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News-Herald Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Kleps doesn’t just write headlines and stories. He also checks on his fantasy sports teams. A lot. See if the moves and news from the world of sports affect your fantasy teams.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Fantasy baseball: Week 3 waiver-wire picks (pitchers)

Selecting Philip Humber this week requires less imagination than the Questions To Ask Checklist in the sideline reporters' manual.

By now, you know Humber threw the 21st perfect game in major-league history.

What you probably didn't realize is he entered Sunday available in more than 92 percent of the leagues on ESPN.com. Granted, he wasn't very good last year, but perfect games tend to get you noticed by any fantasy baseball owner who is looking for a pitcher (aka every fantasy baseball owner).

Humber is the obvious choice to lead our waiver-wire pitching picks for Week 3. As we have repeated the past few weeks, we select players who are available in more than half of the ESPN leagues, and we usually go deeper than that. This week's group is available in at least 57 percent of the ESPN formats.

-- Philip Humber, SP, White Sox (owned in 7.3 percent of the ESPN leagues): Humber's two-start season stats obviously are dominated by his perfecto, but he was effective in his season debut against the Orioles on April 16. He allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings and struck out seven in a no-decision in that contest. This week, he's a mediocre play, since he will pitch once and the matchup isn't great (Thursday at home against the Red Sox). If you acquire Humber, you'll need to temper your expectations from very good to a decent starter in deeper mixed leagues. Remember, he was 9-9 with a 3.75 ERA and an unimpressive 116 Ks in 163 innings last season, his first full year in the big leagues. He also didn't exactly rip up the minor leagues (40-42, 4.50 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) after he was selected third overall in 2004 -- one spot after Justin Verlander.

-- Ross Detwiler, SP, Nationals (42.2 percent): Like Humber, Detwiler was a high draft pick (No. 6 overall in 2007) who struggled in the minors (23-23, 3.97 ERA, 1.50 WHIP). Like Humber, Detwiler is off to a sizzling start and forcing many of us to give him a chance. He took over the fifth spot in Washington's rotation because of a hamstring injury suffered by Chien-Ming Wang, and all Detwiler has done is go 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 15 strikeouts in 16 innings. He has allowed one earned run on the year, and considering Wang has won 13 games since 2008, Detwiler's spot should be secure unless or until he has an extended stretch in which he struggles. This week, again like Humber, he's only a so-so play. Friday, Detwiler will face Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers on the road.

-- Bartolo Colon, SP, Athletics (28.8 percent): Colon's ownership percentage is surprisingly low after four starts in which he has allowed one or zero runs in three contests. Colon is 3-1 with a 2.63 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 19 Ks in 27 1/3 innings. Don't expect the 38-year-old to win 15 games, but you should play him until the wheels come off. Last season with the Yankees, Colon was 5-3 with a 3.10 ERA after a win over the Tribe on June 11. In August and September, he was a combined 0-4 with a 5.37 ERA. This week, he's a must-start against the White Sox (Monday at home) and Orioles (on the road Sunday).

-- Henry Rodriguez, RP, Nationals (25.1 percent): As we mentioned in the Brian Wilson replacement options blog, Rodriguez is a good source of strikeouts (116 Ks in 104 2/3 innings) and he's been sharing the Nationals' closer job with Brad Lidge while Drew Storen is on the disabled list. Rodriguez, however, has started to establish himself as the undisputed stopper. He has four saves, nine Ks and a 0.00 ERA in 7 1/3 innings. He has received the Nats' last two save chances, and we should expect to get the bulk of the opportunities until Storen returns from an elbow injury (likely not until sometime around the All-Star break).

-- Francisco Cordero, RP, Blue Jays (2.9 percent): He's a big name among the relievers after saving 34 games or more every year from 2007 to '11 (and all but one season since 2004). Cordero was the setup man to Sergio Santos, but the latter is on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. Cordero saved his first game for the Jays on Sunday, and he's averaged nearly one K per inning in his career (771 in 792 1/3 frames).

Previous waiver-wire picks

BATTERS: Jose Altuve (Week 2), Mike Aviles (2), Zack Cozart (Week 1), Ryan Doumit (1), Raul Ibanez (1), Jon Jay (2), Russell Martin (1), A.J. Pierzynski (2), Nolan Reimold (2), Cody Ross (1).

PITCHERS: Trevor Cahill (Week 1), Kyle Lohse (1), Jonathon Niese (1), Ivan Nova (1), Hector Santiago (1).

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