Don’t forget about relief pitchers when mapping out your Fantasy Baseball team. Leagues include saves as a statistic, too.
Finding two closers who log plenty of opportunities and convert on those chances is paramount to winning each week. The key to earning a trophy in your Fantasy Baseball league doesn’t come down to being pretty good in several categories. The best approach is to be great in specific categories and the saves category is something fantasy owners can display dominance if played correctly.
Here’s my top-five options as a relief pitcher. For this exercise, I am not factoring in holds as a category.
1. Craig Kimbrel, Boston
This is one of the most competitive positions in Fantasy Baseball when it comes to the top-tier options. I’m going with the new scenery as having a positive effect on Kimbrel. The former Braves and Padres closer is now in Boston and should bounce back from a disappointing campaign last year. Kimbrel led Major League Baseball in saves for four consecutive seasons before taking a step back in his first year with San Diego last year. He registered less than 40 saves for the only time in his career last year, so don’t expect that to happen this season. One of the key elements of creating a good closer is having a team capable of winning games. The Red Sox should give Kimbrel plenty of opportunities to save games, so I’m taking Kimbrel first among relief pitchers in the upcoming fantasy draft.
2. Wade Davis, Kansas City
The Royals’ bullpen has been unstoppable in the last two years. That should continue this season with Davis being the star of the show in the ninth inning. Davis appeared in 69 games last season and mustered a 0.94 ERA. The year earlier, he managed a 1.00 ERA. So when teams enter the ninth against the Royals, it’s likely they won’t come out the winners. That’s a recipe for success for fantasy owners. I’m splitting hairs between Kimbrel and Davis. Both players would be solid options, but I favor Kimbrel more based on his proven track record. I believe Davis will save plenty of games, but he’s never manned the closer role for an entire season, so it’s still unknown how he will manage that pressure on a nightly basis.
3. Mark Melancon, Pittsburgh
The leader in saves from a year ago is my third option based on my doubts that he can duplicate his effort from last season. Melancon saved 51 games last season in 78 appearances. The amount of work he contributed last season makes me a bit cautious about this season. He was a nightly contributor last season, so I doubt the Pirates will use him that much again this season. Also, I’m a bit concerned about Pittsburgh’s ability to replicate its performance from last season in terms of wins, thus limiting Melancon’s value. He’s still a good option to have, though, because he’s shown to be a highly used option and only blew two saves last season. You could do worse, but don’t expect the same output as last year.
4. David Robertson, Chicago White Sox
I’m maybe a bit more of a believer in the White Sox than others. I’m assuming Chicago will be better this season, allowing Robertson to get more work. He saved 34 games last season, down from his 2014 output of 39 for the New York Yankees. The more opportunities this year will provide a solid foundation for fantasy owners to build upon. Robertson has shown the ability in the past two years to be a reliable closer when given the chance to be on the mound. If you believe in the White Sox being better, he’s worth a pick, since I expect him to go north of 40 saves this season. If he can accomplish that feat, he will be a top-five option at closer.
5. Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers
Jansen took a minor step back last year, going from 44 to 36 saves. That doesn’t mean that he should be avoided. He’s still a consistent option as a relief pitcher, going for 25 or more saves in the past four seasons. And the Dodgers should be good once again, meaning Jansen will get plenty of work. Because of those opportunities on the mound, Jansen should get a nod as a top closer for fantasy owners. He’s as consistent as any relief pitcher available, so his value should be high when considering how to draft relief pitchers.
