Also at The FantasyDrafthelp.com Blog.
Fantasy Baseball Hot Pickups
NOTE: These players are the hottest waiver wire pickups currently in CBS Sports leagues.
^ Juan Cruz (from 8 to 40% ownership, +32): Saves are a hot commodity, no matter how short-lived the opportunity may be. Cruz has been red-hot, but he won't take the job from RP Soria long-term, but here's another but: Soria will probably be babied when he gets back this time. So, long story short, Cruz can only really help over the next few weeks.
^ Matt Palmer (from 4 to 35% ownership, +31): A classic late-bloomer, Palmer is making the most of his opportunities in the depleted Angels' rotation. There's no reason to believe that he'll be relegated to the bullpen even when the team's DL empties.
^ Shairon Martis (from 16 to 44% ownership, +28): At 5-0, with no discernable reason to believe in him before this year nor present stats that indicate that he's anything more than a product of great run support, he's a classic rearview mirror acquisition.
^ Luke Hochevar (from 20 to 46% ownership, +26): A noted elite prospect for the past couple of years, fans were desperate to believe that he would produce for real once given his latest opportunity -- and then he got shelled. Don't put your faith in him at this stage of the game.
^ Brett Cecil (from 12 to 31% ownership, +19): This youngster is off to a hot start in the bigs as part of a pitching staff that is hitting on all cylinders. With his superlative surroundings (at the moment, anyway), he is an excellent pickup at least until his first time around the league comes to an end.
^ Juan Pierre (from 35 to 52% ownership, +17): Manny's pain is the fast guy's gain. He's starting to make the most of his second chance in SoCal and steals remain a (somewhat) rare commodity. Jump on his bandwagon if you can.
^ Matt Harrison (from 8 to 25% ownership, +17): He could well be a classic late-bloomer, given his minor-league pedigree. His home ballpark will get much tougher once the North Texas humidity kicks in, but enjoy his hot streak at least for now.
^ Jorge De La Rosa (from 9 to 25% ownership, +16): He's been good, but not great, and will have every opportunity to avoid being exiled to the bullpen as part of this awful rotation. Consider him a decent lower-end option.
^ Barry Zito (from 40 to 55% ownership, +15): Ah, Sabean's Folly! He had to rally pretty well over the past several weeks just to get to his present numbers (3.89 ERA, 1.32 WHIP). There's not a lot of room for growth left there, as his most recent start proved.
^ Nick Johnson (from 27 to 41% ownership, +14): He's putting up nice numbers, but the next DL stint is only a matter of when, not if (the reason his ownership level remains so low notwithstanding his upside). If you can add him on the cheap, ride him until he breaks down again.
^ Jerry Hairston (from 3 to 17% ownership +14): He's on a tear, has speed and can play at SS and OF in most leagues. As a spare part, what's not to like?
^ Michael Cuddyer (from 21 to 34% ownership, +13): Cuddyer has had production that is decent, but nothing to write home about, so don't get carried away with him.
^ Willy Taveras (from 40 to 52% ownership, +12): It's probably not too late to get in on his hot streak, which as always features plenty of steals, but once he invariably cools off, don't presume he'll be getting at-bats every day in that volatile outfield.
^ Andrew Bailey (from 30 to 42% ownership, +12): It's a wonderful life for Bailey owners these days! Uh, sorry about that. As a likely closer-in-waiting, he's a great pickup and he is also very useful in deeper leagues that place a premium on outstanding middle relievers.
^ Eric Stults (from 16 to 28% ownership, +12): With the depth of options that will be available in LA as the year rolls on and the likelihood that he's been pitching over his head most of the way thus far, he's another apparent rearview miror pickup.
Fantasy Baseball Hot Drops
NOTE: These players are the biggest waiver wire drops currently in CBS Sports leagues.
^ Phil Hughes (from 74 to 47% ownership, -27): Dropped in 27% of leagues? We had no idea that that Steinbrenner family had that many fantasy baseball franchises among them! Granted, after a promising start he has regressed sharply, but the Yanks don't have that many candidates for an internal upgrade (nor that many potential trading chips at the moment). Unless you're in a league that doesn't allow you to reserve or bench anyone, you'd have to have your head examined to bust a hot slug in him before the Yanks do.
^ Jonathan Sanchez (from 60 to 47% ownership, -13): He's had three awful starts in a row, but had a nice run prior to that. People, a little more "steady as she goes" would do many of you a world of good with some of your young starting pitchers. The fact that FDH Managing Partner Rick Morris held onto Matt Harrison long enough to benefit from his current production proves that we practice what we preach. Now, Sanchez may well be suffering a crisis of confidence that could and should lead to severe downgrades, but he seems like a classic "panic sale" at this point.
^ Brandon Morrow (from 78 to 66% ownership, -12): Downgraded from closer? Yeah, dump him posthaste.
Fantasy Baseball: Hot Pickups and Drops
