Roto Riteup: Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Yesterday I mentioned that ESPN added a good deal of players to their player universe, but I failed to go in to depth as to who you should be looking at. So, without further ado, here are four names you’ll want to look into if you’re in a large ESPN keeper league:

– James Paxton, SP, SEA: Currently cruising in Double-A, Paxton was once a top draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays, but refused to sign and has been the gauntlet ever since. He throws a fastball in the low- to mid-90s with nice movement, and the 22-year old also possess a very nice breaking ball. I’d guess Paxton is up during the middle of 2012 if not sooner, and with the Mariners defense and ballpark, he could put up solid numbers right away.

– Steve Lombardozzi, 2B, WAS: The Nationals like Lombardozzi so much that they were unwilling to include him in a trade for Denard Span at the deadline. It sounds like their long-term plan is to move Danny Espinosa to SS and start Lombardozzi at second, and it could happen as soon as next season. The 22-year old is a switch-hitter without a great deal of pop or base stealing ability, but he should be able to hit for a high average when all is said and done.

– Taijuan Walker, SP, SEA: Walker is a ways away from the big leagues, but he has established himself as one of baseball’s premier pitching prospects. His fastball sits in the mid-90s with good movement, and he has a solid breaking ball to work with. I’d guess Walker makes it to the majors in 2014.

– A.J. Cole, SP, WAS: Like Walker, Cole is a ways away from The Show, but he has some monster potential. If you’re willing to wait a few years, he’s a decent addition.

Now, one more note to get you through your Wednesday.

– If you have Brandon Morrow on your roster today, you should definitely start him. Morrow has a sub-3 ERA away from Rogers Centre*, and his fly-ball tendencies should be mostly negated by Safeco Field.

* In case you were wondering, I am very pleased with myself for spelling “Centre” that way without even thinking about it.

A Pitcher For Today: Dillon Gee at SDP
It’s really a rough day for spot starters, so just go with the guy who’s going to have some room for error.

A Pitcher For Tomorrow: Mike Minor vs SFG
There isn’t a full slate of games, and most of the pitchers going are either widely owned or likely to get shelled. If you can help it, take a day off from streaming.

PickSix Lock of the Day: Adam Lind ($5.25) at SEA (Blake Beaven)
Beaven likes to throw fastballs, and I’m willing to bet Lind takes advantage of one over the heart of the plate and pulls it out of the park.
Prediction: 2-5, HR; 15.6 points
Past Predictions: 9 players, $155.25, 52.3 pts