I know that it’s been a week… or five since the last thefoulline.com fantasy baseball league update. Since the last fantasy post, the league landscape has taken on a different look. The Showstoppers have shown to be human after rattling off nine straight wins, the Bostonbad boys have finally lived up to their namesake and put themselves in the position to make a run, and the always scrappy LBC continue to hold on to the lead in the tough East Division.

It’s important to remember that only the top four teams in the league make it to the postseason. With the trade deadline five days away and only three weeks left in the regular season, now is the time to improve your roster. Remember, the winning GM not only lays claim to the title of “Best Owner in the League,” but they will also be on the receiving end of the official thefoulline.com fantasy prize pack.

Here’s how the playoff picture is coming into focus.

Clinched a playoff berth:

Yankeehaters (14-5)
Being the only team above .500 in the weak West Division has assured team Yankeehater a spot in the final four. But before the champagne gets popped, they still have 96+ hours to make one final trade before the deadline.

So close to clinching they can taste it:

Love Boat Captains (13-6)
It would take an act of God for the LBC not to make the playoffs. This team may be the most consistent team in the league. Good luck to the team that faces them in the postseason.

Boston Braves (12-7)
These guys refuse to go away. Winners of three in a row, they just find ways to win. Will the two-start-pitcher game finally catch up to these guys?

Slumping… but still in the hunt:

The Showstoppers (11-8)
The once powerful Showstoppers have faded in the past four weeks. Matt McLaughlin has been dealing with a slew of injuries to his pitching staff. If he can make some deals for some quality pitching, he may be able to put some Ws in the win column.

So… you’re telling me there’s a chance?

lessthanzero (9-10), Chickenheads (9-10), Bostonbad boys (8-11), SarasotaRedRays (8-11)
It’s going to take a lot for one of these four to make the playoffs. They’re going to need to run the table and hope for a bunch of losses from the Boston Braves or The Showstoppers. I’m not saying that it’s impossible, but they are going to have their work cut out for them. I’m gonna go with the Bostonbad boys as the sleeper team that may sneak their way in.

Thanks for playing…

My Best Efforts (7-12), Roger’s syringe (4-15)
Is it just a coincidence that Dylan drafted both of these teams? To his credit, there is no way Dylan could have known that we couldn’t use seven shortstops on our rosters. Also, MBE has been decimated by injuries to his pitching staff. With that being said, I hope that these guys play for pride the next three weeks and play the role of spoiler. I anticipate a big turnaround for these two guys in year two of thefoulline.com fantasy league.

Good luck to all the teams.

After a two-week hiatus from thefoulline.com fantasy league weeks in review, I thought it would be a perfect time to look into the crystal ball and see how the playoff picture is shaping up. According to league rules, four teams make the playoffs: the two division leaders, and the two teams that have the best records. So let’s take a look who’s going to the postseason, and who’s going to be watching from the sidelines.

Teams are ranked in order of win/loss record:

YankeeHaters

After a crushing defeat to the Boston Braves this past week, confidence is running high for team YankeeHater. It feels good to finally beat a McLaughlin. I’ll need to avenge my other loss to The Showstoppers in a couple of weeks to really correct the universe, but a five-game lead in the West Division all but assures me a playoff berth.

Love Boat Captains

LBC made a big splash in the trade market this week, dealing Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb for the always dangerous Albert Pujols. This team needed to improve their offense before the playoffs started, and she might need to make one more deal to add some more punch to her sometimes anemic offensive. Whether she makes another move or not, she’s playoff bound.

Boston Braves

After a humiliating defeat by the YankeeHaters and currently in the midst of a two-game losing streak, the Boston Braves are reeling. But this team has the players to turn this thing around and make a solid push to playoffs. Soriano and Oswalt should rejoin his team soon to add a boost.

The Showstoppers

A six-game winning streak? Is that even possible? The Showstoppers are chewing up teams and spitting them out right now. They have a tough game this week against the up-and-down Lessthanzero, and there is a three-way tie for first in the East Division. Of the three teams, The Showstoppers may be the most playoff ready.

SarasotaRedRays, Chickenheads, LessthanZero

These three teams have had an up-and-down season and are currently on the outside looking in. SRR has really struggled as of late, losing four games in a row. These guys may have peaked too early in the season, but they have the players to turn it around. Chickenheads is proving to be a legitimate threat, winning three in a row. They may have finally found the right combination to make a push towards the playoffs. LessthanZero is the one team of these three that can play spoiler. They’re a wild-card that has the potential to knock off the big boys. The injury bug has hit these guys recently, but they still can still make a big run at any time.

MyBestefforts, Bostonbad boys, Roger’s syringe

Thanks for playing. Three of the nicest owners in the league. Unfortunately, they fell behind the eight ball early in the season and have been unable to recover, although I still have hope that they can beat up on the McLaughlins before the playoffs start.

Week 11 of thefoulline.com fantasy baseball league is in the books. As we approach the halfway point of the regular season, I’ve added a new feature to the weekly recap, one that I like to call the Good, the (Not So) Bad, and the Ugly.

In no particular order:

THE GOOD

Boston Braves
These guys have a knack for finding obscure pitchers and getting quality starts from them (i.e. Kyle Lohse). Plus, this outfield puts up a thousand points a week. He’s dialed in. He has a pretty good match-up this week against the SarasotaRedRays. I don’t see BB relinquishing first place of the East Division anytime soon.

YankeeHaters
One of these days I’m going to figure out which pitchers to start each week. I left Johan Santana and Felix Hernandez on the bench and paid for it with a closer game than I anticipated. This week I have a really tough game against the surging Showstoppers. This will be the game of the week. I really don’t want to lose to another McLaughlin. “Shake and Bake” Matt!

Love Boat Captains
The losing streak is over! LBC is getting some good points from her Boston connection in Ellsbury and Youkilis, and her pitching staff has returned to form. Now that the kinks have been worked out, look for this chick to make a run at taking out the Boston Braves.

THE (NOT SO) BAD

The Showstoppers
This team is the real deal. They are putting up a load of points and dominating their opponents. Now that they’re over .500, can they continue this stretch? I’m guessing that the McLaughlins have set up a war room at their house and are figuring out how to take out the competition. The trash talking may go up a notch this week as The Showstoppers take on the Yankeehaters.

SarasotaRedRays
SRR has lost three in a row and is clinging to its playoff hopes. They face another tough team this week in the Boston Braves. Will SRR play like the team from a month ago, or are they going to fade into mediocrity? This is an important week for these guys.

Lessthanzero
I know I’ve said it before, but these guys are much better than their 5-6 record. They once again put up 400+ points in a crushing defeat to the Bostonbad boys. When they’re on their game, no one is going to beat them. Consistency is the key for this team.

MyBestEfforts
Despite his best efforts, he was unable to stop the Showstoppers this week. MBE has been fighting the injury bug all year but is still putting up decent numbers. With the return of Jake Peavy and Ryan Doumit, MBE may be on the cusp of putting it all together.

THE UGLY

Bostonbad boys
Chipper Jones missing a few games and a poor performance from his pitching staff led to another losing week for BBB. Maybe the return of Dice K this week will turn this team’s luck around, but with a tough game against the LBC, there is a better chance that a monkey will fly out of my butt. LBC by 100.

Chickenheads
This team has some of the biggest names in baseball on the roster, including A-Rod, Pujols, Mauer, and Beltran, as well as some of the most disappointing pitchers in the league in Brad Penny and Brett Myers. If this team would play to its potential they could be tough, but it may be too little too late at this point.

Roger’s Syringe
Dylan had bigger fish to fry this week than fantasy baseball, as he and his Dad won the prestigious Charlotte County Father-Son golf tournament. Congrats Hamiltons, and good luck this week against MyBestefforts.

Good luck to all the teams this week (except The Showstoppers)!

This week of thefoulline.com fantasy baseball league is in the books, and it played out like a summer blockbuster movie, with underdogs upsetting league powerhouses, epic contests going to the last at-bat, and an old power returning to prominence. Lady and gentlemen, I present to you the week nine power rankings.

#1 Yankeehaters (7-2)
This team finally played to its potential, and it showed with the highest weekly point total of the year (458.33). Solid pitching + timely hitting = best record in the league. I’m still hoping to make one more trade to solidify my team.

#2 Boston Braves (6-3)
The Braves play good ball every week. Now tied for the second best record in the league, this team is officially one of the elite. Playing the slumping Love Boat Captains this week, this game could be what separates the men from the girl.

#3 SarasotaRedRays (5-4)
Even though SRR lost to one of the worst teams in the league this week, they are still worthy of a high ranking. I think they’ll bounce back in a big way against the sometimes dangerous Chickenheads in week 10.

#4 Love Boat Captains (6-3)
The once-dominant LBCs have suffered their second consecutive loss. This can be attributed to two things: First of all, she has been getting bad starts from her quality pitchers. With the caliber of pitchers on her roster, this is a fluke. Secondly, she was the recipient of thefoulline.com power rankings jinx, after being ranked #1. The good news is LBCs have added the 2008 version of Roy Hobbs to the lineup with the addition of Jay Bruce. Playing the Boston Braves, this is going to be a really important week for the Captains if she hopes to climb back up the rankings.

#5 My Best Efforts (4-5)
MBE is thefoulline.com climber of the week. After a disappointing power ranking last week, MBE came out and sank the Love Boat Captains. This was a big win for this team, but the road to #1 remains tough with a match-up this week against the Yankeehaters.

#6 Lessthanzero (4-5)
LTZ had the second highest point total of the week and still lost. This is still a solid team that plays every team tough regardless of their record. These guys will bounce back with a win this week against Roger’s Syringe.

#7 The Showstoppers (4-5)
The Showstoppers have been beating up on the weaker teams of the league pretty consistently. It’s when they play someone with a winning record they have some problems. There are four teams in the league with 4-5 records. Showstoppers are going to have to separate themselves from the others if they hope to make the playoffs.

#8 Bostonbad boys (4-5)
The bad boys lost Dice K to an injury and were still able to knock off one the top teams this week. Was this a fluke, or are the BBB finally ready to live up to their name? This week’s game against The Showstoppers is going to be a fun one to watch.

#9 Chickenheads (3-6)
These birds have been consistently inconsistent all year. One week they’re beating the Love Boat Captains, the next week they can’t even put up 300 points. Has this team flown the coop, or are they ready to soar like an eagle? Who knows?

#10 Roger’s Syringe (2-7)
Roger’s Syringe is officially on life support. Bad pitching and up-and-down hitting have plagued these guys all year. I hope Dylan can look away from the NBA finals long enough to try and improve this team this week.

How’d I do? Let me know where you think your team ranks.

Week 8 is in the books, and thefoulline.com fantasy baseball league has officially been turned on its ear. League leaders Love Boat Captains and Yankeehaters both suffered embarrassing losses this week. Meanwhile, the upstart SarasotaRedRays and Lessthanzero continue to pile up the wins. It’s now been proved that anyone can beat anyone on any given week.

Since I stunk up the predictions again this past week, I will forgo the embarrassment and leave the guessing to the professionals. I will, however, give you a new feature, thefoulline.com Power Rankings.

#1 Love Boat Captains (6-2)
Even though she lost this week, LBC still has maintained a 93 point lead overall over the closest competitor. This team has a few holes but still puts up big numbers. I’m guessing she’ll deal one of her many pitchers this week. Hell hath no fury as a woman who loses in fantasy baseball. (I read that somewhere in the Bible.)

#2 SarasotaRedRays (5-3)
All this team does is hit the crap out of the ball. Plus they seem to always get good pitching. They have to cool down eventually, right? I want a rematch.

#3 Yankeehaters (6-2)
This team resembles an All-Star team. Unfortunately, it plays more like a Little League team. Matt Holliday going on the DL is really going to hurt. I’m hoping the addition of Ryan Braun will help offset the loss of Holliday. After losing 2 out of 3, I want to make a deal this week and bring in some fresh blood.

#4 Boston Braves (5-3)
Got Pitching? This team does, and a lot of it. They put up bucketloads of points due to their pitching starts. This formula is working for him. There is no need to change it.

#5 Lessthanzero (4-4)
This team is better than their .500 record. LTZ does a great job of putting the right lineup out there week in and week out. He’s my choice as the smartest GM in the league. With that being said, I’m still going to beat him this week.

#6 The Showstoppers (3-5)
Matt McLaughlin may be a little snakebit. He has a team with a bunch of talent that can’t seem to win on a consistent basis. The Showstoppers added Fausto Carmona in a deal with the Yankeehaters, and Carmona promptly went on the DL for a month. Sorry about that, Matt. Let’s try another deal.

#7 MyBestefforts (3-5)
This team is going to be scary good when it finally gets healthy. MBE has a ton of quality pitchers, as well as the N.L. MVP in Lance Berkman. Hopefully things will turn around soon.

#8 Chickenheads (3-5)
This team had the greatest upset in fantasy sports history this week when they took out the Love Boat Captains in dominating fashion. The return of A-Rod will make a huge difference, and the CH need to get more consistency from their pitchers.

#9 Bostonbad boys (3-5)
BBB is solid from top to bottom, but they need to dump some of their extra utility players and add some pitching. A few more two-starters would pay off for this hot-hitting team.

#10 Rogers syringe (2-6)
RS is a very likable team that just can’t catch a break. When the hitters are hot, the pitchers are cold. When the pitching is solid, the hitters go absent. I hope they can put it all together and give The Showstoppers a run for his money in a grudge rematch this week. Loser buys the beers.

This is how I see the league stacking up so far. I would like to see your rankings.

The competition is heating up. There are some new teams emerging as contenders (Sarasota Red Rays, The Showstoppers), as well as some other teams turning into pretenders (Bostonbad boys, Chickenheads). Since I’m back in the win column, and no one took me up on the challenge to predict this past week’s games, I’m going to do my best to predict the winners for week 8.

There are some really good match-ups this week. Let’s look in thefoulline.com crystal ball and see how it’s going to shake out.

Yankeehaters vs. SarasotaRedRays:
This is going to be a tightly contested game. The SRR have been playing well for the past three weeks and are still getting maximum effort from their entire lineup. Tim Hudson had a bad game and still managed to put up 30 points for the week. It seems like everything this team touches turns to gold. Will they have the midas touch for one more week?

Team Yankeehater, on the other hand, had another unimpressive week from Curtis Granderson, Matt Holiday and Mark Texiera. If these guys can start producing like they are capable of, this offense could be explosive. It was nice to see some decent pitching from the YH with Fausto Carmona returning to 2007 form, and I think the addition of Kerry Wood to an already above-average pitching staff is going to push the Yankeehaters over the top this week

Prediction: Yankeehaters in a nail-biter.

Love Boat Captains vs. Chickenheads:
This game is over before it begins. LBC is riding a six-week winning streak and is facing yet another push-over opponent. I don’t know who made the schedule up to favor the only girl in the league, but this is getting ridiculous. I know that LBC has the best pitching staff in the league, but eventually big-point producers Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury will come back to earth. Not that it’s going to matter this week.

Chickenheads are suffering a 5-game losing steak and will add one more to the loss column this week. These guys are getting great stuff from James Shields, and that’s about it. Maybe the return of A-Rod will make this game close, but I seriously doubt it. If Chickenheads can manage to lose by less than 100 they should consider it a moral victory.

Prediction: Love Boat Captains in a blowout.

Bostonbad boys vs. Roger’s Syringe:
This is the battle of the 2-5 teams. These teams match up pretty well against each other. BBB is finally getting some production from fat-ass Prince Fielder, and Brandon Phillips, Chipper Jones, Josh Hamilton (23 points in one game), Ryan Dempster, and Dice K have been consistent point producers all year. Roger’s Syringe had a really good week from his hitters, with all of them putting up solid points. JJ Putz was a bright spot on an inconsistent pitching staff that may be showing some signs of life. With only 5 pitching starts for the BBB, I think Roger is going to take him out.

Prediction: Rogers Syringe in a squeaker

The Showstoppers vs. Boston Braves:
This is the most intriguing match-up of the week for me. It’s father against son, experience against youth, Darth Vader vs. Luke Skywalker. The Showstoppers put up some huge numbers this week, leading the league and joining the exclusive 400+ point club. They’re putting a lot of faith in closers this week with three in the lineup, but with the offensive firepower that this team has been putting up, they could put zero pitchers out there and still contend. They are facing an up-and-down team in the Boston Braves, who lost a really close game this past week that went down to the wire. BB had a good week offensively featuring the re-emergence of Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Howard, and they have 11 pitching starts to the Showstoppers’ 7. I always enjoy The Showstoppers rotating team logo, so I’m picking them.

Prediction: The Showstoppers by 25

Lessthanzero vs. My Best Efforts:
This is another game that is evenly matched. I like the team that LTZ has put together. He has a group that doesn’t put up a ton of points but produces pretty consistently every week. C.C. Sabathia is looking like a Cy Young contender again, and the under-appreciated John Maine is pitching great. I’m not sure why our favorite Canadian dumped Shaun Marcum, but I appreciate it. Maine’s two starts this week may be the difference maker.

MBE suffered a big setback this week with the loss of staff ace Jake Peavy due to injury. The rest of Best Effort’s starting pitching staff has already been performing poorly, and this definitely won’t help. Lance Berkman has been playing like a man possessed and may be able to pick up their slack. Also, the recent addition of Adam Dunn is proving to be a smart acquisition, but I don’t think My Best Efforts has enough pitching to compete with LTZ this week.

Prediction: Lezzthanzero by 20

Of course this is just my opinion. I would love to hear your thoughts on how you think your team will do this week.

After five fairly predictable weeks, week six shows that any team can win at any time. After correctly picking only one of the five games this past week, I’m not going to attempt predictions this week, but I would really like to hear from the other GMs and get their take on this upcoming week.

In lieu of predictions, here’s my updated evaluation of all the teams in the league.

Bostonbad boys: The Bad Boys have really had some great point production from Dice K, Ervin Santana, and Ryan Dempster. After adding the red-hot Larry Jones to the lineup, which already features RBI machine Josh Hamilton, this is a team headed in the right direction.

SarasotaRedRays: Now, this is a good looking team getting optimal production from everyone in the lineup. Every night someone new seems to step up and give some major offense. One night it’s Dan Uggla, the next it’s Geovany Soto. With an underrated pitching staff and a lineup dead set on proving themselves, these guys are going to be tough week in and week out.

Lessthanzero: This team is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of the league. One week they put up 350 points and crush a team, the next they put up 260 and lose. I’m not sure what to make of these guys. They have a bunch of young talent that may be going through some growing pains, but LTZ is definitely a lot better than their 2-4 record indicates.

MyBestefforts: This is the battle of the brothers-in-law this week. Best Efforts have some great players on their team, including Lance Berkman and Miguel Cabrera, and they have the potential to put up some big numbers every week. But this GM is going to need a better performance this week from his pitching staff if he hopes to return to past weeks’ form.

Yankeehaters: These guys are obviously paper champions. They look great on paper but have failed to show up for the past several weeks. Since I’ve already traded pretty much my entire lineup, and have gradually weakened my team, I vow not to trade any players this week and hopefully let them work it out. We’ll see how that goes.

Love Boat Captains: The Captain Stubings of the league are currently riding a five-game winning streak, thanks to the newfound power stroke of Kevin Youkilis and a steady pitching staff. These girls suffered a bad break this week with the loss of the coolest guy in baseball, Vernon Wells. Ginger is going to need her outfielders to pick up Vern’s points if she plans on winning six in a row.

Rogers syringe: After a shakeup this past week, this team came out and played some solid ball. RS may feature the best outfield in the league, with Carl Crawford, Ichiro, and Carlos Lee. These guys, behind some quality pitching from Brian Bannister and Tim Wakefield, put up 295 points and may be on the way to reversing their early season woes.

The Showstoppers: This team had solid points from everyone in the lineup and was a couple of rain games away from challenging LBC. If Matt can improve his pitching staff, and finally find someone to take Hideki Matsui off his hands, he will be solid competition each week.

Boston Braves: What else is there to say about the team that took out the last of the undefeated? I don’t think these guys have played up to their potential yet. BB has had an interesting pitching carousel that has paid off for him, but Ryan Howard and Man-Ram have both been pretty quiet. When these two wake up, and they will sooner than later, Boston Braves will be tough to beat.

Chickenheads: The birds have been snakebit the past couple of weeks. First A-Rod goes out with a leg injury, and then two pitchers combine for -11 points this past week. This group has too much talent for the losing trend to continue. Things can only get better.

It’s been a lot of fun so far. Good luck to everyone this week!

Has it been five weeks already?

There were some real surprises this week. First of all, The Showstoppers finally showed up to play and handily destroyed Roger’s Syringe in the only game I predicted incorrectly. (Dylan now owes Matt Mc a round.) Secondly, the Boston Braves were beaten by a girl, by just under 100 points. Ouch. And finally, we may have seen the emergence of Mybestefforts as a solid team.

So since last week’s predictions were so popular, here are my picks for Week 6. But before I start, let’s see who is still the only undefeated team in the league, oh… there it is, the one, the only Yankeehaters.

Love Boat Captains (4-1) vs. The Showstoppers (2-3)
My initial reaction to this game was that The Showstoppers were going to beat the Love Boat Captains in a nail-biter. CBS Sportsline seemed to agree to it being close as well, predicting a 390-388 win for LBC. But after careful review, I have determined that there is no way in hell the The Showstoppers will win this one. Showstopper hitters David Wright, Ryan Braun, and Grady Sizemore are coming alive at the plate, but I feel the geezer combo of Andy Petitte and Randy Johnson are going to be no match for the extremely deep pitching staff of the LBCs. The LBCs could afford to improve their catcher, but that’s like throwing deck chairs off the Titanic, it doesn’t really matter.
Prediction: Love Boat Captains 355-320

Boston Braves (3-2) vs. Yankeehaters (5-0):
I would have been worried if these two teams played last week, but after seeing the Boston Braves get whipped by a girl, my anxiety has been relieved. I know the Braves’ Man-Ram, Aramis Ramirez, and the whole pitching staff underperformed last week. But after looking at his lineup, I’m kind of surprised that this team is above .500. Team Yankeehaters, on the other hand, had a poor performance by most of the pitchers and still won by 45 points. Those performances will not be repeated this week. Also, with the triumphant return of Jimmy Rollins later this week, the rich are getting richer. This will be a blow-out.
Prediction: Yankeehaters 390-278

Chickenheads vs. Roger’s Syringe
I though about ignoring this game this week, since both teams are in the midst of big losing streaks, but someone is going to come out of this game a winner, so let’s see how they stack up. First up, Chickenheads. How is it that a team with Mauer, Pujols, A-Rod, Hardy, Beltran and a better-than-average pitching staff stinks it up so bad? I have no idea, but I don’t think that it’s going to take much to beat Roger’s Syringe this week.

Speaking of Roger’s Syringe, the too-many-shortstops-and-middle-relievers experiment has officially failed. The good news is that there is still time to turn it around. Here are some free tips guaranteed to improve your team: #1, Release Julio Lugo and Orlando Cabrera. No one is going to trade for either one of these guys. If something happens to your starting SS, you will be able to find an adequate replacement via free agency. #2, Release Manny Corpas and Hideki Okajima. These two guys have not had the save opportunities that people expected. They put up low points and are taking up roster spots. #3, Make a trade for a couple of decent pitchers. You have a few trading chips on your team and there are some good alternatives out there. Make some adjustments before it’s too late. You have a rematch with The Showstoppers on May 26th, your chance to shut Matt up.
Prediction: Chickenheads 328-255

MyBestEfforts 3-2 vs. Bostonbad boys 1-4
Since MyBestEfforts has been turned over to new management, they have looked pretty impressive. Riding a two-game winning streak, they face perennial losers Boston (not so) bad boys. CBS Sportsline is predicting a BBB win. There is no way in hell that this is going to happen. MyBestEfforts is getting solid production from the entire lineup, although I’m interested to see how they replace the injured Troy Tulowitzki in the lineup. Even without him, this is a walk in the park. Bostonbad boys stink.
Prediction: Mybest efforts 348-310

SarasotaRedRays vs. Lessthanzero
This is thefoulline.com game of the week. After another impressive week, I’m starting to think that the SRR hitters may be for real. I think that the SRR are going to regret giving up on Johnny Cueto so early, especially after a poor performance from their pitching staff this week, but I do appreciate them dropping him. LTZ has been getting good numbers from everyone in the lineup. Dropping Phil Hughes and getting Eric Bedard off the DL is going to pay huge dividends. If SRR’s astronaut players return to earth this week, it could be a blow-out. If not, it should be a fun one to watch.
Prediction: Lessthanzero 370-362

These are my predictions. I would love to hear your comments. Please keep them clean.

With the fourth week of thefoulline.com fantasy baseball league behind us, I think we can divide the teams into three tiers:

The Good: Yankeehaters, Love Boat Captains, Boston Braves
The Bad: Chickenheads, MyBestefforts, SarasotaRedRays
The Ugly: Lessthanzero, The Showstoppers, Rogers Syringe, bostonbad boys

Since I am the only undefeated team and still have the highest one week point total at 443.67 (so close, Boston Braves, with 443 this week), instead of giving the week in review, I’m going to share my predictions for the upcoming week’s match-ups.

Chickenheads vs. Mybestefforts
This is a battle of the 2-2 teams. One of these two are going to join the upper echelon of the league, and the other may be have to dig themselves out of a huge hole if they hope to make it to the playoffs. Chickenheads pitcher John Smoltz may miss his next start, which alone may be enough for MyBestefforts to prevail. Both of these GMs have kept their teams pretty much unchanged all season. Maybe another mediocre week will inspire them to make a deal.
Prediction: MyBestefforts

Rogers Syringe vs. The Showstoppers
This battle of the basement dwellers is going to be interesting. Both teams have decent offensive players and inconsistent pitching. This may be the first tie game of the year, but since I have to pick someone to win…
Prediction: Rogers Syringe

Boston Braves vs. Love Boat Captains
This is thefoulline.com fantasy game of the week. Both of these teams are playing great ball and have a ton of talent. The new additions of Francisco Rodriguez and Cole Hamels are going to make LBC tough week in and week out. The Boston Braves, on the other hand, may have found the secret formula to put up 400+ points every week. This one is going to go down to the wire.
Prediction: Love Boat Captains

YankeeHaters vs. SarasotaRedRays
These two teams made a blockbuster deal earlier in the week and are currently heading in different directions in the standings. The YankeeHaters added a #1 pitcher in Carlos Zambrano, along with some needed power with the additions of Matt Holliday and Prince Fielder. Curtis Granderson is finally off the DL and will continue to put up big numbers. SarasotaRedRays added the hot-hitting Derek Lee and Evan Longoria to help their poor offensive performance this past week, but they’ll need to have the week of their lives if they hope to win this one.
Prediction: YankeeHaters in a landslide.

Lessthanzero vs. Bostonbad boys
These two 1-3 teams are mirror images of each other. LTZ has a good offensive team with a mediocre pitching staff, and Bostonbad Boys have a good pitching staff with a decent offense. This may come down to the BBB not having a utility player in their lineup. This one is the coin-flip game of the week. Heads LZT, tails BBB…
Prediction: Lessthanzero

And then there was one. After another exciting week of fantasy baseball, there remains only one undefeated team, the Yankeehaters. The Chickenheads proved to be a two-week wonder and were dominated by the Boston Braves. The SarasotaRedRays ran into the buzz saw known as Roger’s Syringe and lost a closely contested game. The good news is that there is only one winless team. The even better news is that I’m playing the Bostonbad boys this week. 4-0, here I come.

Since my team is undefeated, and I am the only one to put 400+ points up in one week, I am obviously the best general manager. So in the hopes of leveling the playing field, I am going to impart my wisdom on how to improve the other teams in the league.

You are welcome.

• Bostonbad boys: I would upgrade your outfield. I’m not sold on Griffey Jr. for a whole season. Josh Hamilton is performing well but has yet to play a full season in the majors. I would think about dealing one of your star pitchers for a good outfielder.
• YankeeHaters: This team is close to perfect, with good starters, a solid closer, and an offense that scores in bunches. I would like to see my shortstop stay healthy. I’m pretty happy with this team, although I may be interested in a good outfielder, and I always enjoy a deal.
• Roger’s Syringe: I like the outfield and the reserves that you have on this team. I think that you need a better second baseman and another quality pitcher. Could there be a Scott Kazmir deal in the future?
• Boston Braves: This is going to be the team to beat this week. They have a ton of pitching and 12 starts this week. With Man-Ram and J.D. Drew playing great ball, and a really good infield, they will be a force week in and week out. If they can trade some extra pitching for a good third outfielder, look out.
• Chickenheads: This is another solid team. The only way to improve this team would be to trade both Yankees. I don’t care what you get for them. Team chemistry will definitely improve.
• Love Boat Captains: You know that you have a deep outfield when Jacoby Ellsbury is sitting on your bench. This team could be really good with a more consistent catcher and another #1 starter.
• My Best Efforts: This team has been hit with the injury bug to its pitching staff and suffered another loss this week. They have some pop to their lineup with Miguel Cabrera, Lance Berkman and Alex Rios, but they really need to put a catcher in the lineup that is in the majors. I’m sure that it will help.
• SarasotaRedRays: This guy has done a good job of finding players on the verge of breaking out. He’s added Johhny Cueto, Nate McLouth, and Mark Reynolds, and these “no-names” have performed really well. The big question is whether they can keep it going for a whole season. If not, they may be in trouble.
• The Showstoppers: Where to start… under-performing pitching staff, no real power in the lineup, and a disgruntled owner. I agree with you Matt, blow these guys up and start over. It’s still a long season. You have time to work your Theo magic.
• Lessthanzero: These guys got the shaft this week. They put up 399.5 points… and lost. With the exception of Chocolate Cake Sabathia, they have a rotation that couldn’t be picked out in a police lineup. If they plan to get out of the basement, they need to improve their pitching.

This is just my expert opinion. I’d love to hear what you guys think as we go into week 4.