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With the season only 1 week old, it is too early to panic about slow starts. It is also too early to get excited about hot starts. However, it is not too early to be dealing with injuries and multiple players on the DL. So take my suggestions with a grain of salt, unless you are looking for players to cover injuries. Maybe one of these players will create a nice bridge until your key players return. Here is this week’s installment of On The Wire.

Jeff Keppinger SS CIN - Keppinger is a solid hitter and should be looked at closely. He is “only” hitting .429 for the first week of the season. Add in that he already has a homerun and a stolen base, and you have an excellent start to the season. Don’t go dropping a solid shortstop for him, because he may lose his starting job once Alex Gonzalez returns from the DL.

Mike Pelfrey SP NYM - Mets fans will probably cringe at this, but with the injury to Pedro Pelfrey becomes a fixture in the rotation. He is risky for sure, but don’t forget he was a first round pick (9th overall) in 2005. He was also the Mets minor league player of the year in 2006. Sure the major league career ERA is at a frightening 5.55 and a 1.71 Whip. However a HR rate of .67 is a good sign at this point. I certainly am not recommending that you run out and pick him up, but he is someone that you should keep a close eye on.

Carlos Villanueva SP MIL - With everyone clamoring over Manny Parra and Johnny Cueto, they seemed to have missed a great pitcher who also made a rotation. Villanueva had a very solid start against San Francisco. Now grant it, it was against the Giants, but he struck out 6 and only walked 2. He has the stuff, but lacked the control until the end of last year. Watch his walk to strikeout ratio over the next few weeks. If he maintains it above 2.20, then he will be more valuable to fantasy owners.

Mark Grudzielanek 2B KC - What!?! I am actually writing about Grudzielanek! Well… when you post a .500 batting average over the first week, I have to give some attention to it. However, his .533 BABIP is impossible to maintain. So a regression of his batting average will follow suit. Until then, his hot streak just may be what you need to fill in for injuries.

Matt Diaz OF ATL - A lot of sites have been talking up Matt Diaz, and I agree with them. This guy can truly hit. In 358 at bats last year, he hit .356 against left handed pitchers. He also posted a solid .318 against righties. However, most of his homeruns and power numbers came against lefties. The part that I like… he still posted a solid batting average no matter who was pitching. I don’t care what you have on your team, you need to find a space for Matt Diaz.

Ryan Church OF NYM - Once again, it is important to get an everyday starting player when you are filling in for an injured one. one player that generally goes unnoticed is Ryan Church. With the injuries that the Mets have had, he is playing everyday in right field. So far he has five hits this season. Four have been singles and one was a home run, which is par for the course. Solid contact with the occasional home run. Again, this is a player that might be a low risk substitute player for a few weeks.

Xavier Nady OF PIT - Matthew Berry at ESPN is hyping this guy to no end, and for good reason. He is a cheap source of power mixed with a batting average that will not kill you. Hey, he is definitely a better option then Mark Ellis or even Chris Duncan. It seems that Nady always starts off the year very well. Then by the All-Star break, he fades away. Again, this is a position player that will play just about everyday, and that is what you need from fill in players.

Randy Flores RP STL - Flores got a save on Saturday, because Isringhausen was unavailable for the game. He pitched one third of an inning. Since he is a left handed pitcher, that means he came in based on a match up in the ninth. So don’t go running out thinking he will get a lot of save opportunities. However, if you have holds as a category, then this lefty specialist may just be the ticket. When a player is brought into a tough situation, and succeeds, confidence is built with the manager. And confidence usually translates into more innings in tight spots.

Dontrelle Willis SP DET - Uh… It is definitely time to dump this guy. His mechanics are absolutely terrible, and his control is as bad as ever. Who else can be pitching a no hitter, and still walk seven batters without striking a single one out? A derailed D-Train has no place on a fantasy roster.

Barry Zito SP SF - The same goes for this guy. A fantastic Change-up doesn’t work if you only hit mid-eighties with your fastball. The speed differential is what makes the combination of these pitches effective. Add in the stark reality of no run support, and you will quickly realize why he should be dumped.