5 Important MLB DFS Takeaways From the Trade Deadline

It's Easier to Stack Against the Yankees

It's impossible to overstate the value of looking at a bullpen's abilities for DFS. When the trio of No-Run DMC was still in place, stacking against the New York Yankees was a nightmare. You knew that if it was the seventh inning of a close game, your peeps were done for the night. That's no longer as much of an issue.

With the Yankees trading Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs and Andrew Miller to the Cleveland Indians, only Dellin Betances remains of the death trap of destruction. Although he is absolutely disgusting, the dropoff from Chapman and Miller to the current group is significant. Expect the Yankees' bullpen skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) to slide in a more favorable direction as the season continues.

This also means we have to be a bit more cautious when stacking against the new clubs of these high-profile relievers. Both the Cubs and Indians already had quality starting staffs, so it likely wasn't an option often, but we'll need to be mindful of this in the future. Monitor the team bullpen SIERA's closely, and if you see a squad making strides in that area, it would be wise to divest a bit in batters who are facing them.