Hanging Chad

I did call him a sleeper. But that’s still an endorsement as much as I tried to couch it as a cross-your-fingers kind of pick. The lack of competition in Arizona has given Chad Qualls an unlimited amount of chances. And outside of Little League, I can’t think of any closers with a 10-plus ERA. But he did record his third save of the season on Friday, lowering his ERA to 10.29. This is progress, Qualls owners. If you haven’t dropped him yet, hang on. This could pay off.

Note: Clearly I wrote that paragraph prior to Monday when Old Chad made an appearance, allowing three base runners on two hits and a walk in just one inning. While he earned the save, he did allow one earned run for a 9.00 ERA. The conclusion I draw here: play him every other day. Just make sure you pick the right day. Or perhaps you have the league settings changed to ignore ERA. Your choice.

Here are a few other notable players worth watching, or adding, if you have roster room:

Kelly Johnson – Six home runs got my attention. With very little homer history, is this a fluke? As the league leader in HRs, he also boasts 10 RBI, while batting .321. Too bad he’s on the Diamondbacks. Just imagine how good he’d be if Qualls could pitch to him. Available in 48 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Wade LeBlanc – This may be only a short-term fix, but his stats are so impressive it may be hard for the Padres to part with him even after Chris Young returns. In two outings, LeBlanc has surrendered just one run over 11 innings. And get this – no walks. Yet, he has 10 strikeouts. Available in 97 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Chris Young – Speaking of Young, he’s owned in only 24 percent of Yahoo leagues. Claim him, and store him on your DL. It’s just a little right shoulder inflammation, so I think he’s worth trying. And actually, in the little action he saw early this season, he performed respectfully – six innings, no runs, one hit, five strikeouts and three walks.

Ted Lily – Another bruised veteran who could improve your pitching staff, Lily just returned from the DL. In his first start back, he earned the win, throwing six shutout innings, striking out four, while yielding three hits and two walks. Not a bad return. Available in 39 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Fantasy Pros 911

Beginning today, I start blogging for Fantasy Pros 911. I’ll continue my Fantasy Girl blog, and my appearances on Sports Radio 610's morning show. Who else is going to manage Vandermeer’s team?

Fantasy Pros is a great resource for the serious fantasy fan. Of course, my columns are anything but serious…so let’s hope my editors don’t catch on to that. While my articles will publish every Tuesday, please visit the site every day and several times a day so I can take full credit for an increase in web hits. Thanks for your cooperation.

Have a question for Erin? E-mail her at erskelley@yahoo.com. Also, tune in to Erin's fantasy football advice on Sports Radio 610 every Friday morning during the football season. And if you want more, more, more, check out Erin's blog on Fantasy Pros 911.

I'm back!

Try going two days without an Internet connection. Add to that, no TV. I’m not embarrassed to say that a house feels empty without a TV on. I suffered several painstaking days feeling excommunicated from the world and from my teams, as I spent the entire week moving into my new home.

I feel guilty for neglecting my teams. It’s hard to make time for scouring the waiver wire when you’ve just spent half a day assembling a closet system (unsuccessfully). And I wasn’t thinking about add/drops or trades as I used the wrong color paint for touchups.

The timing has been terrible too...although I guess there’s never a right time to completely uproot and bubblewrap your life. Not only do I have three fantasy baseball teams, but I was in a close battle for a fantasy basketball championship. Somehow I prevailed without Chris Bosh, and without my full attention. Honestly, I can’t even remember which scrub I added in his place. I would look it up, but I’m saving my energy to get the paint out of my hair.

Needless to say, I’ve been a little distracted. I have just re-introduced myself to my teams. Two are going to be just fine. One is already on life support. I’ll save that for another blog.

Here are a few players I found who are available in most Yahoo leagues. When you’re done claiming them, feel free to help me unpack my boxes. Or better yet, surprise me, and mow my yard. I won’t mind.

Jaime Garcia – The starting pitcher for the 20-inning Cards-Mets game, Garcia pitched seven scoreless innings, surrendering only one hit and two walks. After Saturday’s contest, he lowered his ERA and WHIP to 0.69 and 0.77 respectively. As you guessed, he got a no-decision Saturday.

Casey Blake – The Dodgers third baseman is starting the season with a hot bat, boasting a .353 average, six RBI, three runs and one home run. Available in 42 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Casey McGehee – Undrafted in most leagues, McGehee has been a nice surprise to the Brewers and those who’ve claimed him. Batting .366 with 4 home runs and 9 RBI, McGehee is still available in 32 percent of Yahoo leagues. Eligible at second and third base.

David Huff – Only owned in 2 percent of Yahoo leagues, Huff notched his first career complete game on Thursday for Cleveland. Currently holds a 1.80 ERA with an 0.87 WHIP and five strikeouts.

Dana Eveland – While only the No. 5 pitcher for Oakland, he’s put together ace-like numbers so far with two wins, a 1.35 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. Also only owned in 2 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Tyler Clippard - Not a big fan of middle relievers, but take a look at Clippard as he’s getting a lot of opportunities with the Nationals. Clippard already boasts 8.2 innings, along with 9 strikeouts and an impressive 1.04 ERA and WHIP. Has only served 2 walks. Available in 72 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Have a question for Erin? E-mail her at erskelley@yahoo.com. Also, tune in to Erin's fantasy football advice on Sports Radio 610 every Friday morning during the football season.

Happy Opening Day!

If I weren’t so excited that Opening Day had finally arrived, I might be more annoyed by my three pitchers who just landed on the DL. But it’s ok, I’m oozing with optimism. It’s Opening Day, and the Astros are still in contention.

If you haven’t looked at your roster since your draft, now’s a good time to review it. Here are a few considerations to fill any pitching holes in your lineup. And if you have Yankees or Red Sox, sorry bud. Should have set that this morning.

Ryan Rowland-Smith – I think he’s worth the risk, as he’ll own the No. 3 spot for the Mariners. Despite his last outing on Friday when he surrendered five runs to the Rockies in 4.3, he looked pretty good this spring. He exercises good control and will positively impact your WHIP. And he wears really cool glasses. Available in 54 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Jonathan Niese – Super sleeper pick here, with obvious risk. But if you have a lot of gimpy pitchers or are in an NL-only league, don’t laugh at this suggestion. Niese will hold one of the starting spots for the Mets. Available everywhere.

Paul Maholm – I’m a fan once again of the trusty Pirate. He’ll get you innings pitched and an ERA in the low 4s. And there’s upside here as there are rumors the Pirates would consider trading him. Available in 74 percent of Yahoo leagues.

What? American League Only?

Last year I made the bold move and agreed to manage a second team (shown here drafting last week). I earned a World Series berth in one league. I didn’t even make the playoffs in the other, despite my repeated add/drops. Clearly not challenged enough, I joined a third league this year. And it’s a doozie: American League only, auction-style, keeper league. Too many adjectives. And the benches are super-crazy deep so you’re reaching for eighth graders to fill your roster. For the first time I ever, I felt “draft dumb.” I have players I’ve never heard of, yet I’m more nervous about my players I have heard of. I must schedule a meet-and-greet.

This Mensa-like league is called Jed Wars, a spinoff of Fantasyland’s movie in which an amateur, Jed Latkin, joins an experts-only league. This season, Jed has invited some industry experts and regular fantasy geeks, including me to play in a cut-throat, win-at-all-costs league. You can follow our progress and view our video segments on fantasylandfilm.com. If you’re on Facebook, you can “fan” it.

Good luck to everyone's fantasy teams this season...unless you're in my league.

Have a question for Erin? E-mail her at erskelley@yahoo.com. Also, tune in to Erin's fantasy football advice on Sports Radio 610 every Friday morning during the football season.