by John Halpin

As always, The Lower Half reviews nine players owned in less than half of FOXSports.com leagues, but haven't been included in this space for the past month. Pickups are advised if you've got the room on your roster.

Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies (50.7 percent)

Heading into Monday night's start, Ubaldo was ranked 25th in the majors in strikeouts, tied for 31st in wins, 44th in ERA and 54th in WHIP. Average those out, and he's been about the 38th or 39th best starter in the game, even after his atrocious April (7.58 ERA). If he's still available in your mixed league, and you can't find room for him, you're not trying hard enough. He's going to be a monster in the second half.

(Note: Jimenez went over the 50 percent threshold sometime Tuesday morning, but he's staying in the column so we can give him a proper sendoff. I don't think he'll ever been seen around these parts again. Godspeed, Ubaldo!)

Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers (42.9 percent owned)

Before including Jimenez and Kershaw in this column, I wondered if regular readers of my blog would get annoyed, since I pick both guys as spot start recommendations just about every five days. Then I decided that I didn't care, so skip the next paragraph if you like.

This ultra-talented 21-year-old lefty has struggled with control all season, issuing 47 free passes in 82 2/3 innings. But he's allowed a total of two runs in his last three starts while whiffing 21 batters and walking eight in 18 2/3 innings. Kershaw isn't yet a superstar, but he can really help your mixed league staff if you let him. In a keeper league, resort to any measure necessary to acquire him. Bribery, theft, collusion ... I won't tell anyone.

Nick Blackburn, SP, Twins (40.9 percent owned)

The anti-Ubaldo. Blackburn is the uncommon crafty righty, and his impeccable control has helped him to eight consecutive quality starts. He won't help you at all in the strikeouts category, but if you need a No. 6 starter who won't kill you, Blackburn isn't a bad option. He's not a great option, either.

Mark Ellis, 2B, A's (31.2 percent owned)

Ellis was activated over the weekend after missing nearly two months with a calf injury. He batted a career-low .233 last season, but he also hit 12 homers and stole 14 bases in 117 games. If you need to add a middle infielder to your roster, Ellis is a solid pickup candidate.

Edwin Encarnacion, 3B, Reds (26.5 percent owned)

Remember this guy? Double-E hit 26 home runs last season, and the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that he might be back in the lineup this weekend after missing two months with a fractured wrist. He has two homers in nine Triple-A rehab games, and even though all wrist injuries are cause for worry, if you need free power, there are far worse gambles to take than Encarnacion.

J.P. Howell, RP, Rays (14.3 percent owned)

Howell isn't a Papelbon/Rivera/Nathan type lock for his team's closing duties, since manager Joe Maddon has let matchup lefty Randy Choate get four saves since Troy Percival's career all but ended last month. But Howell has five saves of his own, along with a whopping 46 strikeouts and a 1.67 ERA in 37 2/3 innings. If you want to bet on a Ray getting 15 saves between now and the end of the season, Howell is the clear choice.

By the way, I'm really glad I picked up Howell in my AL keeper league in both 2007 and 2008, but missed out on him this year. Maybe that's indicative of why I just decided to rebuild for 2010.

Randy Wells, SP, Cubs (8.2 percent owned)

After posting a 4.02 ERA in Triple-A last season, the 26-year-old Wells arrived in Wrigley last month without a lot of fanfare. Since then, he's posted a 2-3 record with a 2.57 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Fans, commence faring.

Wells will never knock anyone over with his stuff — his fastball doesn't usually reach 90 mph, and he throws it less than half the time. And despite his lucky BABIP (.273), if Wells continues to keep the ball in the park and on the ground, he can remain a decent fantasy starter.

John Lannan, SP, Nationals (3.6 percent owned)

Lannan seems destined for a career of being called a "crafty lefty," and that's just fine. His BABIP (.268) is on the lucky side for the second year in a row, but his heavy reliance on ground balls should help him keep runs off the scoreboard. He's a back-end starter for your fantasy rotation, so don't expect too much.

As I mentioned in my gimmicky Twitter-style column a couple of weeks ago, my friend Kevin Clark was a lefty hurler at Siena College, just like Lannan. Now 37 years old, a completely sober Kevin lost consciousness after rounding third base in a men's league game recently and fell flat on his face a few feet before getting to home plate. There's no video of the pratfall, so I thought this would be the best way to embarrass him.

Colby Rasmus, OF, Cardinals (3.0 percent owned)

A good buddy of mine is a Cardinals fan, and last week he said, "I'm getting really excited about Colby Rasmus." So am I.

In semi-regular duty, Rasmus is batting .262 with seven homers, 28 RBI and 32 runs scored. At some point soon, he'll probably start to flash the solid basestealing ability he showed in the minors (60 SB in 73 attempts from 2006-08) and become a solid fantasy contributor. Like Kershaw, Rasmus should be pursued in keeper leagues like he's a giant steak and you're Prince Fielder.