Why You Don't Pay For Saves
Every year in every fantasy league, some guy overpays for saves, and almost always winds up losing his league over it. Fantasy analysts say it, but especially in keeper leagues, it's hard to get away from it: don't pay for saves. And yet, since you have to have them in all likelihood to win your league, you wind up, well, paying for saves.
While all of the selected numbers presented below are just for the first week of course, they're still fairly educational. The following eight closers were all reasonably well regarded before the draft as owning their jobs, in decent situations, and in home parks that weren't bandboxes. You wouldn't want to stake your life on any of them being absolute lockdown options, but if you had them for not so much, you'd feel OK about your team.
Or, well, not.
Brandon Morrow -- 2 saves, 10.13 ERA, 1.88 WHIP.
Brian Fuentes -- 2 saves, 12.00 ERA, 2.40 WHIP.
Kevin Gregg -- 1 save, 13.50 ERA, 3.50 WHIP.
B.J Ryan - 0 saves, 21.60 ERA, 4.20 WHIP.
Troy Percival - 1 save, 9.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP.
Kerry Wood -- 0 saves, 9.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP.
Jason Motte - 0 saves, 15.43 WHIP, 3.00 WHIP.
Oh, and I own(ed) over half of this list in various leagues, which explains why I'm noticing this with, well, some enhanced interest.
The lesson, as always: I'm an idiot.
3 comments:
I always deal with the fantasy closer situation by quietly plucking two likely closers in the middle rounds (usually if I anticipate or notice a run on closers) and snatching a closer-in-waiting towards the end.
Otherwise, if I get stuck with one or no closers, I just punt saves and fill in with decent setup guys that'll pad the other stats.
Right there with you.
I try to start the run, myself, but almost never go for the top cost option.
Which leads me to owning, well, these slobs. GAH.
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