Next week, we're going to start concentrating heavily on football, but first we need to empty the baseball notebook.

-- Not so fast: Fausto Carmona, who was banished to the bottom of the Tribe's minor-league system in June, has a 2.45 ERA in two starts since returning to the Indians. Look a little further, though, and you see these stats: Carmona has four more strikeouts (seven) than walks (three) in 11 innings, and he's thrown 197 pitches (17.9 per inning) with a WHIP of 1.55 in that span.

The latter numbers are reminiscent of his prior struggles -- a two-year run in which Carmona has 21 more walks (118) than strikeouts (97) since winning 19 games in 2007. He's still owned in 53 percent of the leagues on ESPN.com, but I wouldn't rush to put him in my lineup.

-- Not so fast II: Friday's trade of Carl Pavano to Minnesota does make the right-hander slightly more intriguing from a fantasy perspective. Pavano led the Tribe in wins and is going to a team that is contending in a Central Division that's weaker than the ailing Grady Sizemore's throws from center field.

Then there's this: Since finishing 5-1 in May, Pavano has started 10 games. In that span, he's 4-4 with a 5.46 ERA. He's allowed 77 hits in 62 2/3 innings, with a WHIP of 1.39. Pavano has struck out four batters or fewer in seven of the 10 starts.

He's owned in only 6.2 percent of the ESPN leagues, a number that should rise after the trade. But, like Carmona, I wouldn't start him.

Start 'em

-- Roy Oswalt, SP, Astros: Assuming he returns Monday or Tuesday from a back injury that has sidelined him since July 28, I would reinsert him into my lineup. Since June 24, Oswalt is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings. He's allowed only 29 hits in that span, a seven-game run in which he has yet to yield more than three runs.

-- Jose Lopez, 2B, Mariners: He's owned in more than 83 percent of the ESPN leagues, but he's often used as backup. If you need power from your second baseman and aren't worried about OPS, runs scored or steals, Lopez is your guy.

In his last eight games prior to Friday, he had three home runs and 13 RBI in 31 at-bats. For the season, he's batting .278 with 15 homers and 65 RBI. The negative: His on-base percentage (.306), steals (two) and runs (45), all of which are very low for his position. Power or speed? You make the call.

-- Gavin Floyd, SP, White Sox: I've seen some goofy ESPN ownership percentages this season, but Floyd's might be Manny Ramirez on the bizarre scale. How is a 26-year-old who won 17 games last season and has been great since June owned in only 48.2 percent of the ESPN.com leagues?

If that's the case in your league, acquire Floyd and start him. Since June 1, he's 6-1 with a 2.34 ERA in 12 starts. He's averaged more than seven innings per start, and he's struck out 71 in 84 2/3 innings and has an outstanding 0.96 WHIP.

Sit 'em

-- Francisco Liriano, SP, Twins: This has nothing to do with the addition of Pavano and everything to do with the former wonderkid's spiraling stats. Liriano is in danger of losing his spot in the Twins' rotation, has been bothered by a forearm injury and will have his next start skipped as he attends to a family matter. When he does return, I'd keep him and his 4-11 record and 5.63 ERA on my bench. Since winning two straight starts at the end of June, Liriano is 0-3 with a 5.65 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in five starts.

-- Brad Penny, SP, Red Sox: John Smoltz was cut by Boston on Friday, securing Penny's spot in the rotation for the time being. Still, since beginning the season 5-1, Penny has been brutal. In his last 12 starts, he is 2-5 with a 4.66 ERA and 1.40 WHIP.

Carl Pavano's 5.29 earned-run average isn't going to interest you. Neither will his 1.37 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched). Same goes for his track record, which, since 2004, has prominently included "overpaid" and "oft-injured."

Never one to shy away from a monthly split, a look at Pavano's May numbers tell a different story: a 5-1 record, with a 3.60 ERA, eight walks and 34 strikeouts in 45 innings. If the Indians' bullpen would have held the lead Pavano handed it Sunday, the 33-year-old right-hander would have had six wins last month.

More May numbers for Pavano: He allowed three runs or fewer in six of seven starts, and he gave up four runs or fewer in all seven. He's also struck out 24 in 25 1/3 innings in his last four starts.

Does all of this mean you should rush to the free-agent waiver to acquire the pitcher on whom the Yankees wasted $40 million? No. But if you're in an AL-only league or a 14- or 16-team mixed league, Pavano is worth considering.

He's no longer the 18-game winner from 2004, and he's not a big strikeout asset (his 139 K's with Florida five years ago are his career high). But he has been effective, and it doesn't hurt that he's pitching for his next contract.

If he's starting two games in a week, he's certainly worth a look.

We all know the wheels could fall off at any time. Until they do, you could do a lot worse (think Fausto Carmona).

Speaking of Fausto: Why owners continue to start Carmona is more puzzling than LeBron James guarding Rafer Alston instead of Rashard Lewis or Hedo Turkoglu. The young righty is is 2-5 with a 6.60 ERA and is on pace to walk more batters than he strikes out for the second consecutive season. In 10-team mixed leagues, I'd drop him if I needed the roster space, and I wouldn't start him in any format.

Tribe tidbits: If you're hurting at shortstop and continue to start Jhonny Peralta, you can at least feel good about his batting improvement in May (a .297 average, compared to .211 in April). Still, he hit only one homer last month and scored all of eight runs. In deeper leagues, I'd sit him until he regains the power stroke that accounted for a combined 44 homers in 2007 and '08.

-- A sure sign this Indians season isn't going as planned: The Tribe's top two fantasy players have been Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo. Cabrera, who is batting .318 with 38 runs, 27 RBI and seven steals (he had a combined four stolen bases the previous two seasons), should be started in all formats. I would consider Choo a productive No. 3 outfielder, one who is on pace to hit more than 20 homers, drive in 90-plus runs and steal 18 bases.

-- Cliff Lee's 2-6 record certainly warrants a spot on your bench, but I wouldn't make that move. The 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner has given up three earned runs or fewer in nine consecutive starts, and he has a 3.16 ERA for the season. The only reason he hasn't matched Pavano's win total is the Tribe's production during that nine-start span: 13 runs. His luck has to turn around, and you don't want him to be a reserve when it does.

We'll be back tomorrow with a Pick Three for the week. Until then, good luck and don't even think about reserving a spot in your lineup for Travis Hafner.