Here are the latest developments in the inaugural FP911.com Experts League.

It was a crazy week this week in the FP911 Experts’ League. Jeff Erickson of Rotowire.com, pulled out to a ten point lead, almost out of nowhere. As of Monday the lead was still around ten. When we woke up on Tuesday morning we saw this:

Courtesy of Kevin Millwood, Jeff lost nine points in one night. Meanwhile, my squad is still treading water in the 75-80 point range. Perhaps the biggest problem has been the performance of my Yankee-heavy pitching staff. Joba Chamberlain has killed me in his last few starts, Andy Pettitte has just been OK, and the rest of my pitchers got shellacked on a regular basis last week. Clayton Richard, I am looking at you and your inability to let up less than four runs in a game over the last month. 

Jeff is having me as a guest on his show today at 12:30 on BlogTalkRadio, so tune in. I am sure we will discuss our trade of Vladimir Guerrero and Jason Bartlett. How has it worked out so far? In the last 31 days, Bartlett has hit .323 with one home run, seven RBI and three steals. Vlad has hit .319 with three home runs and 15 RBI. So, it looks like a good deal for both teams. Is it coincidence that Jeff's team surged into the lead after the trade? Has Jason Bartlett, last year's Rays MVP, become this year's Erickson MVP? Bartlett is clearly having a salutary effect on the Erickson clubhouse, as he recently broke up a dugout fight between Erik Bedard and AJ Burnett, who were arguing whether Transformers 2 was better than Casablanca.

Derek Carty of The Hardball Times is having a nice year, fantasy wise. He is pounding the LABR league with a huge lead (last that I heard) and is making a bit of a move here, as I said he would a few weeks ago. Whether the momentum can be sustained remains to be seen. Another surge is coming from John Halpin. His team was once in the bottom three and now he is within striking distance, only 20 points out of first place. Pete McCarthy of MLB.com had better watch his back.

Todd Zola’s once mighty squad has fallen from the 100 point level to the middle of the pack. Meanwhile Perry van Hook’s FantasyBaseball.com team has continued to be as indestructible as a cockroach, keeping in the 80 point range with such consistency that it is starting to become annoying. Don’t his players ever have a bad week?

Carty: Pick up Chad Bradford ($1), drop Matt Herges

Erickson: Pick up Lucas French ($12), drop Santiago Casilla

Erickson: Pick up Matt Guerrier ($12), drop Jesse Carlson
(Erickson: $12)

FantasyPros911.com: Pick up Eric Hinske ($35), drop Daric Barton
(FB.com - Van Hook: $19)
(Erickson: $1)
(rotomaniac: $1)

rotomaniac: Pick up Tommy Hunter ($16), drop Coco Crisp
(Erickson: $12)
(Erickson: $12)
(FB.com - Van Hook: $4)
(FB.com - Van Hook: $3)

Erickson: Pick up Ryan Langerhans ($105), drop Rob Johnson
(rotomaniac: $33)

FB.com - Van Hook: Pick up Sean O'Sullivan ($11), drop Don Kelly
Halpin: Pick up Chris Woodward ($25), drop Brayan Pena
(FB.com - Van Hook: $21)
(rotomaniac: $11)
(Mastrodonato: $3)

I have to admit to optimism on the Yankees’ pickup of Hinske. He has had linear weighted power scores in the 140 range, meaning that he is roughly 40% above average, and is now moving to a great hitters’ park. Since he hit a home run yesterday my optimism is even greater. At this stage, any potential for help is useful, and he is probably a better bet to help than Ryan Langerhans or Chris Woodward.

Have the other owners tuned out yet? Every week it seems that only a few owners are trolling the free agent wire; me, Erickson, Lombardo, Van Hook and Halpin. This is one issue with experts leagues, though at least in this league the winner gets a cruise.

My team is in somewhat of a Catch-22. we do not have enough hitting to trade for a starter, having had to trade for Vladimir Guerrero to shore up our power. What is really hurting is Yankee Stadium and its homer-happy ways. Joba Chamberlain’s HR/FB is almost triple its norm. CC Sabathia’s rate is within expectations, but he is letting up fly balls at the second highest rate of his career, which is leading to higher total home runs. A.J. Burnett also has the second highest HR/FB rate of his career, though overall Burnett has been solid thanks to his last few starts.

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