On an extended sufficient timeline, your favourite fantasy baseball web site would make use of extra lecturers than the Facilities for Illness Management. Little do you know that it might be Razzball, residence of the $1.99 mushy tortilla ice cream salad (strive it with ranch!). A propos of nothing occurring in the true world, generally it’s the employees with no actual outlined function that finally ends up saving the day. You recognize the sort. Bruce Willis in Die Laborious. Ahnold in Predator. Neville Chamberlain in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
And possibly, simply possibly, there’s a participant on the market whose title you’ve by no means heard of, prepared to avoid wasting your fantasy season.
Don’t imagine me? Let’s play the nameless statistics recreation, whereby I offer you some stats and ask you to play Match Recreation with the proprietor. Simply, you already know, don’t match with Rodney Alcala.
| Participant | 2024 Place Rank | IP | W-L | (SV) | Ok/9 | (Complete Ok) | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participant A | RP10 | 94.1 | 7-2 | (8) | 7.35 | (77) | 2.19 | 0.78 |
| Participant B | SP8 | 133 | 11-3 | (0) | 11.5 | (170) | 1.96 | 0.95 |
| Participant C | RP7 | 80 | 10-4 | (10) | 11.14 | (99) | 1.91 | 0.85 |
Are you achieved salivating into your cup of noodles but? Hopefully, you learn my article final week and already know that Participant B is none apart from Paul Skenes, the top-ranked pitcher for 2025 and Gray’s #18 total participant for 2025 fantasy baseball.
The opposite two schmoes? Participant A is Tyler Holton of the Detroit Tigers (present 2025 ADP: 445 total). Participant C is Ryan Walker of the San Francisco Giants (present 2025 ADP: 113 total).
Put Holton and Walker collectively and also you get 170 IP of 17-6 baseball with 176 Ks and an ERA and WHIP proper round Skenes’. Say that once more…Skenes’. Oh! And the Holker Franken-pitcher additionally netted a cool 18 saves on prime of that. And what’d it value you? Perhaps $2 on the FAAB wire?
That’s the facility of the Roleless Rob.
What’s a Roleless Rob, you shout from the again of the auditorium the place you’re enjoying Path of Exile 2 and hoping I don’t discover.
Why, a Roleless Rob is nothing greater than a pitcher who isn’t set within the Beginning Rotation, and who isn’t the first nearer. Usually, they will be the sixth starter, or a spot starter, or a long-reliever, or the seventh inning setup man. They could be all the above relying on the day.
However what unites the Roleless Rob is the notion that: A) they pitch good and do different issues good too, and B) they’re virtually free on the waiver wire. It doesn’t take an unemployed authorities economist to know that the cost-benefit ratio is elite for these gamers.
A Position for Me However Not For Thee
The historical past of the Roleless Rob is considerably coincidental. For longtime Razzball readers, it’s possible you’ll do not forget that I used to be the Prime 100 Starters author from the time of Covid via 2023. To distinguish myself from Rudy’s Streamonator — which is nice however reacts a bit slowly for some reader’s tastes — I created the Whiffonator, which was my weekly Prime 100 Starters listing.
However one thing actually humorous occurred with the Whiffonator. You see, I didn’t give it a minimal Innings Pitched restrict to begin out. Actually, I didn’t even give it a place restriction to begin out. The rationale was that, on the time, I used to be actually into DFS, and needed to deal with unheralded gamers. You recognize, spot starters that value like $4000 on Draft Kings however offer you 12 Ks and a 1.00 ERA.
And what did the Whiffonator spit out as the highest pitcher in Could 2022? None apart from Spencer Strider. However he’s the best thigh man on the planet, you shout via an elderberry slurpee. Certainly, he’s. However he wasn’t at all times a starter. Actually, he began the 2022 season within the Braves’ bullpen, doing center reduction work. Factor is, Strider solely has (had) two pitches. Common sentiment is that two pitches is a reliever’s arsenal. So when the Whiffonator proclaimed that this man who had 3 begins to his title was the highest pitcher within the league, I leaned in, regardless of the laughter from the group. RotoWorld stated to promote Strider after I was signaling “Purchase, purchase, purchase!”
By the tip of the yr, Strider completed as SP25, though he was essentially the most useful participant within the league on a per-start foundation. In 2023, Strider claimed SP1 standing for fantasy baseball whereas ending fourth in Cy Younger voting behind [stifles laughter] Blake Snell.
Generally, all we’ve got to do is imagine the information and let it play out. At the least till inside brace surgical procedure, that’s.
Are Roleless Robs Price It?
Clearly, it relies on format and your danger profile. In a 10-team combined league with conventional scoring, you want basic fantasy baseballers who get Wins and Saves. In RCLs with Innings Pitched limits, Roleless Robs develop into saviors of groups which might be bitten by the harm bug. In 15-team head-to-head leagues, Roleless Robs could be ERA and WHIP specialists that can help you roster these lower-ranked starters who offer you a Win together with a 4.20 ERA. Not so good, eh.
Let’s check out final yr’s Participant Rater and discover the Roleless Robs:
- Ryan Walker (RP7)
- Tyler Holton (RP10)
- Griffin Jax (RP11)
- Jason Adam (RP15)
- Luke Weaver (RP16)
- Cade Smith (RP19)
- Nick Martinez (SP37)
- Bowden Francis (SP53)
However EWB, you opine with a duplicate of the New York Submit in your bioenhanced claws, a bunch of these guys are setup males. Positive. However solely Jason Adam completed within the Prime 10 of holds. And the league chief in Holds, Bryan Abreu, completed as RP65. Cade Smith completed with as many Ks as Abreu whereas have an ERA that was 1.20 factors decrease, and he was principally free in each league.
So yeah, when 30% of the highest 20 relievers are randos off the waiver wire, I’d say they’re value it. They’re simply…actually, actually exhausting to search out proactively.
Deploying Roleless Robs
It’s not like I’m sitting out right here telling you to keep away from starters and relievers as a result of the subsequent Spencer Strider is working lengthy reduction for the Rockies. There’s a ton of danger in utilizing these guys as a result of managers like to over-play the Roleless Rob. Lengthy-time readers will keep in mind after I gave the “all in” purchase sign on Michael King when he was with the Yankees. A pair weeks after that sign he went down with a bum elbow and was shelved for the subsequent yr. Though, he did return to complete as SP16 final yr, proper? And generally getting within the highlight simply doesn’t work out. Matt Strahm as a reliever in 2023? 2.82 ERA. As a Starter in 2023? 4.05 ERA. Though I would add, his superior stats as a starter seemed nice…enywhey.
Matt Strahm completed as RP21 final yr, bee-tee-dubya. 6-2 with 3 saves, 1.87 ERA, 0.75 WHIP. Add that along with Paul Skenes and also you’ve bought 2024 Tarik Skubal.
The gist of Roleless Robs is that you just’re filling a void. Like Gray talked about in his writeup of Ronald Acuna Jr., you would possibly want any person for the primary month to cowl Acuna’s down time. Once you’ve bought a pitcher that’s down or particularly risky (stares at Sandy Alcantara), you should utilize freely accessible Roleless Robs to cowl their absences or struggles. You need Spencer Strider in 2025? Positive. Draft him at value, put him on the IL, and get Nick Martinez or another wildcat to get you thru the primary a part of the season.
After which once you come again on June 1 and say, “Oh no, Paul Skenes bought drained and hit the IL with forearm tightness” and are available asking for pitcher substitute recommendation from me, I’ll come again to this text. I’ll level to the highest and say, “You need Paul Skenes plus a number of saves? Let’s discover you some Roleless Robs.”
Acquired any early drafts going? Let me understand how they’re shaping up within the feedback!
