Fantasy Baseball Insiders

2011 Fantasy Baseball Closer’s Corner, Week 1: John Axford, Brandon Lyon, Sean Burnett & More

Opening weekend of the 2011 baseball season certainly was an eventful one, especially in the late innings. At least three closers put their job in jeopardy with rocky outings, sending fantasy managers scurrying to the waiver wire in search of the most suitable backup…

2011 Closer’s Corner: Panic Over John Axford’s Opening Day Blown Save?

You’ve worked hard all offseason taking note of player movement, you’ve scouted spring games. You’ve participated in countless mock drafts, and put hours—if not days—of research and preparation into your league’s draft. You go to bed on Opening Day eve feeling good about your team. This will be the year you dominate your fantasy league.

And then, in the third game of the new season, your hopes are dreams are seemingly shattered—by a closer. (In this case, it’s John Axford.)

I’m here to tell you it’s OK; take a deep breath. Let’s try to evaluate this objectively…

2011 Fantasy Baseball Closer’s Corner: More Than Half of MLB Teams Have a New Source for Saves

Closers are the most overrated players in fantasy baseball. The good ones deliver strong contributions to one category, but generally pitch less than five innings per week.

During drafts, I usually ignore the position until the late rounds. Despite this strategy, my teams are usually very strong in the saves category. In fact, my teams have finished tied-first, second, first and first in saves over the last four seasons in my 10-team roto keeper league.

How is this possible you ask? It’s simple really. Let me run some numbers by you…

2011 Fantasy Projections, No. 66: Is Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s Jered Weaver an Elite Pitcher?

After establishing himself as a first-half pitcher in each of his first four seasons, Jered Weaver dominated all of 2010, posting career-best totals in innings (224 1/3), K/9 (9.35) and BB/9 (2.17).

In fact, the advanced stats suggest Weaver was a completely different pitcher in 2010. Consider the following…

Frank Francisco Traded to Toronto, But Will He Be the Blue Jays Closer in 2011?

The Toronto Blue Jays were finally able to find a taker for Vernon Wells’ hefty contract, dealing him to the Angels last Friday in exchange for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera. (Click here for fantasy perspective on Vernon Wells in Anaheim.)

On Tuesday, the Blue Jays flipped Napoli to the Rangers for relief pitcher Frank Francisco. (Click here for fantasy perspective on Mike Napoli in Texas.)

Francisco (the guy formerly known for throwing a chair into the stands) will join the recently acquired Octavio Dotel and Jon Rauch in a battle this spring to determine the team’s closer for the 2011 season.

Of course nothing will be decided until March, but it’s never to early too speculate…