20-team mixed ROTO 5x5 - Saves (1 Viewer)

[Bobcat10]

Sort of an insane number of teams, but I've enjoyed my experiences with 20-team NBA fantasy leagues.

Usually I'm all for waiting on saves, and even starting pitching for the most part, but with the number of teams here do you try to be one of the first to get your closer? Land one of the top four in the 3rd or 4th round? Sounds crazy. Or do you wait almost as long as possible and grab the question mark guys?

Jonathan Papelbon (44.1)

J.J. Putz (51.8)

Francisco Rodriguez (64.4)

Joe Nathan (56.0)

Then pick up one more later on and you are set?

Brad Lidge (163.0)

Joakim Soria (159.1)

J. Isringhausen (147.1)

Carlos Marmol (165.9)

Kevin Gregg (176.7)

Brandon Lyon (189.8)

B.J. Ryan (203.5)

Joe Borowski (179.9)

Todd Jones (192.3)

If you miss out on the latter, grab a guy like Betancourt, Broxton, Bell, etc to go with your stud.

What do you think? Once the top guys go, the middle guys that I didn't list are going to go too early (Wagner, Saito, etc) I'm thinking.

 

[Spartans Rule]

I'm thinking you may want to go closer early.

The main reason is that I think in a 20-team league, there's likely to be some absolutely brutal closer runs. At some point guys will start flying off the board and those lower-tier closers will have to be drafted way ahead of their ADP - it'll either be that or punt saves. Getting in before that madness with an elite guy will probably give you the best value. Then you can try to draft a second closer, but even if you get frozen out, you should be able to finish near the top of the one-closer teams in saves.

Also, the elite closers could really help your ratios in this format - there can only be 150 guys in MLB rotations at any time and a good chunk of them will be unstartable. Teams aren't going to rack up big IP counts, so 70 IP of a 1.50 ERA and 0.90 WHIP could have a huge influence.

 

[Regular Crust Pizza]

I'm thinking you may want to go closer early.The main reason is that I think in a 20-team league, there's likely to be some absolutely brutal closer runs. At some point guys will start flying off the board and those lower-tier closers will have to be drafted way ahead of their ADP - it'll either be that or punt saves. Getting in before that madness with an elite guy will probably give you the best value. Then you can try to draft a second closer, but even if you get frozen out, you should be able to finish near the top of the one-closer teams in saves.Also, the elite closers could really help your ratios in this format - there can only be 150 guys in MLB rotations at any time and a good chunk of them will be unstartable. Teams aren't going to rack up big IP counts, so 70 IP of a 1.50 ERA and 0.90 WHIP could have a huge influence.

 

[Mr. Know-It-All]

I'm thinking you may want to go closer early.The main reason is that I think in a 20-team league, there's likely to be some absolutely brutal closer runs. At some point guys will start flying off the board and those lower-tier closers will have to be drafted way ahead of their ADP - it'll either be that or punt saves. Getting in before that madness with an elite guy will probably give you the best value. Then you can try to draft a second closer, but even if you get frozen out, you should be able to finish near the top of the one-closer teams in saves.Also, the elite closers could really help your ratios in this format - there can only be 150 guys in MLB rotations at any time and a good chunk of them will be unstartable. Teams aren't going to rack up big IP counts, so 70 IP of a 1.50 ERA and 0.90 WHIP could have a huge influence.

What he said...last year (in a 20 teamer) I had BJ Ryan and then picked up Brian Fuentes late. Ryan went down in the first week and Fuentes lost his job. So, in effect, I accidentally punted saves...which cost me placing in the top 3 and getting any money.In a 20 teamer, you will have some joker land 3 closers and run away with the saves category - but if you can land 1 stud closer and 1 mediocre closer (has a solid hold on his teams closer role but maybe on a losing team), you wind up around 65-70 saves which will get you a top 10 finish in saves. Thta has always worked for me until last year when disaster struck.

 

[MAC_32]

Whether it's a 10 team league or a 20 team league closer's are a risky proposition. Try to land two values later and draft your bats where you normally would. If you miss them, oh well, draft the always under-valued middle reliever's and let the closer reachers strive for the saves title while you clean up both ratio categories. Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and your middle reliever's will end up stealing a job from a closer.

 

[Your Mother]

5x5?

 

[Bobcat10]

I had the 17th pick out of 20.

R, HR, RBI, SB, OBP, W, SV, K, ERA, WHIP

Roster - Round:

C - Bard - 14

1B - Ortiz -1

2B - Weeks - 5

3B - Youkilis 1b - 7

SS - Theriot 2b - 9

OF - Berkman 1b - 2

OF - Francouer - 6

OF - Kubel - 16

DH - LaRoche 1b - 11

SP - Verlander - 4

SP - Burnett - 8

RP - Nathan - 3

RP - Broxton - 12

P - Wainwright - 10

P - Marcum - 15

B - Asd Cabrera 2b/ss - 13

B - Buck of - 17

B - Owings - 18

B - Bradley - 19

B - Wolf - 20

I got Nathan at 57 and he was the 4th closer off the board. I missed out on another closer as I felt they were going way too early, notice I took Broxton in the 12th. I wanted to get Capps or Soriano but I missed out. I'll be able to pick up a few saves from the wire throughout the year.

As for the rest of the team, I guess it looks OK to me, some of these teams look bad. I think Ortiz was fantastic at 17 because of OBP. Also like Bard in the 14th. Not sure if I'll get enough SBs from Weeks and Theriot to offset the lack of speed I have otherwise, but they should land me in the middle somewhere. One guy I targeted was Kubel so I was pleased to grab him in the 16th. Took flyers on Bradley and Wolf in the final two rounds....Wolf could be a find for Petco starts and if I get anything out of Bradley it will be worth it.

Was one pick away from Loney and Bourn at two points of the draft, ended up with Burnett and LaRoche respectively.

 

[pantagrapher]

I'd rather have three of the top closers in waiting than one top-tier closer, assuming you can use that earlier pick to get a good bat or solid starter (which is much more reliable). There's just too much turnover at closer.