Every fantasy baseball team has to make a stand when it comes to relievers. Do you buy early, risking some value with hitters? Or do you wait and hope for some value?
In categorical fantasy baseball, owning the saves slot can be a nice weekly treat. It also could be a nightmare if you sacrifice other statistical regions to just win the saves category.
The main issue with drafting relievers early is that it doesn’t really generate much in other categories. Relievers won’t necessarily gobble up the strikeouts, or render any value in the quality starts or ERA category. They can actually be a detriment to ERA because of their short duration and likelihood of allowing at least one run per week.
So I generally go with value, not necessarily giving up the category, but not risking my draft on big-time names. This strategy may not be a weekly winner, but it can offer an above .500 record in the category, while also competing with those upper-echelon relievers.
Here are three relievers I’m eyeing in my fantasy baseball draft who present good value.
Corey Knebel, RP, Milwaukee Brewers
With the fourth-highest average draft position among relievers, he’s a little high for my blood. However, for the amount of work he’s anticipated to see in 2018, he does offer tremendous upside.
He’s going off as the 74th overall player drafted, putting him in the early seventh round. That gives you the opportunity of grabbing five position players, a starting pitcher and then turning to Knebel to bolster your relief pitching. That’s not bad, since the Brewers are expected to be one of the better teams in the National League.
And with relievers, that obviously matters, since if your team stinks, you won’t get many opportunities.
When he got his opportunity as a closer last year, he made the most of it, saving 39 games in limited action as a closer. He had some hiccups last season, but turned in an impressive 14.9 strikeout-per-nine-inning mark.
He’ll be the featured closer this year for a Brewers team that should contend for a playoff spot. His ADP is a bit higher than I desire, but he still isn’t too expensive to sacrifice other necessary positions.
Sean Doolittle, RP, Washington Nationals
The bad news for Doolittle is he’s in Washington where relievers regularly screw things up.
The good news is that he’s in a position where he’ll have plenty of opportunities at saving games. Now, unlike past Washington relievers, he needs to actually close the door on the opposition.
Doolittle enters the 2018 season with an ADP of 13th among relievers, 114th overall. That’s surprising since he’s the definite closer, and despite not having much experience in this role, he wasn’t that bad last year for the Nationals in limited action.
He saved 21 games last year for Washington with only one blown save. He’s not a big strikeout pitcher and doesn’t have much experience, so there’s some reason to worry. But with that value, you can’t go wrong, especially since the Nationals will be good once again. Doolittle is a must-add for fantasy baseball rosters.
Jeurys Familia, RP, New York Mets
He’s tough to trust, but it’s impossible to ignore the value for Familia. Maybe the rest of fantasy baseball forgot how dominant he can be, but his ADP is 19th among relievers, 162nd overall.
With his ability and at that value, it’s tough to pass him up, even if there are still plenty of question marks surrounding how good he can be in 2018. He’s had some injury issues in the spring and it’s hard to forget he barely played last year thanks to a suspension and injuries. But he was one of the best closers just two years ago.
He registered 43 and 51 saves, respectively, in 2015 and 2016. If he can come close to that level this season, he would be one of the biggest steals of 2018. He has to stay eligible, which has been a chore in the past, but when looking for sleepers, success is never a guarantee. He has ability, so at this level, he’s worth the gamble.
