MR usage in normal leagues

[mjlewis]

Assume a normal 12-team mixed, so 108 pitchers are used each week. Assume that there are no closers by committee and all 30 closers are in use. How many middle relievers should be active each week? Obviously Hader is better than SP78, but how much higher does it go?

For a somewhat arbitrary reference, use https://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/augus ... -rankings/. Is the 10th best MR better than Chase Anderson? Is the 20th better than Vince Velasquez?

In the real world it'd also be slightly skewed because a less good SP on a two-start week might be useful, but ignore that for now.

for a more concrete version - I'm currently starting Scherzer, Verlander, Keuchel, Clevinger, Eovaldi, and either Bieber or Dereck Rodriguez along with three closers. How many of those should I replace with some of Jeffress/Betances/Trivino who are all available for free?

[Todd Zola]

1. Why would I want to use an arbitrary set of rankings when I generate my own?

2. I've been writing about the underutilized middle reliever for years - the Moneyball of fantasy. Coming into this season, I wrote a feature for both ESPN and Rotowire on the topic, specifically with respect to needing MR more than ever since the increased off days reduce the number of weekly two-start options.

3. You can't ignore how fantasy manages the pitching (streamers, good matchups, double dips, etc). Valuation/rankings, be it mine or something more arbitrary assume the pitcher is active for all 26 weeks, which just isn't the case.

4. Valuation/rankings don't incorporate team strategy. A MR could be way more useful to one staff than a SP which could reverse on a different staff.

5. In shallower leagues (like 12-team mixed) I still prefer to stream starters

6. We're at the point of the season where managing categories trumps bullying them so there isn't a blanket answer. Picking up a MR to protect ratios while sacrificing strikeouts and wins potential is team contextual.