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With the trade deadline in the rear-view mirror, buyers and sellers have made the moves to thrust their team in their respective directions. While holds are even tougher to predict than saves, the players we’ll highlight today include some elite setup men that have proven to be closer candidates to target off the waiver wire for Week 21 of the fantasy baseball season.
The more likely a team is to win, the more likely a pitcher will be eligible to earn the holds that could be the difference between winning or losing in your fantasy league. Bear in mind, an effective relief pitcher highlighted today could find himself in a closer's role if the everyday closer is unavailable or recently ineffective.
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Week 21 Bullpen Targets
Jim Johnson, Atlanta Braves
11 Saves, 8 Holds, 3.42 ERA, 47.1 IP, 48 K, 1.27 WHIP
The Atlanta Braves have a strong veteran closer in Jim Johnson. The ground ball machine has generated 56.8% ground balls this year. The 93.1 MPH two-seam fastball and 78.8 MPH curveball are getting the job done with a good rate of ground balls and about a strikeout per inning pitched.
Opponents are hitting just .239 against Johnson. The rebuild for the Braves and the consistent ground ball rates are encouraging reasons to claim the vet for your fantasy team.
Enrique Burgos, Arizona Diamondbacks
1 Save, 5 Holds, 4.45 ERA, 30.1 IP, 32 K, 1.45 WHIP
The Arizona Diamondbacks are scuffling through an underwhelming season. Enrique Burgos can find himself auditioning for the ninth inning role for the remainder of this year. While Burgos has struggled lately, he certainly brings a strong pair of pitches to the mound that can lock up saves for him.
Utilizing a 95.7 MPH fastball and a 88.4 MPH slider, averages just over a strikeout per inning pitched this year. Burgos can get by with opponents hitting .250 against him but he will want to lower that to really be successful in the closer's role.
Fernando Salas, Los Angeles Angels
4 Saves, 13 Holds, 4.56 ERA, 53.1 IP, 41 K, 1.26 WHIP
The Angels are in a difficult time in which the two candidates for closing, Huston Street and Cam Bedrosian, have gone down with injuries. In their absence, Fernando Salas is giving his best effort. Opponents are hitting .247 against Salas. He features a 91.2 MPH fastball, 83.7 MPH slider and 85.9 MPH changeup so he is not blowing anyone away, as evidenced by being well under a strikeout per inning.
Ideally, Salas is not the must-have fantasy pickup. His greatest strength is the Angels' weakness; there are no other ideal candidates for the closer's role on the team so all save opportunities fall right into his lap. Pick him up if you need saves when he gets the chance but do not expect great numbers.
2 Saves, 10 Holds, 2.30 ERA, 62.2 IP, 60 K, 0.81 WHIP
While Ryan Madson does have 25 saves, he has blown six. Six blown saves has not knocked Madson out of his closer's role but another Ryan looms in reliever Ryan Dull. In his first full year at the major league level, Dull has pitched to a great 2.30 ERA. The 26-year-old Dull has opponents hitting .176 and he averages just under a strikeout per inning pitched.
Dull doesn't implement an exciting arsenal with a 90.7 MPH fastball and an 82.8 MPH slider but he uses his spacious home ballpark to its full advantage with a 53.8% fly ball rate. It hasn't been evident that Madson will lose his job but if the opportunity presents itself, Dull will deserve strong consideration for saves.
Neftali Feliz, Pittsburgh Pirates
1 Save, 27 Holds, 3.10 ERA, 49.1 IP, 53 K, 1.05 WHIP
Tony Watson has seamlessly transitioned into the Pirates' closer role. With seven saves secured this year and a 2.72 ERA, Watson will likely see most, if not all, of the closing opportunities but a former closer may see opportunities. Neftali Feliz is having a great season moving to the later innings of the game as well.
Feliz uses a 96.0 MPH fastball and an 84.2 MPH slider and opponents are hitting .195 against him this year. Feliz has just one save but is putting up quality numbers that could justify a fantasy waiver wire acquisition strictly to lower your ERA and WHIP with the occasional save.
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