3 Overvalued Closers: Bust Candidates for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

Relief pitcher is one of the trickier positions to determine fantasy baseball value given the volatility of the position and the limited ways it can provide fantasy output. Generally speaking, relief pitchers are only valuable in most fantasy leagues if they serve as the closer for their team. There are exceptions depending on league type,... Read More

Camilo Doval Tosses Another Scoreless Inning

San Francisco Giants closer Camilo Doval tossed another scoreless inning in Tuesday's loss versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. Doval allowed two hits in the contest, with no walks or strikeouts. The fireballer has now thrown four innings this spring and allowed just three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. The 26-year-old appeared in 69... Read More

Yuki Matsui Scheduled To Pitch Wednesday

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt said Tuesday that relief pitcher Yuki Matsui (back) is slated to return to game action on Wednesday in the team's Cactus League finale against the Athletics. Matsui, who was signed this off-season, has missed the last three weeks with back tightness. However, the left-hander pitched in an intrasquad game... Read More

Gregory Santos Will Not Be Ready For Opening Day

Seattle Mariners reliever Gregory Santos (lat) will not be ready for Opening Day after he suffered a lat strain and will be shut down for a few days, per manager Scott Servais. Santos has been dealing with a lat issue this spring and was reportedly progressing well in his throwing program but has apparently suffered... Read More

Kenley Jansen Expected To Make Spring Debut Friday

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen's (lat) live batting practice session appeared to go well on Tuesday, as he gave a thumbs up and a "yes, sir" when asked how it went. He is expected to pitch in his first Grapefruit League game on Friday. The Red Sox have been slow-playing Jansen in camp after... Read More

ATC Projections: Overview and How to Use Them for Fantasy Baseball

As someone who played fantasy football for a lengthier period, the roster size, league depth, and categorical balance remained challenging in fantasy baseball. The player pool becomes difficult to master and understand, especially as the league and roster size grows. Thankfully, projection systems help give us a baseline of numbers of what to expect before... Read More

Closers and Bullpen Arms to Target for Fantasy Baseball Drafts - American League

The toughest decision you might have to make in your fantasy baseball draft is when to target a bullpen arm. Securing those saves in a roto league could be the difference between winning or losing a week. So, is it worth it to spend a fifth- or sixth-round pick on Houston Astros closer Josh Hader? ... Read More

Braves' Rotation Spot Down To Reynaldo Lopez, Bryce Elder

The Atlanta Braves final rotation spot is currently down to Reynaldo Lopez and Bryce Elder, per MLB.com's Mark Bowman. AJ Smith-Shawver put forth an impressive spring but was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday. Lopez has looked excellent this spring, while Elder has yielded poor results. Elder put forth a decent 2023 season for the... Read More

Edwin Diaz Strikes Out Side In Spring Debut

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz (knee) made his first big-league appearance since the postseason of 2022 in Monday's 1-0 Grapefruit League loss to the Marlins. Diaz entered the game in the fifth inning and struck out the side swinging, touching 98 MPH with his fastball. The 29-year-old suffered a season-ending knee injury last March... Read More

Kenley Jansen To Throw Live Batting Practice Tuesday

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (lat) is scheduled to throw another live batting practice session on Tuesday, per the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham. The 36-year-old reported right lat soreness early in camp and was shut down, but is now building up for Opening Day. Fantasy managers should monitor his situation for a better idea... Read More

Pete Fairbanks Makes Spring Debut

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks made his spring debut against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. The right-hander threw a perfect ninth inning while striking out two batters. Fairbanks isn't coming off an injury, but the team is taking things slowly with him given his injury history. He was a viable ninth inning... Read More

Jason Foley Dealing With Arm Fatigue

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch stated that reliever Jason Foley, who was scheduled to pitch in Sunday's Grapefruit League matchup with the Mets, did not pitch due to "mid-camp pitching fatigue." At least it doesn't sound serious, but on the other hand, fatigue this early in the season doesn't seem to bode well for the... Read More

5 Mid-To-Late Round Sleepers: NL West - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

Welcome to the final draft sleeper series, where I go through every MLB team to find one sleeper you should be drafting in fantasy baseball this year. The NL West is the last one on our list. The NL West features plenty of superstars who are going early in drafts. Mookie Betts, Corbin Carroll, Freddie... Read More

Closers and Saves Bullpen Report for Fantasy Baseball - NL Edition

With a little more spring training behind us, we're back with the National League version of Closers and Saves Bullpen Report! Make sure to look over the American League edition that was published last week. There's still plenty of time until Opening Day, so as usual we can expect changes to come, but for now? Looks... Read More

4 Impact Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

As fantasy players, we love to use the term "breakout" to define players who will outperform their projections. Finding these values that others miss can be the key to a successful season for our teams. One such place where we need not only acumen but also luck finding helpful players is in the bullpen. Bullpens... Read More

Mid-Round Closers and Relievers - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values And Targets (2024)

Spring training is underway, March has arrived, and the fantasy baseball draft season is upon us. Wrestling with the thought of when to select a closer is a shared struggle among fantasy managers. A common misstep in drafts is to reach for the elite closers in a misguided effort to “lock down” the saves category.... Read More

David Bednar Improving From Lat Tightness

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton reported on Sunday that everything went well after closer David Bednar (lat) played catch for a second straight day. Bednar continues to deal with lat tightness after Pittsburgh shut the right-hander down from throwing last Monday, but the Pirates just seem to be taking a cautious route with their All-Star... Read More

Matt Brash Plays Catch Again Sunday

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Matt Brash (elbow) played catch out to 90 feet on Sunday. After throwing and playing catch last Tuesday, Brash continues to progress as he works his way back from inflammation in his right elbow. Following Paul Sewald's exit at 2023's trade deadline, the 25-year-old flamethrowing right-hander is in the mix for... Read More

Trevor Megill A Spring Training Riser

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Trevor Megill is off to a nice start this spring, tossing four innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts, and the big right-hander's fantasy stock is also on the rise due to the uncertainty surrounding the health of star closer Devin Williams (back). Williams is going for a second opinion regarding... Read More

Joel Payamps Struggling But Worth Monitoring

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Joel Payamps is off to a rough start this spring, giving up six runs (five earned) and two home runs in just 2 2/3 innings of work, but he remains next in line for save opportunities in the team's bullpen. With All-Star closer Devin Williams (back) heading for a second opinion... Read More

Relief Pitchers To Target For Holds in Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

Holds is a fun alternative stat category to saves. Chasing saves can be difficult, as most teams go with a traditional approach and have just one player serving as their closer. That makes finding them in fantasy baseball leagues potentially difficult, especially for managers who don’t want to spend early draft capital on a closer.... Read More

Devin Williams Headed For Second Opinion On Back

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Devin Williams is headed for a second opinion on his ailing back. The club's closer will see a spine specialist this week but the club isn't overly concerned about the issue as they are being cautious with the issue. The 29-year-old took over full-time closing duties in the 2023 season, working to... Read More

Jackson Kowar To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

Seattle Mariners right-hander Jackson Kowar is set to undergo Tommy John surgery after feeling soreness in his right arm. The 27-year-old went to see a doctor to check on his arm issues a few days ago and the end result concludes his 2024 season before it began. Acquired in a trade with the Braves this... Read More

Marlins Ink Mychal Givens To Minor-League Pact

The Miami Marlins have signed reliever Mychal Givens to a minor-league deal. The veteran right-hander spent the 2023 season with the Orioles but appeared in just six games, posting a 11.25 ERA in that time. Much of his nine-year career has been spent with Baltimore but Givens has also appeared with the Rockies, Reds, Cubs,... Read More

Ryne Stanek Signs With Mariners

The Seattle Mariners have signed free-agent relief pitcher Ryne Stanek on Sunday. The right-hander will receive a one-year $4 million deal. Stanek has bounced around a bit during his career but has been solid wherever he goes. Most notably, Stanek posted a 2.90 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 196/89 K/BB ratio over 173 2/3 innings since... Read More

Chris Martin Plays Catch On Sunday

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Chris Martin (groin) was forced to leave his live batting practice session on Saturday due to injury. Luckily, it sounds like Martin's exit was precautionary and that he'll be fine going forward. The 37-year-old was able to play catch on Sunday without any issues. The Red Sox will likely take... Read More

Breakout Hitters and Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball Drafts - NL Edition (2024)

"Breakout" is a common term used around the fantasy community during the draft season.   These players are usually fairly young and have just begun to scratch the surface of their professional careers.  They have also had a relatively high prospect pedigree, further raising their potential ceiling. The most important note about a "breakout" is that... Read More

3 Bullpen Arms To Target In Fantasy Baseball Drafts - NL Edition (2024)

The hardest thing to decide in a fantasy baseball draft is when to grab relief pitchers. Saves are super important in roto leagues, so choosing a closer early could be a nice strategy. Some of the top ones, like Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers, are going super early. Williams is usually off the board... Read More

Jose Leclerc Excellent Again Friday

Texas Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc tossed his second straight solid outing Friday versus the Kansas City Royals. The right-hander tossed a scoreless, hitless inning with two strikeouts, tossing his second straight scoreless frame in the process. Leclerc allowed two earned runs on three hits, including a homer, in just 1/3 of an inning in his... Read More

Ryne Stanek Reaches Agreement With Mariners

The Seattle Mariners have signed reliever Ryne Stanek to a contract, although the financial terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed. The 32-year-old has spent the previous three seasons with the Houston Astros but will now look to lock down a bullpen spot in Seattle. The right-hander posted a 4.09 ERA across 55... Read More