8.15.08 2:45 PM The Bills are still searching for the next Jim Kelly. The organization is hoping the latest candidate, 2nd-year Quarterback Trent Edwards, will come at least closest to filling the spikes of the former Bill great, and current Hall-of-Famer. The good news for Buffalo fans, is that Thursday night, Edwards looked ready for Week 1. He went 9-for-11 for 104 yards, with two TD passes, both to TE Robert Royal, as the Bills beat the Steelers 24-21. With weapons like RB Marshawn Lynch, WR Lee Evans and a young emerging rookie WR in James Hardy, Edwards can be a major sleeper this season. Draft him as a No. 2 QB, and hope he surprises.

8.15.08 2:10 PM NFL Network's Adam Schefter, reports that the New England Patriots have added Safety John Lynch to their already top end defense. Lynch passed his physical this week, wrapping up a 1-year $1.5 million deal which lands the former Buc, and Bronco, in Foxboro. With the injuries suffered within the Pats secondary, this move can only help the defense, and you may want to consider selecting the unit a round earlier and/or bump them up a slot or two on your draft boards. Also know, Lynch cannot fill the void left in the secondary by the departure of Asante Samuel to Philadelphia, but he at least strengthens the overall unit. Dallas, San Diego and Chicago may still remain better options on draft day, but Lynch solidifies the Pats as a Top 5 team defense.

8.15.08 2:00 PM J.T. O'Sullivan got the starting nod again Thursday night, as he went out with the 49'ers first-team offense against the Raiders in pre-season game number two. O'Sullivan was nothing special, going 5-8 for 71 yards and no scores. He did throw a goal-line interception as well as fumble. Head Coach Mike Nolan is sending a message that former No. 1 overall pick, Alex Smith, was most likely not worth the investment. Whether it be Smith or O'Sullivan who start Week 1, one thing remains certain...The San Fran QB situation is a fantasy mess. Downgrade the 49'er WR core, and know that Frank Gore may not be seeing the red zone so much this season. Yet, he may be seeing an awful lot of dump-off passes for those PPR owners out there.

8.14.08 12:40 AM Francisco Rodriguez blew his 5th save of the year last night against the Mariners.  He gave up three runs in a third of an inning.  This was his third blown save since July.  He's still a stud, but when you are given a save opportunity nearly every night, you are bound to blow a few here and there.  Despite not throwing as many innings or having anywhere close to the same amount of save opportunities, Billy Wagner, Ryan Franklin, and Jason Isringhausen all have blown more saves than K-Rod has.

8.14.08 12:37 AM Rockies OF Brad Hawpe went 3-3 with his 19th homer of the year.  He's now batting .289 with 19 homers and 63 RBI.  He's batting .385 with 21 RBI in his last 91 AB's.  He had only 40 in his previous 263.  He looks primed to have a huge second half.

8.14.08 12:33 AM Chris Perez has quietly become the Cardinals closer.  He registered his third save of the year and has been perfect in his three appearances.  With the way Isringhausen and Frankling have pitched, Perez is what the Cardinals needed.  I think it's his job to lose.

8.12.08 11:43 PM Javier Vazquez tossed eight scoreless innings against the Royals to pick up his 9th win of the year.  He gave up five hits, one walk and struck out 10 batters.  Games like this make us want to start him weekly, through thick and thin.  Vazquez remains a high-strikeout pitcher and one who could be a difference maker down the stretch.

8.12.08 11:30 PM Marlon Byrd went 5 for 6 today against Boston and scored four times while driving in three.  He's batting .676 over his last eight games and has raised his AVG by 50 points in the process.  Byrd has contributed 24 combined runs and RBI during a stretch that mandates starting him in all leagues.  Amazlingly, the Rangers ended up losing this one 19-17.  This, after the Red Sox mounted a 10-0 lead after one inning of play.

8.12.08 3:03 PM Carl Crawford will miss the next 6-8 weeks with tendon subluxation, effectively ending his fantasy season.  Crawford was on pace to have the lowest totals of his career in runs, homers, RBI, SB and batting AVG.  In non-keeper leagues, feel free to drop Crawford.  It will be interesting to see if the Rays can make the playoffs now without both Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria.  Rocco Baldelli, despite missing most of the last few seasons, could have a month and a half worth remembering in Tampa.

8.11.08 6:35 PM Rookie of the Year candidate Evan Longoria has been placed on the disabled list with a fractured right wrist. He'll miss at least two weeks and his ROY campaign may be in jeopardy. Willy Aybar will take over at the hot corner.  David Murphy, Evan's competition for ROY, now has a chance to finish with more homers than Longoria.  Murphy already has 10 more runs, three more RBI, more doubles, more triples and more hits than Longoria.  He even has 30 less strikeouts in 35 more AB's.  In the National League, Joey Votto, Gio Soto and Kosuke Fukudome will continue to battle it out.  Without Dunn in the lineup, Votto could have a more prominent role over the last month and a half, increasing his chance of standing out from the two Cubs.

8.11.08 3:00 PM Adam Dunn has been traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for three prospects.  Dallas Buck is the big prospect that the reds receive from Arizona.  Conor Jackson likely moves back to first base, with Chad Tracy riding the pine.  This, once Justin Upton returns.  Chad Tracy owners may have very little time left of him starting daily.  Dunn's value should be bumped up slightly as he enters another hitting park and should be part of a better overall lineup.

8.10.08 3:43 PM Indians SP Cliff Lee continued his dominance of major league hitters today. He tossed eight scoreless innings against Toronto, lowering his ERA to 2.45. He gave up eight hits and walked none but only struck out one batter. At 16-2, Cy Young seems within his reach.

8.10.08 2:30 PM A's OF Carlos Gonzalez has turned it on of late.  He's batting .285 since the break, has scored 10 times and has driven in eight.  If he continues this pace, he's likely to be moved up the lineup as Oakland uses the last two months to figure out their lineup for 2009.  Carlos has one homer and one stolen base over the last four weeks as well and with time, could produce 5-10 more of each before the year is over.  Gonzalez has a five-game hitting streak alive in which he's tallied nine hits.  Keep an eye on him.

8.10.08 2:00 PM Rays OF Rocco Baldelli has been activated from the 15-day DL. At the same time, Carl Crawford was placed on the 15-day DL. This opens up some playing time for Baldelli, who is set to make his 2008 debut. While Baldelli is always injured and has never reached his potential, he's still worth adding in AL-only leagues and monitoring across the board. The Rays are in a playoff hunt and he could be an additional spark. Rocco is a 20/20 player and is out to prove himself.  He's batting cleanup tonight in his debut.

8.08.08 9:48 PM Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm tossed seven scoreless innings against the Phillies in Philadelphia tonight.  He struck out 10 batters, lowering his ERA to 3.76.  He's had a solid few months and can be relied upon if you are in need.  However, don't expect many more games like this.  He's never shown this kind of strikeout potential.  He shouldn't be left on the wire, though.

8.08.08 9:18 PM Denard Span has become a staple atop the Twins lineup.  The rookie is batting .315 with two homers, 16 RBI, 27 runs and six SB.  The guy is contributing across the board, yet should be relied on for his speed and run-scoring ability.  He should be added in all formats.

8.08.08 9:08 PM Newly acquired Anthony Reyes made his debut for the Indians tonight.  He lasted 6+ innings, allowed seven hits and struck out four.  He allowed only one earned run.  Albeit against a weak Jays lineup, Reyes did enough to stick in the rotation for the rest of the year.  He was highly touted in St. Louis, but differences between he and pitching Coach Dave Duncan led to his eventual departure.  He's worth adding in mixed leagues in hopes of him contributing down the stretch.

8.07.08 11:00 PM Just a quick observation...Now that Brett Favre is officially back in the NFL, we all have the opportunity to see how valid the famous "Madden Curse" is. Many players when given the honor have injured themselves to some extent during the year in which they graced the famed video-game franchise cover. Past "victims," include Shaun Alexander, Marshall Faulk, Ray Lewis and Donovan McNabb. Not that we endorse the curse coming to fruition this season, but this particular case can be extremely interesting, being that Favre will now attempt to extend his consecutive games-started streak. I am sure we are not the first to ponder this, but certainly not the last. Madden 09 Countdown: 5 Days. Madden Curse Countdown: TBD

8.07.08 1:30 PM Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has called Marion Barber an "every down back."  He further added that the selection of Felix Jones was to be a "special complimentary back."  With this news, feel free to bump up Barber's draft position slightly.  He's looking like a safe first round pick.

8.06.08 10:30 PM Tigers' pitcher Justin Verlander was left in to throw 130 pitches over 7+ innings on Wednesday.  Verlander struck out eight batters, gave up six hits and three walks, one of them intentional.  He was on cruise control after a first inning Jim Thome homer, which accounted for all three of the runs he gave up... until Alquilino Lopez let two more inherited runners score in the eighth.  Still, it was an encouraging outing for Verlander, who had given up 13 runs in his previous two outings.

8.06.08 1:11 AM Nick Swisher smashed a three-run homer off of Joel Zumaya to win the game for the White Sox in the bottom of the 14th inning on Tuesday.  The Tigers had just scored two runs in the top of the 14th inning to take a two run lead. When Edgar Renteria's error extended the inning, Swisher capitalized.  The homer was his 16th of the season.

8.06.08 12:45 AM The Cardinals edged the Dodgers 6-4 in 11 innings.  Isringhausen and Franklin combined to blow a three run lead in the 9th inning, but Ryan Ludwick's two-run homer won it for St. Louis.  The homer was Ludwick's 28th of the year and he has driven in exactly 80 runs. 

8.06.08 12:30 AM Kevin Kouzmanoff hit his 16th homer of the year tonight but the Padres ended up losing anyway.  He batted .310 and had a huge second half last year.  He's again batting well over .300 since the All-Star break.  He's set to reward owners who were patient during the first half.

8.05.08 6:00 PM Billy Wagner, who over the years has broken down in September, is making an early trip to the disabled list today. None of the Mets relievers are worth adding because they've all been awful. If you just lost Wagner, I'd scoop up Rafael Perez, Eddie Guardado, Brad Ziegler or Matt Capps before adding a Mets reliever.

8.05.08 1:20 AM Francisco Rodriguez didn't necessarily deserve to get the BS on Monday night. He entered the game with two outs, two on and a three run lead. The Angels' closer needed only one more out to lock up the victory. But Mark Teixeira error extended the inning and loaded the bases. A Markakis single and a Mora double tied the game. K-Rod was searching for his 46th save of the season.  As lucky as his season has been, the Angels scored in the bottom of the 9th inning, giving him the win.

8.05.08 12:52 AM Raul Ibanez drove in six runs in the 7th inning against Glen Perkins and the Twins.  He smoked a grand slam and later added a two-run single as Seattle ended up scoring ten times in the inning.  This was, perhaps, the best offensive performance in a single inning by a major league hitter this year.

8.04.08 10:15 PM Indians' reliever Rafael Perez picked up the save tonight instead of Masa Kobayashi.  Cleveland had a three run lead and Perez had only thrown nine pitches in the 8th inning.  To Kobayashi's defense, three of the Rays' four hitters due up in the 9th inning were lefties.  Perez ended up throwing only 15 pitches over the two scoreless innings.  In Cliff Lee's previous two starts, Masa had come close to blowing both of them, but was bailed out.  Cliff Lee's quest for the Cy Young award is one of the few things that have gone right in Cleveland this year, so protecting his wins is a priority.  While Kobayashi hasn't been removed from the role, it's clear that he won't get every opportunity that comes his way.

8.06.08 7:00 PM Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain will be placed on the disabled list and his season may be over. He's meeting with Dr. James Andrews, the Kevorkian of baseball. So much for the Chamberlain/Hughes/Kennedy combo for 2008.

8.04.08 3:05 PM ESPN reports that the NFL has suspended Denver WR Brandon Marshall for 3 regular-season games, for violating it's personal conduct policy. In the last few days, Marshall becomes the second marquee wide-out who will miss significant time, following the Steve Smith incident. For those of you of have Marshall, say goodbye to at least 24 receptions, 250 yards and 2 TDs to start the year. Drop him at least two rounds in your drafts, but if you happen to select well, insert him into an already strong WR-Core and you will be OK.

8.02.08 8:00 PM NFL.com reports that Carolina Panthers WR Steve Smith was suspended 2 games for fighting with teammate Ken Lucas during pratice. The team sent Smith home after the altercation on Friday, which left Lucas with a broken nose. Smith, a top WR in fantasy is sure to slip a bit in drafts, due to him missing 15% of the fantasy regular-season out of the gates. Don't "DND" him, but rely on someone else to be your every day go-to WR. Watch for D.J. Hackett to have a solid 2 weeks to open the year, as he will likely be the Panther's No. 1 WR in Smith's absence. Bump Hackett up a round in your mocks, and Smith down one.

8.04.08 9:25 AM Francisco Liriano was victorious yesterday in his return to the majors.  He went 6 innings against Cleveland and gave up 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5 in the process.  Liriano is a must start here on in, and should provide immediate fantasy value for anyone who was patient enough to stash him on their bench.   

8.02.08 12:17 AM Jason Isringhausen recorded a save on Friday night by protecting a three run lead in his return to the closer role.  He walked two and struck out two in the outing.  Maybe he'll turn in a stretch of solid outings, but buyer beware.

8.06.08 7:12 PM Tim Lincecum gave up two earned runs over eight innings on Wednesday. He struck out 8 in the outing. Tim has struck out 175 batters in 157 innings and continues to contend for the Cy Young award in the National League.  The win brought him to 12-3 on the season.

8.01.08 7:30 PM Only a few days after we tabbed Tyler Yates the Pirates closer, John Grabow picked up the save on Friday night.  The Pirates may be using a committee right now, so this remains a situation you'll want to avoid.

7.24.08- Although against the lowly Nationals, Matt Cain turned in an impressive complete game shutout this afternoon in San Francisco. He gave up just 4 hits, walked no one and struck out four. Cain is notoriously looked over due to his lack of wins, but he is turning into a tremendous 2nd-half pitcher. If you resisted the temptation to shop him around, good for you, and if you think you can steal him from another owner, now is the time.

Shin-Soo Choo will have to serve two years in the South Korean military before 2010.  Because he's out of minor league options, he's not eligible to compete in the olympics, where winning a medal would reduce his military service time from two years to four weeks.  I find all of this ironic because if you say "Soo Choo" three times fast it comes out as "Shoot You."  Maybe the military is the right move for the Indians outfielder.

Blue Jays outfielder Adam Lind needs to be added in all leagues. After batting .328 in AAA this year, Lind was recently recalled and is batting .380 in 60 July AB's. He's added 17 RBI and 11 runs and it's only a matter of time before he gets moved up in the lineup. He's pretty comparable to Billy Butler.

7.31.08 10:11 PM Marlins pitcher Anibal Sanchez returned to the rotation on Thursday night and turned in a stellar performance against the Rockies.  Over 5+ innings, Sanchez gave up two earned runs and struck out four.  He have up six hits and walked two batters.  Anibal was allowed to stay in to throw 90 pitches, which is a good sign.  He's someone to add in all formats and hope he, like Chris Carpenter, regains his form from two years ago.

7.25.08 Masa Kobayashi was pulled from a save opportunity on Friday night after allowing two runs on three hits without recording an out. Rafael Perez was summoned to get the final three outs in an attempt to give Cliff Lee his 14th win of the year. After notching the save, there could be some question as to who the closer is in Cleveland.

7.25.08 Cliff Lee improved to 14-2 as he lasted eight innings on Friday night against the Twins. He struck out 10 batters and gave up only two runs. He's not slowing down.

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Phillies have acquired Joe Blanton from the A's in exchange for three prospects. More details as they come. This deal hurts Blanton's value as we don't foresee him being a worthy start in Citizen's Bank Park.

Rich Harden made Cubs fans giddy Saturday, striking out 10 Giants on way to a 4-0 victory in Chicago. He went just 6 innings, recording a no decision, as the Cubs will be uber-cautious about their newly acquired Ace. The oft-injured starter is one of the best in baseball when healthy, and he should always get the nod for your fantasy team no matter where he pitches.

Tony Clark was traded to the Diamondbacks for prospect Evan Scribner.  Arizona loves Tony and he could start to push Tracy against lefties.  However, Tracy has been scorching hot of late and has managed to hit lefties well this year.  Clark has no fantasy value.

Carlos Marmol will close for the Cubs this week with Kerry Wood likely to be placed on the disabled list.  The move will be made retroactive to Sunday, so Wood will only miss a week.  However, Marmol could provide some cheap saves this week and possibly beyond.

7.26.08 Chris Davis, the Rangers' first baseman, homered yet again on Saturday. He's now got 10 homers and a .303 AVG in less than 100 AB's. He's looking like a stud in the making. He shouldn't be on any waiver wire anymore and deserves consideration as a starting CI in all formats.

Jorge Posada is headed back to the DL and will miss the next few weeks.  Season-ending surgery may be looming for the Yankees catcher.

With the Mets now just a half-game out of 1st in the NL East, New York collectively held their breaths when Pedro Martinez left the game Saturday after 4 innings with shoulder tightness. After checking with team doctors, Martinez said after the game, "my shoulder is perfectly fine." He attributed this to having had "locked," his shoulder, and added that it is not anything uncommon following the surgery he had in 2006. You never want to hear a pitcher say his shoulder locked, but Martinez said he is looking forward to his 9 days of rest coming up with the All-Star Break. Stay Tuned...

Dave Bush needs to be picked up in all leagues.  His 1.18 WHIP makes him a contributor in that category and he pitches for a contender.  Bush struck out 13 batters today over eight scoreless innings while walking none and giving up only three hits.  Bush's 2.87 home ERA makes him, at worst, one to start when he pitches at home.

CC Sabathia needed only 104 pitches en route to a complete game shutout on Wednesday.  He struck out seven and has now thrown three consecutive complete games.  It's funny to think about that 13.38 ERA he had in April.  He's now 4-0 as a Brewer. 

Vernon Wells is next in the line of Toronto players to hit the DL and possibly not return.  He'll miss the next 4-6 weeks with a grade two strain of his left hamstring.  Tough break.

Juan Pierre was placed on the 15-day DL with a sprained medial collateral ligament. He'll miss 4-6 weeks.

While Adam Dunn ranks 6th in the majors with 86 strikeouts, he also ranks first in walks with 65. His 20 homers rank him 6th in the majors and he's on pace to record his annual mark of 40. His average is bound to go north from here so it's a good time to inquire about his services.

Derrick Lee has grounded into 19 double plays this year, which leads the major leagues.  Many managers in baseball despise players like Adam Dunn because they strikeout so often.  Let's do some math: A strikeout equals one out and grounding into a double play equals two outs.  There are worse things than striking out in baseball and it's about time people realized this.

Ken Griffey, Jr. has been intentionally walked 12 times so far this year, good for second most in the league.  It's most perplexing because he's batting .233 on the season.  The players who bat behind him have been Adam Dunn, Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto.  Am I missing something?

Christian Guzman leads the major leagues in hits this year, which is amazing considering he's missed the last year and a half and is a career .266 hitter.  Ironically, he ranks last in the majors in pitches per plate appearance at 3.07.  It's hard to believe this pace will continue in the second half considering his past and age.

Nick Swisher leads the major leagues in pitches seen per plate appearance.  His 4.51 mark makes him the most patient hitter in baseball.  Needless to say he's been more of a help to the White Sox than he has to your fantasy team this year.