James Quintong

  (3:06 PM)

Hey all. Sorry for the delay. As usual, I'll open up the floor for both baseball and football questions. Looks like a bunch more football questions coming in lately. But let's start with some baseball.

Matt (Huntington Beach, CA)

Are you guys doing a top 300 for the second half of fantasy baseball this year? Thanks.

James Quintong

  (3:07 PM)

Our top 340 baseball rankings just went up this afternoon although there's still some tweaking to be done.

Jimmy Rollins- Philly

Where did my power go? Would you trade me and Gavin Floyd for Longoria and K-Rod or if I cannot get that one for Lidge and Orlando Cabrera. I need saves or power at the Corner. Thanks, JRo

James Quintong

  (3:09 PM)

Good question, although you could only rely on him for so much power. That deal for Longoria and K-Rod sounds good, though.

Cwynar (Boston)

Yo James buddy, I've been hanging onto Jorge Posada all year now but I am about to drop him for Ianetta now that he has the starting job. Who would you rather take for the rest of the year?

James Quintong

  (3:09 PM)

I'd still take Posada.

Brian (NYC)

James...need to drop one of my DL'd guys...Capps and Furcal. Leaning towards Capps...what do you think? Will he be any more of a factor this year?

James Quintong

  (3:10 PM)

I might just drop both guys, since I doubt either is a factor this year.

atlanta, georgia

Got achance to trade fro Ethier but afarid he will lose time when Pierre comes back because the outfield is already crowded with kemp and Jones. Would you trade for him if not giving up too much?

James Quintong

  (3:12 PM)

Well, Pierre is still out a few more weeks, and I don't think he'll be the same factor when he returns, so Ethier will still get his looks. Besides, how much longer can Joe Torre rely on Andruw Jones when he has a chance at winning the division.

Suzanne (Oak Park, IL)

Only top 340 starters available in our league are Bush, E. Jackson and Owings. I?m currently carrying Chan Ho Park and O. Dotel. Of these five, which two should I have for the rest of the season?

James Quintong

  (3:13 PM)

In this order, I'd go Bush, Jackson, Dotel, Owings, Park. At least for now.

Watson (Chattanooga, TN)

JQ: Yo were really down on Bobby Abreu in your post all-star rankings. Please explain your reasoning. Love your stuff!

James Quintong

  (3:15 PM)

He'll post some RBIs, but that declining average this month doesn't bode well for me. Don't know if he'll hit many more homers, either. He's still pretty good, but maybe not as great as before.

Dan (Boston)

AJ Mass didn't even rank Tim Hudson in the top 340? Was that a mistake?? Because it's ludicrous...how do you see Hudson's second half?

James Quintong

  (3:16 PM)

No, it's no mistake, and we'll have something later that explains his train of thought. But as for me, I think his numbers are on par with what he's got now -- very solid but strikeouts lower than you'd like.

John (Detroit)

James, rank these OF guys from here on out: Victorino, Rowand, Adam Jones. Thanks!

James Quintong

  (3:16 PM)

The order you've got there seems about right to me.

Reggie (Gurnee, IL)

Do you think Lowrie is a good guy to have for the next 4 weeks, or so? Is Cora going to take away too many starts from him?

James Quintong

  (3:17 PM)

I'd rather have Lowrie out there over Cora, that's for sure. I'd pick him up if you need to replace Lugo.

Jon (Chicago)

I'm in fourth place in my league and I need another reliable starter to make a run at the championship. Bedard has been very unreliable all year. Should I trade Bedard and Votto for James Shields? Also please give me your opinion on Hermida for the rest of the year.

James Quintong

  (3:19 PM)

I think that's a bit too much to give up for Shields. I'm not as high on Bedard as before, but I think Votto will be very good in the second half. As for Hermida, he could hit 12-15 homers going forward.

Josh Hamilton (TX)

Should I be a legitimate first round pick next year?

James Quintong

  (3:20 PM)

He's on the cusp of being a first-round pick, that's for sure. I'm curious to see how he'll hold up for an entire season, though. Hamilton is in the running, though, especially if he can continue to drive in guys like Kinsler and Young all the time.

Brian (Chicago, IL)

Do you think Pence will have a big second half? Or should I move him if I can get Hideki Matsui or Jacoby Ellsbury.

James Quintong

  (3:22 PM)

Pence will be pretty good, but not great in the second half. That walk rate still scares me. I'm not high on Matsui because of his injury, although Ellsbury is worth looking at with all the speed. Depends on what you need, I guess.

Scott, Groton CT

'Better speculative pickup for the 2nd half: Brett Myers or Chris Young (SD)?

James Quintong

  (3:24 PM)

Well, I've got both of these guys sitting on my bench in an NL-only league, so I want to say both. I'd probably take Myers slightly over Young, only because Myers might actually be ready to pitch sooner. Young's return is uncertain and I wonder how long he'll need to take to not be afraid of being struck by a line drive again.

PICK ME (PLEASE)

Currently have J Vasquez, Mussina, and Buchholz. Would you drop any for Maine, Baker, Petitte, or even Wakefield. Just looking for consistentcy.

James Quintong

  (3:25 PM)

Maybe Buchholz for any of the guys you mentioned. They're all have similar potential stats (except maybe Wakfield) going forward.

Steve (Kansas)

Is Headley ever a top 10 3B/OF? Any projections on him going forward?

James Quintong

  (3:27 PM)

Right now, I'd say no, especially in that ballpark. He'd need to be really special, like Adrian Gonzalez, to get up to that range. I think he could be a guy in the Josh Willingham area, at least for this season.

brian (Orlando)

Better second half Tulo or Peralta?

James Quintong

  (3:30 PM)

I'll go with Peralta. I'm still not sold on Tulo this year, but I think he'll be fine in the future.

Scott, Groton CT

Joey Votto: Unless he moves up in the batting order, I think everyone's too Bullish on his 2nd half projections. Yes, the plate discipline is good and the power is there, but he doesn't get to drive in many runs and scores even less out of that 6 or 7 hole. The reds just hit Homers, they're not a good offense. Your thoughts?

James Quintong

  (3:31 PM)

It's a matter of expectations, I guess. Looking for a decent average and some homers, then he'll be fine. You're right that the Reds just keep on hitting homers with little else, but I also wouldn't be surprised if Votto moves up in the order to tinker with things in the second half.

Tim -(Puyallup, WA)

Question- do I keep Sheff around when I have Ichiro, Kemp, Bay and Hunter?

James Quintong

  (3:32 PM)

Probably not. That's a good set of guys that you probably don't need Sheff around.

Richie (Vegas)

JQ, my man!! (I call you JQ). Talk to me about Zambrano, I noticed you like him more than the other experts. Think he's a safe bet the rest of the way?

James Quintong

  (3:33 PM)

I liked him a little bit more than the other experts, but for the most part, not by a whole lot. Zambrano has kept the walks down, which is a big key to his success. That's the main reason why I think he'll be good the rest of the way (even if the K rate is down; I can see him turning that around).

Todd (Fargo)

Who is the better risk v reward guy for the second half, Liriano or Meyers? Thanks....

James Quintong

  (3:35 PM)

I'd go with Liriano over Myers, but I can see the Twins limiting his innings in the bigs the rest of the way.

James Quintong

  (3:36 PM)

OK, guys ... switching to a little football talk for now. I will try to do some baseball at the end, though.

Rich (Richmond)

Does Peyton Manning's knee surgery change his fantasy value for this year?

James Quintong

  (3:39 PM)

Right now, I don't think it changes it too much. He'll probably miss training camp and exhibition games, but he hardly plays in those things anyways. Manning isn't a scrambling guy, so you're not worried about rushing yards either. I feel he'll be fine for the regular season, but obviously I'd wait and see as the summer goes along.

Mike (Nashville)

FOOTBALL QUESTION: I've got Brady and S-Jax as my keepers right now. I'd much rather go in to the draft with 2 stud RB's than a RB and a QB, so I've tried to deal Brady for LT, AP, or Westbrook without any success. Would you stick with Brady, or would you rather have Portis, Gore, or Barber instead?

James Quintong

  (3:40 PM)

I'd stick with what you've got in terms of keepers. Adding any of those backs with S-Jax and Brady looks like a nice top three to me.

Lance (Chicago)

What does the Kevin Jones signing mean for the Bears? I'm taking a stab in the dark and guessing absolutely nothing?

James Quintong

  (3:41 PM)

Just another guy to compete for carries in Chicago, and even more muddled situation in camp. It still seems like Matt Forte is the main guy for now, though. So yeah, just slightly above nothing for now.

Brad, NJ

Colston or Witten as my fourth keeper??? My others are Peterson, Lynch, and Romo. Thanks

James Quintong

  (3:42 PM)

I'd go with Colston.

Mike Shanahan

Just to let you know, I plan on platooning 5 running backs this year just to screw with fantasy owners.

James Quintong

  (3:44 PM)

Thanks, Mike. Makes the draft that much more fun when we have to guess what undrafted guy will bust out.

Kody Madison,WI

Will Marion Barber be a Top caliber RB this year?

James Quintong

  (3:45 PM)

I have him on the edge of the first round since he's got the starting job and will still score TDs. For now, I don't think Felix Jones will steal too many touches (at least TD-wise) to hurt his value.

Kody Madison,WI

Who will have a better year: Ronnie Brown or Edgerrin James?

James Quintong

  (3:46 PM)

Even coming back from a knee injury, I think Brown has more upside over James, even though I've always been high on Edge.

Mike (Nashville)

I actually can only keep 2 and wanted to know if you thought S-Jax and Brady would be better than S-Jax and Gore, Barber, or Portis.

James Quintong

  (3:48 PM)

Yes, S-Jax and Brady is better than S-Jax and the other guys.

James Quintong

  (3:48 PM)

OK, back to baseball ....

Dan #2 (Boston)

This is a different Dan from Boston! He lost my chance of you posting my question! I asked why no one's been biting at Duchscherer while I've been trying to sell high on him for awhile...

James Quintong

  (3:50 PM)

I guess the point of selling high is that you need to find someone who believes he can keep it up the rest of the way. That ERA is great, though it's hard to believe he can keep it at that level the rest of the way.

Brad (Birmingham)

I need a closer. Who do you like more out of Mike Gonzalez, Damaso Marte, and Masa Kobayashi?

James Quintong

  (3:51 PM)

I'd take them in that order. I actually like Marte more, but there are rumblings that he might be dealt to be a setup guy, much like Brian Fuentes.

Jonathan Broxton (LA, CA)

Am I a better bet for saves and ratios than Hoffman, Gonzalez or Kobayashi the rest of the way?

James Quintong

  (3:52 PM)

The saves thing will depend on Saito's health. Otherwise, yes.

Ari (Miami)

Hey James, what do you think of Oliver Perez in the second half? Will I regret trading him away (not necessarily selling high on him)?

James Quintong

  (3:53 PM)

Way too inconsistent for me. He'll have as many bad performances as good ones, so it's just a matter of what you got for him. For instance, last year, I traded Ollie around the All-Star break when he was still very good for some relief help and didn't look back.

Brian (NYC)

Hi James, thoughts on the closer situation for TB the rest of the season? I picked up Wheeler and he had done squat for me. Will Percival be back before he gets any more save opps.?

James Quintong

  (3:54 PM)

Percival should be back in due time to get the closer's job back. I do like Wheeler, but Grant Balfour has gotten some looks at times, limiting Wheeler's save potential.

Ian (Cooperstown)

Which middle reliever would you drop Izzy for: T Bucholz, Howell, Durbin, Gaudin?

James Quintong

  (3:55 PM)

Probably Buchholz, and then Howell. I still think Izzy will get saves later in the season, though.

DAVID PRICE (TAMPA)

WHEN AM I GETTING CALLED UP!!!

James Quintong

  (3:58 PM)

The conservative estimate will be Opening Day next year. But he's been so good this year, that he could get called up in September. I'm curious, though, if the Rays will want to have him starting if they're still in the thick of the pennant race.

Jeff (oscala, WI)

Thoughts on Jay Bruce in a keeper format where I have him signed cheap for 3 years. Is he a .290, 30, 110, 10 guy as soon as next year? When does he reach elite status?

James Quintong

  (3:59 PM)

Yes, I think Bruce can put up those numbers next year. I've got him locked away cheap in a keeper league as well and think he's well on his way to those numbers.

James Quintong

  (4:00 PM)

OK folks, that's all the time I've got for today. Thanks for all the questions.