X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Closers and Saves Report - Week 16 Waiver Wire

We're inching closer to the trade deadline and we still haven't seen any big bullpen changes. Oh, but they're coming. They'll just all come at once this season, it seems. Most of the non-contending teams have at least a bullpen arm or two that would serve a purpose on a contending team. They won't all be big-name trades involving top prospects and a reshuffling of an entire bullpen, but smaller deadline moves can make a difference in fantasy leagues as well, especially in holds leagues.

A few short-term bullpen changes this week gave us a peek of what might happen later in the season. An injury in Los Angeles, a suspension in Philadelphia, and a baby in Cincinnati all shook up bullpens, although only temporarily. What might those and other bullpens look like in August, or maybe a little sooner if the hot stove starts to heat up early?

Take a look at our Closer Depth Chart, which is updated daily. Let's jump in and take a look at what's been going on in the bullpens around baseball.

Featured Promo: Get your MLB Premium Pass for 50% off the regular price with any full-season pass. Exclusive access to our Draft Kit, Nick Mariano's #1 accuracy rankings, Ariel Cohen's #1 accuracy ATC projections, customized advice in the Team Sync platform, Live Draft Assistant, 15 in-season lineup tools, customized rankings and much more! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Bullpen News for Week 16

Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen wore a line drive on his ankle but stayed in the game earlier this week. That was a mistake, as he ended up blowing the save and allowing the Phillies to walk off. He was then unavailable for a couple of games afterwards, but is not going to need a stint on the injured list and should be back on the mound this weekend. Manager Dave Roberts said that either Julio Urias or Joe Kelly would serve as the team's closer if a save situation came up in a game that Jansen was not available.

The original thought was that Pedro Baez would be the temporary closer, but his recent struggles have apparently knocked him back quite a bit on the depth chart. If for some reason Jansen does end up needing IL time, Kelly would be the arm to own in the Dodgers pen. After a rough start to the season, the former Red Sox reliever has actually been pretty solid of late. The Los Angeles bullpen is in no danger of a trade deadline shake up at the closer spot, but the Dodgers are likely to try to acquire some bullpen help for the earlier innings. There could be some significant changes in value in holds leagues, so this is a bullpen to keep an eye on.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies bullpen settled itself when Hector Neris excelled in the earlier part of the season and more or less forced manager Gabe Kapler's hand to create a traditional closer role and give it to Neris. He was essentially the only Phillies reliever who was consistently getting guys out, so what other choice did Kapler really have? That's all different now, as Neris is struggling and will now be suspended for three games for throwing at David Freese's head.

We'll see who Kapler uses if a save situation comes up, but slightly longer-term, it could be David Robertson taking over the ninth inning for the stretch run. He's alternating between struggling and being injured for most of this season, but once he's back on the mound he could be a legitimate source of saves and strikeouts. There is also the chance that the Phillies decide to really go for it (they're currently tied for the second Wild Card spot) and acquire bullpen help at the deadline. They are a team that could acquire someone that will immediately take over the ninth inning, or that could acquire someone to beef up the bullpen in general and keep Neris or Robertson in the ninth inning. It might depend on what the team does on the field for the next week or so. Of course, any reliever traded to the Phillies who looks like he will slide into the ninth inning will have plenty of fantasy value.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox have Nathan Eovaldi coming off the injured list perhaps as soon as this weekend, but in the meantime, Brandon Workman has emerged as a solid option in the late innings. He earned his fifth save of the season this week, getting the last five outs of Wednesday's win over the Blue Jays. He's been the best reliever in Boston lately and should keep getting meaningful innings even after Eovaldi gets back. Eovaldi will be the arm to own in standard formats, but Workman will still be worth hanging onto in holds leagues.

There's also the likelihood that the Red Sox add to their bullpen through the trade market, and that could shake things up pretty significantly. Expect to see the Red Sox use Eovaldi for big innings as much as they can so they can decide if they need to shoot high for someone like Ken Giles or Will Smith, or if they can just shore up the earlier innings in their bullpen as bridges to Eovaldi for the stretch run.

 

Short Relief

  • Don't look now, but the Giants are only 2.5 games out of the Wild Card. The team is widely expected to sell off most of its bullpen (Will Smith, Sam Dyson, Tony Watson, and Mark Melancon) but if they keep up the hot streak, who knows what the front office in San Francisco will decide to do? This next week will play a huge role in what will happen in the bullpen trade market, since the Giants have four relievers that would certainly attract trade attention.
  • Reds closer Raisel Iglesias was placed on the paternity leave list this week, so Michael Lorenzen and David Hernandez are temporary closers until he's back. Iglesias might be moved before the deadline, which would create a closer's role for someone else in the Reds pen.
  • Wade Davis had one foot out of the closer's role but was given another chance by his manager and did really well...for four scoreless outings. Then he allowed four runs while only getting one out, blowing a save and taking a loss. Davis now has a 9.53 ERA at home and a 0.79 ERA on the road. Hashtag Coors Field.
  • Ken Giles was back on the mound for the Blue Jays after taking a few days off to nurse an injury. He should be showcased over the next week or so until Toronto's front office receives an offer they like enough to move their closer to another team. He's been good enough that most teams that acquire him should slide him right into their ninth inning.

 

Roster Moves of the Week

Adds

Nathan Eovaldi, Boston Red Sox- Eovaldi should be back this weekend and should jump right into the closer's role. He needs to be owned in all formats, even though there's a slight bit of risk involved. He has the upside to be a difference-maker in fantasy leagues down the stretch.

Joe Kelly, Los Angeles Dodgers- Because of his atrocious start to the season, Joe Kelly remains on many waiver wires. He's actually been really good recently though, and should be picked up in holds leagues, especially in case closer Kenley Jansen ends up needing some more time to heal.

Drops

No immediate drops this week, but it's time to take a really close look at possible trade deadline movement and be ready to make quick adds and drops as soon as news breaks. Follow Rotoballer on Twitter and keep up with the News Desk to make sure you have all the latest news.

 

Best of the Week

It was another rough week for closers in general, as only three closers ended up with three or more saves, and two of those three had ERAs over SIX! Here's the best of a bad week:

Ian Kennedy, Kansas City Royals- 3 1/3 IP, 4 SV, 4 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.60 WHIP

In a week of mostly bad bullpen performances, Royals closer Ian Kennedy was able to shine. He needed just 10 outs to get four saves, allowing only a hit and a walk while striking out four.

Brandon Workman, Boston Red Sox- 3 2/3 IP, 2 SV, 7 K, 2.45 ERA, 0.82 WHIP

Brandon Workman served as the Red Sox closer this week and picked up two saves while striking out seven. He allowed just one run on one hit and two walks.

 

More 2019 Fantasy Baseball Advice


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zac Gallen1 hour ago

Gets Opening Day Nod
Nolan Schanuel2 hours ago

Injury Isn't Serious
Isaiah Stewart3 hours ago

Injured Against Boston
Duncan Robinson3 hours ago

Doesn't Return On Monday
Jackson Chourio3 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Anthony Davis3 hours ago

Cleared To Meet Atlanta
Blake Snell4 hours ago

Heading To The Giants
Onyeka Okongwu4 hours ago

To Return On Monday
Bryce McGowens5 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Tyus Jones5 hours ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
Deni Avdija5 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Nick Martinez5 hours ago

To Open The Year In The Rotation
OG Anunoby5 hours ago

Set For Multi-Game Absence
Kyle Kuzma5 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Luka Doncic5 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Matt McLain5 hours ago

Scratched With Shoulder Soreness
Bilal Coulibaly5 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Kenley Jansen5 hours ago

Scheduled To Make Four More Spring Appearances
Jackson Chourio5 hours ago

"In The Mix" For Roster Spot
Rudy Gobert5 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Scoot Henderson5 hours ago

Returns To Starting Unit Without Restrictions
Matisse Thybulle5 hours ago

Available Again On Monday
Jerami Grant6 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Monday
Lauri Markkanen6 hours ago

Returns To Action On Monday
Alex Caruso6 hours ago

Ready To Roll Monday
Coby White6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Kristaps Porzingis6 hours ago

Returns To Celtics Lineup
Jaylen Brown6 hours ago

Ready To Go On Monday
Jayson Tatum6 hours ago

Won't Play Against Detroit
Teuvo Teravainen6 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Joshua Dobbs6 hours ago

49ers Reach Agreement With Joshua Dobbs
TOR7 hours ago

Mitch Marner To Miss At Least Two More Games
Jacob Markstrom7 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Rico Dowdle7 hours ago

Staying With Cowboys
Mikhail Sergachev7 hours ago

Skates On Monday
Dustin Wolf7 hours ago

Between The Pipes Monday
New Orleans Saints7 hours ago

Saints Expected To Sign Chase Young
Alexander Mattison7 hours ago

Signing With Raiders
DJ LeMahieu8 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Opening Day
Buffalo Bills9 hours ago

Taron Johnson Re-Signs With Bills On Three-Year Deal
José Urquidy9 hours ago

Jose Urquidy Has Forearm Strain, Will Begin On Injured List
Justin Verlander9 hours ago

Expected To Face Hitters "In The Next Day Or Two"
Corey Seager9 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice Monday
Aaron Judge9 hours ago

Likely To Play In Four Of Final Six Spring Games
Garrett Crochet9 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Nolan Schanuel9 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Dallas Cowboys9 hours ago

Leighton Vander Esch Calling It A Career
DJ LeMahieu10 hours ago

Still Pretty Sore
Aaron Judge11 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran11 hours ago

To Begin Season On Injured List
Bryan Battle11 hours ago

Bout Ends in Controversy
Ange Loosa11 hours ago

Fight Ruled A No-Contest After Accidental Eye Poke
Ovince Saint Preux11 hours ago

Wins Split Decision In A Back-And-Forth Fight
Kennedy Nzechukwu11 hours ago

Suffers Split-Decision Loss To Ovince Saint Preux
Gerald Meerschaert11 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Shohei Ohtani12 hours ago

Cleared To Begin Throwing Program
Bryan Barberena12 hours ago

Submitted In The Second Round
Kyle Manzardo12 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Jackson Merrill12 hours ago

Wins Center Field Job
Denny Hamlin13 hours ago

Emerges Victorious For Second Bristol Win In A Row
Alexander Mattison13 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Dak Prescott13 hours ago

Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott's Contract
Dmitry Orlov14 hours ago

Collects Four Points In Big Win
Tyler Toffoli14 hours ago

Dominates Against Columbus With Three Points
Lucas Raymond14 hours ago

Pots Pair Of Goals Versus Penguins
Kaz Grala14 hours ago

Finishes 19th At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bo Horvat14 hours ago

Scores Twice In Losing Effort
Brad Keselowski15 hours ago

Exceeds Value In DFS At Bristol Motor Speedway
Pavel Buchnevich15 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Ryan Lindgren15 hours ago

Suffers Leg Injury Versus Islanders
Kyle Larson15 hours ago

After 5th at Bristol: "I Hope I Never Have To Run A Race Like That Again"
Chase Elliott15 hours ago

Earns First Top 10 Finish Of 2024
Justin Haley15 hours ago

Earns Best NextGen Short Track Finish for Rick Ware Racing
Ty Gibbs15 hours ago

Has Dominant Day at Bristol but Fades Late
John Hunter Nemechek20 hours ago

Found Speed At Bristol
Chris Buescher20 hours ago

Secures Top 10 At Bristol
Alex Bowman23 hours ago

Late Charge to Fourth Masks Early Race Struggles
Christopher Bell23 hours ago

Ran Well, But His Teammates Were All Better
Martin Truex Jr1 day ago

. Matches Career-Best Finish At Bristol
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Fades to 16th at Bristol After Handling Struggles
Russell2 days ago

Wilson Still Considered The Starter
William Byron2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Bristol
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Starts 19th At Bristol After Damage In Practice
Justin Haley2 days ago

Scores A Starting Position Of 32nd For Bristol
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Should Compete For The Win At Bristol
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

History Indicates Brad Keselowski Being A Favorable Bristol Play
Joey Logano2 days ago

Should Be Rostered With Caution At Bristol
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is Tyler Reddick Worth Rostering At Bristol This Week?
Martin Truex Jr2 days ago

. Could Work As A Tournament Play At Bristol
Alexander Nylander2 days ago

Totals Three Points In Saturday's Win
Sebastian Aho2 days ago

Leads Hurricanes To Victory In Toronto
Owen Tippett2 days ago

Delivers Three Assists In High-Scoring Loss
Steven Stamkos2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Four-Point Performance
Nick Schmaltz2 days ago

Records Three Assists In Win Over New Jersey
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Racks Up Five Points In Saturday's Win
Brady Tkachuk2 days ago

Sinks Islanders With Third Hat Trick
Pannie Kianzad2 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Macy Chiasson2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Isaac Dulgarian2 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Christian Rodriguez2 days ago

Overcomes Early Adversity At UFC Vegas 88
Tai Tuivasa2 days ago

Suffers Fourth Straight Loss
Marcin Tybura2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission
Justin Fields2 days ago

Traded To The Steelers
NHL2 days ago

Lukas Reichel Will Be In The Lineup Sunday
Cale Makar2 days ago

A Game-Time Decision Saturday
Zach Parise2 days ago

Likely To Return Saturday
Michael Gallup2 days ago

Panthers Bringing In Michael Gallup For A Visit
Mike Williams3 days ago

Panthers To Host Mike Williams On A Visit
New York Jets3 days ago

Jets Expected To Sign Tyron Smith
AJ Dillon3 days ago

Officially Re-Signs With Packers
Van Jefferson3 days ago

Steelers Signing Van Jefferson
Jakobi Meyers3 days ago

Raiders Restructure Jakobi Meyers' Contract
Jimmy Garoppolo3 days ago

Rams Agree With Jimmy Garoppolo On One-Year Deal
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

To Fight In Main Event Of UFC Vegas 88
Bryan Barberena3 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Kennedy Nzechukwu3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Ovince Saint Preux3 days ago

Set For 27th UFC Appearance
Bryan Battle3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ange Loosa3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 88
San Francisco 49ers3 days ago

De'Vondre Campbell Heading To San Francisco
Dallas Cowboys3 days ago

Leighton Vander Esch Being Cut By Cowboys
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Cowboys Releasing Michael Gallup
Kenny Pickett3 days ago

Steelers Sending Kenny Pickett To Eagles
Pannie Kianzad5 days ago

Looking For Redemption At UFC Vegas 88
Macy Chiasson5 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Vegas 88
Isaac Dulgarian5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 88
Christiaan Bezuidenhout5 days ago

Looking To Put It All Together At TPC Sawgrass
Eric Cole5 days ago

Rebounding Well In The Sunshine State
Brian Harman5 days ago

Playing The Dark-Horse Role Again At The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

Searching For Answers Thus Far In 2024
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

One Of The Tour's Fastest Risers To Start The New Year
Sam Burns5 days ago

Brings A Stellar Run Of Form Into TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Sungjae Im Trending Up After Arnold Palmer Success
Jason Day5 days ago

Facing Iron Hiccup Heading To The Players
Tom Hoge6 days ago

Brings Strong Form And History To Sawgrass
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

Ready For Second Trip To Sawgrass
Will Zalatoris6 days ago

Working Toward A Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2024)

The legal tampering period for NFL free agency begins on March 11 at noon EST, so news of signings will be flying in all week. Veterans like Russell Wilson and Jonnu Smith were released before their contracts expired, meaning they got a head start on free agency and have already reached agreements with new organizations.... Read More


Rome Odunze - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Coach Knows Ball: Rome Odunze NFL Draft Film Breakdown of Washington WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Winners and Losers of 2024 NFL Free Agency (Teams)

Well, strap in, folks, because the first week of 2024 NFL Free Agency was a rollercoaster ride. Some teams made power moves while others seemingly snoozed at the switch. The Houston Texans, for instance, came out swinging, pulling off some of the savviest deals that could very well tilt the scales in their favor this... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Next Gen Stats Review: 2023 Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

A while back, we covered the Next Gen Stats for running backs, including rushing yards over expected and the percentage of plays with eight or more defenders in the box. Check out the running back review of the Next Gen Stats, as it adds a layer to player analysis. We love the advanced stats for... Read More


Keenan Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Keenan Allen Traded To Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Star wide receiver Keenan Allen has been one of the more underrated players in the NFL over the past few years. He spent the first 11 years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, playing for the franchise since their days in San Diego. However, the team reportedly asked Allen to take a pay... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Marquise Brown Signs With Chiefs: Fantasy Football Impact

Veteran wide receiver Marquise Brown signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. Brown hopes to follow JuJu Smith-Schuster’s footprints by playing on a one-year deal with the Chiefs and earning a multi-year big-money contract the following offseason. The former Oklahoma star spent the first three years of his career with the... Read More


Justin Jefferson - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

Will The Vikings Trade Justin Jefferson? 2024 NFL Outlook

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is one of the top players in the NFL. The superstar was part of an impressive 2020 NFL Draft class. Yet, he was the fifth wide receiver off the board. Jefferson has been a superstar since his rookie year, making three consecutive Pro Bowl teams and All-Pro rosters to... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Free Agency Fits For Marquise Brown – 2024 Free Agent Outlook

Free agent wide receiver Marquise Brown is one of the more explosive players in the NFL. The veteran wide receiver ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at his Pro Day coming out of Oklahoma. He was a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 NFL Draft. Brown has spent most of his career as... Read More


Nico Collins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings For 2024 Best Ball Leagues (Tiers 4-9)

We have now entered the process of free agency, which is providing pathways for some wide receivers to seize significant roles in their new landing spots. The player movement that has ensued will also decrease the stock of other receivers whose roles will decrease within their reshaped depth charts. Participation in the best ball draft... Read More


Cade Otton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2024 Best Ball Tight End Sleepers

Top tight ends such as Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce are bound to put up quality fantasy football numbers weekly, but most tight ends are unpredictable. The top tier of tight ends are reliable for fantasy football purposes, but most tight ends are boom-or-bust type of players. Even though it is hard to hit on... Read More


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

D'Andre Swift Signs With Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Newly signed Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift has been one of the most promising, but also underperforming running backs across the NFL and the fantasy landscape in recent years. After three injury-riddled seasons in Detroit where he showed flashes of greatness but didn't quite live up to the hype, Swift was traded to the... Read More


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Top 50 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings After the 2024 NFL Combine

With the NFL Combine in our rearview mirror, now is a logical time to put out an up-to-date rankings for this year’s NFL Draft. Below, you will find my top-50 players who have declared for this NFL Draft. Below those ranks, you will also find several fantasy-relevant notes I have on this class, and on... Read More


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Calvin Ridley Signs With Titans: Fantasy Football Impact

The Tennessee Titans made a huge move once NFL free agency officially opened. They signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million contract with $50 million fully guaranteed. Ridley was the top receiver on the open market. The Titans swooped in out of left field and signed him to give second-year quarterback Will... Read More