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

Bullpen Busts Due to Bounce-Back in 2019

It's almost time for Opening Day! Spring Training is wrapping up and so are fantasy baseball drafts. So as we get ready for the start of the season, let's take a look at a few bullpen guys who might be a little underappreciated in drafts this year.

Now with a couple of guys on this "busts" list, I'm using the word rather liberally. Ken Giles recorded 26 saves between Houston and Toronto last year, while Brad Boxberger racked up 32 saves in Arizona. But they both saw an increase in their WHIP from 2017 as they each posted an ERA over 4.30. So while they put up good counting numbers in 2018, owners would like to see those rates improve as well.

So who else is poised to rebound in 2019? Let's take a look at four guys worth going after this season.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:

 

Ken Giles, TOR — ADP 140

Giles started off the 2018 season strong with three saves and a 1.80 ERA across 11 appearances in April. But on May 1, Giles earned his first loss of the year after allowing four runs on four hits while recording just one out. That outing kicked off a stretch of 23 appearances where he recorded a 6.53 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP that eventually led to his demotion to Triple-A. Giles was then traded to Toronto, where he posted a 7.36 ERA over 12 games in the month of August. He ended the year strong though, as he allowed just three hits and one walk over nine scoreless appearances in September.

That scoreless stretch to close out the season is a positive sign of a potential rebound for Giles, with five of his nine appearances that month coming against the Yankees, Indians, and Astros. Looking at his advanced metrics also points towards a better 2019 campaign, as his 3.08 FIP, 3.27 xFIP and 2.96 SIERA suggest he was actually pitching better than his 4.65 ERA. Overall he looked better in the second half pitching in Toronto, and while his 2.30 ERA in 2017 might be too much to hope for, an ERA around 3.30 should be closer to what owners should expect this year — making him a solid mid-tier closer.

 

Corey Knebel, MIL — ADP 142

In many ways, Knebel had a similar 2018 performance to Giles. Knebel struggled with an inflated ERA, lost the closer role and was demoted to the minors, and then closed out the year with a string of scoreless outings. After posting a 5.08 ERA and 1.33 WHIP over the first five months of the season that led to a brief demotion, Knebel returned to Milwaukee in September and allowed just five hits and three walks while striking out 33 over 16.1 scoreless innings.

The biggest knock against Knebel in 2018 was home runs. Knebel posted a career-worst 20.6 percent HR/FB rate — the fifth-worst rate among qualified relievers — and his 2.40 xFIP and 2.29 SIERA suggest he should have had a markedly better ERA than his 3.58 season total. Despite the increased ERA and issues with home runs, Knebel still posted a career-best 1.084 WHIP while cutting his walk rate from a career-worst 12.9 percent in 2017 to 9.9 percent in 2018. Add in the fact he's thrown 4.2 scoreless innings this spring while striking out six, and it's looking like we could see a return to numbers close to his 2017 campaign.

 

Brad Boxberger, KC — ADP 410

In his first opportunity back in the closer's role since 2015, Boxberger was 32-for-40 in save opportunities for Arizona while posting a 4.39 ERA — the second-highest mark of his career. After posting a 1.80 ERA over his first 21 games, Boxberger recorded a 5.94 ERA over the final four months of the season with a 1.59 WHIP over 33.1 innings. His struggles peaked in September, where he was 1-for-3 in save opportunities while posting an 11.37 ERA over 6.1 innings of work.

Much like Knebel, struggles with the long ball were a key issue for Boxberger in 2018. His 18.4 percent HR/FB rate was the 12th-highest among qualified relievers last year, as well as the second-highest mark of his career. Taking a look at his 3.87 xFIP and 3.67 SIERA suggest that he was somewhat unlucky with the home runs and that he should have recorded better numbers. Now in Kansas City, Boxberger appears to be in line for saves early this season and could be poised for a bounce-back season. He likely won't be anywhere near an upper-tier closer, but he could be worth more than just a streaming closer in 2019.

 

Greg Holland, ARI — ADP 482

Of the four pitchers on this list, Holland is easily the most deserving of the "bust" label. After leading the National League with 41 saves in 2017, Holland signed with St. Louis where he proceeded to post a 7.92 ERA and 2.24 WHIP over 25 innings with the Cardinals. Holland was eventually released on August 1, and six days later he signed with Washington. The change of scenery seemed to flip a switch for Holland, as he would go on to post a 0.84 ERA and a 0.891 WHIP over his final 21 games in which he posted a 2-0 record and was a perfect 3-for-3 in save opportunities.

Unlike others on this list, Holland's big issue in 2018 was struggling with his command. While with St. Louis, Holland posted a 16.7 percent strikeout rate and a 16.7 percent walk rate — both of which would have been career-worsts for him over a full season. After joining the Nationals, Holland would record a 12.5 percent walk rate with a 31.3 percent strikeout rate. Holland also saw a 3.3 percent increase in his swinging strikeout percentage upon joining Washington, which could in part be attributed to increased usage of his curveball:

Fastball% Slider% Curveball%
St. Louis 42.9 47.7 9.0
Washington 44.2 41.3 14.5

Despite some struggles this spring, Holland could be in the mix for saves in Arizona very soon. Owners might want to consider drafting Holland as a late-round flyer right now because if he can build off his success in Washington he could very quickly become one of the steals of a draft.

More Fantasy Baseball Sleepers and Undervalued Players




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

Mookie Betts4 hours ago

Won't Play In Tokyo Series Against Cubs
Tee Higgins5 hours ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase5 hours ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Brandin Podziemski5 hours ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Christian Braun5 hours ago

Tagged As Probable On Injury Report
Aaron Gordon5 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jamal Murray5 hours ago

Iffy For Monday
Nikola Jokić6 hours ago

Nikola Jokic May Sit Out Meeting With Warriors
Quinten Post6 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday
Stephen Curry6 hours ago

Questionable To Play On Monday
Vince Williams Jr.7 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Coby White7 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Monday
Josh Giddey7 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday
Gary Trent Jr.7 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Scotty Pippen Jr.7 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Ja Morant8 hours ago

Won't Play Monday
Aaron Nesmith8 hours ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton8 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin8 hours ago

Will Open Season On Injured List
Aaron Wiggins8 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez8 hours ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner8 hours ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma8 hours ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam8 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard9 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo9 hours ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh9 hours ago

Exits Early Sunday
Royce Lewis9 hours ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On Injured List
Miami Dolphins9 hours ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold9 hours ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews9 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin10 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson10 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad10 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil11 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich11 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech11 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman11 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter11 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish11 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt11 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.11 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar12 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Yoán Moncada12 hours ago

Yoan Moncada Could Land On Injured List
Atlanta Falcons12 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons13 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers13 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
Mason Adams14 hours ago

Diagnosed With Flexor Strain
Joey Gallo14 hours ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke14 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee14 hours ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler14 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano14 hours ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland14 hours ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis14 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías14 hours ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera15 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
New York Jets16 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders16 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush16 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens18 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks19 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.19 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell20 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson20 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney20 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain20 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher20 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield21 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott21 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin21 hours ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov21 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron21 hours ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick21 hours ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli21 hours ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin21 hours ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin21 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar21 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR21 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski21 hours ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones21 hours ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez22 hours ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar22 hours ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece22 hours ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano23 hours ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Michael McDowell23 hours ago

Wins Spire Motorsports' First Pole At Las Vegas
Austin Cindric23 hours ago

Qualifies Third But Is Almost Guaranteed To Lose Spots
Chase Briscoe23 hours ago

Las Vegas Performance Hard To Predict
Ty Gibbs23 hours ago

A Solid DFS Option In Theory
Shane Van Gisbergen23 hours ago

Too Inexperienced At Las Vegas For DFS Consideration
Jordan Mason1 day ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge1 day ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster1 day ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell1 day ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich1 day ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers1 day ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov1 day ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Joel Armia1 day ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Available Saturday
Adam Fox1 day ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Eeli Tolvanen2 days ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee5 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF