X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2019 Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Outlooks - Closer Handcuffs

We've covered each division and we've looked at the top setup men around the league. So what's next? Something that's too often overlooked in fantasy baseball yet maybe too often hyped up in fantasy football: The Handcuff.

Anyone who plays fantasy football knows about handcuffs and usually spends a roster spot or two on a handcuff for a running back. It's much less common in fantasy baseball, but it could be a similarly wise strategy if done correctly. In football, you take a running back's primary backup so that in the event that your starter gets hurt and is forced to miss time, you can slide his backup right into your lineup without missing a beat. C.J. Anderson as Todd Gurley's handcuff at the end of the season probably won some people a few fantasy football championships.

So how does it work in baseball's bullpens? Most teams have a defined closer, but what if that closer gets hurt? Are fantasy owners who drafted him just forced to play with one less closer in their lineup until he's ready to come back? Not necessarily. This article will take a look at closers who should be "handcuffed" on fantasy rosters this season. Of course, this is a significantly better strategy in holds leagues, as stacking a team's closer with the same team's primary setup man can not only provide a solid source of both saves and holds, but it also likely protects the owner from injury. If the closer gets hurt, the top setup man is the top candidate to earn save chances in his place. Even in standard leagues, however, the handcuff strategy is a decent idea in leagues with deeper rosters. Let's take a look at what teams will have effective or perhaps even necessary handcuff combinations:

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 10% off using code BALLER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

New York Yankees

Aroldis Chapman (closer), Dellin Betances (handcuff)

Based on talent and numbers alone, Aroldis Chapman absolutely does not need a handcuff. Based on injury history however? Not a bad idea to have Dellin Betances around just in case. It doesn't hurt that Betances has the strikeout upside to be relevant even in standard leagues despite not holding down a specific ninth inning position either.

Handcuff Rating: optional in standard, recommended in holds leagues.

 

Toronto Blue Jays

Ken Giles (closer), Ryan Tepera (handcuff)

Ken Giles will enter the season as the closer for the Toronto Blue Jays, but he'll likely be on a somewhat short leash given his performance last season. While some of his numbers were more than solid (25 K% compared to 3.3 BB%), others were somewhat concerning (4.65 ERA, 1.07 HR/9). Giles lost his closer's role more than once last season and could see the same thing happen in 2019.

Fantasy managers brave enough to draft Giles should try to draft Ryan Tepera as well. Tepera filled in as Blue Jays closer a few times last season, ending up with 7 saves. He's not a high-upside guy, but he's solid enough to return value if Giles gets hurt or gets demoted. He doesn't get much of a bump in holds leagues because other setup men have more strikeout upside.

Handcuff Rating: recommended in standard, recommended in holds leagues.

 

Detroit Tigers

Shane Greene (closer), Joe Jimenez (handcuff)

The Tigers aren't going to win a whole bunch of games in 2019, limiting the upside of any member of the bullpen. Still, a closer is valuable in fantasy, so Shane Greene will still see himself in a lot of fantasy lineups this season. Greene was a trade candidate for a lot of last season but ended up sticking in Detroit. That almost certainly won't be the case in 2019, as the Tigers will have even more incentive to move Greene so they can see just what Jimenez can do in a closer's role.

Greene (5.12 ERA, 23.3 K%) doesn't inspire a ton of confidence either, so even before a trade, it's possible Jimenez (2.91 FIP, 29.2 K%) will take over the ninth inning. Because of his strikeouts and overall solid rate stats, Jimenez is a setup guy who should be owned by those who draft Greene in most formats.

Handcuff Rating: highly recommended in standard, highly recommended in holds leagues.

 

Kansas City Royals

Wily Peralta (closer), Brad Boxberger (handcuff)

The Royals finally found a role for Wily Peralta last season, installing him as the closer and watching him save 14 games late in the season. It wasn't all great though, as Peralta's 15.4 BB% was way too close to his 23.5 K%. There were plenty of concerning signs during Peralta's stint as the closer, but he generally made it work. He should open 2019 as the team's closer, but he'll have veteran free agent signing Brad Boxberger not too far behind.

Boxberger isn't an elite bullpen arm by any means, but he has more experience than Peralta and a manager like the Royals' Ned Yost would seem to value that. Peralta should be a last-ditch effort as a fantasy closer, and Boxberger doesn't need to be owned except as his handcuff.

Handcuff Rating: highly recommended in standard, recommended in holds leagues.

 

Atlanta Braves

Arodys Vizcaino (closer), A.J. Minter (handcuff)

Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino has always been a solid reliever when he's been on the mound, and he's spent much of his time on the mound as the team's closer. The problem has been how little time he's spent on the mound due to various injuries. He's pitched over 40 innings just once in his career and set his career high in saves last season with 16. He's solid enough (2.11 ERA, 25.3 K% last season) to maintain the ninth inning while he's healthy, but since that's certainly no sure thing, lefty A.J. Minter should be picked up as his handcuff.

Minter had a very good rookie season last year, saving 15 games while posting a 3.23 ERA. He's seen as the Braves "closer of the future" and it won't take much struggle or missed time from Vizcaino to make the future start this year.

Handcuff Rating: highly recommended in standard, almost mandatory in holds leagues.

 

Miami Marlins

Drew Steckenrider (closer), Adam Conley (handcuff)

Drew Steckenrider is set to open the season at least as part of Miami's closer committee. He had a decent season last year, although with some concerning trends. Overall, he posted a 3.90 ERA with 27.2 K%. He's a fly ball pitcher, which works out in Miami's spacious home ballpark, but could be an issue on occasion on the road. Steckenrider isn't an elite reliever, but he could be good enough to hold down the ninth inning for a team that won't provide him with all that many save situations anyway.

His handcuff is Adam Conley, although he may end up being more like his co-closer in the ninth inning committee. Conley, a former starter, had similar numbers to Steckenrider last season, but shows some more upside with the development of his slider.

Handcuff Rating: recommended in standard, recommended in holds leagues.

 

Milwaukee Brewers

Corey Knebel (closer), Josh Hader (handcuff)

Corey Knebel has all the right "stuff" to be one of the best closers in baseball and on most teams he'd be entrenched as the closer with no worry or need for a handcuff. With all of the excellent pitchers in the Brewers bullpen, however, Knebel's leash is a lot shorter than it would be on other teams. Because of that, he should be handcuffed in most formats by Josh Hader. The good thing about owning Knebel is that owning Hader is beneficial to any team in any format, and the two make up one of the best one-two punches in baseball.

Handcuff Rating: highly recommended in standard, almost mandatory in holds leagues.

 

St. Louis Cardinals

Jordan Hicks (closer), Andrew Miller (handcuff)

The Cardinals added one of baseball's best relievers this offseason (let's forget about last season for a second), but he won't be their closer, at least not right away. All signs point to the Cardinals giving 22-year-old Jordan Hicks the first crack at the ninth inning this season. Hicks throws hard, really really hard, but he doesn't miss as many bats as you'd expect. He did get a little better with that as the season went on last year, ending up with a 20.7 K%. His control was a bit concerning though, as a 13.3 BB% is higher than you'd want from a closer. Still, he's hit 105 mph on the radar gun, and that just screams, "closer!" to many.

Andrew Miller will be the handcuff for Hicks and could sneak into the ninth inning if Hicks struggles. Miller had a forgettable 2018 season mostly due to injuries, but he was one of baseball's best before that, putting up four seasons in a row of more than 60 innings pitched and ERAs of 2.04 or lower.

Handcuff Rating: highly recommended in standard, almost mandatory in holds leagues.

More 2019 Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Joonas Korpisalo6 mins ago

Records 21-Save Shutout Versus Utah
Jerry Jeudy3 hours ago

Leads Browns In Receiving In Week 12 Win
Nick Chubb3 hours ago

Scores Two TDs In TNF Win Over Pittsburgh
NFL7 hours ago

Kevin Stefanski, Andrew Berry Likely Returning To Browns In 2025
Deshaun Watson8 hours ago

Likely To Remain With Browns, Could Face Competition
Cedric Tillman8 hours ago

Enters Concussion Protocol
Cedric Tillman9 hours ago

Suffers Head Injury On Thursday Night
Wendell Carter Jr.10 hours ago

Out Against Lakers
Anthony Davis11 hours ago

Available Versus Magic On Thursday
Rui Hachimura11 hours ago

Unavailable Thursday
Carlos Ulberg11 hours ago

Looking To Cement Himself As A Title Contender At UFC Macau
Volkan Oezdemir11 hours ago

Eyes Another Knockout At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes11 hours ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Macau
MMA12 hours ago

Cong Wang Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC Macau
Deiveson Figueiredo12 hours ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC Macau
Petr Yan12 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Yves Missi12 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
CJ McCollum12 hours ago

Not Likely To Play Friday
Alexander Mattison12 hours ago

Zamir White Miss Practice Again
Brandon Ingram13 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Shohei Ohtani13 hours ago

Named National League MVP In 2024
Aaron Judge13 hours ago

Wins American League MVP Award
Ja'Kobe Walter13 hours ago

Ready To Go Thursday
Donte DiVincenzo13 hours ago

Available Thursday
Mike Conley13 hours ago

Will Not Play Thursday
Jordan Clarkson13 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Ausar Thompson13 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Zach Collins13 hours ago

Cleared To Play Thursday
Domantas Sabonis13 hours ago

Gets Through Full Practice
Chris Paul14 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Brock Purdy14 hours ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Malik Monk14 hours ago

Making Progress
George Kittle14 hours ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Tre Mann14 hours ago

Good To Go On Thursday
Miles Bridges14 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Vince Williams Jr.14 hours ago

Out At Least A Month
Scottie Barnes14 hours ago

Returning On Thursday
Alex Ovechkin14 hours ago

To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Fractured Fibula
Paul George14 hours ago

Out At Least Two Games
Aaron Gordon14 hours ago

Availability In Question For Friday
Zach Hyman14 hours ago

Expected To Miss 4-7 Days
Kent Johnson14 hours ago

Back For Blue Jackets Thursday
Yaroslav Askarov15 hours ago

Makes Sharks Debut Thursday
Jalen Hurts15 hours ago

Practices In Full On Thursday
Mikael Granlund15 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Alexandar Georgiev15 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Capitals
TB15 hours ago

Nicholas Paul Will Miss Thursday's Game
Frederik Andersen15 hours ago

To Miss 8-12 Weeks
Jake Ferguson15 hours ago

Still Not Practicing
Sam LaPorta15 hours ago

Looking Good For A Week 12 Return
Sam Darnold15 hours ago

Upgrades To Full Participation, On Track To Play
Isiah Pacheco16 hours ago

Remains Limited On Thursday
D'Andre Swift16 hours ago

Upgrades To Limited Participant On Thursday
CeeDee Lamb16 hours ago

Sidelined During Thursday's Practice
Ladd McConkey16 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Mike Evans16 hours ago

Logs Full Practice On Thursday
DeVonta Smith17 hours ago

Misses Another Practice
Cody Bellinger18 hours ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
Brandin Cooks18 hours ago

Preparing To Play In Week 12
CeeDee Lamb18 hours ago

Not Seen At Thursday's Practice
18 hours ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Chandler Stephenson21 hours ago

Registers Three Assists Versus Predators
Jason Robertson21 hours ago

Totals Three Points In Wednesday's Win
Nils Lundkvist22 hours ago

Exits Early With A Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Knies22 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Mikael Granlund22 hours ago

Exits Late With Injury Wednesday
Patrik Laine22 hours ago

Returns To Practice
Chris Sale1 day ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal1 day ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Austin Eckroat1 day ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English1 day ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy1 day ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Seth Jones2 days ago

Expected To Miss Four Weeks
Max Domi2 days ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Connor Ingram2 days ago

Out Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen2 days ago

Returns To Action Versus Kings
Alex Tuch2 days ago

Available Wednesday
Tage Thompson2 days ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Ludvig Aberg2 days ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy2 days ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole2 days ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
2 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers2 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
3 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri3 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
3 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
3 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
3 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
3 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil3 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes3 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer4 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
4 days ago

Sean Manaea To Reject Mets' Qualifying Offer
4 days ago

Braves Have Interest In Walker Buehler
4 days ago

Astros Interested In Willy Adames
Charles Oliveira4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler4 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva4 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy4 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
James Llontop5 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig5 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal5 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic5 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones5 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

NFL DFS: FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Picks for Week 12 - Top Lineup Plays Include Jayden Daniels, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff, Puka Nacua

It’s already Week 12, although the end of the 2024-25 campaign can’t come soon enough for teams like the Jaguars, Raiders, Giants, and Panthers, to name a few. On the other hand, clubs like the Bills, Chiefs, and Lions are only a few weeks away from officially punching their tickets to the postseason.   In […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

The King's Week 12 Lineup Rankings and Analysis (Premium Content)

RotoBaller senior writer Scott "The King" Engel shares his Week 12 fantasy football lineup rankings for PPR, half PPR, and standard scoring league participants. He also provides an analysis of the rankings at every skill position. Regular starting options are included to highlight that some of your must-start players have a good chance of supplying […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 12 DraftKings NFL DFS Picks - Main Slate (2024): Anthony Richardson, Brian Robinson Jr., Courtland Sutton, and more

How's it going, RotoBallers? Welcome back to our DraftKings Main Slate article. Known around the fantasy football world as "Bye-Mageddon," Week 12 certainly offers up some unique challenges from a DFS perspective. Don't worry, we'll work through those difficulties to find the best plays we can on this slate. These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based […]


Brian Robinson Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings Running Backs, Waiver Wire Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Bold Predictions for Fantasy Football Week 12: Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, Will Dissly

Week 12 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, and Will Dissly. Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Booms and Busts - Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 12 Lineups Include Tua Tagovailoa, J.K. Dobbins, Ladd McConkey

Week 11 was pretty kind to us in this space. We correctly labeled Justin Herbert as a boom pick. He threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards on the ground. It culminated with a QB8 finish. We also nailed Kirk Cousins and Tony Pollard as busts. Cousins and the Falcons […]


Chuba Hubbard - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 12 Fantasy Football Busts? Players Who May Disappoint Include Jayden Daniels, D'Andre Swift, Chuba Hubbard, Mark Andrews

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 12 fantasy football busts, or players who may disappoint for fantasy lineups this week. It's a strange week in the NFL with six teams taking their bye week. That could mean lineups are gridlocked and fantasy managers don't have the luxury of analyzing matchups to decide their starters. Potential […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

PrizePicks NFL DFS Prop Picks - Over/Under Props for Week 12 (Sunday Main Slate)

Hello everybody, and welcome to our PrizePicks NFL DFS prop picks for Week 12 - Sunday Main Slate! The 2024 NFL season is now past the midpoint, and our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great DFS plays we can look to take advantage of. Our partners at PrizePicks offer some of the […]


DeVon Achane - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Injury News

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 12 Matchups Analysis

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another start'em and sit'em piece as we look ahead to Week 12! There will be a whopping six teams on bye this week  (Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets), so that means fantasy managers might need to look deeper on their benches. This Week 12 matchups analysis […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 12 Include Bo Nix, De'Von Achane, Quentin Johnston, Calvin Ridley, more

It seems as though fantasy managers were either incredibly disappointed or incredibly excited in Week 11. The output was modest for most players. However, if you had a monopoly on a select few players such as Cooper Kupp, Taysom Hill, or the Detroit Lions, you likely won your week. With the fantasy playoffs roughly three weeks […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Week 12 Predictions: Picks and Analysis for Every Game Including Thursday Night Football

After some high-octane matchups over the last couple of Thursday nights, Week 12 kicks off in a more old-school fashion with a classic rivalry game between the Steelers and Browns. There are some fun matchups on this Week 12 slate, however, "Bye-Mageddon" certainly does take a little of the sizzle away, as six teams will […]


TJ Watt - IDP, Pittsburgh Steelers, DST, Defense, Fantasy Football Def

Week 12 Fantasy Football Team Defense Rankings: Steelers D/ST, Chiefs D/ST, Vikings D/ST, Eagles D/ST, Commanders D/ST, Texans D/ST, Broncos D/ST

Fantasy football defenses are largely matchup-dependent, so many fantasy managers opt to stream a different defense each week. If you're in that boat, use our Week 12 fantasy football defense (D/ST) rankings for 2024 to find the top available option. There are just three weeks of the fantasy football regular season left, so it's never […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Steelers vs. Browns TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Jameis Winston, Nick Chubb, David Njoku, Jerry Jeudy, Russell Wilson, Najee Harris, George Pickens

The Week 12 TNF game between two bitter AFC North rivals (Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers) is not likely to end up like the Thursday night game from two weeks ago when two different AFC North teams (Bengals and Ravens) battled to a 35-34 shootout. Somewhere deep in the charter of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I […]


DJ Moore - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 12 - Thursday Updates for Deebo Samuel, D.J. Moore, Jerry Jeudy, Jonathon Brooks, Jauan Jennings, Tank Dell

Many fantasy managers are in must-win situations down the stretch, so it's never been more important to ace your start-or-sit calls. Our Week 12 TNF fantasy football overall rankings for 2024 are here to help. Ahead of the critical Week 12 slate of action, let's find out where players on the start-sit bubble such as […]