We tell you who to sit and who to start in setting your hitting line-ups each week. For the top hitters for the week, we focus on questionable hitters that may or may not normally start for you that have favorable schedules this week. We won't bother listing hitters like Pujols, Hanley, or A-Rod in this article, because you always start them, regardless of schedule. Likewise, we won't list lousy hitters in the bottom section, because you'd obviously bench a hitter like David Eckstein playing in PETCO all week without our having to tell you to do so. For the bottom hitters, we focus on the average and better than average (but not star) hitters that you would normally start but have poor schedules this week. Top platoon starts are mostly RHBs playing many LHPs in the upcoming week. Bottom platoon starts are mostly LHBs facing a heavy LHP schedule. Top SB starts play against teams that allow many SBs, and vice versa.

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Top Hitting Starts (#1 being the best)

1. Russell Branyan 1B SEA (3 LAA, 4 CLE) not only is Seattle one of four AL clubs with a full schedule this week, they face only righties, which is a darn good thing for Branyan whose vulnerabilities against lefties were exposed in a surprise one-out save for Brian Fuentes, newly of the Twins. Great week for Branyan to get off a small cold spell.
2. Coco Crisp OF OAK (4 @NYY, 3 LAA) Batting .300 with 9 steals in August coming into Sunday afternoon's game where he added a couple of hits. The A's face five right-hander and Crisp hasn't hit for much average against righties (.245 vs. .333 against left-handers this season) but he's hit home runs and stole bases at the same rate. 
3. Ike Davis 1B NYM (4 @ATL, 3 @CHC) Davis has quietly put the wheels back on the wagon, going 10 of his last 25.  It helps that the Mets only draw one lefty this week, albeit the tough Mike Minor.

Top Platoon Starts (#1 being the best) 

1. Marcus Thames OF NYY (4 OAK, 3 TOR) Thames can't be sat.  With five home runs in his last five games and the Yankees scheduled to face four lefties, the righty Thames should not only play but play well at home.
2. Eric Hinske 1B ATL (4 NYM, 3 @FLA) With Derrek Lee potentially missing a game or two we still love Hinske even with a heavily left-handed schedule since he has hit them well (.350 this season and no real difference last). He got off to a good start with a two for four Sunday with a run and two RBI.
3. Matt Diaz OF ATL (4 NYM, 3 @ATL) Diaz should be the beneficiary of four left-handers against the Braves. After hitting .340 in July, Diaz appeared to cool of in August, but has put up seven of his last 20 including a pinch-hit two run home run on Sunday.

Top Stolen Base Starts (#1 being the best)

1. Scott Podsednik OF LAD (3 PHI, 3 SFG) Although the official notification hasn't come down, it's being widely reported that Manny Ramirez is headed to the White Sox Monday, which puts Pods back in the starting lineup in most configurations.  He have beels on his running shoes.
2. Chone Figgins 2B/3B SEA (3 LAA, 4 CLE) Although Figgy has cooled down somewhat from a stretch of 50+ at-bats where he hit .400, and the Mariners face all right-hnaders, who have had little trouble with Chone this season, he has still run well against them and faces some questionable batteries, particularly if the Angels are sitting Mike Napoli who has been claimed on waivers (it is highly improbable he will be moved however).

Bottom Hitting Starts (#1 being the worst)

1. Curtis Granderson OF NYY (4 OAK, 3 TOR) 4 lefties for Granderson, so despite the seven game slate, hard to recommend him if you have alternatives. 
2. Derrek Lee 1B ATL (4 NYM, 3 @FLA) missed Sundays game with a mild upper body strain. Although Atlanta has a seven game schedule they face four southpaws against whom Lee has had a reverse split the previous two seasons.
3. Yadier Molina C STL (3 @HOU, 3 CIN) Molina is another of those guys with a reverse split so the extra left-handed pitchers for the Cards this week is a disadvantage. Plus he's nursing a knee issue. Another option, please.

Bottom Platoon Starts (#1 being the worst)

1. Colby Rasmus OF STL (3 @HOU, 3 CIN) Although Rasmus is back, he is unusable against left-handers, of which the Cardinals face three in a six game week.
2. Nick Hundley C SDG (3 @ARI, 3 COL) Hundley has only found his way into nine games in August and the damage he has done has been mainly to his owners, batting .167 for the month and just over .170 since the all-star break.

 Bottom Stolen Base Starts (#1 being the worst)

1. Cameron Maybin OF FLA (3 WAS, 3 ATL) Although Maybin is a pretty fair hitting pick this week with seven hits in the five games he has played since being recalled, he's yet to attempt a steal and draws two really good catching tandems in Pudge/Wilson Ramos (probably) and McCann/Dan Ross. 
2. Eric Young 2B/OF COL (3 @SFG, 1 @PHI, 3 @SDG) Young has cooled off after a hot start on his return to the majors. He faces some hot catchers and six of seven games in the difficult environments of San Francisco and San Diego, and the home game against Carlos Ruiz and the Phils sandwiched in between the two road series.