Fantasy Forecast

Before I go into this week's fantasy discussion, let's do a quick recap of last week's picks. Since advising the world to pick up Washington outfielder Lastings Milledge from waivers, Milledge has been caught in somewhat of a power slump, going homerless in 11 straight games. However, his 2 stolen bases and steady batting average during this stretch gives me enough reason to stick with him, and I advise you to do the same. His power will come back, and so will your roto points. Chris Carpenter, the Cardinals ace I dubbed the 'less risky' pitching alternative, somehow wound up on the disabled list again. This time it was a shoulder injury. While I was wrong on this note, Francisco Liriano's stellar pitching in his last two starts (0 earned runs in 12.0 innings pitched) should help quell your disappointment. And now, onto this week.


DROP OF THE WEEK

Matt Kemp (Los Angeles, OF): Kemp's season stats (.298 average, 15 home runs, 28 stolen bases) suggest that I am out of my mind for dumping such a solid contributor in so many fantasy categories. However, when a team acquires a goliath such as Manny Ramirez, many things are bound to change, either for better or for worse. And in Kemp's case, it definitely was not for better. Kemp's most valuable fantasy asset is his exceptional speed around the bases. Since the Dodger's acquired as consistent a run producer as Manny, there has been less necessity to send Kemp running. In 20 games since Manny's arrival, Kemp has stolen just 2 bases (0 in last 10 games). Without his speed, Kemp's decent batting average and power is no longer worth occupying an outfield slot. Drop him immediately.



PICK UP OF THE WEEK

Mike Cameron (Milwaukee, OF): How convenient that the pick up for this week is also an outfielder, which makes reorganizing your lineup breezy. With Mike Cameron, you know exactly what to expect: solid power, solid speed, and a poor average. However, Cameron has produced above expectations in the past month, putting up solid power, solid speed, AND solid average numbers. In 91 at bats this past month, Cameron has 7 home runs, 5 stolen bases, and is hitting .291. If you have some breathing room in the batting average category, or are already so far behind that it doesn't even matter anymore, Cameron is a perfect replacement for Kemp in your lineup. He will provide more power, and speed numbers on a much more consistent basis.


ON THE RADAR

Alexei Ramirez (Chicago White Sox, 2B SS OF): Ramirez's recent onslaught of production from a variety of infield positions has me salivating at the possibilities. Ramirez has hit safely in eight straight games, with 5 home runs, 15 RBI, and a .333 average in 33 at bats during that stretch. However, with only 10 home runs in his previous 320 at bats, I'm reluctant to put my reputation on the line by declaring him as a hot pick up just yet. We'll wait until next week to see if this recent power surge continues.