I just finished my final column for The News-Herald -- a ranking of the top 12 fantasy football players for 2013.

If that seems like a silly endeavor, you might be right. But it sure is fun.

The column will be published online Friday night and, space permitting, in the print editions on Saturday.

It seems a fitting way to exit The N-H, which I am leaving after 13 years for a position as assistant editor at Crain's Cleveland Business.

It was time for a new challenge, which, like taking Trent Richardson in the first round next September, can be scary.

This is the 375th post in this blog's history, and I've thoroughly enjoyed interacting with many of you via email and Twitter.

Fantasy sports can be extremely frustrating -- did you play against Bryce Brown in Week 12 or 13? How about the Seahawks' defense against the Ryan Lindley-John Skelton platter in Week 14? -- but they're also an escape.

They allow us to be the general manager, coach, team president and frustrated fan.

They add to the television viewing experience -- and at times, take away from it.

But they never stop entertaining.

Hopefully, this blog provided you many of those same emotions -- minus the Lindley-Skelton anger.

You can find me on Twitter and email future questions to kkleps@hotmail.com.

Good luck, and start a defense against Arizona until further notice.

Unless you're a big believer in Casey McGhee or think going from Philadelphia to San Francisco is exactly what Hunter Pence needed, Tuesday's trade deadline in Major League Baseball was slightly more exciting than the 2012 Houston Astros.

Three players, however, stand out to us in fantasy following a day in which the Indians added another left-handed bat -- only he will play in Triple-A, and his name is Lars.

1. Ryan Dempster, SP, Rangers: Switching from the National League (Cubs) to the American League likely won't lower his 2.25 ERA or his 1.04 WHIP, but Dempster should vastly improve upon his 5-5 record. Since June 5, he is 5-2 with a 1.40 ERA. In nine starts in April and May with the lowly Cubbies, he had a 2.90 ERA -- and was winless (0-3). The Rangers are 59-43 and are a half-game behind the Yankees for the best mark in the AL.

2. Zack Greinke, SP, Angels: Like Dempster, Greinke's ERA might rise, but he should win more often. Greinke was 9-3 in Milwaukee, but he could have been much better after allowing zero or one run in 11 of his 21 starts. Granted, he had a tough-luck loss in his Angels debut Sunday (two runs in seven innings against the Rays), but Greinke is a strikeout machine (130 in as many innings) who should be expected to thrive on a team that is 47-30 since a 10-17 start.

3. Greg Holland, RP, Royals: He didn't go anywhere, but Jonathan Broxton did (to Cincinnati), leaving the closer's job to a pitcher who has struck out 153 batters in 118 1/3 innings in his three-year big-league career. Holland hasn't been very effective this season (4-3, 3.63 ERA, 1.56 WHIP), but he was fantastic in 2011 (5-1, 1.80 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 74 Ks in 60 innings, four saves) and he clearly has the stuff to pitch in the ninth inning. Granted, the Royals might not give him a ton of save opportunities, but in AL-only or deeper mixed leagues, many owners will welcome a late-season saves boost.

K-Rod is back.

OK, he's probably not back to being the pitcher who averaged 42 saves from 2005 to 2010 and struck out a combined 496 batters in 401 1/3 innings in that span.

But Francisco Rodriguez has returned to the closer's role.

Tuesday, the Brewers replaced John Axford with Rodriguez in the ninth-inning role, a day after the former blew his sixth save since May 11.

Since that date, Axford is 10-for-16 in save chances and has a 5.27 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. Before that blown save, he had converted 49 consecutive save opportunities and was coming off a fantastic 2011 season in which he was 46-for-48 in saves, had a 1.95 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 86 strikeouts in 73 2/3 innings.

Prior to Tuesday, Rodriguez was available in more than 97 percent of the leagues on ESPN.com. If he's available in a category league in which you compete, you should acquire him even if you don't need a closer. (Think trade bait.)

Rodriguez has been pretty ordinary in a setup role this season for Milwaukee. He has a 3.67 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 39 Ks in 41 2/3 innings.

He was very effective last season, though, posting a 2.64 ERA and 79 Ks in 71 2/3 innings with the Mets and Brewers.

If you're worried about using a roster spot on Rodriguez and then watching as Axford gets his former job back in two weeks, don't.

There are rumors Rodriguez will be traded to a closer-needy team before the July 31 deadline. One rumor that gained steam recently was a Rodriguez reunion with the Mets. (And what fun that could be.)

And what better way to raise his trade value than to have him save a handful of games in the next two weeks?

If Rodriguez is traded, you might also get lucky and have him go to a team such as the Mets, who have had 22 saves in their 46 victories and have Frank Francisco and his 4.97 ERA on the disabled list.

The All-Star break is ending, and you might be getting your first-round draft pick back.

Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who hasn't played since April 13 because of a shoulder injury, is expected to be activated from the disabled list Friday.

Your first reaction might be to start Ellsbury immediately. Depending on your roster, that could be the right move.

My first reaction, especially in weekly leagues in which you have to commit to starting a player for seven straight days -- or in the case of the All-Star break in many leagues, 10, since this week and next week count as one game -- is to sit Ellsbury and give him time to prove to us that he will be healthy enough to stay in the lineup.

Last season, Ellsbury was phenomenal, batting .321 with 32 homers, 105 RBI, 39 steals, 119 runs and a .928 OPS.

In 2010, he was limited to 78 at-bats by injury, and he didn't hit a homer.

In 2009, Ellsbury batted .301 with 70 stolen bases and 94 runs, but he wasn't of much help in the power departments (eight homers and 60 RBI).

Ellsbury is a career .299 hitter, but his 2011 home-run total doesn't mesh with his past performance.

Ellsbury averaged one homer per 20.6 at-bats last season. Prior to 2011, he had 20 homers in 1,398 at-bats -- one per 69.9 at-bats.

Is he a power hitter? I'd say no, but he can still be very productive in every other area, especially steals, runs and batting average.

In two of the leagues in which I participate, I drafted late in the first round of a 12- and 14-team mixed league. I was (un)lucky enough to get Ellsbury in both leagues.

In both leagues, I was fortunate to acquire very good outfielders in Ellsbury's place -- the Cardinals' Allen Craig (waiver wire) in the 12-team league and the White Sox's Alex Rios (draft) in the 14-team league.

In the 14-team league, I also have Josh Hamilton and Jason Heyward in the outfield, which made my decision to bench Ellsbury (I have David Ortiz in the utility spot) pretty easy.

In the 12-team league, I have Hamilton and Desmond Jennings in the outfield. Considering Jennings is batting .231 with five homers, I could have started Ellsbury and not given it much thought, but again, I preferred to wait.

When ESPN.com released its second-half fantasy rankings this week, they ranked Ellsbury 21st in the outfield -- one behind Heyward and 11 ahead of the woefully underrated Rios (.318, 50 runs, 12 homers, 49 RBI and 13 steals).

The ranking on Ellsbury seems about right.

I would view him as a No. 2 outfielder in a 12-team mixed league.

That's quite a few notches below where you and I drafted him, but, considering Ellsbury's totals in 2010 and '12, maybe we should just be happy he is healthy.

Salvador Perez entered Wednesday owned in 42.2 percent of the leagues on ESPN.com.

Granted, the Royals catcher has all of 47 at-bats this season.

Look a little further, though, and you'll see the 22-year-old has batted .344 in 195 career at-bats. Since being called up to the big leagues in 2011, Perez has seven homers, 29 RBI and an .894 OPS.

This season, Perez began the year on the disabled list because of a torn knee ligament.

Since he was activated June 22, Perez is hitting .383 with nine runs, four homers, eight RBI, a 1.085 OPS and only two strikeouts in 47 at-bats.

If he's available in a league in which you compete, you should consider him an immediate starter at a very weak position.

At the All-Star break, only two catchers -- the Red Sox's Jarrod Saltalamacchia (17) and the White Sox's A.J. Pierzynski (16) -- had more than 14 home runs. Saltalamacchia is batting .235 with 72 strikeouts, and Pierzynski is already within two of his career high in homers.

The leader in RBI: Pierzynski with 49 -- one more than he had all of last season.

Perez should be considered a top-10 catcher because of his ability to hit for average, drive in runs and help you in runs scored.

He was a .287 hitter in the minor leagues, but that's deceiving when you consider he was playing rookie ball in 2007 at age 17.

Since 2010, Perez has batted .290, .283, .333 and .340 in stints at Class A, AA and AAA.

One area he didn't excel in down on the farm was home runs (one in 98 combined Triple-A at-bats in 2011 and '12, and 20 in 1,278 career minor-league at-bats).

Perez's big-league numbers indicate he could be a late bloomer (if it's possible to be such a thing at age 22) in that category going forward.

All of which is an encouraging development for a position with its share of struggling stars (we're looking at you, Carlos Santana. You, too, Alex Avila, Mike Napoli and Russell Martin).

It's too soon to know if the Cubs first baseman is another Matt LaPorta.

You know, the type of player who mashes in the minor leagues but can't seem to get it going in the majors.

(It's OK, Indians fans. LaPorta will represent the International League on Monday in the Triple-A home run derby. I'm sure it's a career highlight.)

What is encouraging about Rizzo's first six games with the Cubs isn't his .304 average, two homers and five RBI. It's not his .985 OPS, either.

It's this: Rizzo has struck out three times in 23 at-bats.

No big deal, you say?

Maybe, but consider this: In 2011 with the Padres, Rizzo -- the key piece in San Diego's trade of Adrian Gonzalez to Boston that year -- fanned 46 times in 128 at-bats. He also hit .141 with one homer, nine RBI and a .523 OPS in the hitters' hell known as Petco Park.

Even in Triple-A, Rizzo was a strikeout machine, fanning a combined 141 times in 613 at-bats in 2011 and '12. In that span, he was terrific in plenty of other areas -- a .336 average with 112 runs scored, 49 homers and 163 RBI.

In 2012 with Class AAA Iowa, Rizzo was phenomenal, hitting .342 with 23 homers, 62 RBI and a 1.101 OPS in 257 at-bats.

There aren't as many stud first basemen in fantasy this season, which makes Rizzo a starter in many leagues.

I would consider him a must-start in NL-only leagues until the strikeouts start piling up and the batting average plummets.

In mixed leagues, Rizzo should be a starting option if you're lacking in the power departments.

If you're playing him, continue to monitor his strikeouts.

One K per four to five at-bats isn't unheard of for a power hitter. If Rizzo goes back to his San Diego days of one K per three at-bats, he shouldn't be a fantasy starter.

Long term, the answer to the above question is easy.

The Diamondbacks' 21-year-old super prospect is a combined 11-1 with a 2.23 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 93 innings in Double- and Triple-A this season.

He entered the year as Baseball America's No. 9 prospect, and his stock has only climbed since.

Yes, Trevor Bauer is legit, especially in the fantasy world in which we leave -- one that loves power arms and low earned-run averages.

Bauer's value strictly for this season is a much more difficult subject to tackle.

The right-hander will make his big-league debut Thursday at Atlanta. In deeper leagues, he would seem to be a must-start. Even if Bauer struggles some, he should be an adequate source of strikeouts.

In 10- and 12-team mixed leagues in which you might only start a handful of pitchers per week, Bauer should only be an option -- at least until he proves otherwise -- when the matchups are favorable.

As ridiculous as his 2012 numbers are, there is one glaring red flag, at least when it comes to his short-term value.

Bauer walked a combined 46 batters in 93 innings in the minors this season. In his brief career since he was selected third overall by Arizona in 2011, he has averaged 4.6 walks per nine innings down on the farm.

Yes, he's raw. Yes, he can be lights-out.

But as we've seen over and over, pitching at the big-league level is a much different animal, and Bauer's walk numbers suggest he is far from a finished product.

If you're in a daily league and have already acquired Bauer on the waiver wire, I'd play him.

For him to have significant value the rest of the season, he might have to be very good, very soon, since Arizona's starting rotation is pretty deep.

Trevor Cahill (6-5, 3.47 ERA), Ian Kennedy (a 21-game winner in 2011 who has struggled some this season) and Wade Miley (9-3, 2.19 ERA) aren't going anywhere.

For Bauer to remain in the rotation all season, he would have to take the place of Joe Saunders (4-5, 3.44 ERA), whose shoulder injury allowed Bauer to get the call from Triple-A, or Daniel Hudson, a 16-game winner last season who has been awful for much of 2012. Hudson left Tuesday's game with tightness in his forearm.

Combine Hudson's latest ailment with Saunders' shoulder injury, and Bauer might not be going anywhere this year.

In keeper leagues, he's a gem.

In leagues in which all that matters is this year, Bauer's role is much more unclear -- though it's always better to err with a flame-thrower than a Josh Tomlin.

On May 23, Brian Roberts played for Double-A Bowie.

It was the Orioles second baseman's first game since he suffered a concussion more than a year ago.

Tuesday, Roberts was 3-for-4 with an RBI in his 2012 Baltimore debut. The next night, he was 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts.

What to make of a player who hasn't had more than 230 at-bats in a season since 2009?

The quick answer: Not too much.

Roberts is 34. Prior to Thursday night, he was batting .256 with 46 runs, seven homers, 35 RBI and 18 stolen bases in a combined 402 at-bats since 2010.

From 2005-09, Roberts was a must-start in fantasy. In that span, he averaged 13 homers, 64 RBI, 37 steals and 99 runs.

If you're desperate for help at second base, Roberts should be considered a low-level starter in deep mixed leagues -- at best. In AL-only formats, he's a decent starter, but still not among the top five or six at his position.

Roberts shouldn't hurt you in batting average (he entered Thursday with a career norm of .281), but don't expect anything close to the player who had 16 homers, 79 RBI and 30 steals in 2009.

If you need help -- as I did in a mixed league in which I've been playing Arizona's Aaron Hill at second base until Chase Utley returns from his everlasting knee injury -- Roberts is worth a flier.

But he is by no means a middle-infield savior. Fringe starters never are.

Have you ever made a trade offer in fantasy, had the opposing owner accept it almost immediately, then wondered, "What the heck did I just do?"

Yeah, that was me this week.

In a 14-team, head-to-head mixed league in which I compete, my catcher is Alex Avila, who went on the disabled list last week with a hamstring injury. Even when he was playing, Avila wasn't helping much, batting .250 with five homers, 20 RBI and a .766 OPS.

Early in the season, my backup was the Brewers' Jonathan Lucroy, whom, you might remember, was injured when a suitcase fell and broke his right hand.

I gave up on Lucroy long before he went on a tear, and long before he went on the DL.

Thus, this past weekend, as a new week approached and I was faced with the prospects of acquiring the likes of Gerald Laird (Avila's backup) on the waiver wire, I offered Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz for Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario to an owner who had the latter languishing on his bench behind Carlos Santana.

As I wrote Sunday night, I like Rosario. But after my trade offer was accepted without a counter offer, I began to second-guess myself.

Then came Tuesday night, when Buchholz won his third consecutive start to improve to 7-2.

Granted, his record is more deceiving than Albert Pujols' slow start, but Buchholz has been very good of late. On the season, he has a 5.38 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. At one point a few weeks ago, Buchholz was 4-2 -- with a 7.84 ERA.

In his last three starts, however, he is 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. He has struck out 22 in 24 innings -- an uncharacteristically high total for a pitcher who averaged 6.2 Ks per nine innings in his breakout 2010 season (17-7, 2.33 ERA). In his first nine starts this season, Buchholz had 24 Ks in 49 1/3 innings.

Has he turned his season around? After a back injury ruined his 2011 season, has he returned to the 17-game winner he was two years ago? Did I just make a terrible desperation trade for an unproven catcher with pop?

That remains to be seen.

If Rosario continues at his current home-run pace and Avila, once healthy, continues to hit .250 with so-so power, I'll feel much better about my rushed decision. (In my defense, my starting pitching in that league is very good, so much so Buchholz isn't the best starting pitcher on my bench.)

As it stands now, I can't get past the fact I made a trade offer because I didn't like the possibility of starting a bad waiver-wire pickup behind the plate for a couple of weeks.

The lesson, as always: Be patient.

And at least make your opponent counter your trade offer.

If you compete in a head-to-head league with a three-week postseason, your league is approaching the halfway point of the regular season.

As usual, the waiver wire at times has been more prolific than Kanye West, but often more dangerous and frustrating than Kim Kardashian. (Beware, Kanye. Beware.)

Regardless, we are back (belatedly) with more waiver-wire picks if you're looking for hitting help. As always, the following players are available in more than half of the leagues on ESPN.com. This week's batch is available in more than 85 percent of the ESPN formats.

-- Wilin Rosario, C, Rockies (owned in 14.7 percent of the ESPN leagues): The 23-year-old rookie is batting only .233, and he's a strikeout waiting to happen (35 Ks in 120 at-bats). But he also has some Coors Field-aided pop. Rosario has nine homers, 18 runs and 25 RBI -- a 600 at-bat pace of 45 homers, 90 runs and 125 RBI. OK, he'll probably never hit 45 homers or drive in 125 runs, but Rosario was productive in the minor leagues. Again, his average was an issue (.267), but he racked up 61 homers, 216 RBI, 198 runs and a whopping 354 Ks in 1,469 at-bats. At catcher, you can overlook the poor batting average and big strikeout numbers when that much power is included.

-- Juan Pierre, OF, Phillies (11.1 percent): At 34, Pierre has been much better in his first season in Philadelphia than he was in 2010 and '11 with the White Sox (when he batted .275 and .279, respectively). He's hitting .322 with 23 runs and 11 steals in 180 at-bats. Since May 25, Pierre is batting .377 with 10 runs and five steals in 53 at-bats. You know he won't provide any power (16 homers in 7,003 at-bats), but if you need to improve your team's batting average and/or stolen-base numbers, Pierre might be the best option on the wire.

-- Jerry Hairston Jr., 2B, Dodgers (7.7 percent): He's batting .356 with two homers, 15 RBI and a .938 OPS in 104 at-bats. Since May 27, the 36-year-old is hitting .391 with 10 RBI in 46 at-bats. Since a knee injury will keep regular second baseman Mark Ellis out until at least late July, Hairston will continue to get plenty of at-bats. He's likely to suffer a hefty drop in batting average (his career norm is .261), but he has the potential to steal 20 bases, and his recent play makes him worth considering in the infield. In ESPN leagues, Hairston is also eligible at third base and the outfield, though I would only start him at the latter position in NL-only formats.

-- Trevor Plouffe, 3B, Twins (7.1 percent): His average (.217) won't get your attention, but his power will (nine homers and 17 RBI in 129 at-bats). In 456 at-bats in the majors, Plouffe has 19 homers and 54 RBI. Those numbers are an improvement when compared to his minor-league track record (15 homers and 73 RBI per 600 at-bats), but Plouffe is certainly worth a look in deeper mixed leagues. In June, he is batting .387 with four homers, seven runs and nine RBI in 31 at-bats. In ESPN formats, he's also eligible at shortstop (where his pop should be a welcome addition) and the outfield.

-- Ben Revere, OF, Twins (4.4 percent): Since he was recalled from Triple-A in mid-May, Revere has had a hit in 16 of his 20 appearances. This month, he's batting .368 with nine runs and five steals in 38 at-bats. On the season, he's hitting .327 with nine steals in 101 at-bats, and he stole 34 bags as a rookie in 2011 (when he hit .267). Don't be surprised if Revere keeps his average above .300 -- he is a career .326 hitter in the minors -- and with his speed, he can start in most formats. If you need to add power to your outfield, you'll have to look elsewhere, though. Revere has yet to hit a home run in 579 career at-bats in the big leagues.

Any time a player is activated from the disabled list and hits five home runs in his first eight games with his new team, we take notice.

OK, we take notice of a lot of meaningless stuff, but five home runs in eight games to start a season, as Carlos Quentin has done with the Padres, really gets the attention of a fantasy owner.

As you can tell by the headline of this blog, however, I'm not firmly aboard the Quentin bandwagon. I was one of its founding members in 2008, but jumped off at some point during Quentin's last three uneventful seasons.

In 2008, Quentin seemingly came out of nowhere to bat .288 with 36 homers, 100 RBI, 96 runs and a .965 OPS for the White Sox.

The next three seasons, he averaged 24 homers, but he hit .236, .243 and .254, and had norms of 58 runs and 73 RBI.

This season, Quentin had surgery on his right knee in March, which delayed his San Diego debut until May 28.

Then there's the fact Quentin now calls Petco Park -- traditionally one of baseball's best pitchers' parks -- home. In 34 games this season through Thursday, the Padres have hit 14 home runs at home.

If Quentin isn't racking up home runs, he's not of much value, since he's a .255 career hitter with 16 stolen bases in 624 games.

You might have guessed by now that I'm not a big believer in Quentin's early numbers (.481 average, five homers, nine RBI and nine runs in 27 at-bats).

I wouldn't play him in most mixed leagues (if you're in a 14- to 16-team league, maybe), but he can help you in NL-only formats.

If you do play him, know what you're getting: A player who can hit 20 homers, but likely won't help you at all in batting average, runs and steals.

If you drafted Justin Masterson, it could have been as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter in a mixed league.

After his loss Sunday, Masterson's fifth in seven decisions this season, you likely are very frustrated with your draft-day investment (which might pale in comparison to the feelings of the most ardent Tribe fans).

Is it time to bench Masterson, if you haven't done so already?

The short answer is yes. The long answer is to play the matchup game with him from here on out, and play him in weeks in which he is starting twice, assuming he is still producing at least at his current rate (which isn't as bad as you might think).

Masterson is 2-5 with a 5.09 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. He has struck out 53 in 74 1/3 innings.

As I tweeted tonight, the difference in the 2011 Masterson (the one who was 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.28 WHIP) and the 2012 version is his high walk rate.

This season, Masterson has walked one batter every two innings (4.5 per nine frames). Last year, he walked 2.7 batters per nine innings. His hits allowed per nine innings (9.1 in 2012 and 8.8 in 2011) and strikeouts per nine (6.4 this season and 6.6 last season) are pretty similar.

Will he pull it together? You're guess is as good as mine.

What I can tell you is Masterson has allowed three runs or fewer in six of his last eight starts. I would continue to play him most weeks -- but this isn't one of those instances.

On Saturday, the Indians will play at St. Louis, and Masterson is scheduled to pitch against the Cardinals' Kyle Lohse (5-1, 3.36 ERA). In 24 home games this season, the Cardinals have batted .297 and averaged 5.9 runs per contest. In that span, they have hit 32 home runs and have a very impressive .853 OPS.

Translation: Bad matchup for a guy who's having a bad year.

If you're an Indians fan, you probably like the idea of Jose Lopez remaining in the starting lineup at third base.

Lopez provides some much-needed pop from the right side for the Tribe's lefty-leaning lineup. In 50 at-bats, he is batting .280 with two home runs, nine RBI and an .833 OPS.

If you play fantasy, you likely are hoping the Indians continue to play Lopez, who is a better option in our fake world than Jack Hannahan, who hasn't played since May 13 because of a back injury.

Hannahan, to his credit, is hitting .287 with three homers, 18 RBI and an .801 OPS in 101 at-bats. But you can't rely on him to help you much at the hot corner in fantasy, considering he's a .236 career hitter who has never had more than nine homers and 47 RBI in a season.

Lopez, however, does have a positive track record.

Yes, he was brutal last season with the Rockies and Marlins (a combined .216 average in 231 at-bats), and he wasn't much better in 2010 (.239 average, 10 homers and 58 RBI in 593 at-bats with the Mariners). In 2008 and '09, though, he averaged 21 homers and 93 RBI with Seattle. In 2008, he batted a career-best .297. The following season, he had career bests of 25 homers and 96 RBI.

If you compete in a daily AL-only league, I would continue to play Lopez until it's announced Hannahan is set to return. In weekly leagues, you can't make the move unless you know Hannahan will be out (say a trip to the disabled list).

In his last five games through Tuesday, Lopez has six RBI. He is riding an eight-game hitting streak in which he is batting .357.

It would seem to make sense for him to stay in the lineup. That likely won't be in left field, since Lopez has played the infield throughout his nine-year career.

The majority of Lopez's at-bats will have to come at third base, with some starts mixed in at first, second and DH.

Maybe the Tribe will figure out a way to play him five days a week. If they do, you should, too.

I was amazed at how undervalued David Ortiz was in three of the drafts in which I participated prior to the season.

Maybe owners forget about him when they look over their rankings during the draft because the Red Sox designated hitter doesn't have another position.

Or maybe it's times such as these that scare most of you away.

Ortiz and the Red Sox will play three games at Philadelphia to close Week 6 of the fantasy season -- this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

That's three games in which Ortiz likely will be limited to pinch-hitting duties.

That's three games that could result in you benching a player who is batting .348 with seven homers, 25 RBI, 24 runs and a 1.026 OPS in 132 at-bats.

I wouldn't sit Ortiz unless you are loaded with utility options. The reason: The Red Sox play a pair of home games against Seattle, followed by two contests at Tampa Bay prior to the weekend, meaning Ortiz will still get four starts this week. Combine that with the likelihood he will get two or three at-bats in Philly as a pinch hitter, and Big Papi should, at worst, compile 18 to 20 at-bats this week.

If you go by Ortiz's season numbers, he would tally roughly seven hits, a homer, four RBI and four runs in 20 at-bats.

Start him.

Let's look at how the May 18-20 interleague schedule will impact other notable American League hitters:

-- Adam Dunn, White Sox: The White Sox play three games across town at Wrigley Field this weekend, likely meaning Dunn will play at least one game at first base. I would sit him because of his batting average (.250) and horrifying strikeout numbers (50 in 120 at-bats), but if you need power, you should keep playing Dunn. The big slugger has 11 homers and 26 RBI.

-- Kendrys Morales, Angels: He's been strictly a DH this season, and he's batted .313 in his comeback from a scary leg injury in 2010. The problem: Morales has mediocre-to-poor numbers everywhere else -- three homers, 11 RBI, 10 runs and a .791 OPS. Combined with the Angels' three games at San Diego's pitcher's haven (Petco Park), Morales is a risky play in most weekly leagues. Sit him.

-- Ryan Doumit, Twins: Doumit has played a combined 21 games at catcher and right field this season, so the Twins' weekend series at Milwaukee won't affect him as much as other part-time designated hitters. In deeper leagues, I'd keep him in my lineup at catcher. Doumit has four homers and 21 RBI on the season, and he's driven in nine runs in his last eight games.

-- Jesus Montero, Mariners: Seattle plays at Coors Field this weekend, which could limit Montero to about five games this week. But he's played enough at catcher (13 games) and provided sufficient pop (five homers and 17 RBI) to start him behind the plate in deep mixed leagues and AL-only formats.

-- Michael Young, Rangers: Don't even think twice. The Rangers will find a spot in their lineup for at least two of their three games at Houston for Young, who has played first, second and third base this season.

Maybe it's the hair.

Or the demeanor many interpret as cockiness.

Maybe it's just the fact that Bryce Harper has been labeled The Next Big Thing in baseball since he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in June 2009 -- at age 16.

Whatever the reason, Cole Hamels -- who drilled Harper on the back in the first inning Sunday night -- is far from the only big-leaguer who would seem to like nothing better than to throw something at the Nationals' 19-year-old outfielder.

I might be in the minority, but I love watching Harper play.

If you need to know anything about his on-field demeanor, all you have to do is watch his reaction to getting plunked by Hamels on Sunday. He moved from first to third on a single, then stole home when Hamel attempted to pick off Jayson Werth at first base.



He's old-school. He plays so hard he seems out of place at times. He solicits emotional reactions like few others in his sport.

Bryce Harper is a lot of things.

But is he a must-start in fantasy?

For most rookies, especially in baseball, I would say no. With Harper, I would say yes.

In his first 26 at-bats in the big leagues, he is batting .308 with a .924 OPS. He has more walks (five) than strikeouts (four), and five of his eight hits are doubles.

He hasn't hit a homer, but the power will come.

In 459 at-bats in the minor leagues, Harper batted .290 with 18 homers, 61 RBI, 71 runs, 27 stolen bases and an .865 OPS. Keep in mind, 387 of those 459 at-bats were in 2011, when Harper was 18.

He can hit for average and power, and he could steal 20 bases as a rookie.

He's a starter.

Among other things.

The good news: The Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman hopes to return from the disabled list on Tuesday, and the Rangers' Adrian Beltre hopes to be back from a leg ailment on Friday.

The bad: Otherwise, it has been a brutal week for third basemen.

-- The Red Sox's Kevin Youkilis was placed on the disabled list with a back injury to start the week.

-- On Tuesday, it was announced Rays stud Evan Longoria would miss 6 to 8 weeks because of a partially torn hamstring.

-- Today, we learned the Giants' Pablo Sandoval will undergo surgery for a broken bone in his hand and likely will be sidelined 4 to 6 weeks.

What in the name of Chipper Jones is going on here?

If you're hurting for a third baseman, you might be encouraged by the depth of the position in the early going. Let's look at the best of the best on the waiver wire. All of the following options are available in more than 70 percent of the leagues on ESPN.com:

1. Pedro Alvarez, Pirates (owned in 27 percent of the ESPN leagues): In his last nine games through Thursday, Alvarez has batted .424 with five home runs, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored in 33 at-bats. He has seven homers, 14 RBI and a .912 OPS on the year. He was effective as a rookie in 2010, when he had 16 homers and 64 RBI in 347 at-bats. Last year, however, he was brutal -- a .191 average with 80 strikeouts in 235 at-bats. If you play in a points league in which you lose a point for a strikeout, Alvarez can be a dangerous start during weeks in which he's not racking up the homers. He has 24 Ks in 70 at-bats this season.

2. Will Middlebrooks, Red Sox (3.3 percent): He had two hits and a steal in his debut Wednesday. Middlebrooks should be a quality short-term fix, since he likely will head back to Triple-A once Youkilis returns. He played at all three levels of the minor leagues in 2011 and hit a combined .285 with 23 homers, 94 RBI and 10 steals in 439 at-bats. Prior to his call-up this year, Middlebrooks was batting .333 with nine homers, 27 RBI and a 1.057 OPS in 93 at-bats in Triple-A.

3. Jed Lowrie, Astros (26.5 percent): OK, he's a shortstop, not a third baseman. But ESPN and other popular sites allow you play Lowrie at third, so take advantage of it. He's hitting .329 with 11 runs, three homers, nine RBI and a .927 OPS in 70 at-bats. He has decent pop (22 homers, 126 RBI and 121 runs in 878 career at-bats), but don't expect him to continue batting better than .300. Lowrie is a career .259 hitter.

4. Chipper Jones, Braves (36.6 percent): The oft-injured 40-year-old is hitting .273 with four homers and 14 RBI. Sure, he'll get hurt again. He's not going to come close to his .304 career average (Jones has batted .264, .265 and .275 the last three seasons). But he still provides some pop, which often is necessary from a corner infielder. 

5. Robert Andino, Orioles (26.4 percent): He's a second baseman who, like Lowrie, is eligible at third. Andino is off to a hot start -- a .342 average with an .831 OPS -- that doesn't mesh with his career norms (.253 average and .650 OPS). He won't help you in the power departments (Andino has one homer and seven RBI this season), but he can be an asset in steals, though that hasn't been the case yet this season. Andino stole 13 bases last season, but is just 0-for-1 in steal attempts in 2012.

Possibilities for deeper leagues

1. Chris Johnson, Astros (2.4 percent): His numbers are somewhat deceiving, since both of his homers and six of his 14 RBI came in one game -- Wednesday against the Mets. But Johnson does have an .807 OPS, and he was effective in 2010, when he batted .308 with 11 homers and 52 RBI in 341 at-bats. Last season, he was terrible (.251, .669 OPS, 97 Ks in 378 at-bats), and he strikes out too much (24 Ks in 90 at-bats this season). But if you're desperate, you could do a lot worse.

2. Matt Carpenter, Cardinals (7.2 percent): He's primarily a first baseman, but you should be able to play him at third. Carpenter is batting .279 with one homer, 14 RBI and an .823 OPS in 68 at-bats as a rookie. In the minors, he did it all -- a .300 average, 27 homers, 161 RBI, 19 steals and an .859 OPS in 1,180 at-bats.

3. Jack Hannahan, Indians (7.3 percent): He's been great in the clutch, going 8-for-13 with one homer and 12 RBI with two outs and runners in scoring position thus far. Aside from that, Supermannahan has been pretty mediocre -- with no other homers and three other RBI on the year. He's also a .234 career hitter.

4. Alex Liddi, Mariners (1.9 percent): He's a more dangerous play than the others on this list because the Mariners are deep at third with Liddi and Kyle Seager. But Liddi has been getting regular at-bats of late, and he's hitting .295 with two homers, five RBI, one steal and an .809 OPS in 44 at-bats. Two causes for concern: Liddi batted only .259 and struck out 170 times in Triple-A in 2011. But he was very good in three other categories -- 121 runs, 30 homers and 104 RBI -- last season.

If you're tired of seeing Shelley Duncan bat .230 with a strikeout every 2.8 at-bats, the arrival of Johnny Damon to the Indians on Tuesday is welcome news.

If you're hoping for a significant boost to your fantasy baseball outfield, you likely will be disappointed.

Yes, Damon was productive with the Rays last season, batting .261 with 79 runs, 16 homers, 73 RBI and 19 steals.

However, he won't help you much in the power department -- he had a combined 24 homers in 1,121 at-bats in 2010 and '11, and his stolen-base total likely will be down significantly from a few seasons ago.

Damon hit 24 homers in 2009, a number that is deceiving because 17 were at Yankee Stadium, where he could take advantage of the short porch in right field. In the two seasons since, he averaged 12 homers, 62 RBI, 15 steals and 80 runs, and he batted .266 -- 20 points below his career norm.

In the last three seasons, Damon has averaged 17 steals -- down 10 from his three-year norm from 2006-08.

Even worse, in 75 at-bats at Progressive Field from 2007 to '11, he had zero homers and five RBI. In that span, he scored 12 runs, stole three bases and hit .293.

It's to be expected that Damon's numbers will be down across the board at age 38. But if he's not going to be a decent help in steals and batting average, he's not worth playing in almost any format.

Then there's the likelihood he will be in a left-field platoon with Duncan, with Damon getting the majority of the at-bats against right-handers, and we're left with little hope for fantasy success.

If you're desperate in an AL-only league, Damon could be a decent choice if he keeps his average in the .280 range and steals at least 15 bases.

In mixed leagues, you should keep him on your bench.

By now, hopefully you've learned to punt saves on draft day.

You can always acquire a closer on the waiver wire during the season, and three saves that were recorded on Sunday should tell you all you need to know about spending more than one pick in the first half of a draft on a reliever.

The three developments that caught our attention:

1. Kenley Jansen recorded his second save with the Dodgers.

Manager Don Mattingly tried to defuse any controversy by saying Javy Guerra is still Los Angeles' closer, but you have to believe Guerra's days are numbered. In two innings over his last three games, Guerra allowed five runs on nine hits, lost twice and blew a save. Overall, he's 7-for-9 in save chances -- with a 1-3 record, 6.10 ERA and 1.65 WHIP.

Jansen, meanwhile, is 2-0 with a pair of saves, a 2.45 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 24 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings. In three big-league seasons, he has an incredible 161 Ks in 95 1/3 innings.

Looking at Guerra's 2011 numbers (21-for-23 in save chances, a 2.31 ERA and 38 Ks in 46 2/3 innings as a rookie), it's understandable why Mattingly is willing to give his closer a couple more chances to fail.

But this much is clear: Guerra is only keeping the seat warm for Jansen, who struck out 96 in 53 2/3 innings last season. The closer's job should be Jansen's soon, and when that's the case, he likely will be a top-10 option at the position.

2. Santiago Casilla is the undisputed closer in San Francisco.

When Brian Wilson went down with a season-ending elbow injury, the initial speculation was the Giants would close by committee. Manager Bruce Bochy, however, seems to have settled on Casilla, who notched his fourth save, and third in the last four games, on Sunday. Casilla is 4-for-4 in save opportunities and has a 1.04 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and eight Ks in 8 2/3 innings. He's a must-start in any format in which you play multiple relievers.

3. Matt Thornton earns his first save for the White Sox.

Manager Robin Ventura said he used Thornton and not Hector Santiago because the former had the "body of work" against the Red Sox's ninth-inning order of Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz. He also said Santiago "still will be in there in the ninth."

The latter has blown two of his last three save chances and has an 8.53 ERA and 1.89 WHIP on the year. As we wrote in the Brian Wilson blog, Casilla was an unlikely choice to begin with.

For now, he's the closer, but his days, like Guerra's, seem to be numbered. Thornton has 10Ks in 11 innings and is 1-0 with a 0.83 ERA and 0.73 WHIP this season. In his career, he has 29 more strikeouts than innings pitched (509 and 480, respectively). He's never been a full-time closer (his career high is eight saves), but he might get his chance soon.

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).

We have kept you waiting more than two weeks since our last free-agent recommendations for the batters.

In our defense, Week 1 in head-to-head fantasy leagues lasted for what seemed like a month because of the Mariners-A's Japan trip, combined with the remainder of MLB starting its season midweek -- seven days after Seattle and Oakland played twice.

We promise to be more diligent from now on. And we remind you that we select these players based on ownership percentages in ESPN leagues. All of the following players are available in more than 60 percent of the ESPN formats, and only two of them are currently banged up.

-- A.J. Pierzynski, C, White Sox (owned in 33.6 percent of the ESPN leagues): Mr. Sunshine might not be well-liked, but he has been surprisingly dependable the last two seasons. This year, Pierzynski is hitting .400 with four homers, 13 RBI and a 1.250 OPS. The power numbers likely won't last -- Pierzynski had a combined 17 homers and 104 RBI in 2010 and '11 -- but he can hit for a quality average (.287 in 2011).

-- Mike Aviles, SS, Red Sox (20.5 percent): Aviles is off to a decent start as the Sox's replacement for Marco Scutaro at shortstop, hitting .268 with eight runs, two homers, five RBI and one RBI. He has decent pop and speed -- in 2011, he had seven homers, 39 RBI and 14 steals in 286 at-bats -- and until last year, he provided a boost to your batting average. Aviles, who hit .255 last season, is a .288 career hitter, and he hit .300 in 2010 with the Royals. An added boost: He is eligible at second, short and third base in ESPN leagues.

-- Nolan Reimold, OF, Orioles (37.8 percent): Assuming the neck spasm that held him out of Thursday's game isn't serious, Reimold is a quality addition if you're looking for help in the power departments. He has seven runs, four homers and eight RBI in 41 at-bats. He's batting .341 with a 1.064 OPS, but don't count on him to help your batting average (Reimold is a .261 career hitter). He can be a strikeout waiting to happen (170 in 782 career at-bats), but he has an average of 27 homers and 86 RBI per 600 at-bats.

-- Jon Jay, OF, Cardinals (38.7 percent): He left Thursday's game with a shoulder sprain we can only assume won't hinder him next week. Jay is batting .349 with two homers, four RBI and two steals in 43 at-bats. In 785 career at-bats, he has scored 109 runs and has 16 homers, 68 RBI, 10 steals and a .301 average.


-- Jose Altuve, 2B, Astros (37.9 percent): His 2012 numbers won't get your attention (no homers, three RBI and one steal), but the 21-year-old was decent as a rookie in 2011 (.276 with seven steals in 221 at-bats) and was very productive in the minor leagues. In 1,466 at-bats down on the farm, Altuve hit a whopping .327 with mediocre power (30 homers) and excellent speed numbers (117 steals and 276 runs).

Previous waiver-wire picks

BATTERS: Zack Cozart (Week 1), Ryan Doumit (1), Raul Ibanez (1), Russell Martin (1), Cody Ross (1).

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