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One of my favorite strategies in deep leagues is to run the best four starters I can get out there every game, and fill in the rest with high-K middle relievers. I’d rather have a guy who gives me killer ratios for 75 innings than a mediocre starter who gives me 200 with a 4.40 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. You’ll usually win the ratio categories with this strategy, and if you’re far enough ahead in those, you can always pick up the occasional spot starter if you need a W or some Ks.

Dominant middle relievers can be had on the wire every year if you know what to look for. Last year Heath Bell, Carlos Marmol, and Rafael Betancourt could be picked up for free in nearly every league, and were three of the better fantasy pitchers in the game. Yahoo ranked Betancourt as the 19th(!) most valuable pitcher in ‘07, Bell the 24th, and Marmol the 39th. I grabbed both Betancourt and Marmol off the wire during the season in 20-team dynasty leagues. I missed my chance on Bell. With relievers, the stats to look at are BB:K (command), K/9 (dominance), and possibly GB% (HR prevention). ERA and hits allowed are too volatile in the small amount of innings a reliever pitches to pay too much attention to. BIP numbers, (like GB%, FB%, LD%) are pretty worthless until there’s a decent sample to look at as well.

Everyone’s seen the starts by guys like Joey Devine, Santiago Casilla, and Hong-Chih Kuo in our leagues this season, so let’s look at four guys you should still be able to find on your waiver wire:

Jared Burton: Burton made a bit of a splash last year with a BABIP-assisted 2.51 ERA in 43 IP, most after the All-Star break. This year, he’s doing it for real, with drastically improved control and K-rate. Last year Reds manager Pete Mackanin wanted to give Burton an audition at closer when David Weathers needed a rest, but who knows what the situation is now with Dusty and Frankie Cordero in the mix.
2008 Stats: 27.2IP 30H 10ER 8BB 29K (more…)

There’s been lots and lots of talk about the role Joba Chamberlain would take for the Yankees in 2008. On the hunch that Chamberlain would move into the starting rotation, his stock rose. In fact, his Average Draft Position is 147.55 (12th round) with an earliest picked position of 97 (8th round). These high draft position numbers could change as the New York Post is reporting that Chamberlain will start the season as the New York Yankee set-up man.

The Yankees plan on leaving Chamberlain in the pen to start the season to keep his 2008 innings pitched at a manageable level. Then they can ease him into the starting rotation.

For those of you who drafted Joba in the middle rounds thinking he would be a starter… Sorry. His fantasy value drops dramatically with this news. No relief pitcher, without a closer’s job, is worth that high of a draft pick. And unless your league uses the holds category, Chamberlain is best left undrafted. Why?

Chamberlain is going to spend an undetermined amount of time at the beginning of the year as the 8th inning guy. Then the Yankees are going to ease him into a starters role. Expect some growing pains there. Once the relief role and the growing pains end, you’re most likely looking at the All-Star break. As good as Chamberlain might be (read: it’s still not a certainty he’ll overachieve as a starter), drafting him just for the 2nd half of the season isn’t the best draft strategy. Sign him once he hits the rotation, but not before.

Thanks to Mock Draft Central for the Average Draft Position figures!

• Update 2-12-2008 at 5:24 PM: The LoHud Yankees Blog stated that Brian Cashman wasn’t certain, yet, what Joba Chamberlain’s role will be for the ‘08 Yankees pitching staff.
• Update 2-13-2008 at 10:49 AM: Joba Chamberlain could also be sent to the minors to prepare for his changing role to the rotation. This time in the minors could last 3-4 weeks.

I’ve come up with a few [tag]American League[/tag] [tag]set up guys[/tag] who should get a good number of holds, a save here and there and if things go awry, would easily step in to the closer role. If your league uses the holds category, feel safe to go ahead and grab these guys with some late picks. If not, you could either take a flier in the latest rounds and hope the current closer crashes, or watch the news wire very carefully for word of a promotion to closer.

[tag]Joel Zumaya[/tag]
Zumaya dazzled us with a triple digit fastball in his 83.1 innings of work during his rookie season. His 10.48 K/9 and sub 2.00 ERA are mouth watering to fantasy owners and if 38 year old Todd Jones falters or starts showing his age, Zumaya will slide into that closer role with ease.

[tag]Akinori Otsuka[/tag]
Otsuka took over the closer duty in Texas late last year, but the arrival of Eric Gagne sends him back to the set up role. Otsuka pitched just under 60 innings last year and posted a 2.11 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and a 7.09 K/9. He’s more than capable of flourishing in the closer role when (not if) Gagne gets hurt.

[tag]Joe Borowski[/tag]
Borowski posted 36 saves last year for the Marlins, but is relegated to the set up role in Cleveland behind Keith Foulke. Now I know Foulke did well in the second half of the season last year for the Sox, I’m still not convinced he’s a quality choice to close out games for an entire season. When Foulke starts slow or has bouts of ineffectiveness or injuries, Borowski will take over.