text: fantasy baseball - esteban loaiza start? should i start esteban tomorrow vs minnesota in a 5x5 league? esteban loaiza.  he should be good for a win.  minnesota hasn't done too great this year.  oakland has a pretty good offence, great defence and great pitching and bullpen.  loaiza is 10-8 vs minnesota in his career.  he has allowed 54 earned runs has 94 punch outs, and a 3.71 era.  he last played against minny in 2004 whily playing for the white sox and fared decent against them with a 1-1 record and 4.09 era.  he didn't play them in 2005 due to being in the nl for the washington nationals.  in 2003, at minny's field, the metrodome, he was 1-0, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits and had an era under 4.  however, all time at the metrodome, loaiza is 3-6 with a 5.12 era and only 42ks in 11 games and 58 innings pitched.  again, however, loaiza usually pitches his best baseball in the month of april.  he's compiled a record of 18-6.  his home-away stats are not relevant to this situation as they are pretty similar.  it's a toss-up.  i really don't see a problem from having anyone start any games, because they're usually bound to get you a few k's and potentially a win.  all public leagues don't count losses against the scoring and only era is affected.  being early in the season, most pitchers are giving up a lot of runs.  good luck. craig