Roto Riteup: May 9th, 2012

I worked extra hours yesterday, so be prepared for the ride of your life in today’s Roto Riteup.

• With Jayson Werth out of the lineup for an extended period of time, it looks like phenom Bryce Harper is going to be staying in the majors for quite a while longer. Harper is now hitting second in the Nationals’ lineup, further cementing himself in Davey Johnson’s friend zone. Harper was slugging .500 before yesterday’s game despite not hitting a homer. He’s walked more than he’s struck out, and seeing as his strikeout rate was the only thing bothering me, this is a beyond excellent start. Hold or acquire in all formats, even the shallow ones.

• After dominating in Triple-A, Alex White has joined the Rockies’ rotation. I think White can be a successful MLB starter, but not necessarily in the fantasy realm. Grab him in slightly deeper NL-only leagues.

• Johan Santana’s velocity may still be down compared to the past, but his strikeouts aren’t. Good times.

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: Drew Smyly at SEA
Seattle’s offense stinks, and most of the decent hitters are lefties. Put Drew Smyly in Safeco and you have yourself an ace.

A Pitcher for Tomorrow: Henderson Alvarez at MIN
There’s a limited slate of games today, so options are limited.

A Hitter for Today: Matt Diaz at CHC (Maholm)
If Diaz is in the lineup, use him. If not, abuse him with a wet noodle.