Fantasy world: Checking out veteran pitchers

Every fantasy owner loves young arms, but this week staff writer Tim Hubbard looks at two veteran pitchers who are worth adding to your roster, and two whose cracks are showing.

Time to steal

Andy Pettitte

SP | New York Yankees

It may be tough to trumpet a 41-year-old with a cranky back, but Pettitte has gone 7-4 with a 2.59 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in 14 starts since returning from his one-year retirement, and has the advantage of playing for a high-scoring team with a solid bullpen.

Barry Zito

SP | San Francisco

A surprise 15-game winner in 2012, Zito has started the year by giving up no runs in his first two starts. The lefty is too much of a soft tosser to rack up many strikeouts, but he’s helped by playing half his games in San Francisco.

Time to deal

Tim Lincecum

SP | San Francisco

After a disastrous 2012 regular season, Lincecum redeemed himself with a solid postseason, giving some owners belief he could return to his dominant ways. That has not been the case. With his drop in velocity, Lincecum (4.91 ERA) is struggling to live on the corners, which may explain his 11 walks in 11 innings.

Roy Halladay

SP | Philadelphia

Arm woes led to a disappointing 2012, and this season the 36-year-old has been tattooed in his two starts, giving up 12 hits and 12 runs in 71/3 innings. Owners may want to wait for Halladay to have a decent outing before putting him on the market, because at this rate there may be no takers.