Players of the Week

Jay Bruce - OF – Cincinnati Reds  

Jay Bruce had a huge week for the Reds, leading all starting Major League hitters in Slugging Percentage for the 7 days. He ended the week with a Home Run in each of the last 4 games, one of them being the go-ahead homer in the 8^th inning Sunday against Houston. Bruce is a very streaky hitter, but at his current pace he’s looking at a 52 HR and 125 RBI season. Even though that may be a bit unrealistic, a 40 Homer season with 100 RBI’s is definitely not out of reach for this slugger.

Derek Lowe - SP – Cleveland Indians   

Derek Lowe had 2 starts this past week, both very good outings that led to wins. He’s now holds a 4-1 record for the season with a 2.27 ERA. He won’t get you many strikeouts, but so far he’s been very solid in everything else and might be worth taking a look at after such a great week. If he could finish with a mid-3 something ERA, he’d make many fantasy owners happy.

Player to Watch

Bryan LaHair - 1B, OF – Chicago Cubs

Bryan LaHair is not known by many people, but it’s about time he is. Currently hitting .382 with 4 HRs and 12 RBI’s, there’s no reason his power numbers should decline hitting in the heart of the Cubs lineup. Sure, his average may dip a little, but for a guy who is on pace for 29 HR and 88 RBI and is very capable of reaching that, you might want to take a look if he’s still available in your league.