Roto Riteup: March 18, 2013

Monday’s Roto Riteup comes after the announcement of an All Questions Answered thread! Make sure to head over to receive my slightly above-average advice.

On today’s agenda:
1. Pitchers in the AL West
2. What to do with Kyle Lohse
3. Mark Teixeira’s Wrist
4. Cody Ross’ Calf
5. Selected Projections

Pitchers in the AL West
The AL West is home to some great fantasy pitchers, including the likes of Felix Hernandez, Yu Darvish, and Jered Weaver. With all these great pitchers all in one division, owners can often forget about lesser players who can play an excellent supporting role in roto success. Not only are there some talented starters out west, but the division as a whole will be a space for fantasy success. The Angels, Mariners, and Athletics all play in pitcher’s parks, and while Houston’s stadium is better for players at the plate, the Astros’ offense isn’t scaring any fantasy owners away. In the past, picking pitchers in the NL has served as the ultimate tie-breaker, but don’t be afraid to break the mold and go with starters from the Best Coast.

What to do with Kyle Lohse
Lohse isn’t just sitting around on his hands, but the right-hander is still sans-team heading into the last few days of the 2013 preseason. There’s been rumblings that the Brewers or Rangers could get involved, but other teams seem pretty content with the pitchers they have in camp. This much is important to remember: as long as Lohse doesn’t end up back in St. Louis, he’ll be pitching in a comparatively worse environment. Personally, I have a hard time drafting a player without a team, even if that player is as talented as Lohse. You may have different feelings about free agents, but if you select Lohse, be prepared to start the season without him.

Mark Teixeira’s Wrist
Teixeira’s wrist injury was worse than originally expected, and now it appears he’ll be out until June. Teix’s only redeeming quality the past few years were his dingers, but wrist problems tend to severely affect a hitter’s ability to poke the ball out of the yard.

Cody Ross’ Calf
Ross got an owie in early March, and the thought now is that he may be forced to miss the start of the regular season due to a calf strain. An injury to Ross means more time for Gerardo Parra in the D’Backs lineup and more guaranteed time for Adam Eaton.

Selected Projections
Since drafts are upon us all, I figured I’d treat you Roto Riteup readers to a few of my personal player projections.

• Peter Bourjos, OF, LAA: 14 HR, 65 R, 50 RBI, 16 SB, .260 BAVG
• Jhouyls Chacin, SP, COL: 170 IP, 7 W, 4.00 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 113 K
• Homer Bailey, SP, CIN: 180 IP, 13 W, 3.85 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 144 K