Strategy on drafting closers...

[johnsamo]

I usually go with 1 elite closer then a 2nd or 3rd tier guy. I'm just looking to get middle of the pack in saves. getting top SPs is my priority. They throw the majority of innings and effect Ks, ERA and wins more. Plus unlike poisiton slots which are 10 guys if you have the ut. spot, the top SPs are accountable for a large percentage of your score from just 4 or 5 guys, so I like to have top quality for those slots.

[mak1277]

I'm not a fan of using early picks on closers at all. My main league is also NL-only (9 teams). Last year, the only closer I drafted was Mike Gonzalez. Through some aggressive waiver wire work, I ended up getting saves from: Todd Coffey, Salomon Torres, Francisco Cordero, Mike Stanton and Dan Wheeler, and ended up winning the category outright.

Now, I think this was somewhat lucky, but also, I'm never expecting to win the category...just stay middle of the pack. There's way too much turnover in closers to spend top draft picks on them.

Talk to the guy that drafted Lidge or Turnbow last year before you reach for a closer.

[Yoda]

I used to never draft closers until after the 10th round. I've had success grabbing guys in the middle rounds that break out the last 5 seasons. Then I wound up with Eddie as my top closer in 06 and he killed me every week early in the season. My team never recovered from the bombing him, Devine and Cotts took.

So I'm a bit higher on reliable guys like Krod, Nathan, etc this season. I want to get at least 1 closer with my top 10 pick and 2 with the next 10 picks. Then round out the pen with high K guys like Zumaya, Soriano, Broxton, etc.

[Pogotheostrich]

I think Pogotheostrich started off with the right idea and then moved away from it. With your settings, if you're able to land a solid closer and a decent closer, you'll be set to win 1 of the 7 categories! Two picks nets you a definite win every week! That's value! If you take a guy like Wagner early and then Saito later in the 10th - 11th rounds, you will lock yourself into a win in 15% of your categories!

I just think that if you don't get Wagner or Hoffman then you are better off waiting to scrap the bottom of the barrell.

[hot4tx]

I don't go for the "top" guys, but I try to make sure I get at least 1 reliable guy. Then I try to get 2 "risky" guys later and then a stud non-closer RP that is the next in line to an old/injured/inconsistent closer.

Also I tend to look at ERA a lot when choosing closers, and try to look at the past 3+ years ERA. Saves and save chances go up and down so much each year you have to make sure you're not paying for 2006 saves in 2007.

[Snakes Gould]

i usually dont draft a closer until after round 9 or so, but in your situation like pogo said, you are in an nl-only. so i would definitely try to get 2 guys you wont have to worry about. maybe target a guy like tom gordon, because you know he'll get the saves if hes healthy and then a guy like soloman torres. and then in the last few rounds, get guys like m gonzalez, broxton, wheeler, etc..

[SmartassBoiler]

I don't believe going with a rigid strategy heading into the draft will do your team any good. I'm in the middle of a slow draft, and I usually wait towards the end of the closer run to grab an undervalued guy (Gordon last year) as my #1. Street is a good example of an undervalued #1 guy this year, and I had my eye on him. However, there was a point in the draft where the closer run had just started, and nobody on my draft sheet stood out like Joe Nathan did, so I drafted him. Always be flexible in your approach and don't go into a draft with a bullheaded solution for a particular position.

[johnsamo]

agreed. I have a strategy, but if a top player falls in the draft farther than he should, I'll pounce regardless of my strategy.... Every draft has those anomalies and you can't predict them. You just have to be ready for it.

[Ender]

If its a mediocre league then closers aren't important at all, you can pick them up mid season. If its a real expert league you need to be more worried about it and draft them earlier. Keep in mind the fact that you play 4v4 so the value of closers is lesser than in a 5v5, WHIP is one stat that good closers give starter like value for and since you don't use it they lose some of their luster.