruiz had to go on the 15-day DL after straining his oblique Friday. Chris Coste, who hit nine home runs in only 274 at-bats last season, will get the bulk of playing time in his absence and might even have some low-end mixed-league appeal if he gets hot. The Phillies also called up prospect Lou Marson, though he doesn't figure to make much of an impact at this stage of his career.
Platoon Possibilities: The Phillies face only one left-hander this week, but they have no clear candidates to sit against him.
Lineup Changes: The Phillies appear to have settled on Shane Victorino second and Jayson Werth fifth. The players have each hit better in those spots.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Schedule: HOU3, ATL3
Heating Up: Nyjer Morgan stole two bases Saturday and looks like a model leadoff hitter, batting .391 (9-for-23) in the early going. If you need steals in a Rotisserie league, give him a look. Freddy Sanchez is also batting .391 (9-for-23) with three multi-hit games to open the season.
Cooling Off: Andy LaRoche has yet to record a hit in 12 at-bats. His brother Adam LaRoche has only three in 19. Go ahead and sit both for now.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Pirates face one left-hander, maybe two, this week, so Craig Monroe might get to make his first start, filling in for Brandon Moss. Leave both players for deeper NL-only leagues.
Lineup Changes: None

San Diego Padres
Schedule: @NYM3, @PHI3
Heating Up: Scott Hairston hit .333 (5-for-15) with a home run this one week -- a week loaded with left-handed pitchers. Unfortunately, as the lesser portion of a lefty-righty platoon, he won't normally get so many at-bats.
Cooling Off: Pick a player, any player. It's a wonder the Padres managed to go 4-2 with all their poor hitting, which included Brian Giles (.190), Chase Headley (.167) and Kevin Kouzmanoff (.158).
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Padres face two left-handers this week, so Hairston will get in the lineup for at least those two games. With four right-handers scheduled, though, Jody Gerut might finally make an impact in NL-only leagues.
Lineup Changes: None

San Francisco Giants
Schedule: LAD3, @ARI3
Heating Up: The entire Giants outfield has carried the offense so far, with each of Fred Lewis (.500), Randy Winn (.400) and Aaron Rowand (.389) hitting well over .350. Winn in particular has impressed with three doubles and two stolen bases as the leadoff man.
Cooling Off: The Giants middle infield, on the other hand, hasn't done anything right, with Edgar Renteria batting .190 and Emmanuel Burriss, who won the job with a good spring, batting .143. Sit both in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Giants face two left-handed pitchers this week, and Travis Ishikawa sat against the one lefty they faced last week. He hasn't gotten off to a roaring start, so he looks like just an NL-only option right now, especially if he falls into a platoon with Rich Aurilia.
Lineup Changes: None

Seattle Mariners
Schedule: LAA3, DET3
Heating Up: For all of his struggles in the past, Russell Branyan has gotten his career in Seattle off to a good start, hitting .333 (6-for-18) with two home runs. He remains just an AL-only player, though, because of his inconsistency.
Cooling Off: Kenji Johjima looks just as lost at the plate as he did when he hit .227 last year, batting .167 (3-for-18). Avoid him outside of AL-only leagues.
Injury Concerns: Ichiro Suzuki, who began the season on the DL with a bleeding ulcer, has put up arcade-like numbers in his rehabilitation assignment in extended spring training. He expects to return to the team Monday, but he won't play any sooner than Wednesday. That return would still put him on track to play five of the Mariners' six games, so he's worth activating unless you just have an outfield overloaded with studs. In AL-only leagues, go ahead and sit (or perhaps even cut) Endy Chavez. Also, Wladimir Balentien had to leave Saturday's game with a sprained wrist. The injury appears mild, but since Balentien doesn't quite play every day yet, you should go ahead and sit him outside of deeper AL-only leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The Mariners face one left-handed pitcher, but the Mariners don't have anyone in a strict platoon.
Lineup Changes: The Mariners have worked Ronny Cedeno into the lineup for three starts, but he bounces around the diamond, so no one player stands to lose significant at-bats. As long as the arrangement continues, he should have some value in AL-only leagues.

St. Louis Cardinals
Schedule: @ARI3, @CHC4
Heating Up: Coming off a slow spring, Ryan Ludwick has silenced the naysayers who called last season a fluke, hitting .400 (6-for-15) with two home runs. Also, Albert Pujols has done what Albert Pujols does, hitting .429 (9-for-21) with three home runs.
Cooling Off: After an encouraging spring, Khalil Greene looks like the same poor contact hitter who struggled all those years in San Diego, hitting .190 (4-for-21).
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Cardinals face two left-handed pitchers during their seven-game week, and surprisingly enough, Skip Schumaker stands a good chance of sitting for those games, with Brendan Ryan starting in his place.
Lineup Changes: The Cardinals have done a good job giving equal at-bats to four outfielders -- Ludwick, Rick Ankiel, Chris Duncan and Colby Rasmus -- though hopefully Ludwick won't come out of the lineup too often. The Cardinals have also juggled third basemen, David Freese and Joe Thurston, a dilemma created mostly by Thurston hitting .538 (7-for-13) so far. Leave both for deeper NL-only leagues.

Tampa Bay Rays
Schedule: NYY3, CHW4
Heating Up: Last year's Rookie of the Year, Evan Longoria, has looked like the AL MVP so far, carrying the Rays with a .455 (10-for-22) batting average and four home runs. He's an obvious must-start.
Cooling Off: Pat Burrell has not made a quick transition to the American League, hitting .125 (2-for-16). Also, Matt Joyce hasn't done much to remain with the big club when B.J. Upton returns from the DL, going 1-for-10.
Injury Concerns: Upton, who had to begin the season on the DL as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery, hasn't encountered any setbacks in his minor-league rehab assignment. He should return Monday, which would put him in line to play seven games. He has the upside of a No. 1 Fantasy outfielder, but you should probably start him as a No. 2 or maybe even No. 3 in 10-team leagues until he proves healthy and effective.
Platoon Possibilities: The Rays face three left-handers this week, meaning Gabe Kapler will probably make three starts, most likely at the expense of Gabe Gross. Both can suffice in deeper AL-only leagues.
Lineup Changes: When Upton returns to the lineup, he'll bat leadoff, dropping Akinori Iwamura to eighth or ninth.

Texas Rangers
Schedule: BAL3, KC3
Heating Up: Preseason sleeper Nelson R. Cruz has done as advertised so far, hitting .316 (6-for-19) with three home runs. Get him active in all leagues. Ian Kinsler has also picked up where he left off before last year's sports hernia, hitting .350 (7-for-20).
Cooling Off: Free-swinging sophomore Chris Davis hasn't put the bat on the ball much so far. He's 1-for-18 with nine strikeouts. You could make an argument to sit him in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: Going against two left-handed pitchers this week, Hank Blalock could potentially sit for Andruw Jones. Blalock has played well enough to earn full-time at-bats, but the Rangers need to work Jones into the lineup from time to time.
Lineup Changes: Marlon Byrd has gotten most of the starts in left field, not David Murphy. Murphy actually has gone hitless in seven at-bats, so he doesn't stand much chance of regaining the starting job. Byrd now deserves a look in all AL-only leagues.

Toronto Blue Jays
Schedule: @MIN4, OAK3
Heating Up: Adam Lind has hit everything in sight so far, going 12-for-26 (.462) with three home runs and three straight multi-hit games. He deserves a look in mixed leagues. Same for Aaron Hill, who missed most of last season with a severe concussion. He's batting .308 (8-for-26) with two home runs.
Cooling Off: Alex Rios remains a must-start in all Fantasy formats, but he hasn't gotten off to a roaring start, hitting .227 (5-for-22) without a home run or stolen base.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Blue Jays play seven games this week, but they have to face left-handed pitchers in four of them. Lind might cool off quickly, and Lyle Overbay and Travis Snider will likely sit some in favor of Kevin Millar and Jose A. Bautista.
Lineup Changes: None

Washington Nationals
Schedule: PHI3, FLA3
Heating Up: As if angered by the skepticism over last year's .316 batting average, Cristian Guzman has hit the ball better than any other National, batting .435 (10-for-23) with two doubles. His lack of high-end power or speed makes him just a low-end mixed-league option, though.
Cooling Off: Lastings Milledge faces the real danger of losing firm footing in a crowded outfield. As the Nationals' leadoff hitter, he's batting only .111 (2-for-18).
Injury Concerns: Just when Elijah Dukes started winning back the trust of the manager that took away his starting job this spring, getting back in the lineup two days in a row, he went and did what he always does: He got hurt. He strained his groin Friday, but by throwing, not running. Obviously, you should keep part-time player reserved for the upcoming week. Also, Ronnie Belliard, who is already replacing the injured Anderson Hernandez, remains day-to-day with a back injury. Unless he returns Sunday, you shouldn't risk using him outside of deeper NL-only leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The Nationals face two left-handers this week, but nobody stands to lose at-bats against them unless the team just decides to give Nick Johnson a day off.
Lineup Changes: None

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