Coping with injured stars

Nothing can sink a fantasy team like an injured superstar or two.

Even marquee players aren't immune from getting hurt, and when they do, it can really put a crimp in your plans for title contention. In the past week or so we've seen Alfonso Soriano, Albert Pujols and David Ortiz suffer significant injuries, and those aren't the kind of guys who can easily be replaced, on a fantasy roster or in real life.

However, when one of your big guns becomes damaged goods, it doesn't have to be the end of the world. After all, man created the disabled list for a reason. Use it wisely - and then get back to dominating your league.

Here are some tips for coping with a banged-up starter:

IDENTIFY THE IMPACT

The loss of a star-caliber player is obviously going to hurt your team's output. But how exactly? Soriano, who could miss up to six weeks after fracturing a knuckle, was especially helping out his owners in homers (15) and RBIs (40). Ortiz, too, was all about the power numbers (13 homers, 43 RBIs) before hurting his wrist. Pujols, out with a strained calf, was lending a hand almost across the board offensively, other than in steals (two). Recognizing which categories an injured player was contributing to, and how badly you'll need to replace those stats, will help you formulate your next plan of attack.

TAKE IT CASE BY CASE

The team's official prognosis is often only some rough estimation of what's wrong based on similar injuries. When Rafael Furcal's back problem first cropped up in early May, he was supposed to return in a few short weeks - which now seem to be stretching into months. And when John Smoltz first felt something wrong with his shoulder, little did anyone know his career would be in jeopardy.

In Smoltz's case, even after he teased us with a quick rehab and comeback attempt, you should have been wary - given his advanced age, injury history and the fact he decided to switch back from a starter to a closer (again) - and at least tried to fortify your pitching staff. No two injuries are the same, so don't automatically assume a 15-day DL stint means only 15 days.

LISTEN FOR OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING

One man's injury is another's chance to shine, so be sure to monitor how your injured player's real-life ballclub reacts. It may be as simple as the St. Louis Cardinals giving more playing time at first base to homer-happy Chris Duncan or the Seattle Mariners handing closer duties over to Brandon Morrow while J.J. Putz's elbow heals, but you may not have to look very far for an adequate short-term replacement.

GO SHOPPING

Sometimes a fill-in isn't so easy to locate. That's why it's best to always have your eyes on a few players in your league's free-agent pool so you can be ready to pounce in case of emergency. And better yet, if you've already got a capable backup for an injured star like Ortiz or Soriano on your bench, use their injury as a chance to shore up another part of your lineup with the open roster spot. Some of the best waiver pickups I ever made came out of desperation after another star fell.