We go around baseball's rotations every Sunday of the season in our weekly Pitching Planner. We highlight every matchup, recommended two-start options, sleepers and busts and much more. The means we consider them a recommended start. The means we suggest you consider a replacement option. The teams have if we deem their week's matchups favorable and if their week's matchups are deemed unfavorable.

Arizona Diamondbacks

  1. Joe Saunders vs CIN Wood
  2. Ian Kennedy vs COL Rogers
  3. Barry Enright vs COL Jimenez
  4. Daniel Hudson vs CIN Arroyo, vs COL Chacin
  5. Rodrigo Lopez vs CIN Volquez

Two-starter(s): Hudson. He is an advisable option in deeper leagues amid his hot streak. He is 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three starts with the D-Backs.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Hudson and Enright. They are performing like veteran aces the first time around the NL. These are tough matchups, but they are pitching too well to ignore even in mixed formats.
One-week bust: Saunders and Kennedy. They have shown flashes of potential, but they have been a bit too inconsistent in the second half to trust in mixed leagues right now.

Atlanta Braves

  1. Tim Hudson vs WAS Hernandez
  2. Tommy Hanson vs LAD Billingsley, at CHC Gorzelanny
  3. Jair Jurrjens at CHC Dempster
  4. Derek Lowe vs WAS Lannan
  5. Mike Minor vs WAS Olsen, at CHC Wells

Two-starter(s): Hanson and Minor. Hanson is a must-start in all leagues again, posting a 1.86 ERA in the second half after having a bad May and terrible June. Minor is a sleeper for deeper leagues with this matchups, but he is in general a questionable option until he gets a couple of quality starts under his belt.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Lowe. Minor is a two-start pitcher, but Lowe has been pitching better of late and draws a one-start week against the Nationals. After being started in just 40 percent of CBSSports.com's leagues in Week 19, he should be considered more trustworthy than that this week.
One-week bust: None. All five of the Braves starters can be useful in any Fantasy leagues this week.

Baltimore Orioles

  1. Jeremy Guthrie vs SEA Pauley
  2. Brian Matusz vs TEX Lewis
  3. Jake Arrieta vs TEX Wilson
  4. Brad Bergesen vs SEA Fister, vs TEX Lee
  5. Kevin Millwood vs SEA French, vs TEX TBD

Two-starter(s): Bergesen and Millwood. They are high-risk options even in the deepest of AL-only leagues because of that tough second matchup.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Guthrie. He draws the most favorable matchup of the week and is an amazing 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA in the second half. This makes him useful in all formats, even though he is active in just 10 percent of CBSSports.com's leagues.
One-week bust: Bergesen. He is red hot at 1-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his past three starts, but he has to be considered too risky still to trust in a start against the Rangers.

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Boston Red Sox

  1. John Lackey vs LAA Kazmir
  2. Josh Beckett vs LAA Santana
  3. Jon Lester vs TOR Cecil
  4. Daisuke Matsuzaka vs TOR Romero
  5. Clay Buchholz vs LAA Weaver, vs TOR Marcum
Top 10 Pitchers Added
Player % Change
1. Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Rays 30
2. Hong-Chih Kuo, RP, Dodgers 25
3. Daniel Hudson, SP, Diamondbacks 16
4. Mike Minor, SP Braves 9
5. Kevin Correia, SP, Padres 9
6. Jhoulys Chacin, SP, Rockies 8
7. Brad Bergesen, SP, Orioles 8
8. Dallas Braden, SP, A's 7
9. Jeanmar Gomez, SP, Indians 7
10. Brandon Morrow, SP, Blue Jays 6

Two-starter(s): Buchholz. He is a must-start ace in all leagues now, especially with his work in August (2-0, 1.54 ERA).
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Lackey. He has kicked his mini-slump and we are surprised to see he is active in just 48 percent of CBSSports.com's leagues. The Angels are not an imposing opponent for him.
One-week bust: None. All five starters are viable options in all leagues at this point.

Chicago Cubs

  1. Carlos Zambrano vs SD Latos
  2. Ryan Dempster vs ATL Jurrjens
  3. Tom Gorzelanny vs SD Correia, vs ATL Hanson
  4. Randy Wells vs SD Garland, vs ATL Minor
  5. Casey Coleman vs SD Richard

Two-starter(s): Gorzelanny and Wells. They are questionable options in mixed leagues because they are facing a pair of first-place clubs -- even if those teams aren't real potent offensively.
Who is getting skipped: Thomas Diamond. He has been sent to the bullpen in lieu of Coleman, who actually isn't stretched out to trust as a full-go starter. Those two will work the bulk of that turn, with Coleman getting the start and going as long as he can. It might not matter long term, because Carlos Silva (heart) is nearing a rehab start, which could put him back in the rotation after that next turn in that spot Aug. 23. We figure Zambrano is in the rotation for good now.
One-week sleeper: Zambrano. He was better in his second start and draws a tough opposing pitcher, but he is promising enough to own -- and even start -- in deeper mixed formats.
One-week bust: Wells. The sophomore had a great rookie year, but he hasn't been pitching consistently enough to trust against first-place clubs.

Chicago White Sox

  1. John Danks at MIN Baker, at KC Greinke
  2. Gavin Floyd at MIN Liriano
  3. Mark Buehrle at MIN Pavano
  4. Edwin Jackson at KC O'Sullivan
  5. Freddy Garcia at KC Bullington
This week's two-start pitchers
Must-starts TM Own% Start%
CC Sabathia NYY 98 90
Cliff Lee TEX 97 90
Johan Santana NYM 97 88
David Price TB 97 88
Jered Weaver LAA 97 86
Tommy Hanson ATL 96 83
Clayton Kershaw LAD 97 81
Roy Oswalt PHI 97 80
Matt Garza TB 97 79
John Danks CHW 96 79
Zack Greinke KC 97 78
Clay Buchholz BOS 95 75
Chad Billingsley LAD 95 75
Wandy Rodriguez HOU 88 69
Advisables TM Own% Start%
Justin Verlander DET 97 84
Ricky Nolasco FLA 96 80
Max Scherzer DET 88 62
Brett Anderson OAK 87 62
Scott Baker MIN 82 55
Bronson Arroyo CIN 77 50
Jon Garland SD 68 48
Jonathon Niese NYM 66 43
Daniel Hudson ARI 54 34
Dallas Braden OAK 59 32
Jeanmar Gomez CLE 12 5
Questionables TM Own% Start%
Barry Zito SF 89 63
Javier Vazquez NYY 91 62
Shaun Marcum TOR 89 54
Tommy Hunter TEX 72 36
Mike Minor ATL 43 27
Randy Wells CHC 43 22
Tom Gorzelanny CHC 34 22
Kevin Correia SD 33 22
Chris Volstad FLA 19 11
James McDonald PIT 17 10
Jhoulys Chacin COL 25 8
Zach Duke PIT 11 4
High-risks TM Own% Start%
Doug Fister SEA 23 11
Brad Bergesen BAL 11 7
Kevin Millwood BAL 15 6
Scott Olsen WAS 10 4
Nelson Figueroa HOU 1 1

Two-starter(s): Danks. He is a must-start in all leagues during crunch time.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Jackson. He has been lights out with the White Sox, going 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 20 innings since joining the team via a trade with Arizona. There is no reason he is active in merely 56 percent of CBSSports.com's leagues right now.
One-week bust: Garcia. A great run had us trust him last week in a two-start period and he cost so many. It has to be difficult to trust him again.

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Cincinnati Reds

  1. Edinson Volquez at ARI Lopez
  2. Bronson Arroyo at ARI Hudson, at LAD Kershaw
  3. Johnny Cueto at LAD Billingsley
  4. Mike Leake at LAD Padilla
  5. Travis Wood at ARI Saunders

Two-starter(s): Arroyo. He remains an advisable option in all formats, despite being currently active in just 48 percent of CBSSports.com's leagues.
Who is getting skipped: Aaron Harang (back) and perhaps Homer Bailey. After his rehab start Sunday, he likely needs another one. Bailey was great in his return to the rotation Sunday and he could be the guy they helps the Reds limit Leake's innings down the stretch. Bailey could take Leake's rotation spot in Fantasy Week 20 (Aug. 16-22) and then also head to the bullpen himself once Harang is ready to return from a second rehab start. Consider Leake, Wood, Bailey and Harang question marks this week.
One-week sleeper: Volquez. He has righted himself and looks like a must-start in all formats again, despite being active in just 37 percent of CBSSports.com's leagues.
One-week bust: Cueto, Leake, Wood and Harang. Until you or we hear otherwise, any form of the Reds' probables other than Arroyo and Volquez is mere speculation.

Cleveland Indians

  1. Fausto Carmona at KC Chen
  2. Mitch Talbot at KC Davies
  3. Justin Masterson at DET Galarraga
  4. Josh Tomlin at DET Scherzer
  5. Jeanmar Gomez at KC Greinke, at DET Verlander

Two-starter(s): Gomez. He is an advisable option in deeper leagues amid his surprising start to his career.
Who is getting skipped: Tomlin. He last started Aug. 11 and the Indians need a No. 5 starter at Detroit again this weekend. He will start Friday or Saturday (listed above), with Masterson going the other day.
One-week sleeper: Gomez. He has dazzled in his first four starts at 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA. Those matchups make him useful in mixed formats, despite being active in just 4 percent of CBSSports.com's leagues.
One-week bust: Talbot. He has been useful in spurts, and while his matchup looks intriguing, his inconsistent pitching makes him dangerous.

Colorado Rockies

  1. Ubaldo Jimenez at ARI Enright
  2. Jhoulys Chacin at LAD Kershaw, at ARI Hudson
  3. Jorge De La Rosa at LAD Lilly
  4. Jason Hammel at LAD Kuroda
  5. Esmil Rogers at ARI Kennedy

Two-starter(s): Chacin. He hasn't pitched in Triple-A since Aug. 10 and is expected to be recalled for Tuesday's start at the Dodgers. The Rockies could choose to skip that turn, though, and slot him later in the week after Monday's off-day. It is just a slight chance, but enough for us to consider him a questionable two-start pitcher.
Who is getting skipped: Jeff Francis (shoulder). He is getting shut down for a couple of turns with a DL stint that hands a rotation spot to Chacin, likely for the rest of the season. When Francis returns, it will likely book Rogers to the bullpen.
One-week sleeper: Chacin. He was dominant in his past Triple-A start and showed enough in the rotation earlier this season to consider him a useful option in mixed formats, if you're willing to assume the slight risk his turn doesn't get skipped until later in the week, becoming a one-start pitcher instead of two.
One-week bust: De La Rosa. He hasn't been the same this year. We consider him a risky option in mixed formats right now.

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Detroit Tigers

  1. Justin Verlander at NYY Sabathia, vs CLE Gomez
  2. Max Scherzer at NYY Vazquez, vs CLE Tomlin
  3. Jeremy Bonderman at NYY Moseley
  4. Rick Porcello at NYY Hughes
  5. Armando Galarraga vs CLE Masterson

Two-starter(s): Verlander and Scherzer. With one tough matchup and one very favorable one, these Fantasy aces are advisable options in all leagues.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Scherzer. He has pitched like the ace of the staff since May and has a 2.61 ERA in the second half.
One-week bust: Porcello. He has made some strides to pitch closer to his rookie form, but the matchup against the Yankees this week makes him someone to avoid in mixed leagues.

Florida Marlins

  1. Josh Johnson at PIT Ohlendorf
  2. Ricky Nolasco at PIT Duke, vs HOU Figueroa
  3. Anibal Sanchez vs HOU Happ
  4. Chris Volstad at PIT McDonald, vs HOU Rodriguez
  5. Sean West at PIT Maholm

Two-starter(s): Nolasco and Volstad. Nolasco is an advisable option in all leagues, while Volstad is a questionable one amid his so-so stretch.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Volstad. He hasn't lost in his four second-half starts, but he is only useful to you if you can deal with his 4.57 post-break ERA. The matchups make him slightly more intriguing as a flier in mixed leagues.
One-week bust: West. He has yet to pitch past five innings in his return to the majors, so getting lured in by a Pirates matchup could be dicey.

Houston Astros

  1. Brett Myers vs NYM Dickey
  2. Wandy Rodriguez vs NYM Niese, at FLA Volstad
  3. Nelson Figueroa vs NYM Santana, at FLA Nolasco
  4. Bud Norris vs NYM Misch
  5. J.A. Happ at FLA Sanchez

Two-starter(s): Rodriguez and Figueroa. Rodriguez has pitched himself back to being a must-start in all leagues. Figueroa remains high-risk.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Norris. He is a favorite sleeper here and he finally looked the part in his past start, striking out 14 Pirates. The Mets are equally futile offensively right now. Consider Norris a nice option in all formats, if only because of the high-strikeout rate.
One-week bust: Figueroa. He is not stretched out right now and cannot be expected to get through five in either start at this point.

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Kansas City Royals

  1. Zack Greinke vs CLE Gomez, vs CHW Danks
  2. Bruce Chen vs CLE Carmona
  3. Kyle Davies vs CLE Talbot
  4. Sean O'Sullivan vs CHW Jackson
  5. Bryan Bullington vs CHW Garcia

Two-starter(s): Greinke. He remains a must-start in all leagues, as evidenced by his last start. His first matchup clinches that for us.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Chen and Davies. They have a 3.18 and 3.38 ERAs in August, respectively, and they draw winnable matchups against the Indians. Consider them sleepers as one-start options for deeper leagues.
One-week bust: O'Sullivan and Bullington. We cannot trust them against a contender like the White Sox at this point.

Los Angeles Angels

  1. Dan Haren at MIN Duensing
  2. Jered Weaver at BOS Buchholz, at MIN Baker
  3. Scott Kazmir at BOS Lackey
  4. Ervin Santana at BOS Beckett
  5. TBD (likely Matt Palmer, if not Trevor Bell) at MIN Slowey

Two-starter(s): Weaver. He remains a must-start in all leagues, despite facing a pair of contenders.
Who is getting skipped: No. 5 TBD. That turn is not needed until Aug. 21, but the Angels could slot Palmer or Bell anywhere from Aug. 18-21. Without an official announcement before your roster deadline, consider that No. 5 starter TBD too risky to use. Palmer is a potential sleeper addition in AL-only, though. He threw seven shutout innings in his last start Aug. 13.
One-week sleeper: Santana. He is 4-1 since the All-Star break, having just one stinker (surprisingly) against the O's. He has otherwise pitched like an ace.
One-week bust: Kazmir. He has allowed just two runs in 11 innings (two starts) since he return from the DL, but that matchup makes him difficult to trust. Despite having once been a Red Sox-killer, his career numbers against them have leveled out to 8-8 with a 3.94 ERA -- not as good as you might have thought after the way he started his career against them.

Los Angeles Dodgers

  1. Chad Billingsley at ATL Hanson, vs CIN Cueto
  2. Clayton Kershaw vs COL Chacin, vs CIN Arroyo
  3. Hiroki Kuroda vs COL Hammel
  4. Ted Lilly vs COL De La Rosa
  5. Vicente Padilla vs CIN Leake

Two-starter(s): Billingsley and Kershaw. They are must-starts in all leagues, despite facing potentially potent contenders.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Padilla. He didn't have a quality start the past two times out, but he still won early last week and continues to outpitch his ownership (65 percent) and active percentage (44). He is useful even against the potent Reds. The start does come at home, where he is a blistering 4-2 with a 1.61 ERA (compared to 5.14 ERA on the road before Sunday's stinker, by the way).
One-week bust: None. All five of the Dodgers starters are useful in all formats this week.

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Milwaukee Brewers

  1. Yovani Gallardo vs SD LeBlanc
  2. Randy Wolf at STL Wainwright
  3. Dave Bush at STL Garcia
  4. Chris Narveson vs SD Correia
  5. Manny Parra vs SD Garland

Two-starter(s): None. They play only five games this week.
Who is getting skipped: Perhaps Narveson or Parra. With off-days Monday, Thursday and the following Monday, the Brewers could go with a four-man rotation until Aug. 28. It is not clear either pitcher will be skipped at this point, though. Bush could pick up a second start in the event one of them is passed over.
One-week sleeper: None. Gallardo is advisable in all leagues through thick and thin. Wolf would be the sleeper, but not in that matchup. Also, Bush could pick up a second start, but he is facing the Cardinals in the first matchup and he has a bad 6.68 ERA since the All-Star break.
One-week bust: Wolf, Bush, Narveson and Parra. For all of the very good reasons stated above.

Minnesota Twins

  1. Francisco Liriano vs CHW Floyd
  2. Carl Pavano vs CHW Buehrle
  3. Brian Duensing vs LAA Haren
  4. Kevin Slowey vs LAA TBD
  5. Scott Baker vs CHW Danks, vs LAA Weaver

Two-starter(s): Baker. He has turned his season around and is once again an advisable option in any format.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Baker. He is 3-0 with a 3.08 ERA in his past four starts -- numbers that make him useful in mixed leagues right now.
One-week bust: None. All five of the Twins starters are useful options in all formats again.

New York Mets

  1. Johan Santana at HOU Figueroa, at PIT Duke
  2. R.A. Dickey at HOU Myers
  3. Jonathon Niese at HOU Rodriguez, at PIT McDonald
  4. Mike Pelfrey at PIT Karstens
  5. Pat Misch at HOU Norris

Two-starter(s): Niese. He is an advisable option in all leagues right now.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Niese. If you throw out that hiccup against the D-Backs on Aug. 1, Niese has pitched like a Fantasy ace. That is despite being owned in just 65 percent of leagues and active in a mere 23 percent. That latter number should more than double for Fantasy Week 20 (Aug. 16-22).
One-week bust: Misch. He wasn't bad in his season debut, but we cannot trust the career journeyman outside of deeper NL-only leagues until he strings some wins together.

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New York Yankees

  1. CC Sabathia vs DET Verlander, vs SEA Fister
  2. Javier Vazquez vs DET Scherzer, vs SEA Hernandez
  3. Phil Hughes vs DET Porcello
  4. A.J. Burnett vs SEA Vargas
  5. Dustin Moseley vs DET Bonderman

Two-starter(s): Sabathia and Vazquez. Sabathia is a must-start in all leagues, while the once-again-struggling Vazquez is a questionable option. We like his matchups enough to say you should still use him in most leagues.
Who is getting skipped: None. Andy Pettitte could have been a candidate to return in Fantasy Week 20 (Aug. 16-22), but the Yankees have slowed him down some, giving Moseley at least one more start.
One-week sleeper: Vazquez. He has been tagged by some good offenses of late. These lineups are far less imposing. It makes him more intriguing than his starting percentage from last week (47) suggests.
One-week bust: Moseley. He is closer to being take back out of the rotation than being useful in Fantasy leagues. Even the Tigers weak offense isn't enough to consider him advisable outside of the deepest of AL-only leagues.

Oakland Athletics

  1. Trevor Cahill vs TB Sonnastine
  2. Brett Anderson vs TOR Marcum, vs TB Price
  3. Dallas Braden vs TOR Morrow, vs TB Garza
  4. Gio Gonzalez vs TOR Rzepczynski
  5. Vin Mazzaro vs TB Hellickson

Two-starter(s): Anderson and Braden. They are advisable options in most leagues, especially with their solid starts of late.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Braden. He is 3-1 with a 2.83 ERA since the All-Star break, which makes him a solid addition in the 41 percent of CBSSports.com leagues he is still available in.
One-week bust: None. All five of the A's starters are viable options this week.

Philadelphia Phillies

  1. Roy Halladay vs WAS Marquis
  2. Roy Oswalt vs SF Zito, vs WAS Olsen
  3. Cole Hamels vs SF Sanchez
  4. Joe Blanton vs SF Cain
  5. Kyle Kendrick vs WAS Strasburg

Two-starter(s): Oswalt. He is a must-start ace in all Fantasy leagues.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: None. The top three starters are must-starts, while the bottom two are...
One-week busts: Blanton and Kendrick. Their matchups make them intriguing, but their inconsistent pitching makes them difficult to trust in mixed leagues.

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Pittsburgh Pirates

  1. Zach Duke vs FLA Nolasco, vs NYM Santana
  2. Ross Ohlendorf vs FLA Johnson
  3. Paul Maholm vs FLA West
  4. Jeff Karstens vs NYM Pelfrey
  5. James McDonald vs FLA Volstad, vs NYM Niese

Two-starter(s): Duke and McDonald. They are questionable options even in the deepest of NL-only leagues amid their inconsistent second halves.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Ohlendorf or Karstens. They are pitching better than the others -- consistently even -- so consider them in deeper formats if you're desperate.
One-week bust: Duke and McDonald. Many will take a shot at them to try to catch lightning in a bottle. You're more likely to catch a bottle merely filled with dirty, stinky water.

San Diego Padres

  1. Jon Garland at CHC Wells, at MIL Parra
  2. Clayton Richard at CHC Diamond
  3. Mat Latos at CHC Zambrano
  4. Wade LeBlanc at MIL Gallardo
  5. Kevin Correia at CHC Gorzelanny, at MIL Narveson

Two-starter(s): Garland and Correia. Garland is an advisable option, while Correia is questionable one with his struggles on the road this season (5.24 ERA).
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Garland. Sure, he is much better at home (7-2, 2.49 ERA) than on the road (4-6, 4.52 ERA), but he is 3-2 with a 2.95 ERA since the All-Star break, suggesting his splits might be leveling out. His past road start was a quality one.
One-week bust: Richard, LeBlanc and Correia. All of the Padres starters not named Latos are much better at home than on the road. They are fringe options in mixed leagues that you should use when they are at home and avoid when they are on the road.

San Francisco Giants

  1. Tim Lincecum at STL Carpenter
  2. Barry Zito at PHI Oswalt, at STL Lohse
  3. Matt Cain at PHI Blanton
  4. Jonathan Sanchez at PHI Hamels
  5. Madison Bumgarner at STL Westbrook

Two-starter(s): Zito. He is a questionable option with those matchups, especially since he has struggled on the road all season.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Bumgarner. He is a rare Giants pitcher who has performed better on the road (4-2, 2.63 ERA) than at home (0-2, 4.21 ERA). He really has had only one bad start in the second half, despite being winless since July 24.
One-week bust: Zito. His two starts and 2.57 post-break ERA might lead you to start him, but look at his road splits (2-4, 4.30 ERA) vs. home (6-2, 2.76 ERA) to convince you to avoid him in mixed leagues this week.

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Seattle Mariners

  1. Felix Hernandez at NYY Vazquez
  2. Doug Fister at BAL Bergesen, at NYY Sabathia
  3. Jason Vargas at NYY Burnett
  4. Luke French at BAL Millwood
  5. David Pauley at BAL Guthrie

Two-starter(s): Fister. He is a high-risk option because of his bad splits on the road and that very tough second matchup at the Yankees.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: French and Pauley. They are risky options because they are on the road, but they held their own since rejoining the rotation and they draw the O's, which could make them options for you in deeper formats.
One-week bust: Fister. He is awful on the road (1-4, 5.45 ERA) vs. at home (3-4, 3.14 ERA), which makes him high-risk this week.

St. Louis Cardinals

  1. Chris Carpenter vs SF Lincecum
  2. Adam Wainwright vs MIL Wolf
  3. Jaime Garcia vs MIL Bush
  4. Jake Westbrook vs SF Bumgarner
  5. Kyle Lohse vs SF Zito

Two-starter(s): None. The Cardinals play five games with days off Monday and Thursday.
Who is getting skipped: Perhaps Lohse. We figured the Cardinals would consider skipping Garcia until Aug. 24, but they have listed him as the starter for Tuesday. It could make Lohse a candidate to move back until Aug. 24, which would actually make Garcia a two-start pitcher in Fantasy Week 20 (Aug. 16-22).
One-week sleeper: Westbrook. He is 1-0 with a 3.32 ERA in three quality starts as a Cardinal. He is useful in all mixed leagues now.
One-week bust: Lohse. He struggled in his return from the DL and is a candidate to be moved back until Aug. 24 to keep the Cardinals aces on regular rest. Don't use Lohse in any format.

Tampa Bay Rays

  1. David Price vs TEX Lee, at OAK Anderson
  2. Matt Garza vs TEX TBD, at OAK Braden
  3. James Shields vs TEX Hunter
  4. Andy Sonnanstine at OAK Cahill
  5. Jeremy Hellickson at OAK Mazzaro

Two-starter(s): Price and Garza. They are must-starts in all leagues, especially with that favorable second matchup.
Who is getting skipped: None. Jeff Niemann (shoulder) and Wade Davis (shoulder) won't return until after Fantasy Week 20 (Aug. 16-22), putting Sonnanstine and Hellickson both in one-and-done situations in the Rays' rotation.
One-week sleeper: Hellickson. The Rays are committed to removing him from the rotation after his next start, but Hellickson should pitch well enough to make that decision very, very difficult. Consider Hellickson a must-start in all leagues.
One-week bust: Shields. He has been a fringe pitcher in mixed formats this season and not the kind of arm you want to risk trusting against the potent Rangers lineup.

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Texas Rangers

  1. Cliff Lee at TB Price, at BAL Bergesen
  2. C.J. Wilson at BAL Arrieta
  3. Colby Lewis at BAL Matusz
  4. Tommy Hunter at TB Garza, at BAL Millwood
  5. TBD (likely Derek Holland) at TB Shields

Two-starter(s): Lee and Hunter. Lee is a must-start in all leagues. Hunter is a questionable option that is useful in deeper mixed leagues, despite his recent struggles.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Wilson. He hasn't been great -- or even good -- in his past three starts, but he is must-start in all leagues against the O's.
One-week bust: Hunter. He has been terrible in two of his past three starts and likely should be reserved against the contending Rays on the road. He has been almost a full run better at home, somewhat surprisingly, than on the road.

Toronto Blue Jays

  1. Ricky Romero at BOS Matsuzaka
  2. Shaun Marcum at OAK Anderson, at BOS Buchholz
  3. Brandon Morrow at OAK Braden
  4. Marc Rzepczynski at OAK Gonzalez
  5. Brett Cecil at BOS Lester

Two-starter(s): Marcum. He is a questionable option amid his two-start slump. It should be noted he was hammered by the Yankees and Red Sox, although he does get the Red Sox again in that second matchup.
Who is getting skipped: None.
One-week sleeper: Rzepczynski. He is coming off seven shutout innings in his return to the rotaton and faces that weak A's lineup. Use him in deeper leagues.
One-week bust: Cecil and Marcum. They had been world-beaters before recent struggles. A tough Red Sox matchup is reason enough to sit them in smaller mixed formats this week.

Washington Nationals

  1. Stephen Strasburg at PHI Kendrick
  2. Scott Olsen at ATL Minor, at PHI Oswalt
  3. Livan Hernandez at ATL Hudson
  4. John Lannan at ATL Lowe
  5. Jason Marquis at PHI Halladay

Two-starter(s): Olsen. He is a high-risk option even in the deepest of NL-only leagues.
Who is getting skipped: None. Even if Marquis is moved back from his Friday start to keep Strasburg on regular rest, they both will still get one start in that scenario.
One-week sleeper: Hernandez and Lannan. They are pitching surprisingly well this month and are useful in deeper formats right now.
One-week bust: Strasburg. This is indeed a first -- Strasburg as a bust. You likely have to run him out there still, but he hasn't fared as well of late and draws another contender that could give him problems. We would sit him if you have viable alternatives in smaller mixed leagues.

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