Week 26 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.

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.

Final week of season

As customary during the season's final week, many teams will rest some of their regulars, either to keep them fresh for the playoffs or to take a look at up-and-coming talent in the organization. Unfortunately, these teams don't often tip their hands on what players will sit or how often they'll sit, so if you have a spot in the Fantasy playoffs, you should pretty much stick to starting the players who got you there.

You should take an especially cautious approach with your Cubs and Angels, though, since those two teams have already clinched their respective divisions.

This week's news and notes for each team:

Arizona Diamondbacks: Since missing time after getting hit on the head by a pickoff attempt, Justin Upton has reassumed an everyday job in the Diamondbacks outfield, forcing Chad Tracy to the bench. He's playing some of his best ball of the season too, batting .393 (11-for-28) with three home runs over the last week. He's finishing the season as well as he started it (.340, five home runs in April) and is a decent spot start in all Fantasy leagues for the final week ... Just how much of a breakout has Stephen Drew had? Let's put it in historical perspective. With just one more double, he'll become the fifth shortstop in NL history with 40 doubles, 10 triples and 10 home runs in one season. Pretty good, right?

Atlanta Braves: Yunel Escobar missed his seventh consecutive start Friday with a strained right hamstring. Manager Bobby Cox has already said he thinks the injury looks like worse than one of the day-to-day variety, so with the Braves playing for nothing but pride, they might not bother to send Escobar back out to the field. Of course, he doesn't have much power or speed, so you probably wouldn't want to start him in Fantasy anyway ... Don't look now, but Chipper Jones has another injury. He left Friday's game with a sore right shoulder -- an injury that has bothered him for several days now. So he has a strained elbow, a twisted knee, a stiff back and a sore shoulder? And that's not even counting his quad injury from earlier in the season. If you don't need consistent points over the final week, you might consider starting Jones. Otherwise, see if you can do better ... The on-again, off-again platoon situation between Kelly Johnson and Martin Prado is apparently off again thanks to Prado's struggles since surrendering the first-base job back to Casey Kotchman at the beginning of September. Johnson played against left-handers last week and is batting .431 (28-for-65) with two home runs during a 17-game hitting streak. Start him in all leagues.

Baltimore Orioles: Melvin Mora, who recently came back from a hamstring injury, aggravated the injury Wednesday and didn't return to the lineup until Friday. The injury might continue to bother him, though, so you shouldn't necessarily get him active, especially since he's hitting only .261 (6-for-23) with no home runs since his return from the initial injury ... If Mora does in fact miss time, Oscar Salazar might start in his place. Salazar, a longtime minor-leaguer, has made a quick impression in the majors, hitting five home runs in 55 at-bats. The Orioles will work him into the lineup at first base, third base and designated hitter, but you shouldn't bother with him outside of AL-only leagues.

Boston Red Sox: Mike Lowell will miss at least this weekend's series at Toronto because of a sore hip, and he might miss the first half of next week as well. But no amount of rest will cure the injury (Lowell probably needs offseason surgery), so the Red Sox don't have to wait for anything in particular before getting him in the lineup. He still looks like a decent corner infielder for the upcoming week, but understand that he comes with a certain amount of risk. If he continues to sit, Sean Casey will start at first base, with Kevin Youkilis moving over to third ... David Ortiz is hitting only .222 (14-for-63) in September, but he does have four home runs. He remains a must-start despite the down year, but he might drop past the fifth round in Fantasy drafts next year ... Jason Bay only missed time this week because his wife gave birth. He returned to the lineup Friday and is a clear must-start in all leagues down the stretch.

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs have virtually nothing to play for over the final week. They just clinched the NL Central crown Saturday and are within a sneeze of clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Once they do, they'll likely rest their regulars, meaning you might want to consider benching anyone not named Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez or Geovany Soto ... Ramirez just had a 10-game hitting streak end Friday. He hit .450 (18-for-40) with two home runs during the streak. Start him with confidence during the final week ... Soto missed Friday's game with a sore left hand, but he hit a three-run homer after hurting the hand Thursday and immediately returned to the lineup Saturday. He looks like a safe start for the upcoming week ... Mike Fontenot continues to spend more time in the starting lineup than Kosuke Fukudome, making him a decent starter in NL-only leagues ... The Cubs face three left-handed pitchers next week, meaning you probably shouldn't start Jim Edmonds. Of course, considering his .236 batting average, you probably shouldn't anyway.

Chicago White Sox: The White Sox have taken to starting minor-league journeyman Dewayne Wise in the outfield instead of struggling alternatives Ken Griffey and Nick Swisher. The 30-year-old has responded by hitting .368 (7-for-19) with four home runs over the last week. He looks like a decent stopgap for deeper leagues, though keep in mind the at-bats could disappear on a whim ... Carlos Quentin, who had surgery Sept. 8 on his fractured wrist, had his soft cast removed Wednesday and took some practice swings Friday. He'll still likely miss the rest of the season, so keep him reserved for the final week if you happen to own him in a keeper league.

Cincinnati Reds: Somewhat quietly considering the buzz surrounding him earlier in the season, rookie Jay Bruce has turned up the power since the All-Star break, hitting 15 home runs. He entered Saturday with four home runs in his last five games. You still can't count on him for much of a batting average, but he'll almost surely play in this final week, which is more than you can say for some of the older outfielders around the league ... Edwin Encarnacion missed his third straight game Saturday with a sore wrist. The streaky third baseman was hitting a marginally impressive .289 (13-for-45) in September, so you should probably give someone else a look unless he returns to the lineup Sunday ... Jerry Hairston has essentially become a regular again, starting for the fourth time in five games Saturday. He's still batting over .330 and is a decent play in Rotisserie leagues since he qualifies at shortstop.

Cleveland Indians: Shin-Soo Choo has officially broken out, becoming a different player since the beginning of August. He homered three more times over the last week and is now batting .364 (51-for-140) with nine home runs over the last two months. Start him in all leagues -- seriously, every single one ... Meanwhile, another Indians breakout player has gone equally unnoticed. Kelly Shoppach is starting in only 44 percent of leagues despite ranking third among all catchers in home runs. Get him active if he remains unowned in your league. The Indians have found ways to get both him and Victor Martinez into the lineup ... The Indians haven't found a way to get Travis Hafner going, though. He hit his first home run Thursday, but it was first and still only extra-base hit since returning from a stint in the minors to rehabilitate his weakened right shoulder. He has only four hits total in 23 at-bats.

Colorado Rockies: Chris Iannetta wants to make one more lasting impression before the season ends. He's hitting .462 (6-for-13) with three home runs over his last four games. Much like fellow catcher Kelly Shoppach in Cleveland, he has gone widely unappreciated in Fantasy, starting in only 55 percent of leagues. He has top-five potential, though, as evidenced by his .920 OPS -- tops at his position ... Ian Stewart had a nice little rookie season, but you clearly don't want to start him in the final week. He's hitting .163 (7-for-43) in September.

Detroit Tigers: Miguel Cabrera continued his monster second half with a 10-for-18 (.556), three-homer performance over the last four games. He's batting .317 with 20 home runs in the first half, redeeming his first-round status in Fantasy and making him a no-brainer start for the final week ... The Tigers face all right-handed pitchers next week, making Matt Joyce a better start than usual and Marcus Thames a far worse start than usual. It's kind of a shame too. Thames is batting .273 (9-for-33) with three home runs in September.

Florida Marlins: Hanley Ramirez missed a third straight game because of a sore shoulder Saturday, leaving Wednesday's game after homering twice. The Marlins keep insisting he'll return this weekend, but he only has Sunday to go now. Still, you'd have to face an extremely favorable situation to consider benching one of the best players in Fantasy for the season's final week. Light-hitting Alfredo Amezaga continues to start in Ramirez's place ... No player in baseball has hit better than Jorge Cantu over the last week. The resurgent third baseman is batting .407 (11-for-27) with four home runs over the last seven days. You shouldn't have much reason to debate starting him over the final week.

Houston Astros: Lance Berkman is currently in a career-worst 0-for-23 slump. After looking like an MVP candidate to begin the season, he has fallen on hard times in the second half, batting .266 with six home runs. His 28 home runs would rank as his fewest in a 500 at-bat season since 2003. Still, he packs too much potential for you to consider benching him in the final week. If nothing else, he should draw a few walks ... Kazuo Matsui, who missed a month with a back injury, finally returned to the lineup Tuesday. He can steal a handful of bases over the final week ... Ty Wigginton also returned this week after missing time with a hamstring injury. He has yet to get a hit in 11 at-bats, though, and has struggled in September after hitting 12 home runs in August. If you start him in mixed leagues, only do so at second base.

Kansas City Royals: The Royals might seem like an odd team to spotlight before the season's final week -- or any week, for that matter -- but they have so many players making a splash right now that three rank among the 10 most-added position players in Fantasy this week (and a fourth ranks 11th). Besides, since the Royals clearly won't have a spot in the playoffs, they won't feel as much of a need to rest some of their bigger names down the stretch.

1. David DeJesus, CF -- After a cold July and August, DeJesus has heated up again in September, batting .364 (24-for-66) for the month and .368 (14-for-38) during a 10-game hitting streak. He should start as a No. 4 or 5 Fantasy outfielder.
2. Mike Aviles, SS -- Aviles, a 27-year-old rookie, continues to impress with a notably consistent season. His batting average hasn't dipped below .317 since July, and he has at least one hit in 10 of his last 11 games, batting .326 (15-for-46) during that stretch.
3. Jose Guillen, RF -- Guillen, a complete dud with a .191 batting average in July and August, has gone on one of his patented tears in September, batting .369 with two home runs. He looks like a decent stopgap in all leagues.
4. Ryan Shealy, 1B -- Shealy, a long overdue power prospect who has kicked around the minor leagues for the last few years, might have finally broken out with this latest call-up. He already has six home runs in 45 at-bats, enough to earn him a spot as the Royals' cleanup hitter. Pick him up if you need homers.
5. Mark Teahen, LF -- Teahen seems on a mission to prove he can still hit for power. He's batting .364 (24-for-66) with three home runs and a .591 slugging percentage in September. Before this month, he had 19 home runs in 1,020 at-bats after hitting 18 in 393 at-bats in 2006.
6. Miguel Olivo, C -- Olivo and John Buck pretty much split at-bats, making neither that appealing in Fantasy outside of AL-only leagues. Both have decent power, though.
7. Alex Gordon, 3B -- Gordon has hit safely in four games since returning from a right hip injury, but he hasn't exactly broken out during his sophomore season. Save him for deeper leagues.
8. Billy Butler, DH -- Butler, an on-again, off-again sophomore with sky-high potential, has apparently shut down in September, batting .083 (3-for-36) over his last 10 games. The Royals have begun using patient Kila Ka'ahue, another big prospect, in his place. Neither player looks worth using in mixed leagues over the final week.
9. Alberto Callaspo, 2B -- Callaspo has fantastic plate discipline, but not much else. Fortunately, his 13-game hitting streak makes him worth using as a stopgap option. He's batting .347 (17-for-49) during that stretch.

L.A. Angels: The Angels have already clinched their division, but unlike the Cubs, they have a little bit of a fight on their hands for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Still, if they clinch sometime mid-week, you can bet they'll give each of their regulars a couple days off before the playoffs ... Vladimir Guerrero returned to the lineup Saturday after missing six games with inflammation in his right knee. The Angels might end up resting him off and on whether they clinch home-field advantage or not, and considering he hasn't had a dominant season, you might want to think about benching him if a championship hangs in the balance ... Juan L. Rivera, who hasn't played since Sept. 13 because of a strained hip flexor, didn't return Saturday, but the Angels don't expect him to miss much more time. Still, he's really just an AL-only option when healthy ... After a thorough examination, Chone Figgins' elbow injury will sideline him only day to day. Considering the injury risk and the fact he hasn't offered more than a few stolen bases this year, he doesn't deserve to start in most Fantasy leagues.

L.A. Dodgers: Casey Blake again doesn't look like a corner infielder worth starting in mixed leagues. He's batting .218 (12-for-55) in September and .239 (39-for-163) since the beginning of August ... Nomar Garciaparra missed a second straight game with a left knee injury Friday against the Giants, but the team expects him to return over the weekend. Still, he splits time at shortstop with Angel M. Berroa, so you shouldn't bother with him outside of NL-only leagues ... The Dodgers still hold out hope that Jeff Kent, who had arthroscopic knee surgery, can return before the end of the season. All signs point to him coming off the bench, though, meaning Blake DeWitt will remain a nice option for deeper leagues.

Milwaukee Brewers: Ray Durham strained his right hamstring Friday and missed another game Saturday. Rickie Weeks had a big game in his absence, but you can't give either of these players a nod for the upcoming week outside of NL-only leagues ... Prince Fielder is trying to make up for a season of disappointment with a knockout performance over the last few weeks. He's batting .459 (17-for-37) with four home runs during a 10-game hitting streak and deserves to start in all leagues ... Craig Counsell continues to start at third base even though he's hitting .226 with one home run. You think the Brewers might want to upgrade that position in the offseason?

Minnesota Twins: Brian Buscher jammed his left thumb during Wednesday night's loss at Cleveland and hasn't played since. He starts more often than not at third base but doesn't have enough power to matter outside of AL-only leagues ... Joe Mauer is batting .383 (23-for-60) in September and .382 (13-for-34) during his nine-game hitting streak. He's the kind of player you never bench in Fantasy, though.

N.Y. Mets: With Fernando Tatis out for the season with a separated right shoulder, Daniel Murphy again becomes the primary left fielder. He continues to reach base at an impressive rate and should start in NL-only leagues ... Speedy shortstop Jose Reyes is having a power surge of sorts here at the end of the season. He's batting .353 (12-for-34) with three home runs and three stolen bases over the last week. With 16 home runs, he's only three away from his career high, but you have to figure he'll probably fall short with only a week to go.

N.Y. Yankees: With Yankee Stadium in its last days, two Fantasy mainstays have stepped up to give it a proper sendoff. Derek Jeter is batting .394 (26-for-66) with three home runs in September and .363 (65-for-179) with five home runs since the beginning of August. Bobby Abreu, meanwhile, has three home runs in the last week and is now one home run and one stolen base away from his first 20-20 season since 2005. Obviously, keep both players active ... Xavier Nady, however, has gone the other way, batting only .229 (16-for-70) in September. In shallower leagues, you might actually have enough depth that you'd want to bench him for the final week.

Oakland Athletics: The Athletics have begun starting Travis Buck -- remember him? -- for the first time since June, but you'd have to find yourself in a dire situation to turn to him now ... A couple of little-known Athletics outfielders have gotten hot over the last week. Ryan Sweeney is batting .556 (10-for-18), and Aaron Cunningham is batting .320 (8-for-25) with one home run and one stolen base. If you need to make a move at the last minute in an AL-only league, consider taking a flier on either of these guys.

Philadelphia Phillies: Several of the Phillies' big bats have stepped up with the team fighting to make a late surge into the playoffs. Ryan Howard, batting .371 (23-for-62) with nine home runs in September, deserves the most attention after he struggled most of the season, but Jimmy Rollins (.370 with one home run and two stolen bases), Shane Victorino (.519 with two home runs and one stolen base) and Jayson Werth (.370 with one home run and one stolen base) each had great weeks. About the only Phillies basher not hitting well is Pat Burrell, who's batting .216 since the All-Star break and probably doesn't deserve to start in mixed leagues during the final week.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Has Adam A. LaRoche picked up where he left off when he strained his oblique in late July? He sure looked like it over the last week, hitting .375 (9-for-24) with four home runs. Get the streaky player active in all leagues for the final week ... After an inauspicious start to the second half, 2008 breakout Nate McLouth has finished the season strong, batting .369 (24-for-65) with three home runs and seven stolen bases in September. Keep him active in all leagues.

San Diego Padres: Luis O. Rodriguez, starting at shortstop, left Tuesday's game with a strained triceps in his right arm and hasn't started since. He did appear as a pinch hitter in a 14-inning game Friday, though. Since he has virtually no power along with this injury risk, he doesn't deserve to start in any league ... Jody Gerut also pinch hit during that marathon game, making his first plate appearance since Aug. 27. His sprained finger still has him virtually out for the season, though.

San Francisco Giants: Bengie Molina continues to play like he did earlier in the season, batting .346 (9-for-26) with three home runs over the last week. He remains a must-start in Fantasy, just a half step behind the elite catchers ... Pablo Sandoval, on the other hand, looks like the next elite catcher (assuming he maintains eligibility at the position, of course). He got a day off Saturday, but the Giants normally fit him into the lineup at either first base, third base or behind the plate. So far, he's batting .344 in 128 at-bats. Don't let him go unowned in Fantasy.

Seattle Mariners: Luis Valbuena has become the regular second baseman down the stretch, with Jose Lopez moving to first base. Valbuena might have a future, but he's not hitting well enough to matter right now in Fantasy. Lopez sure is, entering the top 10 at his position with his performance this season. He's batting .400 (10-for-25) with one home run over the last week.

St. Louis Cardinals: Yadier Molina, nursing a deep thigh bruise, hasn't played since Sept. 14. His lack of power makes him a player not worth starting whenever he has any injury risk ... Including Saturday, Troy Glaus has two home runs in five games after missing a week with a sore shoulder. He looks like a safe start in all leagues.

Tampa Bay Rays: B.J. Upton, who has missed the last 10 games with a strained left quad, is improving and could return to lineup Sunday. He actually played some Saturday, entering as a pinch hitter and going 0-for-2, so he looks probable for Sunday. Expect to get him back active Sunday. Of course, he's also playing with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, which explains his loss of power, but with his number of stolen bases, he deserves to start in all Fantasy leagues when healthy ... Evan Longoria, the favorite for Rookie of the Year, had a three-homer game Thursday and looks completely recovered from that fractured wrist. Get him back active.

Texas Rangers: Milton Bradley started for the second straight game and the fourth time in 13 games Saturday after missing time with a sore left wrist and strained lower back. The problems never end for this guy, so start him at your own risk over the final week ... Michael Young left for the second straight game Friday after irritating his fractured right ring finger. By now, he probably just needs to let that broken bone heal. He's hitting only .193 (11-for-57) in September, so play it safe and bench him in Fantasy. German Duran would likely get at-bats in his absence ... Nelson R. Cruz, who got hung up in the minors at age 28 earlier this season, continues to look like a budding star. He's hitting .455 (10-for-22) with one home run over the last week. Don't hesitate to use him as a spot starter in all leagues.

Toronto Blue Jays: An MRI on Rod Barajas Thursday revealed a slight tear in his left hamstring, so he might not return at all over the final week. Gregg Zaun and Curtis Thigpen will split time in his absence, but neither will make much of a difference even in AL-only leagues ... Travis Snider, the team's 2006 first-round draft pick, continues to play like he belongs in the majors as a 20-year-old, batting .389 (7-for-18) with one home run over the last week and .340 (17-for-50) with two home runs overall. He isn't a clear must-start in mixed leagues over the next week, because he could still go ice cold in a heartbeat, but he at least deserves a roster spot.

Washington Nationals: The Nationals don't have any real injury concerns over the final week, but they do have a couple notably hot outfielders. Lastings Milledge is batting .433 (10-for-30) with three stolen bases over the last week and remains unowned in 47 percent of leagues. But Elijah Dukes looks like the even bigger prize, batting .300 (6-for-20) with two home runs over the last week and .308 (24-for-78) with seven home runs and three stolen bases since the All-Star break. He remains unowned in 68 percent of leagues, largely because of his injury history, but he can start in any league if you need an extra outfielder.