What to do with saves in fantasy baseball is one of the most frequently asked questions among managers ahead of every draft. The reality is that there are only two possible alternatives here.
You can either value saves just as much as you value other stats, or you can simply “punt” saves and focus on other categories where you can get production on a more steady, consistent basis.
Why You Should Punt Saves
Let’s face it. Out of all the statistics in standard fantasy formats, you could make a case that saves are the “least important” one. In a 12-team league among managers who are competitive, you’d only be able to land two or maybe three (if you’re lucky) established closers. Thus, you’d be looking at a scenario in which you would get 3-5 saves per week on average, and that’s without considering workloads, schedules, rest days, or injuries.
Meanwhile, the volume is much higher in statistics such as strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP. And we’re not even discussing the volume that comes from hitters, who regularly have 4 or 5 plate appearances per day. Plus, if your lineup and rotation are strong enough, there’s a chance you could win most weeks without having to worry too much about saves.
Why You Shouldn’t Punt Saves
Leaving one category on standby could hurt you down the road. What happens when you have to strengthen your bullpen as the season progresses, and you realize there’s no reliable source of saves left on the waiver wire? You’d be doomed to start every week at a disadvantage from a pitching standpoint.
At the end of the day, if you decide to punt saves (and the same logic goes for managers who decide to punt steals), you’d be putting too much pressure on your star players to perform at a high level week in and week out. While that’s an ideal scenario, slumps and injuries do happen in fantasy baseball. The best scenario would be to have all the categories properly covered.
At the End of the Day, the Decision Is Yours
At the end of the day, what you do will be strictly tied to the strategy you decide to employ throughout the draft. But one aspect to consider is that bullpens are extremely volatile. If you don’t draft an established closer who isn’t likely to lose his job after one or two bad outings, like Edwin Díaz or Mason Miller, then you should expect to only get decent value from saves.
On the other hand, if you decide to put a premium on your lineup and on starting pitching, then you should be just fine by punting saves. After all, bullpens often have interchangeable roles. If you’re savvy on the waiver wire, you can find enough value throughout the season while hoping to receive steady production from other areas.
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