LestersLegends.com

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Andy Pettitte vs. Seattle Mariners
He’s back. He hasn’t been sharp  (5.40 ERA in ten Double-A and Triple-A innings), but he’s Andy Pettitte. Plus, he has a favorable first match-up.
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Season Totals:  17-11,  230-2/3 IP, 168 Ks, 3.16 ERA (81 earned runs), 1.12 WHIP (184 hits, 75 walks)

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After getting knocked around by Oakland (of all teams) on Sunday Matt Moore comes into today’s start with a 1-2 record, a robust 5.71 ERA, and a troubling 1.64 WHIP. Not only are opponents batting .289 against him, he has had issues with control walking 18 batters in 34-2/3 innings. He has also yielded six long balls.
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Obviously the 22-year old phenom who set the league on fire wrapping up the regular season with a 2.89 ERA in 9-1/3 innings and posting a 0.90 ERA in ten playoff innings, isn’t going to be on the chopping block for fantasy owners, but he could be on the trading block.
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The elephant in the room when it comes to Matt Moore’s 2012 fantasy outlook is the potential innings cap. Tampa Bay figures to be in the playoffs or at least in the chase, but they could still monitor Moore’s innings to protect their investment.
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If you believe in Matt Moore, and why wouldn’t you, that is certainly something you should be in the ear of his fantasy owner with. Plant that seed and hope it grows.
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I would also play up the fact that he has yet to face the Blue Jays, Orioles or the Yankees and got bombed in his lone appearance against the Red Sox. He plays in a tough division that features five of the top ten home run totals in the league. That is cause for concern and could also play into your favor.
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Moore has really been smacked around in two of his starts. In the other four he has a 3.04 ERA. Obviously he’s going to have some bad starts, but he’s way better than his numbers would lead you to believe.
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His owner may still be reluctant to sell low on Moore, but it’s ceratinly worth exploring.
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Also check out:

• Should You Be Streaming Gerardo Parra?
• Can James McDonald Keep Fantasy Owners Saying “I’m Lovin’ It”?
• Can Edwin Encarnacion Continue to Swing a Hot Bat?
• Fantasy Feast Closer Report – 5/12/12
• Are You High on Smyly?

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Charlie Morton vs. Houston Astros
Morton has been blasted in his past two starts (9 earned runs in 10-1/3 innings), but he still maintains a 4.61 ERA. He’s pitching at home where he sports a 3.00 ERA (3.77 in 13 2011 home starts ). Last year he was 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA at home against the Astros.
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Season Totals:  16-11,  224-2/3 IP, 168 Ks, 3.16 ERA (79 earned runs), 1.11 WHIP (176 hits, 74 walks)

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Gerardo Parra is off to a solid start this year hitting .260 with 16 runs, two home runs, 12 RBI, and eight stolen bases.
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The run total is solid and he is already over halfway towards setting a career high in stolen bases. Clearly if you need some help in the stolen base category, Gerardo Parra is a solid option to own.
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The masses don’t necessarily agree as he is owned in about 60.0 percent of ESPN and 35.0 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
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I understand his average is not desirable, but he is a a .281 lifetime hitter that is coming off a .292 season. Plus, his .296 BABIP is significantly down from the .342 mark he registered last year and the .335 career mark he boasts. He has been a bit unlucky and numbers in baseball tend to average out.
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One option would be to stream Parra when he faces right-handed pitching. So far this year he’s hitting .288 with a .808 OPS against righties and a mere .150 with a pathetic .293 OPS. Those numbers simply aren’t cutting it.
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He was much better last year hitting .277 with a .790 OPS against southpaws (.296, .782 against righties). In 2010 he was .283, .700 against lefties and .257, .674 against righties. While he has struggled mightily against left-handed pitching, his past success does provide some hope for improvement.
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In any case, I would still hesitate to use him against lefties until he starts trending in the right direction. Against right-handed pitching, Parra should give you an immediate boost in runs and stolen bases, as well as an eventual average boost.
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Also check out:

• Can James McDonald Keep Fantasy Owners Saying “I’m Lovin’ It”?
• Can Edwin Encarnacion Continue to Swing a Hot Bat?
• Fantasy Feast Closer Report – 5/12/12
• Are You High on Smyly?
• Are You Rockin’ Reddick?

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James McDonald vs. Houston Astros
McDonald (who we profiled recently) is 2-1 record with a 2.70 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in 36-2/3 innings. He has 25 Ks in his past three starts. He’s pitching at home where he’s 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA. He was 2-1 against the Astros last year with a 1.80 ERA.
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Season Totals:  16-10,  216-2/3 IP, 168 Ks, 3.24 ERA (78 earned runs), 1.13 WHIP (172 hits, 72 walks)

We’re proud to announce the first online fantasy sports championship of its kind: The DraftDay Online Championship of Fantasy Sports.
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This 5-day fantasy baseball event will showcase DraftDay’s best, culminating in a $20,000 Main Event on Friday May 25.
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With over $40,000 in guaranteed prizes, players will compete in a variety of game formats including Turbo, Hit It & Win, and reduced salary cap, while battling for position on our Player of the Series leaderboard.
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Player of the Series Point Structure
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In addition to big guarantees, DraftDay will also be running daily satellites, offering players a chance to win a seat in the Main Event for as little as $1.
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Player of the Series – Each time you cash in one of the DOCOFS Events, you’ll earn Player of the Series points (see point structure).  The top point-earners at the end of the series will be eligible for additional prizes. Here are the top awards:
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1st – Heads-Up game vs DraftDay Endorser and Sirius XM Radio Host, Kay Adams, winner wins $2,000
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2nd – 11th – Private 10-man game with $1,000 in cash prizes
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Note: Players who cash in Event 2, 3, & 6 will receive 25 points. In the event of a tie, the highest single team score of the series will be used as a tie-breaker.
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So circle your calendars for the week of May 21 – May 25 and get ready for the inaugural DOCOFS schedule (Guarantees in BOLD):
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May 21 (7:05p) – Event 1 – $10 Warm-Up $10,000
May 22 (7:05p) – Event 2 – $10 Hit It & Split It, NL-Only $2,000
May 22 (7:05p) – Event 3 – $10 Hit It & Split It, AL-Only $2,000
May 23 (12:35p) – Event 4 – $50 Turbo, $4,000
May 23 (7:05p) – Event 5 – $10 90k Salary Cap, $2,000
May 24 (7:10p) – $10 4 Main Event Seat Guarantee
May 24 (7:10p) – $50 5 Main Event Seat Guarantee
May 24 (7:10p) – Event 6 – $25 Double Up, $2,000
May 25 (7:05p) – Event 7 – $200 Main Event, $20,000
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Winners of Event 1, 4, & 5 will receive a Main Event Entry and custom avatar.

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Henderson Alvarez @ Minnesota Twins
Alvarez is fresh off a shutout and has only allowed one run in his past two starts (15 innings) to lower his ERA to 2.83 with a 1.04 WHIP. He has five quality starts (out of six) this year. He’s 1-1 with a 1.13 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP on the road.
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Season Totals:  15-10,  209-2/3 IP, 166 Ks, 3.31 ERA (77 earned runs), 1.12 WHIP (165 hits, 69 walks)