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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Baseball Advice: Week 12 Closer Update - Mark it Zero

By Keith Allison on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as "Kenley Jansen") [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
In This Article hide

Yeoman’s Work

There are some fantasy draft experts that believe a good strategy for drafting closers is to pay very little on draft day, or even to completely abandon the idea of drafting closers altogether, in the hopes of picking a few up via free agency during the first weeks and months of the season.  An alternative to this strategy is to at least buy or select one very good closer with the expectations of collecting other options off the waiver wire.  For either strategy to be successful, the team owner must pay close enough attention to the goings on around the league to snag the correct player at the right moment.  My draft strategy is a slightly different approach:  I typically select cheaper options that might have some question marks but come with the higher upside.  A word of warning, though: this strategy has not worked for me the last two seasons, but it will at some point.  I really wanted Jason Grilli (Cheese Sandwich) this year, but I didn't have the budget at the time he was drafted.  Meanwhile, Grilli is tied for the league lead in saves so far this year and he only went for $14 in my league.  D'oh!  If you are in the same type of situation as I am, with zero or not enough closers, then I hope my articles can help you to find some legitimate closers-in-waiting.  Despite the fact that I hate the saves statistic, what I hate even worse is not having a closer to get that stat, because right now, I'm over the line-- mark it zero, dude!

 

Koji Uehara and Jarrod Saltalamacchia on June 15, 2013Andrew Bailey:  On Thursday night, Boston’s closer suffered his third blown save in his last five chances.  John Farrell stated after the game that Bailey is no longer his team’s closer, following his second consecutive blown save.  Farrell, will most likely give Junichi Tazawa the first opportunity to man the ninth inning.  Since Farrell has not specifically named Bailey’s replacement, it's worth noting that the other two possibilities are likely Koji Uehara and Andrew Miller.  We hope that Farrell doesn't go with a closer-by-committee, since it's the worst solution for both fantasy purposes and real bullpens, because relievers in today's game need a well-defined role.  Without that, they tend to be less effective, evidently because they have no idea when they will next pitch.  My feeling is that Uehara is the best option to finish out games, but since he's been so effective in a setup role, it's unclear that the Sox will want to remove him from the 8th inning.  The sneaky choice or sleeper of this bunch would be Andrew Miller. I already know what you are thinking, "But Bix, he's a lefty."  Yeah, he's a lefty, with an upper-90s fastball and a nasty slider which helps him achieve elite strikeout rates.  In the early part of the season Miller struggled with his command and issued many bases on balls, but he has been able to tame those walks over the last two months.  I am going to assume that most people will pick up either Tazawa or Uehara but since I am in a deep league, I am going to speculate and grab Miller for free while the other teams overpay for the aforementioned players.

 

Kenley Jansen on April 19, 2013

Kenley JansenSomeone please tell me why this guy has not been closing from day one.  Oh, wait-- it's because Brandon League is getting paid the big bucks to nail down the ninth.  Here we go again with that monetary consideration-- let’s all just completely ignore the minuscule strikeout rate, the high ERA and all those baserunners allowed, and we'll focus on the dollars.  I said this when he was in Seattle and I said it when the Dodgers signed him to be their closer:  BRANDON LEAGUE is NOT a closer, full stop.  While League is receiving over $5 million dollars to suck, Jansen is getting paid the league minimum to be dope.  Pay this man to be your closer.  Kenley Jansen is the closer of the future and the closer of the present, and I do not see any other immediate threats other than the thoroughly mediocre League.

 

Heath "I'm Shaped Like a" BellI'm sorry but this needs to be said. Picture me yelling:  Heath Bell is finished as a closer!  The only reason he is closing right now-- besides the fact of Putz being disabled-- is his salary.  I find that silly, since the team still has to pay him regardless of what role he is given.  When J.J. Putz went down with the elbow injury, everyone (including myself) assumed that David Hernandez would get the first crack, but obviously that did not happen.  It seems like that was the right decision for Arizona, because Hernandez has been horrible as of late.  Putz is out on a rehab assignment and will be back soon to reclaim his job as the finisher.  With both Bell and Hernandez struggling, Putz is the man to own, as I see zero sleepers in this pen.

==========

RotoBaller constantly updates our AL closer depth charts and NL closer depth charts, so head over there for more analysis and rankings on the closer and saves situation for each MLB team.

If you want this article and other high-end fantasy baseball analysis delivered to you on a daily basis, sign up for our daily newsletter. And be sure to check out the Rotoballer.com Ultimate Waiver Wire Watch List for in-depth analysis on gems that you may be able to find sitting on your waiver wire.  It’s one of the best fantasy baseball features currently on web!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Anthony Cirelli5 mins ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin10 mins ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin10 mins ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar19 mins ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR21 mins ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski30 mins ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones37 mins ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez45 mins ago

Should Fantasy Players Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar56 mins ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece1 hour ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano2 hours ago

Likely to Lead at Las Vegas, but Will He Lead Enough for DFS Consideration?
Michael McDowell2 hours ago

Wins Spire Motorsports's First Pole at Las Vegas
Austin Cindric2 hours ago

Qualified Third, but Almost Guaranteed to Lose Spots
Chase Briscoe2 hours ago

Las Vegas Performance Hard to Predict
Ty Gibbs2 hours ago

a Solid DFS Option in Theory, but Disastrous Recent Performance Likely Overrides That
Shane Van Gisbergen2 hours ago

Too Inexperienced at Las Vegas for DFS Consideration Despite Trackhouse Speed
Noah Gragson2 hours ago

Finished Well at Las Vegas Last Year, but Ran Worse
Austin Dillon2 hours ago

Decent at Las Vegas, but Not Worthy of DFS Play
Josh Berry2 hours ago

Poor Intermediate Record Likely to Override Strong Qualifying Result
Justin Haley2 hours ago

Spire Speed Suggests Justin Haley Is a Strong DFS Option
Cole Custer2 hours ago

Could be Valuable If Haas Has Intermediate Speed
Cody Ware2 hours ago

Despite Decent Run Last Fall, Cody Ware Still Isn't Worth Considering
Christopher Bell4 hours ago

Quest for Four Wins in a Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson4 hours ago

Should Contend for Another Win at Las Vegas
Mitch Garver8 hours ago

Goes Hitless In Return To Cactus League Action
Austin Riley8 hours ago

Doubles In Return To Lineup On Saturday
Jordan Mason8 hours ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
RJ Barrett10 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Sunday
Immanuel Quickley10 hours ago

Won't Play On Sunday
Jerami Grant10 hours ago

Unlikely To Play On Sunday
Marcus Smart10 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Anfernee Simons10 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Sunday
Christian Braun10 hours ago

Available On Saturday
Aaron Gordon11 hours ago

Unavailable On Saturday
Jamal Murray11 hours ago

Will Play On Saturday Night
Nikola Jokić11 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Cleared To Suit Up Versus The Wizards
Colby Thomas12 hours ago

Sustains Injury On Saturday
Dee Eskridge12 hours ago

Sticking With Dolphins
Josh Giddey12 hours ago

Officially Out On Saturday Night
Ja Morant12 hours ago

Ruled Out On Saturday Night
JuJu Smith-Schuster12 hours ago

Returning To Chiefs
Josh Rojas12 hours ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Tennessee Titans12 hours ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Thairo Estrada12 hours ago

Removed From Saturday's Contest
Damian Lillard12 hours ago

Available Versus Indiana
Parris Campbell12 hours ago

Headed To Dallas
Nick Kurtz12 hours ago

Exits After Hit-By-Pitch
Giannis Antetokounmpo12 hours ago

Good To Go On Saturday
Jamal Murray12 hours ago

Added To Saturday's Injury Report
Jiri Kulich12 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tobias Myers12 hours ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Brice Turang12 hours ago

Dealing With Shoulder Fatigue
Tyler Myers12 hours ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov13 hours ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov13 hours ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Cole Anthony13 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Joel Armia13 hours ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk13 hours ago

Available Saturday
Donovan Mitchell13 hours ago

Questionable Against Orlando
Adam Fox13 hours ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Andre Drummond13 hours ago

Out Against Dallas
Ja Morant13 hours ago

Questionable On Saturday Night
P.J. Washington13 hours ago

Returning On Sunday
Philadelphia Eagles16 hours ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Dante Exum16 hours ago

Diagnosed With A Fractured Left Hand
Los Angeles Rams16 hours ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Amed Rosario17 hours ago

Returning On Saturday
Cam Thomas17 hours ago

Expected To Miss Rest Of The Season
Jose Trevino17 hours ago

Going For CT Scan
Kirk Cousins17 hours ago

Set To Receive Roster Bonus
Bryce Eldridge17 hours ago

Will Not Play On Saturday
Aaron Rodgers17 hours ago

Wants To Play In Minnesota
Blake Perkins17 hours ago

Cleared For Light Baseball Activities
Doug Nikhazy17 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Jung Hoo Lee17 hours ago

Scratched On Saturday With Back Tightness
Cody Bradford17 hours ago

Won't Throw For At Least Four Weeks
Colorado Rockies18 hours ago

Charlie Condon Out At Least Six Weeks With Broken Wrist
Bryce Miller18 hours ago

Ironing Out The Kinks In Spring Training
Logan Gilbert18 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Mookie Betts18 hours ago

Missing Tokyo Exhibition Games Due To Illness
Jesús Sánchez18 hours ago

Jesus Sanchez To Miss Four Weeks With Oblique Strain
Jon Gray18 hours ago

Has A Fractured Right Wrist
Washington Commanders18 hours ago

Clelin Ferrell Returning To Washington
New York Jets18 hours ago

Kris Boyd Signs With The Jets
Los Angeles Chargers19 hours ago

Mekhi Becton Inks Deal With Chargers
Tyler Johnson19 hours ago

Links Up With Jets
Kyle Juszczyk20 hours ago

Returns To 49ers
Eeli Tolvanen24 hours ago

Scores Twice In Victory
WPG24 hours ago

Kyle Connor Strikes Twice On Friday
Jack Roslovic24 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Friday's Victory
Leon Draisaitl1 day ago

Leads Edmonton To Victory
Liam O'Brien1 day ago

Exits With Undisclosed Injury
Josh Manson1 day ago

Exits On Friday
Atlanta Falcons1 day ago

Falcons Agree To Terms With Morgan Fox
Indianapolis Colts1 day ago

Colts Sign Corey Ballentine To One-Year Deal On Friday
Pittsburgh Steelers1 day ago

Brandin Echols Signs Two-Year Deal With Steelers
Kenny Yeboah1 day ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Lions
Avery Williams1 day ago

Signs With Eagles
Kene Nwangwu1 day ago

Jets Re-Sign Kene Nwangwu To One-Year Deal
Simi Fehoko1 day ago

Signing With Cardinals
Karel Vejmelka2 days ago

Makes Ninth Consecutive Start Friday
Dustin Wolf2 days ago

Set To Face Avalanche Friday
Mikael Backlund2 days ago

Out Week-To-Week
Sam Colangelo2 days ago

Deemed Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Michael Bunting2 days ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Roman Dolidze2 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori2 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani2 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos2 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez2 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson2 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear2 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay2 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA2 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos2 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman4 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard4 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips4 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith4 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala4 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick4 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler4 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter4 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim4 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy4 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa4 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre4 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth4 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young4 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim4 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas4 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele4 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy4 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA4 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman4 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee4 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
Alex Pereira6 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev6 days ago

Becomes The New UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Justin Gaethje6 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev6 days ago

Loses Third Fight In A Row
Ignacio Bahamondes6 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 313
Jalin Turner6 days ago

Retires After UFC 313 Loss
Iasmin Lucindo6 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 313
Amanda Lemos6 days ago

Dominates At UFC 313
King Green6 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 313
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF