Roto Riteup: August 9, 2012

Today’s Roto Riteup is a lot like Mac N’ Cheese with hot dogs cut up into it; it’ll get you where you need to go, it’ll taste pretty good, and it’ll make you feel like trailer trash.

• Despite a magical run earlier this season, Bryan LaHair is now heading to the bench to make room for top prospect Brett Jackson in the Cubs’ outfield. LaHair already moved to make room for Anthony Rizzo at first base, but his recent struggles dictated the Cubs push him aside to create space for another kid. It’s rare to see a hitter with a .345 wOBA on the year take a seat, but LaHair’s been absolutely killed over the past two months of ball games, and at 29 years old, he’s not a big part of the Cubs’ future.

• Brett Jackson, on the other hand, is part of the Cubs’ future. Well, maybe. Jackson has been doing his thang in the majors, striking out in eight of his first 11 at-bats (13 plate appearances). He’s still young, but I doubt Jackson will ever have much value in leagues that count batting average. In OBP leagues, Jackson will eventually be a source of power and steals, but his OBP will never be that far above average.

• If you’re looking for interesting prospect news, here’s something for you: The Mariners look to be trying Francisco Martinez in center field. Martinez was acquired in last year’s trade for Doug Fister, and the 21-year old has previously manned the hot corner in the minor leagues. Martinez, currently in Double-A, has not developed a bat to match his glove at third, so seeing the team attempt to maximize his value by moving him around the field is not exactly a surprising move. Fantasy owners won’t see Martinez until at least mid-2014 unless his bat improves overnight, but this is now an interesting situation to keep an eye on in dynasty leagues due to the power potential that could still lie in the youngsters game.

• We’re not going to talk about Dan Straily’s start against the Angels last night. It was against a powerful lineup. Leave the poor guy alone.

For those of you who play daily fantasy games like FanGraphs: The Game, or just like to stream players, here are a couple matchups you may be able to exploit.

A Pitcher for Today: Joe Saunders at PIT
As much as I hate to admit it, Saunders is actually a decent play in a park that stifles right-handed power.

A Pitcher for Tomorrow: Mark Rogers at HOU
Read as “blablablawhocares at HOU.”

A Hitter for Today: Boston RH at CLE (Chris Seddon)
Chris Seddon makes me laugh. That’s all you need to know.