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FANTASY SPORTS
Fantasy baseball

Podcast: Nats closer, extreme draft strategy

USA TODAY Sports

The biggest news so far in the week before the regular season opens is the Washington Nationals' decision to have Blake Treinen serve as their closer. Treinen beat out rookie Koda Glover and veteran Shawn Kelley for the job, but it remains to be seen if he can hold onto the job and lead the team in saves.

Blake Treinen has one save in his major league career, but he'll start the 2017 season as the Washington Nationals' closer.

In this week's USA TODAY Fantasy Sports podcast, host Steve Gardner offers his thoughts about the Nats bullpen and other spring training winners and losers. In addition, he chats with Fangraphs writer Paul Sporer, who took a radical approach to building his team in last weekend's Tout Wars Head to Head auction.

TOUT WARS: Full draft grids for all leagues

Find out how he managed to fit Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Nolan Arenado and Joey Votto on his roster and still stay under the $260 salary cap in a league with 11 other fantasy baseball experts.

Episode 7 (41:45)

0:00 Intro
0:50 Nats choose Blake Treinen to close
3:00 Spring surprise: Brewers 1B Jesus Aguilar
4:10 Zack Wheeler, Michael Conforto make the Mets
5:50 Cardinals' Jose Martinez, Kolten Wong
6:55 Pitchers to watch: Nate Karns, Francisco Liriano

8:05 Extreme drafting intro
9:05 Paul Sporer interview
10:05 Strategy change from LABR Mixed in Feb.
12:40 Head-to-head league differences
14:55 Finding bargain pitchers
16:25 Executing his unique strategy
20:00 Being flexible during the draft
22:40 Where things nearly unraveled
24:35 "Sporer Strategy" takes hold
28:45 Taking risks on draft day

31:25 Steve on his NL Tout Wars team
41:00 Close

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