Punting Saves is one of the most popular fantasy strategies employed. It is easy to understand and execute. Just as Yahoo!'s free game of mixed league formats has subsumed the original, and more challenging, AL-/NL-only 4x4 format, Punting Saves has done the same to Ron Shandler's LIMA Plan.
Where fantasy players go wrong when deciding on Punting Saves as a draft strategy is in its follow-up during the regular season. Because a team has punted saves at the draft does not mean he must punt saves for the season. What he needs to do is ready himself to pounce on the new closers that inevitably emerge during the season.
To successfully execute this follow-through, a fantasy player must employ a Ready! Fire! Aim! mindset whenever the current closer is about to become the former closer. Recently, that would mean grabbing Dan Wheeler in Houston, Henry Owens in Florida and, now, Joakim Soria in Kansas City. And if you've got little faith in any of them to hold the job for the season, you've got to prepare yourself to go after the relievers behind those closers - Chad Qualls, Kevin Gregg, and...well, who knows in KC.
While mixed leagues provide more cushion to hold-back on potential closers due to the shallowness of the pool, AL-/NL-only formats do not allow snoozing. If a team fails to pay attention, there is no room to make-up for the inattentiveness as there is mixed leagues. This reason, amongst many, is why the original Rotisserie baseball format remains more challenging.
Punting Saves is a simple strategy to follow at the draft, and one whose in-season application is easier written that executed.