Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton has struggled of late, prompting manager Joe Torre to give him a break from high-leverage situations. His choice to spell Broxton? Left-hander Hong Chih Kuo, who has been lights-out in a setup role. Kuo will add saves to an already-impressive fantasy game, but when will Broxton return to closing duties? Read more »

New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is 40 years old and the definition of a three-out pitcher. He strikes out, relatively speaking, few hitters, and he rarely picks up cheap wins. So, why is he the No. 1 closer in this week’s rankings? Well, because he’s the only stopper, in our estimation, with zero questions to answer.

Jonathan Broxton is in the midst of an unsettling season. Jonathan Papelbon’s strikeout and walk rates are heading in the wrong direction. Joakim Soria pitches for a cellar dweller. Rafael Soriano’s health can never be trusted. Heath Bell puts too many runners on base. Carlos Marmol has more walks than any other closer in baseball. And so on.

Meanwhile, Rivera keeps churning out off-the-charts ratios and competitive saves totals. And now, as the season winds down, he historically gets even better. He’s the most trustworthy stopper in baseball, fantasy or reality, which makes him the rightful No. 1 closer in fantasy. Here’s how the rest of the rankings shake out.
** Statistics through Aug. 9 games Read more »

Closers are the most painfully necessary players in fantasy baseball. Every season, only 30 of them exist, which creates a market dynamic unlike any other position in the game. The chase begins on draft day and doesn’t end until the season comes to a close.

Injuries, ineffectiveness and committee situations are among the headaches that come with relievers, but there is an upside. Because closer positions are the most volatile in fantasy, there are constantly opportunities to improve throughout the season. Drafting well is important, sure, but hawking saves all season long might be even more crucial.

We’ve put together our preliminary closer rankings, which are, of course, prone to change at any time throughout the spring. As the regular season nears, we’ll shuffle the rankings and go a little deeper to include the ‘insurance policy’ for each closer on the list. Read more »

Success in any brand of baseball, Major League or fantasy league, is measured by more than just the contributions of star players. The guys who unexpectedly step up and deliver throughout the season most often make or break that team’s chances of competing for a championship.

In real baseball, managers have tentative ideas of what each player on his 25-man roster will give him throughout the season. Fantasy owners aren’t much different. They do their best selecting players in their preseason drafts, then scour the waiver wire all season long looking for diamonds in the rough who can help their chances for a league title. Read more »

1. Jonathan Broxton, LAD: Overtakes Papelbon as top closer with video game numbers (1.33 ERA, 0.67 WHIP) and bonus 5 wins
2. Jonathan Papelbon, BOS: Starting to figure things out, but already has more walks this season (11) than he did all of ‘08 (8)
3. Mariano Rivera, NYY: On pace for second-highest opponents’ batting average of career (.244), but using pristine control (28:1 K-to-BB ratio) to lock down saves
4. Francisco Rodriguez, NYM: Had 10 saves and a 0.00 ERA in 15 May appearances; is tied for 2nd in MLB with 14 saves
5. Joe Nathan, MIN: Better days are ahead for the Twins, which means more save chances for one of the game’s most reliable closers
6. Heath Bell, SD: Big-time surprise as MLB saves leader; if Padres keep overachieving, he blows past 40 saves
7. Trevor Hoffman, MIL: A dynamo since coming off the disabled list; has yet to allow an earned run in 16 appearances, already has 14 saves
8. Joakim Soria, KC: When healthy (shoulder), is baseball’s best young closer; returned from the DL in non-save situation Wednesday
9. Frank Francisco, TEX: A draft day gem; allowed his first run of the season Sunday, but still has 0.46 ERA and 12 straight save conversions
10. Francisco Cordero, CIN: Improved command has been a pleasant surprise; on pace for career-best efficiency (16.0 P/IP) and just 21 walks Read more »

Let’s be honest, a list of MVP candidates in fantasy baseball makes as little sense as a list of MVP candidates in real baseball. The Major League Baseball season is all of two weeks old, which leaves, for most teams, about 150 games left to play. There’s a huge chunk of season remaining, but it’s always fun finding excuses to talk about who’s playing the best baseball right now.

Fantasy heart throb Ian Kinsler certainly qualifies, especially after finding the national spotlight with his historic 6-for-6 day last week. Zack Greinke has done the same with a 34-inning scoreless streak, and Heath Bell has been among the most surprising players in the league with a hefty seven saves. All three rank among our top 10 candidates for MVP honors. Read more »

A constant storyline in fantasy, closers must be monitored as such to determine who’s on the verge of save opportunities and who’s losing the grip on their jobs. The season is just a week old, enough data still exists to make educated guesses at who will pleasantly surprise and who will disappoint.

Of course, there have been numerous surprises and disappointments, but we’ll set our sights on just three of each for now. As the season wears on, there will be plenty of future articles on who’s winning and losing jobs. The direct purpose of this story isn’t on long-term prospects as much as it is establishing a baseline expectation and saying who’s exceeded it or fallen short. Read more »

I’m not from Los Angeles, I sware.

It just seems as though the most intriguing headlines are from the “Left Coast” this week. Until the Cubbies, White Sox, or Brewers do something worth mentioning this month, we might as well stick with the top headlines in postseason baseball. Monday night revolved around the Angels as they were eliminated by the Red Sox after a 3-2 defeat in Game 4. Read more »

For the most volatile position in fantasy baseball,  lack of change is what makes the most headlines in the wake of Thursday’s MLB trade deadline. As the 4 p.m. deadline came and went, Brian Fuentes and, to a lesser extent, Huston Street owners breathed a big sigh of relief as both closers stayed put and retained their jobs.

As usual, there has been a shakeup in the bottom of our list, as a result of trades, demotions and injuries. Kyle Farnsworth may provide a big-time boost in saves, if he can unseat the struggling Fernando Rodney as the Tigers’ closer. The deal that sent Ivan Rodriguez to the Yankees in exchange for Farnsworth may have created a rarity in fantasy - a new closer on a playoff contender. Farnsworth could be a difference maker the rest of the way. Read more »

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Takashi Saito is set to have an MRI on his ailing elbow Monday, and the first impression of his injury is not good. The Los Angeles Times mentioned the possibility of Saito’s career being over, which may be a kneejerk first reaction, but Saito himself didn’t sound optimistic.

The 38-year old described it as “a sudden tightness” in the elbow, and he was forced to exit in the ninth inning of Saturday night’s loss to the Marlins with a 2-2 count on Wes Helms. Read more »