The final week of the fantasy baseball season is upon us. If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve got a lot to gain (or lose) in the next seven days.

It’s important to note that all Yahoo leagues use ERA as it’s first tiebreaker. If you finish the week tied five-to-five, the championship goes to the team with the lowest ERA; there’s no split title.

With that in mind, here are a few favorable spot-start match ups this week. Scoop these guys up for a final spot-start and you’ll likely be rewarded with a low ERA and maybe even a win!

Brad Penny

Four of Penny’s five September starts saw him last at least seven innings and allow two runs or fewer. In 22 innings at AT&T Park this season, the 31-year-old has a 2.05 ERA and 0.86 WHIP. He’s scheduled to pitch there on Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, making him a good spot-start option.

Tim Hudson

Hudson has pitched five times since returning from Tommy John surgery, and has proven himself reliable, given a favorable matchup. His home ERA (2.57) is much better than his road total (4.41), which suggests his Tuesday start against the Marlins in Atlanta could be a good one. Get him in your lineup.

At this point in the season, every at-bat matters. It’s necessary to look at career batter vs. pitcher splits, and go with the favorable matchups. Here are a couple batters who fit the bill:

Jack Cust

Cust is batting .400 with two bombs and seven RBI over the past week. Oakland will face Seattle right-hander Brandon Morrow on Wednesday, a pitcher Cust has gone deep on twice in just 10 career at-bats. In addition to this, Cust is batting .364 in 22 at-bats this season at SAFECO Field this season.

Carlos Guillen

Guillen is 11-for-25 (.440) lifetime against Scott Baker, the Twins’ scheduled starter for Thursday’s matchup against the Tigers. On a day when only 22 teams are scheduled to play, Guillen makes for a great spot-start.

Good luck in your championship games, and thanks for reading. I hope the rest of you enjoyed this season as much as I did!

Nick Kappel is the resident Fantasy Baseball guru here at The Dugout Doctors and Baseball Reflections. You can read more of his work on Baseball Reflections by clicking HERE!

In last week’s Fantasy Focus, I suggested three players to add in your quest for a championship game berth.

If you’ve reached the finals, you’re just one win away from every manager’s dream: a fantasy baseball title.

It’s important to note, however, that in a one (or two) week matchup, anything can happen. You can no longer afford to start players based on their names or draft value; riding the hot hand is now the key to your success.

With that thought in mind, here are four pitchers whose favorable matchups make them prime spot-start candidates for week 25:

Hiroki Kuroda is 2-0 with a 1.92 ERA in his last 14 innings. In those two starts, Kuroda has recorded 12 strikeouts and zero walks. The 34-year-old gets two starts this week, one against the Nationals and the other against the Pirates, making him an excellent two-start pitcher to own.

Wade LeBlanc is 2-0 in three September starts, posting a 1.42 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 19 innings. The 25-year-old southpaw will pitch against the Pirates and Diamondbacks this week, making him an adequate two-start spot-start.

Robinson Tejada has pitched extremely well since joining the Royals’ rotation earlier this month. In four September starts, the 27-year-old is 3-0 with a 0.80 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 22 1/3 innings, while posting 24 strikeouts and issuing just 10 walks. Tejada is owned by less than half of the Yahoo fantasy baseball community, meaning there’s a good chance he’s available for you to add for his Friday start against the Twins.

In four September starts, Jon Garland is 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. The tall right-hander has turned in five consecutive quality starts, and is likely to make it six in a row against either Washington or Pittsburgh later this week.

Nick Kappel is the resident Fantasy Baseball guru here at The Dugout Doctors and Baseball Reflections. You can read more of his work on Baseball Reflections by clicking HERE!

For most fantasy baseball leagues, today marks the beginning of the semifinal playoff round.

If you’ve made it this far, it’s important to know that this is the most critical time of the year. Everything that’s happened up until this point is irrelevant; because in a one-week matchup, anything can happen.

Forget about the fact that you nabbed Ben Zobrist off of waivers in May, or that you successfully avoided Josh Hamilton’s injury-plagued season.

The shocking truth is that Casey McGehee is currently more valuable than David Wright, so listen up.

Every game, every at-bat, and even every pitch at this point in the season is crucial. It’s important to play the matchups and ride the hot hand. Here are a few pointers for the upcoming week:

Ross Ohlendorf has turned in seven quality starts in his last nine outings. During that streak, the 27-year-old has posted a 2.94 ERA in 58 innings and boasts a respectable 42:20 K:BB ratio.

His next scheduled start is Friday in Pittsburgh against the Padres. In 92 innings at home this season, Ohlendorf is 8-2 with a 2.74 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. In his only start against San Diego this season, he pitched seven strong innings, allowing just three runs on five hits while picking up the win. He’s an excellent spot-start this week.

In just 95 at-bats with the Rangers, Julio Borbon is batting .347 with 19 runs, four dingers, 15 RBI and 14 steals. The 23-year-old is batting leadoff in the potent Texas lineup, further strengthening his value.

The Rangers play six games in Arlington this week, where Borbon is batting .500 in 48 at-bats. The left-handed batter is likely to face only one southpaw this week, so fantasy owners can count on him being in the lineup.

Frustrated with Alex Rios‘ recent lack of production? There’s no time to wait. Borbon would be a great replacement this week.

David DeJesus is putting together an impressive hitting streak. The Kansas City outfielder has a hit in 14 straight games, and has a hit in 31 of his last 34 games. During that 34-game span, DeJesus is batting .341 with 24 runs, four long balls and 14 RBI.

I could mention his home/road or lefty/righty splits, but it probably wouldn’t matter. The 29-year-old is hitting everything in sight, and would serve as a nice fill-in this week for any of your sluggish batters.

Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard will continue to produce, but playing hot hands such as Borbon and DeJesus (among others) will help separate you from your opponent. Check your matchups each day this week, and make spot-starts when it’s appropriate. The extra effort will go a long way in ensuring your championship game berth. Good luck!

Joe Mauer, Ryan Howard, and Mark Reynolds. Everyone knows their names, and most people know they’ve played exceptionally well in August.

What most people don’t know, however, is that Will Venable has batted .311 with six HR and 17 RBI in August.

Being able to scour players like Venable from the waiver wire is a vital component to your playoff run. For this reason, I present to you the All-August free agent team:

Catcher – Ivan Rodriguez

Pudge isn’t quite the hitter he used to be, but that hasn’t stopped him from posting respectable numbers in August. Over the last month, Rodriguez has scored 16 runs, hit one long ball, driven in five runs, and has even swiped a bag, all while batting .274.

It’s not pretty, but in deeper leagues this type of production is useful from a catcher, and Pudge is currently owned in only 19 percent of Yahoo! fantasy leagues.

First Base – Lyle Overbay

Overbay isn’t driving in runs at the clip he was earlier this season, but he’s recorded a hit in 12 of his last 14 games, and is batting .348 in August.

The 32-year-old also has three HR on the month, the same total as Justin Morneau. Deep leagues should take notice.

Second Base – Mark Ellis

Ellis’ season totals aren’t pretty, but what he did in May and June isn’t going to help you win now anyways. What’s important to know is that Ellis ranks second among players at his position with 21 RBI in the month of August.

What’s most impressive is that he’s batting .340 this month, meaning his presence on your team can only help you. Ellis is currently owned in just 24 percent of Yahoo! fantasy leagues.

Third Base – Ryan Roberts

Roberts has spent the majority of his time playing second base this season, but he’s eligible at third base as well.

In 86 August at-bats, Roberts is batting .360, with 16 runs, four HR and 11 RBI. He’s even displayed good plate discipline, walking as many times (11) as he’s struck out.

Roberts is owned in just 26 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but is making a strong case for a starting job with the Diamondbacks next season. Keeper and dynasty league owners should take notice.

Shortstop – Erick Aybar

Aybar has been very useful over the past month, batting .307 in 101 at-bats with 19 runs, two dingers, 10 RBI and five steals.

The 25-year-old provides just what you need at the shortstop position; a solid batting average, a good amount of runs, and the ability to swipe a few bases. If the rest of your league hasn’t picked up on him yet, you probably should.

Left Field – Carlos Gonzalez

Gonzalez struggled in his first crack at the big leagues last year in Oakland, but he’s recently showed why Baseball America named him Arizona’s No. 1 prospect in 2008.

In 66 August at-bats, Gonzalez has smashed six HR, driven in 13 runs, and has scored 15 times; all while batting .379. He’s forced his way into the Colorado lineup, and there’s a good chance he’s playing well enough to belong in your lineup as well.

Keeper and dynasty league owners should take notice, as the soon to be 24-year-old is currently available in 57 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Center Field – Will Venable

Most fantasy owners have never even heard of Venable, but he’s caught my eye over the past month. In 90 August at-bats, he’s hit six HR and tallied 17 RBI, while scoring 16 times. He’s even stolen three bases, and he’s batting .311.

According to Baseball America, some scouts in the organization have compared Venable’s skill set to a guy like David Justice; a player who hit 20 HRs 11 different times and was a career .279 hitter.

The 26-year-old is still available in a whopping 79 percent of leagues, so go out and grab him.

Right Field – Angel Pagan

In 527 career at-bats prior to August, Pagan hit a whopping nine HRs. In 98 at-bats since, he’s hit six jacks to go along with 19 RBI, 18 runs and four steals. The 28-year-old has even posted a respectable .286 average this month.

Although this hot streak is unlikely to continue, it’s definitely worth mentioning.

Starting Pitcher – Carl Pavano

Over the past month, Pavano has posted better numbers than Justin Verlander, Jered Weaver, and Josh Beckett.

In 39 August innings (six starts), Pavano has gone 3-2 with a 3.46 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He’s even posted a very respectable 28:8 K:BB ratio.

On the season, Pavano has amassed a 3.73 K:BB ratio, and his 4.07 FIP (Fielder Independent Pitching on an ERA scale) is a full run less than his 5.11 ERA, suggesting he’s pitched much better than his ERA indicates.

Pavano’s recent trade to Minnesota puts the 33-year-old in the thick of a playoff race, meaning he’s got something to play for. Pavano is owned in only 34 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so there’s a good chance he’s available to aid your playoff run as well.