Week 7 Preview: Can League Stalwarts Rebound?

The Lower Haighters have terrorized the SFRRC Fantasy Baseball League for two years. Now the competition is fighting back. The defending league champions were humiliated for the second time in six weeks, losing 9-2-1 to the Marin Menehunes last week. They are at the bottom of the West Division, 11.5-games behind the Menehunes. Albert Pujols looks lost. The always-steady bullpen has been rocked. The aura of invincibility is gone.

The Lower Haighters are not alone. HUMA, last year's South Division champion and league runner-up, is last in the division and 11.5-games behind Los Coche Bomba. This despite an MVP-type season from outfielder Josh Hamilton.

The Jersey Boys are not only in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in league history, but they could receive the Wooden Spoon. Mariano Rivera - out. Michael Pineda - out. Wilson Ramos - out. Juan Rivera - out. Core players haven't just suffered injuries, they've suffered season-ending injuries.

The first six weeks have seen a fascinating shift in the league's power structure. But it's early. We haven't reached the one-third mark in the season schedule. There is still plenty of time for the historically strong teams that are now on the mat to rise again.

The Mirrors held off a late surge by the Vicious Fishes to post a 7-5 victory last week and are just 1.5-games out of the North Division lead. Now they face Los Coche Bomba, an 8-3-1 winner over High Cheese last week, and the team with the league's best overall record. Bomba will also be seeking a measure of revenge for the 10-2 pasting they took at the hands of the Mirrors in Week 7 last year. The two teams have split their only two meetings but last year's lopsided victory has the Mirrors with a 14-7-3 advantage in categories won. The Mirrors enter this series with one of the hottest players in the league, second baseman Dustin Pedroia. He had two home runs, a stolen base and nine RBI last week. The Mirrors are last in the league in home runs, RBI, and second to last in runs scored, so they need Pedroia to stay hot. Bomba has a powerful offense, ranking in the Top 5 in both runs scored and RBI. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen laid waste to High Cheese last week, going 11-for-21 with three home runs and a stolen base. Final Prediction: Los Coche Bomba 8-4.

The Machine rallied for a 6-5-1 victory in Week 6 and sit just 3.5-games behind Scully's Slammers in the East Division pennant race but they'll enter this series without home run threat Yoenis Cespedes. He landed on the DL with a wrist injury. High Cheese is coming off a 3-8-1 tub-thumping at the hands of rival Bomba. Still, the team trails by just 5.5-games in the South Division. These teams met twice last year and both series were barn burners. High Cheese won 6-5-1 in Week 8 while they tied 6-6  in Week 19. High Cheese has never lost to the Machine, holding a 2-0-1 record and a 20-14-2 advantage in categories won. Brandon McCarthy is coming off a sensational start for the Machine where he tossed seven scoreless innings while striking out 10. Jay Bruce and Mark Trumbo are providing power for High Cheese. Both had two homers last week. High Cheese will need Joe Saunders, Jered Weaver and Adam Wainwright to bounce back from subpar weeks if the team is going to win this series. Final Prediction: High Cheese 6-6.

The Slammers remain atop the East Division standings following last week's 7-3-2 victory over the Jersey Boys. The team has the league's third best overall record. The starting pitching has been excellent and leads the league in quality starts. Give it a Yankee lost to the Bulls, 4-7-1, in Week 6 and are now 8-games out of the lead in the North Division pennant race. This is the second consecutive week Give it a Yankee has had to face a division leader. Give it a Yankee beat the Slammers 8-4 in Week 13 last year and has won both meetings between the teams. They hold an 18-6 advantage in categories won in those two meetings. The starting trio of Luke Hochevar, Clayton Kershaw, and Wandy Rodriguez will need to repeat last week's excellent performance if Give it a Yankee is going to win this series. Outfielder Carlos Beltran enters the week on fire for the Slammers. He had six homers and 13 RBI last week and would have been the league MVP for the week if not for Josh Hamilton. Final Prediction: Scully's Slammers 8-4.

In their last meeting, HUMA beat the Menehunes 7-3-2 in Week 17 last year. HUMA has never lost to the Menehunes, going 2-0-1, with a commanding 23-11-2 advantage in categories won. But this a new, more nasty breed of Menehune. They thumped the Lower Haighters 9-2-1 last week and lead the West Division by 1.5-games. They are tied for fourth in home runs, they sit fifth in RBI, and ERA, they are second in fewest number of strikeouts, and they're fifth in OBP. HUMA is last in the South Division but the team will have a huge advantage at the back end of the bullpen in this series with closer Kenley Jansen. The battle for pitching points will be waged with the starters, as both teams struggle for quality starts and strikeouts. HUMA will rely on Doug Fister and Jordan Zimmerman. Both enter this series on the heels of quality starts. The Menehunes will try to work some magic with recently acquired Max Scherzer. If Scherzer turns around his season for the Menehunes, there may be some kind of magic at work. Final Prediction: Marin Menehunes 6-6.

What happened to Bacon in Week 6? The team was dismantled 9-2-1 by Home Run 101 and now sits last, 11.5-games back in the North Division. Twinkle Toes narrowly lost 5-6-1 to the Machine and is third in the East Division, 6-games out. The teams split two meetings last year with Bacon at Mile 11 winning 7-5 in Week 20 while Twinkle Toes won 7-3-2 in Week 4. Bacon holds a 2-1 advantage in this series but the teams have split the categories, 15-15-6. Control issues have plagued the Twinkle Toes pitching staff as the team is last in the league in WHIP. Bacon is trying to find a way to get batters on base. The team currently ranks 15th in the league with a .313 OBP. Rookie Mike Trout is coming alive for Bacon as he finished last week 8-for-19 with a home run and a stolen base. Veteran Raul Ibañez is providing the power for Twinkle Toes while third baseman Evan Longoria is out with injury. Ibañez had four homers last week. Final Prediction: Bacon at Mile 11 7-5.

A late rally by the Vicious Fishes helped the team avoid a catastrophe last week but they fell 7-5 to the Mirrors. They sit third in the division, 13th overall, and are now 6-games out. The Cys had HUMA on the ropes but couldn't put them away, losing 5-6-1. They are now third in the South Division, 10-games out of first, and clinging to the league's final playoff spot. The Cys beat the Vicious Fishes twice last year, 7-4-1 in Week 16 and 7-5 in Week 20. The Cys have won all four meetings and hold a 29-16-3 advantage in categories won. The Fishes add closer Henry Rodriguez to the roster this week after trading starters Ricky Romero and Neftali Feliz to acquire his services. The team did not record a save last week. The Cys lead the league in strikeouts and are fifth in quality starts. CC Sabathia, the team's top starter, is coming off an eight inning performance where he struck out 10 batters and did not allow an earned run. Final Prediction: The Cys 6-6.

The Jersey Boys limp into this series, suffering two more serious injuries last week. Young catcher Wilson Ramos suffered a season-ending knee injury while veteran Juan Rivera ruptured a tendon behind his knee and will be lost for up to eight weeks. The team lost 3-7-2 to the Slammers last week, are last in the East Division, and are 22-40-10, the league's worst overall record. Now they face a Bulls team that rallied for a 7-4-1 victory in Week 6, leads the North Division by 8-games, and has the league's second best record.
The Bulls also beat the Jersey Boys 7-3-2 in Week 8 last year and have never lost to the team. They hold a 15-6-3 advantage in categories won. The Jersey Boys may catch a break this week as outfielder Matt Kemp is hobbled by a bad hamstring for the Bulls. Kemp struggled with the hamstring last week, going 4-for-19 with no homers and just one RBI. The Jersey Boys are crossing their fingers that Rickie Weeks is healthy and rebounds from an 0-for-15 week.  Final Prediction: The Bulls 7-4-1.

Home Run pulled the biggest shocker in Week 6, beating Bacon at Mile 11 9-2-1 and moving into third in the North Division. Now they face a Lower Haighters team that is licking its wounds and sitting last in the West Division. Home Run 101 is 0-2 all-time against the Lower Haighters, including an 8-3-1 loss in Week 13 last year. The Haighers hold a 15-7-2 advantage in categories won. The Lower Haighters are last in quality starts so they shipped closers Henry Rodriguez and Drew Storen to the Vicious Fishes in exchange for Ricky Romero and Neftali Feliz. Johnny Cueto and Ryan Dempster will lead a six member starting staff for Home Run 101. Will this be the week Albert Pujols turns his season around? Last week Pujols was 5-for-26 with no home runs. Home Run 101 has added power hitter Johnny Gomes in an attempt to increase the team's home run total. The team is currently 15th in both home runs and RBI. Final Prediction: Home Run 101 6-6.