Week 6 Hitting Planner

The Fantasy Baseball Hitting Planner is the essential guide to setting your lineup for the upcoming week. Every Saturday, we provide you with favorable and unfavorable matchups, along with news and notes on lineups. The Pitching Planner, complete with upcoming two-start pitchers, will be posted on Sunday.

Don't forget to check out our Weekly Planner page, under the stats tab on your league pages. It has the weekly matchups for each team broken down by day, the number of games ahead for each team and finally, the hitting and pitching stats for each team (broken down by home and away).

Weather planner: Taking into account all games with at least a 50 percent chance of precipitation according to Weather.com, there are no games in danger of being rained out this week.

Fantasy position catcher and corner-infielder eligibility checkup:

• Catcher: Brandon Inge, DET, 6 games
• First base: Wes Helms, FLA, 18 games
• First base: Miguel Cabrera, DET, 15 games
• First base: John Bowker, SF, 12 games
• First base: Jason Botts, TEX, 8 games
• First base: Billy Butler, KC, 7 games
• First base: Chris Burke, ARI, 5 games
• First base: Morgan Ensberg, NYY, 5 games
• First base: Shelley Duncan, NYY, 5 games
• First base: Miguel Cairo, NYY, 5 games
• First base: Nick Swisher, CHW, 5 games
• First base: Casey Blake, CLE, 4 games
• First base: Mike Sweeney, OAK, 4 games
• First base: Marcus Thames, DET, 3 games
• First base: Darin Erstad, HOU, 3 games
• First base: Rod Barajas, TOR, 2 games
• First base: Brian Buscher, MIN, 2 games
• First base: Chris Duncan, STL, 2 games
• First base: Chris Gomez, BAL, 2 games
• First base: Wilson Betemit, NYY, 2 games
• First base: Jeff Keppinger, CIN, 2 games
• First base: Martin Prado, ATL, 2 games
• First base: Marco Scutaro, TOR, 2 games
• First base: Brad Ausmus, HOU, 1 game
• First base: Jorge Posada, NYY, 1 game
• First base: Jason LaRue, STL, 1 game
• First base: Mike Rivera, MIL, 1 game
• First base: Troy Glaus, STL, 1 game
• First base: Ronnie Belliard, WAS, 1 game
• First base: Brendan Harris, MIN, 1 game
• First base: Juan L. Rivera, LAA, 1 game
• First base: Chase Utley, PHI, 1 game
• First base: Mark DeRosa, CHC, 1 game
• First base: Frank Catalanotto, TEX, 1 game
• First base: Damion Easley, NYM, 1 game
• First base: Geoff Blum, HOU, 1 game
• First base: Greg Dobbs, PHI, 1 game
• Third base: Bill Hall, MIL, 28 games
• Third base: Jorge Cantu, FLA, 27 games
• Third base: Marco Scutaro, TOR, 18 games
• Third base: Kevin Youkilis, BOS, 13 games
• Third base: Donnie Murphy, OAK, 12 games
• Third base: Jed Lowrie, BOS, 10 games
• Third base: Carlos Guillen, DET, 5 games
• Third base: Doug Mientkiewicz, PIT, 5 games
• Third base: Mark DeRosa, CHC, 5 games
• Third base: Clint Barmes, COL, 5 games
• Third base: Martin Prado, ATL, 4 games
• Third base: Alberto Gonzalez, NYY, 4 games
• Third base: Matt Tolbert, MIN, 4 games
• Third base: German Duran, TEX, 4 games
• Third base: Jamey Carroll, CLE, 4 games
• Third base: Eric Hinske, TB, 3 games
• Third base: Alfredo Amezaga, FLA, 3 games
• Third base: Russell Martin, LAD, 3 games
• Third base: Chris Burke, ARI, 2 games
• Third base: Adam Melhuse, TEX, 2 games
• Third base: Ryan Raburn, DET, 2 games
• Third base: Aubrey Huff, BAL, 1 game
• Third base: Juan Castro, COL, 1 game
• Third base: Augie Ojeda, ARI, 1 game
• Third base: Ryan Freel, CIN, 1 game
• Third base: Ronny Cedeno, CHC, 1 game
• Third base: Chris Iannetta, COL, 1 game

This week's news and notes for each team:

Arizona Diamondbacks: Unless you look at Chris Young's numbers closely, you might not get the full picture. His batting average through Friday (.235) compared to his batting average for all of last season (.237), it doesn't appear that the D-Backs' leadoff hitter is making much progress. But his on-base percentage so far this season (.338) is a good 40 points higher than what he did last season (.295). He also has 17 walks already, a number he didn't reach last year until July 22, despite starting for Arizona out of spring training. His BB/K ratio is up from .31 last season to .49 this season. He still leads all leadoff hitters in strikeouts (35), but he's back in the top 15 in on-base percentage for leadoff men as well (he was 23rd last season) ... Orlando Hudson left Friday's game with a pulled hamstring. "It's just some tightness," Hudson told the Arizona Republic. "I'm not one of those guys that wants to come out. But it's still early in the season. We'll keep it precautionary." Manager Bob Melvin said he should be back in the lineup for Sunday's game. Augie Ojeda will see at-bats while he's out.

Atlanta Braves: Bobby Cox's boys get San Diego's pitching staff for three games away from Petco Park. Last season, the Padres pitchers were among the best anywhere, but this year, they rank just 27th on the road with a 5.48 ERA. The Braves are also on the road for three at Pittsburgh, against a team with a 4.00 ERA at home.

Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones might not be hitting with a ton of power just yet, but he's playing solid defensively, including a diving catch on a liner Friday against the Angels. His wrist was bent back and he had to massage it a bit after the play, but he waved off team trainers and continued to play. He was hitless in four at-bats, but he had hit safely in each of his four previous games. He could be in for a nice increase in Fantasy stats over the next couple of months ... Nick Markakis hit second in the batting order Friday, as manager Dave Trembley tried to jumpstart his offense. The right fielder responded with a double and a home run.

Boston Red Sox: Jacoby Ellsbury stole his ninth base of the season on Friday, so it looks like his groin injury has subsided at least a little bit. Coco Crisp has been taking some at-bats from him in recent weeks, but the Red Sox would still like him to be the man by season's end, as they try to avoid Father Time, unlike the Yankees lineup.

Chicago Cubs: They only have six games on the docket this week, and three are against the top road pitching staff in the majors (Arizona, 2.42 ERA). The three games at Great American Ball Park sound good, but the Reds rank 14th in the majors with a 3.94 home ERA ... Aramis Ramirez was hit on the left hand by a pitch Friday and he treated the swelling with ice after the game. Check his status through the weekend.

Chicago White Sox: Carlos Quentin went from a shaky starter entering the season to co-leading the AL in home runs with seven through five weeks. Scratch that -- Quentin hit his eighth homer on Saturday. He has emerged into a top 25 outfielder in Fantasy play.

Cincinnati Reds: Ryan Freel is coming off a nice week at the plate. He hit .462 with four runs scored. His steals aren't where you want them (just one this season), but he's healthy and getting playing time -- enjoy.

Cleveland Indians: After stumbling and pulling up lame on opening day, Victor Martinez has rebounded and now has enough at-bats to put him in the lead for the AL batting title with a .356 average. He has yet to hit a home run this season -- something I expect him to amend soon. He'll still finish among the top three at the position in that category. Only six catchers have more than three homers through Friday.

Colorado Rockies: If you are in a league that requires just five games played at a position for Fantasy eligibility, Clint Barmes is now eligible at second base, shortstop and third base. He'll be starting regularly now that Troy Tulowitzki is sidelined possibly until the All-Star break with a torn tendon in his quadriceps. Tulo does not believe that he'll need surgery ... The Rockies signed Juan Castro to provide some infield depth, and Jon Herrera and Omar Quintanilla will share starts too.

Detroit Tigers: The Tigers have seven home games this week, but they are against perennial AL East contenders, Boston and New York ... It's good to see Placido Polanco finally coming around, as is the Tigers offense. He has 11 hits in the past seven days -- with two homers!

Florida Marlins: Hanley Ramirez was moved to the third spot in the batting order on Friday. With Josh Willingham (back) on the 15-day disabled list, the Marlins need Ramirez to produce in this spot. He has 10 steals on the season, with eight home runs, and he's battling Rafael Furcal for top shortstop in Fantasy play ... Luis Gonzalez will see more time in the outfield now, and he hit a home run Friday night to celebrate.

Houston Astros: Miguel Tejada promised an eight-year-old muscular dystrophy patient that he'd hit a homer Friday -- and he followed through with it. Tejada then took advantage of the good publicity he is finally getting to confess that he is actually 54 years old ... After trying Michael Bourn out in the No. 2 hole for three straight games, with Kazuo Matsui leading off, manager Cecil Cooper has decided to go back to Bourn at the top of the order.

Kansas City Royals: The Royals have seven home games this week -- so you have to like their offensive chances. Unfortunately, they are last in runs scored at home so far, with just 34 in 12 games.

L.A. Angels: No team has scored more runs on the road this season than the Halos' 82 runs in 15 games away from Angel Stadium. They are on the road this week at Kansas City and at Tampa Bay -- two teams that struggled last season, but are looking much better in '08. Both staffs have ERAs at or below 4.00 at home so far.

L.A. Dodgers: Russell Martin got his first start at third base on Friday night. He now has three games played there, just two away from Fantasy eligibility, but it's doubtful you'll want to start him on the hot corner anyway since catchers are thin ... Matt Kemp has his average up to .316 on the season. In his past six games, he's batting .393 with a homer and 15 RBI -- with five stolen bases in his past four games.

Milwaukee Brewers: Corey Hart has hit safely in 10 of his past 11 games, but he still only has one homer and 12 RBI on the season. His run production is down, but he's making contact and getting on base, so the runs and RBI will come.

Minnesota Twins: Carlos Gomez was hit in the head by a throw from Ivan Rodriguez during a base-stealing attempt Friday. The center fielder did not go unconscious, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, eventually got to his feet after team physicians tended to him and then he was carted off the field. He was checked out after the game and won't need further testing. Keep the speedster active. In the past six games, he has four steals and a .381 batting average.

N.Y. Yankees: Derek Jeter's walk on Thursday ended a streak of 61 plate appearances without a walk -- his longest such streak since 2004. He was seeing just 3.1 pitches per plate appearance, which was the lowest in the majors among players with 80 or more plate appearances ... Jorge Posada (strained shoulder) continued to get opinions on his injury through Friday, which scared me an awful lot. It sounds like he's not liking what he's hearing. He's out for six weeks is what the final diagnosis looks like ... Alberto Gonzalez has been used at second base, shortstop and third base, and since he's a right-handed hitter, he might see time against lefties -- especially if Robinson Cano continues to struggle.

N.Y. Mets: Moises Alou is playing through a swollen ankle, debuting this season on Friday night. His return is costing Endy Chavez and Angel Pagan at-bats, but don't expect Alou to play five full months this season -- he'll be back on the DL sooner than later.

Oakland Athletics: With Rob Bowen in the lineup Friday, first baseman Daric Barton got to hit leadoff while Kurt Suzuki got a rest ... Jack Cust is finally starting to heat up, with a .444 batting average and two homers over the past week. He has hit safely in each of the past five games.

Philadelphia Phillies: Since Jimmy Rollins injured his ankle on April 8, the Phillies are 14-9 without the MVP. It looks like he'll be ready to go on Thursday at Arizona -- not a great spot for a hitter to return. In six games against the D-Backs last season, he hit just .192 with three RBI.

Pittsburgh Pirates: With just six games this week against the Braves and Giants, the Bucs are in for a tough Fantasy scoring period. They are also in the bottom 10 in runs scored at home so far ... Since April 20, only Russell Martin has better Fantasy stats than Ryan Doumit among catchers. Doumit is batting .432 with three homers, eight RBI and 12 runs scored in that span.

San Diego Padres: The Padres aren't getting it done at home or on the road. Five of their 13 position players are batting .225 or below:

• INF Callix Crabbe (.160)
• CF Jim Edmonds (.160)
• SS Khalil Greene (.217)
• OF Scott Hairston (.198)
• OF Justin Huber (.200)
• OF Paul McAnulty (.222)
• C Colt Morton (0-for-12)

San Francisco Giants: Aaron Rowand continues to reward any Fantasy owners that took a chance on the best hitter of a bad team this spring. He hit a 10th-inning homer against his former Phillies team Friday.

Seattle Mariners: Manager John McLaren is starting to go with a youth movement, including rookies Wladimir Balentien in right field and Jeff Clement getting starts at DH ... The M's have seven home games, three of which will be against Texas, which has the 29th-best road ERA (5.76) in front of Pittsburgh.

St. Louis Cardinals: In the past two weeks, Fantasy owners have become believers in Skip Schumaker. He went from 14 percent ownership up to 31 percent, and after Friday's game-winning homer, the light-hitting fielder should get picked up by a few more teams. The Cardinals in general are proving to be a much better offense than what many, including myself, believed them to be entering spring. Last season, they ranked 22nd in the majors in scoring, and after five weeks this season, they rank 10th.

Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays have mixed starting pitchers going deep into games, with the best bullpen ERA in the majors to help lead the AL East one month in. The offense is finally getting healthy again, with Dioner Navarro (hand) and Carlos Pena (hamstring) back.

1. Akinori Iwamura, 2B -- The Rays are hitting well in spite of Iwamura's presence at the top of the order, instead of because of it. He has as many base hits (23) this season as Jason Bartlett, despite 17 more at-bats. His 15 walks does lead the team, however.
2. Carl Crawford, LF -- He leads the team in hits (38) and he's on pace to score 145 runs this season, thanks to finally having healthy sluggers behind him.
3. B.J. Upton, CF -- Much like Hanley Ramirez last season, Upton swung hard and strained his shoulder Thursday. It's an injury that cost him three games last season, but he thinks he'll be back in the lineup this weekend.
4. Carlos Pena, 1B -- Pena is still stuck on six homers, but cut him some slack since he was working through a hammy injury. He has hit safely in five straight games.
5. Evan Longoria, 3B -- His average is slipping (just .238 right now) and he's back in the second half of the lineup. He hasn't had a multi-hit game since April 24, but 10 RBI in 63 at-bats makes him a solid starter in all formats.
6. Eric Hinske, RF -- Was it just a matter of time before his hot start tailed off? Regular starts in right field and at DH should help a hitter, not hinder him.
7. Jonny Gomes, DH -- He's the first player to be replaced as the Rays try to get at-bats for their bench players.
8. Dioner Navarro, C -- Since returning to the lineup on April 23, Navarro is batting .367 with five RBI and four runs scored. Only five other catchers have more RBI in that span.
9. Jason Bartlett, SS -- He's finally improving at the plate over the past week, leading the team with seven hits and a .368 batting average. He's still not someone to trust outside of larger AL-only Rotisserie leagues.

Texas Rangers: Jarrod Saltalamacchia has three starts and 10 at-bats this past week, all at the catcher position, and he hit safely in each. But he also has three walks already. He had 19 walks total last season, with over 300 at-bats. It seems they are spoon-feeding him behind the plate until he gets his defensive talents up to par ... Brandon Boggs has started three straight games in left field for the Rangers, hitting safely in each, with a .500 batting average. He's not a great prospect, but the Rangers don't have much pushing him right now.

Toronto Blue Jays: The Jays are currently rotating Shannon Stewart in at DH and in left field, giving Adam Lind and Matt Stairs rest. Only Stairs is doing much with his at-bats lately, and we expect that to drop shortly.

Washington Nationals: Elijah Dukes (right hamstring) is playing at Triple-A Columbus on a rehab assignment. He went 3-for-4 with a two-run double and a stolen base -- sounds like the hamstring is fine. He's close to returning, Wily Mo Pena is struggling in left field and Dukes is available in 95 percent of CBSSports.com leagues. Pick him up -- unless you lose points for headcases.

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