Late-inning saves remain a movable fantasy commodity; Rangers' Shawn Armstrong, Nationals' Jose A. Ferrer among options
With saves still up for grabs in many leagues, managers can gain ground by targeting low-rostered relievers seeing late-inning opportunities.
Fantasy baseball owners still fighting for league titles can change the outcome by locating one or two late-inning saves, experts say.
The saves category remains unusually fluid across many head-to-head and roto formats, with a few teams dominating while most are tightly bunched, meaning a single extra save can decide a championship. Managers willing to scavenge for low-rostered relievers who have stepped into closing roles or who face favorable matchups have a realistic path to gaining those marginal points.
Two relievers singled out by fantasy analysts as potential pickups are Texas right-hander Shawn Armstrong and Washington closer Jose A. Ferrer. Armstrong has collected four saves in the past two weeks and appears entrenched as the Rangers' closer. He is rostered in fewer than 25 percent of leagues, offering upside to managers who need saves late in the season. Armstrong has allowed two earned runs over his past six appearances and had a stretch of 12 consecutive scoreless outings earlier in the campaign.
Ferrer, rostered in about 36 percent of leagues, provides more traditional strikeout upside. After a difficult first half — a 5.03 ERA across 48 1/3 innings — Ferrer has posted a 1.29 ERA over 21 second-half innings and had not allowed a run since Aug. 2 entering mid-September. Washington's late-season schedule will include a difficult series against Atlanta, which could limit save chances in that stretch, but matchups against teams such as Pittsburgh, New York and Chicago offer opportunities for saves in the coming weeks.
Beyond Armstrong and Ferrer, managers are advised to monitor several other low-rostered relievers who could supply a save or two. White Sox right-hander Jordan Leasure, Orioles swingman Keegan Akin and Diamondbacks reliever Jake Woodford have been mentioned as candidates who might see closing opportunities or high-leverage work as teams shuffle late-inning roles.
Roster percentages and matchup awareness are central to the strategy. Across Yahoo and ESPN league data, the saves category shows clustering beyond the leaders, meaning available relievers in the mid- and late-season waiver pool can be impactful. Rotating in relievers who are in the closer's role or who pitch for teams still competing for postseason positioning increases the odds of collecting the incremental saves that decide close fantasy races.
Howard Bender, head of content at FantasyAlarm.com, said in guidance to managers that active in-season management and willingness to add unheralded relievers are key for those still contending. He and other fantasy analysts recommend checking usage patterns, recent save opportunities and upcoming opponent matchups before making roster moves.
With roughly five-and-a-half months of the season behind managers and the playoff push entering its final weeks, scouting closer situations and roster percentages remains a low-risk, potentially high-reward tactic. For teams separated by a single statistical category, that one additional save can turn a second-place finish into a championship.