I'm thinking of guys who are definitely good enough to be your 8th or 9th pitcher in a 15-team mixed league (NFBC style) and arguably even good enough to be your last guy in a 12-team mixed.
For a while, Dellin Betances was the new hotness. A setup guy who was consistently drafted as a top 20 reliever, and sometimes a top 15 guy. Then along came Josh Hader who started going even higher. Hader is consistently in the top 15 relievers now.
Then, for a while, Ryan Pressly was the new "sleeper" reliever that could rack up a metric ton of Ks with really good ratios, and was worth paying up for even if he didn't get many saves. Here's what he did last year:
2018 (overall): 77 games, 71 innings, 101 Ks (12.8 k per 9), 2.54 ERA, 1.11 WHIP
2018 (specifically with HOU): 26 games, 23.1 innings, 32 Ks (12.3 k/9), 0.77 ERA, 0.60 WHIP
Then I think Pressly got a little too overhyped and has been going almost double digits in some leagues, though curiously, only 6 in AL Tout this weekend.
So who's next?
I like Seth Lugo a lot. He throws a lot of innings. He doesn't have a high K rate, but he could throw 80+ innings and still get you 85+ Ks. I do think he can raise his K rate a bit if he relievers consistently.
2018 stats: 54 games (5 starts), 101.1 innings, 103 Ks (9.1 K/9), 2.66 ERA, 1.08 WHIP
Even Lugo is starting to get a tiny bit of helium. I'm also a little intrigued by Craig Stammen:
2018 stats: 73 games, 79 IP, 88 Ks (10.0 K/9), 1.73 ERA, 1.04 WHIP
I don't think Stammen is a 12-team level guy, but I do like the IP/G being over 1.0, and he vultured 8 wins last year. On an improving Padres team, he might be able to repeat that.
Who else you got? Without worrying too much about saves, who's a usable MR that you are looking to plug into your lineups this year?
For a while, Dellin Betances was the new hotness. A setup guy who was consistently drafted as a top 20 reliever, and sometimes a top 15 guy. Then along came Josh Hader who started going even higher. Hader is consistently in the top 15 relievers now.
Then, for a while, Ryan Pressly was the new "sleeper" reliever that could rack up a metric ton of Ks with really good ratios, and was worth paying up for even if he didn't get many saves. Here's what he did last year:
2018 (overall): 77 games, 71 innings, 101 Ks (12.8 k per 9), 2.54 ERA, 1.11 WHIP
2018 (specifically with HOU): 26 games, 23.1 innings, 32 Ks (12.3 k/9), 0.77 ERA, 0.60 WHIP
Then I think Pressly got a little too overhyped and has been going almost double digits in some leagues, though curiously, only 6 in AL Tout this weekend.
So who's next?
I like Seth Lugo a lot. He throws a lot of innings. He doesn't have a high K rate, but he could throw 80+ innings and still get you 85+ Ks. I do think he can raise his K rate a bit if he relievers consistently.
2018 stats: 54 games (5 starts), 101.1 innings, 103 Ks (9.1 K/9), 2.66 ERA, 1.08 WHIP
Even Lugo is starting to get a tiny bit of helium. I'm also a little intrigued by Craig Stammen:
2018 stats: 73 games, 79 IP, 88 Ks (10.0 K/9), 1.73 ERA, 1.04 WHIP
I don't think Stammen is a 12-team level guy, but I do like the IP/G being over 1.0, and he vultured 8 wins last year. On an improving Padres team, he might be able to repeat that.
Who else you got? Without worrying too much about saves, who's a usable MR that you are looking to plug into your lineups this year?
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