By Chris Burrows

To the relief of beleaguered owners who saw the downfall of their league when Tom Brady’s knee was crushed by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard in the first week of the 2008 season, Brady is now listed as probable for the start of training camp. Although the NFL record holder for touchdown passes in a single season is still in a knee brace and skipped some early voluntary team workouts, his surgeon expressed astonishment in early June at his rate of recovery and Brady has thrown some practice passes to his new weapon—Randy Moss—the self-described “best wide receiver of all-time, hands down.” Though Moss has yet to deliver on that promise, it’s safe to put Brady back in at No. 1.

Brian Westbrook won’t be as lucky. He underwent surgery to remove bone fragments from his right ankle and is listed as questionable for the start of training camp. The Eagle’s RB is recovering, though, and Philadelphia’s head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder reassures that Westbrook will be ready when the regular season starts up. Westbrook is too talented and is surrounded by too much potential not to keep on eye on his status leading up to fantasy drafts.

Limping off the field during a practice in early June, Ben Roethlisberger worried fans only to reappear at practice the very next day wearing a knee wrap. His “injury” put him on the “probable” list for training camp but it looks like he’ll be just fine and ready to defend his team’s title when the season ramps up.

Bills Head Coach Dick Jauron explained that Marshawn Lynch sat out a practice date in mid-June for foot x-rays after being stepped on. The good news is that the x-rays were negative, and Lynch’s foot is fine. However, Lynch won’t play until week 4 because of a three game suspension incurred in 2008. Buffalo’s starter at RB, Lynch will need to make up for lost production over those first three games.

It seems like nobody wants to play in Denver—Brandon Marshall included. Marshall’s improving hip injury and odd behavior probably aren’t doing much for him either. The impressive receiver threw up big numbers in 2008 but an injured hip and a bad attitude have kept him away from the practice field. Marshall skipped a mandatory minicamp and meetings and is considered questionable for the start of training camp, but the WR participated in light drills and running at his June 19 high school camp.

Matt Forte is still sitting out practices in Chicago with a hamstring injury but is expected to be available for the start of training camp. Forte can be counted on for major stats if he recovers gracefully. He’s a No. 1 choice for RB.

Veteran WR Derrick Mason is still recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and is listed as questionable for the start of training camp. For fantasy owners this should be a big concern for the 35 year old Mason. He’ll likely be a dependable backup fantasy RB but shouldn;t be highly sought after. Four Baltimore WRs somehow made the injury list but are all probable for camp for Joe Flacco to make a name for himself again in 2009.

Adam Vinatieri, who underwent hip surgery in the off-season, is questionable for the start of training camp as the Colt’s kicker. Probably not a top choice for the fantasy draft especially considering this new development combined with an effective offense under Peyton Manning that doesn’t afford many kicking opportunities and his status as a 13 year league veteran.

Despite undergoing a hip repair in the off-season that reportedly still gives him pain, Kurt Warner has been taking part in team workouts in Arizona and will report for the start of training camp. This only slightly tarnishes his reputation in the desert as he is surrounded by offensive phenoms. He should still be included in the upper echelons of the fantasy draft.

by Steve Nitz

You would think it’s September 2007 the way the Rockies have been playing. Colorado has taken off ever since it fired Clint Hurdle on May 29, going 18-5 under new manager Jim Tracy.

With the hot streak, many Rockies have provided huge boosts for fantasy players. Troy Tulowitzki, Ian Stewart, Clint Barmes, and Ubaldo Jimenez have each had great months after struggling in April and May.

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has been red hot in June. Tulowitzki is currently hitting .346 with five homers, 11 RBIs, and five stolen bases this month. Players who stuck with Tulo through his struggles are finally getting rewarded.

Another Rockie playing much better in June is Ian Stewart. Stewart, once a prized prospect in Denver, will give you average (.299 in June) and power (six homers, 17 RBIs this month). He also has four stolen bases on the year. He’s been a good-looking young player for awhile, and it finally looks like he’s coming into his own. As an added bonus, he’s eligible at 2B and 3B, and has played six games in left field and three in right meaning he could gain eligibility at those spots later in the year.

Barmes hit .259 in April and .253 in May, but has made up for it by hitting .349 in June. He’ll give fantasy owners some pop (eight homers, 37 RBIs on the season) as well as some speed (five steals).

On the mound, Ubaldo Jimenez has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this month. Jimenez, one of the hardest throwers in the game, has three wins while sporting a 2.43 ERA and has 23 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings.
Steve Nitz

By Ted Cahill

The six-man rotation was over before it even started in Boston, but the Red Sox are still rolling the dice without Daisuke Matsuzaka in the rotation.

Matsuzaka’s injury saved Terry Francona from having to manage six starters, two of whom were supposed to stay on their regular schedules. How that was going to happen with off days was never really explained, but it’s now a non issue. Now all that anyone needs to worry about is how well John Smoltz’s shoulder will hold up.

In some leagues Smoltz has been picked up in the past few weeks, anticipating his return from shoulder surgery. But he’s still available in plenty of others (76 percent of ESPN leagues, 47 of Yahoo!). He will make his first start of the year Thursday at Washington, though some might see that as just another rehab start.

The right-hander made six starts in the minors, concluding with 61 pitches in Pawtucket last week. Smoltz posted a 2.63 ERA during his rehab and won’t have pitched in a week when he faces the Nationals.

So far Boston has had plenty of success with the risky free agents they signed over the winter. Brad Penny is pitching so well, the Red Sox are reluctant to trade the starter at the deadline. Rocco Baldelli and Takashi Saito have performed their roles effectively, verifying Theo Epstein’s decision to sign them.

Now it is Smoltz’s turn to show he was worth the $5.5 million the Red Sox offered him.

He topped out at 92 mph in his final start in the minors, but said that he didn’t control his split finger well. He’ll surely get that problem solved and be ready to go for Boston.

The greater concern for the Red Sox and fantasy owners is the 42-year old’s health. But if you’re a Matsuzaka owner or just in the market for another starter Smoltz is an arm that has to be considered.

Struggling Santanas: Much has been made of Johan’s midseason swoon this year and on the West Coast, where it’s a little less noticeable, Ervin is having difficulty coming back from an injury that kept him out for the first month of the season. There really isn’t too much cause for concern with either pitcher, they’re both very good and obviously Johan is one of the best in the game. But watch for how they handle themselves this week.

Johan will make a start in expansive Citi Field against the Cardinals, who haven’t been hitting the ball too well lately. As long as he avoids getting in trouble with Albert Pujols everything should be worked out for Johan.

Ervin, on the other hand, is more a question mark. He was skipped last time in the rotation because of a forearm strain, suffered during an ineffective outing against Tampa Bay. The right-hander threw a bullpen session Sunday and said he feels pain free. He’ll start at home against Colorado on Tuesday. He’s been up and down since coming off the DL, but we must remember that this is still a bit like Spring Training for him. He should start to turn things around.

Caught in the Webb: Arizona ace Brandon Webb suffered another setback in his rehab last week and his bullpen session was canceled. Webb hasn’t pitched since Opening Day and will have an MRI Monday. There has been some talk about pushing back the Cy Young winner’s return from around the All-Star break to possibly next season.

It’s difficult to determine whether this affects the last-place Diamondbacks more than fantasy owners who expected Webb to be a top of the line starter again. Without Webb the Diamondbacks are finished this year, but they’re already 16 games behind in the NL West and 8.5 back in the Wild Card race.

Fantasy owners can look elsewhere for starters, but the prospect of an entire season without Webb is very bleak. Arizona may decide not to bring him back even if he’s ready in August or September if they don’t make up some ground soon. Depending on the results of the MRI and the inevitable second opinion, it may be time to cut him loose and free up the DL spot on your team.

Pitcher pickup of the week: Brad Penny, Red Sox

Penny is making two starts this week, against Washington and Atlanta. The right-hander is 4-1 with a 3.61 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP in his last eight starts. This year his home-road splits haven’t been that favorable, but in his last two road starts he’s 1-0 with 12 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings. Also the benefits of pitching in Washington shouldn’t be overlooked. This might be a pickup that actually sticks past this week because Penny seems to be regaining the form that made him one of the premier pitchers just a few years ago.

Favre proved himself as an overhyped disappointment to fantasy owners in 2008. He led all quarterbacks in the league with 22 interceptions, ranked 11th in yardage with 3,472 and had a dipped rating in the low 80s. His arm’s last season in Green Bay, by comparison, managed a 4th ranked 4,155 yards with 15 interceptions and a QB rating of 95.7.

Another year older and still getting continuous press, it looks like Favre will lead another team into mediocrity in his 18th season of play. If he joins up with the Vikings—and it looks like he will—Favre isn’t a top contender for a starting QB spot for fantasy owners but the move will have far-reaching implications in the fantasy world.

Favre’s second retirement—from the Jets—opened the door for the Jets to bring on an asset to their future in first round draft pick Mark Sanchez from USC. Considered by many to be the top QB pick of the draft, Sanchez will force Kellen Clemens to perform to keep his starting role in New York. Head Coach Rex Ryan has said that the quarterbacks are in a “dead heat” for the top spot. Both QBs are unproven in their role and are therefore risky choices as fantasy starters.

But with Favre out of the picture, the Jets have renewed their reverance for the run game. Drafting running back Shonn Greene in the third round, the Jets are looking to supplement a ground offensive that ranked 9th in the league with RB Thomas Jones breaking out his first double digit TD season with 13 and 1,312 yards last season. Jones should have an even better 2009 behind an offense with one of the best point-of-attack metrics in the league and a quarterback that isn’t looking to squelch legions of fans and reporters. Jones will be a top fantasy contender with Favre gone.

Of course, Brett Favre in Minnesota means plenty of changes there. If Favre undergoes yet another unretirement, the slotted starter, Sage Rosenfels who is nothing special and hasn’t yet started a full season in the NFL in 8 seasons, will see another season in the backseat. Minnesota ranked 25th in passing in 2008 so its receivers will see a boost in yardage from any kind of arm.

Bernard Berrian certainly wouldn’t mind more catches that would come along with Favre—Berrian only had 48 receptions as the starting wide receiver in 2008 but came up with a spectacular league leading 20.1 yards per catch for just 964 yards. First-round draftee Percy Harvin shows Minnesota’s commitment to their lacking air-offensive. With Favre given the go-ahead for more tosses, Berrian could be a highly productive fantasy starter in 2009.

By Chris Burrows

Production on the ground is of course where the Vikings have dominated behind the imposing force that is Adrian Peterson who can only be expected to bring another breakout season even with Favre at the helm. The Vikings won’t be able to ignore the league-leading runner from 2008 who had 1,760 yards on 363 carries but his production may suffer with a more air-based offense under Favre.

On the off-chance that Favre stays retired (we can only hope), Minnesota will struggle under an under-experienced starting QB and will continue to rely on Peterson to shoulder the load. While it continues to be a painful offseason filled with Favre hype, Favre himself is apparently pain free after he underwent arthroscopic surgery in late May to repair a partially torn biceps in his throwing shoulder.

By Steve Nitz

We are in the middle of June, which means we’ve seen a fair amount of top prospects get called up recently. I’m here to take a look at some of them, and tell you whether you should be adding them off the waiver wire or not.

Tommy Hanson (Braves)-Rated the No. 4 prospect in all of baseball by BaseballAmerica before the year, Hanson dominated AAA, going 3-3 with a 1.49 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings. His first two starts weren’t anything special (although he still had a good strikeout rate), but Hanson threw six scoreless innings at Cincinnati June 18. He’s worth adding in mixed leagues.

Gordon Beckham (White Sox)-Beckham, the No. 8 overall pick in last year’s draft, has gotten off to a slow start to his big league career. The Georgia product is below the mendoza line and hasn’t homered yet. He has been better the last few games and is capable of becoming an all-star. However, I wouldn’t be adding him any time soon, unless you are weak at third base in AL only leagues.

Andrew McCutchen (Pirates)-McCutchen has gotten off to a scorching start ever since he took over in center field after Nate McClouth was dealt to the Braves. McCutchen currently sits at .333 with one homer, nine RBI’s, and two stolen bases. He’s definately worth adding in NL only leagues if he’s still a free agent. Considering his position and the possibility of stolen bases, mixed leaguers should think about adding him as well.

Kyle Blanks (Padres)-Blanks was called up to San Diego Friday. He should see a good amount of playing time in left field after hitting .283 with 12 homers and 38 RBI’s for AAA Portland. But he does play at Petco and San Diego doesn’t have much offensively with the exception of Adrian Gonalez. I would wait before adding him in any league.

Sean West (Marlins)-West put up mediocre numbers at AA Jacksonville with an ERA of 4.85 and a WHIP of around 1.50. But so far he’s gone 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in five starts since being called up. However, his horrible 15/13 K/BB ratio suggests he won’t keep this up. You have to be desparate for pitching to add him.

By Dustin Sullivan

In the 2009 MLB Draft, the Washington Nationals selected RHP Stephen Strasburg as the #1 overall pick. Strasburg throws a fast ball that consistently hits 100 plus on the radar gun and only drops to the mid-90s as the game goes on. Many baseball experts say that he will be a starter in the big leagues within the next year, but I think that he’ll be with the Nationals rotation sooner than most people think.

When you have a team like the Washington Nationals that are struggling in both on and off the field areas, Strasburg is just the guy they need to be the “savior” of the organization. The Nationals are a struggling team with only one or two players that could be considered All-Stars. Strasburg is the perfect guy to help the Nationals’ pitching staff get back in the right directions. Strasburg, if he plays this year, will be entering a pitching staff that has the worst ERA in the Major League at 5.34. The Nationals will be taking a risk in possibly bringing Strasburg to the Majors earlier than any player has ever been called up, but I think it’s a risk that should be taken. This is a Nationals’ team that not only needs someone to turn their season around, but would come in and bring confidence to a struggling organization in the years to come. Many people say that Strasburg is more than ready to pitch in the Majors and, in my opinion, there is no reason sticking him in the Minors where he will dominate easily. If the kid is ready to take on the best hitters in the game, then let him go for it!