Week 21 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, the following games are in danger of being rained out: Detroit at Texas (80 percent chance) on Monday.

This week's news and notes for each team:

Arizona Diamondbacks: Adam Dunn, who came over from the Reds on Monday, is batting cleanup. He's hitting only .250 (4-for-16) since joining the Diamondbacks, but you only start him for his power numbers anyway ... Chris Snyder, who broke out in the second half last season, is batting .333 (6-for-18) with three home runs over the last 10 days. He remains one of the most underrated catchers in Fantasy and could produce like a top-10 player at the position in the second half ... Justin Upton began a rehab assignment Monday and might return next week. He's batting only .242 on the season, though, so don't hold your breath on him helping you this season ... Stephen Drew entered Saturday's game batting .360 (27-for-75) during a 17-game hitting streak. Start him in all leagues.

Atlanta Braves: Mark Kotsay is batting .546 (12-for-22) over the last seven days. Of course, his 5-for-5 day when he hit for the cycle Thursday contributed much of that. Continue to think of him as just an NL-only option, especially since he doesn't even play every day ... Omar Infante is playing virtually every day and even batting cleanup occasionally. He doesn't have much power, but he can suffice in NL-only leagues as long as he gets regular at-bats, especially in leagues where he qualifies at shortstop ... Kelly Johnson is batting .239 in August and .239 since May. He also loses at-bats to Martin Prado against tough left-handers. Don't feel obligated to use him in mixed leagues.

Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles have four of the hottest players in baseball over the last week, including Melvin Mora (.500, three home runs), Nick Markakis (.379, 1.162 OPS), Brian Roberts (.414, 1.031 OPS) and Aubrey Huff (.290, three home runs). Mora in particular has impressed, batting .404 (44-for-109) with seven home runs since the All-Star break. If you have a hole at third base, take a flier on him before he cools off.

Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox just completed a three-game series against the Rangers in which they scored 37 runs, bringing their season total to 632 -- good enough for second in the American League. Let's examine how they constructed their lineup to get such explosive results:

1. J.D. Drew, RF -- After straying from the idea for a while, the Red Sox have made Drew their leadoff hitter again. He's batting .172 (5-for-29) in the role and .235 (28-for-119) since June. Unless your league rewards walks, you might want to bench him.
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B -- Pedroia never exactly cooled off from his monster streak in late June, but he might have another one on its way. He hit .625 (10-for-16) with four doubles during the Rangers series.
3. David Ortiz, DH -- Ortiz, slow to recover from an injury to his left wrist, took a day off Monday and returned a different player, homering twice in his first game back and three times in the Rangers series. No worries here.
4. Kevin Youkilis, 3B -- The Red Sox have decided they like Youkilis as their cleanup hitter for now, and he hasn't missed a beat in the role, getting multiple hits in four of his last five games. He's batting .455 (10-for-22) with two home runs during that stretch and remains a must-start.
5. Jason Bay, LF -- The Red Sox have seemingly bounced everyone around the lineup but Bay, who they obviously like batting fifth. He's hitting .240 (6-for-25) over the last seven days, but he'll get hot soon.
6. Jed Lowrie, SS -- The 24-year-old rookie has a stranglehold on the shortstop position right now, and the Red Sox don't seem in any hurry to bring Julio Lugo (quadriceps) off the DL. Lowrie hit .583 (7-for-12) during the Rangers series and looks like a viable option even in mixed leagues.
7. Sean Casey, 1B -- Casey has a .351 batting average in 154 at-bats, so he has a chance to help in AL-only leagues if the Red Sox keep him in the lineup the whole time Mike Lowell (oblique) is on the DL. They might prefer to leave Youkilis at first base, though, moving Lowrie to third base and starting Alex Cora at shortstop.
8. Jason Varitek, C -- Varitek is about the only Red Sox who didn't have a monster series against the Rangers, going hitless in six at-bats. In fact, he entered Saturday hitless in his last 14 at-bats and no longer looks worthy of starting in mixed leagues.
9. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF -- Ellsbury had to sit the last two games of the Rangers series with a bruised tailbone, which is a shame because he had started to heat up in August (.393) after a dreadful June and July. He continues to lose at-bats to Coco Crisp, making him a low-end mixed-league option, but because he returned to the lineup Saturday, keep him active.

Chicago Cubs: Aramis Ramirez sat both Friday and Saturday with a bruised left hip. The injury doesn't sound particularly serious, so you'll probably want to keep him active for the upcoming scoring period -- especially considering he has multiple hits in five of his last seven games, batting .476 (10-for-21) during that stretch ... Of course, Mark DeRosa has played well enough over the last week that the Cubs hardly miss Ramirez. He's batting .421 (8-for-19) with two home runs and continues to put together an underrated season in Fantasy. Considering he qualifies at three positions in most leagues, you should probably have him active somewhere ... Geovany Soto, whose batting average has gone up and down during his rookie season, looks on the upswing again, batting .438 (7-for-16) over the last week and .371 in August. You'd never bench him, though, obviously.

Chicago White Sox: Apparently, Paul Konerko doesn't want to go down without a fight. After supposedly losing his first-base job to Nick Swisher when the White Sox acquired Ken Griffey, Konerko has 14 at-bats over the last week and started again Saturday. He's actually hitting pretty well in August, batting .314 (11-for-35) with three home runs. This situation clearly remains unresolved, so don't cut Konerko in AL-only leagues and don't ignore him in mixed formats. Don't forget he began this year with at least 30 homers in each of his last four seasons.

Cincinnati Reds: Joey Votto spent almost a week on the bereavement list, and the Reds want to give him a few days to get into playing shape before throwing him back on the field. How long will he need exactly? Hard to say, but he doesn't look like a safe start this week. Javier Valentin, who has played well, should also remain out of Fantasy lineups, except as maybe a No. 2 catcher in NL-only leagues ... Jerry Hairston started at shortstop for the second straight game Saturday after missing about two weeks because of a strained hamstring -- the same strained hamstring that landed him on the DL right before the All-Star break. You can't expect him to go crazy on the bases right away anyway, so go ahead and give him a week to prove his health. He has hit well over .300 this season, though, making him a viable Fantasy starter at a weak position ... Leadoff hitter Chris Dickerson has six extra-base hits to begin his major-league career. He likely won't develop into a star, but pick him up in NL-only leagues.

Cleveland Indians: Victor Martinez, who had elbow surgery in June, began a rehab assignment Friday and might return to the lineup as the designated hitter sometime this week. He hasn't played since June, though, so you have to expect some rust. Play it safe and bench him even though he qualifies at the weakest position in Fantasy ... Asdrubal Cabrera has multiple hits in four of his last seven games, batting .440 (11-for-25) during that stretch. You knew he had to start hitting better eventually, but he remains just an AL-only option right now.

Colorado Rockies: Matt Holliday had two stolen bases early in Saturday's game, extending his career high to 19. He has 10 stolen bases since June and has an outside shot at a 30-30 season if the Rockies keep giving him the green light down the stretch ... Clint Barmes started his fifth straight game Saturday and apparently has won the starting second-base job back from Jeff Baker. More accurately, Baker lost it, going 4-for-31 (.129) so far in August ... Brad Hawpe is batting .478 (11-for-23) with three home runs over the last week and is batting .329 with 17 home runs since May. Hopefully, you activated him long ago.

Detroit Tigers: Carlos Guillen returned to the lineup Saturday after missing five of the last seven games with a pinched nerve in his lower back. If he plays again Sunday, consider him a safe start for the upcoming scoring period, especially since he qualifies at shortstop ... Edgar Renteria, a disappointment all season after hitting .332 last year in Atlanta, entered Saturday with hits in nine of his last 10 games, batting .412 (14-for-34) during that stretch. If someone gave up on him in your league, make sure you're the one who gives him a second chance.

Florida Marlins: Mike Jacobs has two home runs in the last week and six since the All-Star break. Few players match his power potential, so take a flier on him if you need some home runs late ... Josh Willingham tripled Friday but has more or less looked dreadful since returning from an April back injury, batting .216 (34-for-148). He remains owned in 64 percent of CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues, but he shouldn't ... The Marlins called up Paul Lo Duca -- who the Nationals released at the end of July -- from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday. Matt Treanor got the start behind the plate Saturday, though, so consider Lo Duca third on the depth chart, behind John Baker and Treanor.

Houston Astros: With Carlos Lee out for pretty much the rest of the season with a broken left pinkie, the Astros will mostly start Darin Erstad, who has no power and little speed, in left field. They'll also sometimes move Ty Wigginton from third base, allowing them to get both Geoff Blum and Mark Loretta in the lineup. One of Blum and Loretta already starts at second base with Kazuo Matsui (back) on the DL. In other words, nobody's Fantasy value gets a major boost with Lee's injury. Blum might provide decent power in NL-only leagues, but Erstad and Loretta don't do enough at the plate even for those formats ... Fortunately, Wigginton has heated up, batting .395 (17-for-43) with four home runs in August. If he still qualifies at second base in your league, you should probably start him.

Kansas City Royals: Billy Butler, who got hot right after the All-Star break, entered Saturday batting .167 (4-for-24) over his last six games. You have to expect the 22-year-old to get streaky from time to time, though. Go ahead and reserve him right now ... Jose Guillen, who showed some signs of life early in August, has only five hits in his last nine games. You have to reserve him for now considering he's batting under .200 in June, but keep in mind he probably has another monster hot streak coming before the end of the season.

L.A. Angels: It might have more to do with the time of year than his trade from Atlanta, but Mark Teixeira is batting .370 (20-for-54) with four home runs since joining the Angels, including .476 (10-for-21) with three home runs over the last week. And if he has his usual second half, get used to those kinds of numbers ... Juan Rivera, who has effectively displaced Gary Matthews in the Angels outfield, is batting .400 (6-for-15) with two home runs over the last week. He has eight home runs in his last 100 at-bats, so don't let him go unclaimed in AL-only leagues ... With Maicer Izturis (thumb) out for the season, Erick Aybar takes over as the everyday shortstop. He likely won't get enough home runs or stolen bases to matter outside of AL-only leagues, though.

L.A. Dodgers: Like many players before him, Jeff Kent has benefited from batting ahead of newly acquired Manny Ramirez, picking up multiple hits every other game for the last 13 games. Sure, at age 40, he has a chance of getting hurt every time he jogs to first base, but he looks like he deserves a roster spot again in mixed leagues, especially since he plays such a weak position ... Nomar Garciaparra (knee) returned from the DL with a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday. He has an even better chance of getting hurt than Kent, but you have to take a flier on him in NL-only and deeper mixed leagues ... Matt Kemp is batting .355 (11-for-31) with one home run and two stolen bases over the last week. He has hit five of his 14 home runs since the All-Star break, and his combination of power and speed makes him a No. 2 Fantasy outfielder.

Milwaukee Brewers: Ryan Braun has missed seven straight games with a sore lower back. You obviously want him active if he can play, but if he doesn't return Sunday, play it safe and bench him. Gabe Kapler has filled in admirably in his absence ... After switching between the two all season, the Brewers have decided they like neither Bill Hall nor Russell Branyan at third base, opting instead to start Craig Counsell each of the last six games. Granted, Branyan has an oblique injury that put him on the DL, but Counsell began stealing at-bats before then. At least Hall and Branyan have power. Counsell brings nothing offensively and should remain on waivers in all Fantasy leagues.

Minnesota Twins: Delmon Young, who has disappointed power-wise all season, is hitting .360 (9-for-25) with three home runs over the last seven days. He has hit all seven of his home runs since May and looks like he's turned another small corner in his frustratingly slow development. Keep in mind, though, he's only 23.

N.Y. Mets: Another week, another good performance for rookie left fielder Daniel Murphy, who went 7-for-20 (.350) with two home runs. You can only take a semi-prospect like him so seriously in Fantasy, but you have to give him a look in NL-only leagues until he slows down ... Carlos Delgado continues to hit for power, but he has only a .261 (12-for-46) batting average in August. As hot as he got July, though, you pretty much have to consider him a must-start right now ... Luis Castillo, who hasn't played since early July with a hip injury, began a rehab assignment early in August and might return this week. He merely has low-end steals potential at this stage of his career, though, so wait until he actually gets back and proves his health before activating him.

N.Y. Yankees: Johnny Damon, who had trouble finding his power stroke after returning from a shoulder injury in late July, hasn't gotten much better in August, picking up a total of three extra-base hits. He is hitting .339 (19-for-56) with five stolen bases, though, so think of him as a No. 3 Fantasy outfielder ... The demotion of Melky Cabrera on Friday paves the way for Brett Gardner to reclaim the starting job in center field. He has good stolen-base potential if he could ever get on base, but his .143 batting average hinders him a bit in that regard ... The release of Richie Sexson, also on Friday, paves the way for Jason Giambi to get everyday at-bats again. He has only a .242 (23-for-95) batting average since June, so keep him reserved, but an increase in at-bats can only help his Fantasy appeal in Head-to-Head leagues ... Hideki Matsui (knee) homered in his first rehab start Friday and could potentially return this week. Considering the level of uncertainty, though, leave him on your bench except in deeper AL-only leagues.

Oakland Athletics: Mark Ellis has assumed the leadoff spot in the batting order with Ryan Sweeney (thumb) going on the DL. He hasn't shown much power in August, picking up only two extra base hits, but both have come in the last two games. Still, his .235 batting average limits his appeal to AL-only leagues ... Bobby Crosby has shown more power recently, hitting three of his seven home runs in only 49 August at-bats. He has more power than he showed through the first four months of the season, so consider taking a flier on him again in deeper leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies: Pat Burrell, known for his streakiness, has fallen into one of his worst slumps of the season, batting .100 (3-for-30) over his last 10 games. Based on the season he has put together to date, you have to keep him active ... Speaking of slumps, Chase Utley is batting only .244 (11-for-45) in August and only .265 (91-for-344) since April. He remains an elite Fantasy option because he plays one of the weakest positions in the game, but outside of his monster April, you had to have expected a little more from him than he has delivered so far.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The LaRoche brothers have both returned to the lineup in the last week, Adam coming back from a ribcage injury and batting cleanup and Andy coming back from a thumb injury and batting fifth. Adam, who was red hot before the injury, has nothing but singles since his return, and you can't expect a streaky player like him to pick up where he left off. Reserve him except in deeper leagues. Andy remains just an NL-only option until he starts to meet his potential ... Nate McLouth has yet to hit a home run in August after hitting seven in July. But the surprise breakout has already shown more than once this season that whenever his power leaves, it usually comes right back. Keep him active.

San Diego Padres: Rookie outfielder Chase Headley had a nine-game hitting streak snapped Friday. He had more walks than strikeouts during that stretch and has made quick progress during his first season on the job. He doesn't yet deserve must-start status in mixed leagues, but take a flier on him if he remains unowned ... Kevin Kouzmanoff, who hit .317 with 11 home runs in the second half last year, might develop a trend if he doesn't watch out. Since the break, he's batting .288 with six home runs, including two in the last week. He still doesn't walk much, but his cumulative numbers make him a decent corner infielder in mixed leagues.

San Francisco Giants: Travis Ishikawa, who hit a combined 22 home runs in two stops in the minors this season, has joined the big club and will likely get most of the starts at first base against right-handed pitchers. The Giants have literally gone decades without developing an All-Star position player -- think Matt Williams -- but Ishikawa at least deserves a pickup in NL-only leagues. Maybe he'll even reverse the trend ... Randy Winn continues to swing a hot bat in August, hitting .500 (14-for-28) over the last week. Use him as a stopgap in all leagues ... Aaron Rowand, who missed Friday's game with tightness in his lower back, returned to the lineup Saturday, so no reason to worry there other than mediocre numbers.

Seattle Mariners: Raul Ibanez has vaulted himself into must-start status with a .358 (38-for-106) batting average and eight home runs since the All-Star break. Start him for now, but keep in mind he got almost as hot in April and then homered only four times over the next two months ... Willie Bloomquist will likely miss the rest of the season after straining his right hamstring, which doesn't exactly rock the foundation of the Fantasy universe. The guy got a few stolen bases, nothing more. Jeremy Reed might see a few more at-bats now against left-handed pitchers, but he remains nothing more than an AL-only option.

St. Louis Cardinals: Felipe Lopez, acquired off waivers from the Nationals, has taken over as the starting second baseman and entered Saturday batting .438 (7-for-16) over his last five games. Until he starts showing some power or speed, though, leave him for NL-only leagues ... Troy Glaus, who homered twice Aug. 9, had a four-hit game later in the week, giving him a .435 (10-for-23) batting average over his last seven games. He remains consistent in an erratic sort of way, so you should probably just keep him active at all times.

Tampa Bay Rays: The ever-uninspiring Willy Aybar has taken over at third base for rookie sensation Evan Longoria, who has a fractured right wrist. Longoria might return by the beginning of September, but Aybar, for all his bad press, can actually serve as a viable stopgap until then. He has more power than you'd expect from a utility infielder, as evidenced by his three home runs in the last week ... Carl Crawford, on the other hand, will likely miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his right hand. Eric Hinske and Rocco Baldelli, who hasn't impressed in his return from a mitochondrial disorder, will likely see more at-bats in his absence. Both remain nothing more than AL-only options, though.

Texas Rangers: Marlon Byrd, hitting .444 (24-for-54) with two home runs since the beginning of August, returned to the lineup Saturday after leaving Friday with a hyperextended left elbow. So if you took a flier on him in mixed leagues, keep taking one. He has the potential to perform like a poor man's Bobby Abreu down the stretch, assuming he keeps getting regular at-bats ... Ian Kinsler, who began the month of August in a 5-for-34 (.147) slump, appears to have broken out. He homered in three straight games -- getting a total of five hits in one -- over the last week. He remains a must-start in all leagues ... Rookie first baseman Chris Davis, on the other hand, has struggled lately, hitting only .192 (10-for-52) with one home run in August. He remains a must-own, but reserve him for now in mixed leagues ... Hank Blalock (shoulder) might return from the DL later in the week. You shouldn't activate him just yet, but understand that his return means Ramon Vazquez will again have to go to the bench. Travis Metcalf had begun to steal some of Vazquez's at-bats, though, so you probably shouldn't have even bothered with him in mixed leagues.

Toronto Blue Jays: Vernon Wells, who missed about a month with a strained left hamstring, returned to the lineup Sunday and is batting .263 (5-for-19) with one home run in five games. The Blue Jays trust him enough to bat him cleanup right away, but you should approach him a bit more cautiously in Fantasy. He had a disastrous stat line last season and has a relatively low .777 OPS this season ... John McDonald has begun playing shortstop more regularly than David Eckstein, but he brings even less to the table for Fantasy purposes. Ignore him in all leagues ... Marco Scutaro, who spent some time at shortstop earlier in the season, has taken over third base with Scott Rolen on the DL. He remains just a low-end option.

Washington Nationals: Cristian Guzman continues to battle a sore left thumb that has plagued him since the end of July. He originally missed 10 games with the injury. Then, he returned for eight straight before missing the last two. The Nationals plan to give him a few days off, not wanting to take any chances, so you probably shouldn't have him active for the upcoming scoring period. The fact that he hit only .172 (5-for-29) during the eight games he played makes your decision that much easier ... Two games removed from the DL with a strained calf, Aaron Boone looks like the everyday first baseman for the Nationals, with Ronnie Belliard manning shortstop until Guzman returns. Boone has even less offensive potential than Belliard, though, so leave him for deeper NL-only leagues ... Jesus Flores has struggled since the Nationals parted ways with Paul Lo Duca and Johnny Estrada, hitting only .143 (4-for-28) over his last eight games. He ranks seventh among all backstops in RBI, though, and deserves to start as a No. 2 Fantasy option.

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