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

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
News and Alerts

Closers and Saves Waiver Wire Report for Fantasy Baseball - Week 6

liam hendriks fantasy baseball closers saves relief pitchers draft sleepers

April's all done, and the second month of the baseball season is off to an interesting start. All 162 games in a team's season count the same, so holds and saves remain some of the most important stats in the sport. There are few things in sports more deflating than a starting pitcher doing well, an offense scoring runs, and then a reliever blowing the game at the last possible chance.

With the new, less division-heavy schedule, teams need to be even more sure that they can turn leads into wins. This week, some teams made widespread bullpen changes, others solidified roles, and some made minor tweaks. We'll take a look at all of that and more, coming right up!

Be sure to also keep an eye on our Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts for saves, holds, and bullpens. They will be updated daily or sometimes even more often throughout the 2023 baseball season. 

Featured Promo: Get any full-season MLB and DFS Premium Pass for 50% off. Exclusive access to our Team Sync platform, Premium articles, daily Matchup Rating projections, 15 lineup tools, DFS cheat sheets, Research Stations, Lineup Optimizers and much more! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Oakland Athletics - Bullpen and Closer News

The A's have played 32 games. They have won just six of them. Not a single A's starting pitcher has won a game yet. It's rough out there in Oakland. This week, the team sent relievers Jeurys Familia and Domingo Acevedo packing, designating both veteran relievers for assignment. Familia was seemingly operating as the head of the bullpen committee, but that obviously will no longer be the case.

Zach Jackson, who has two of the six Oakland wins, seems likely to take the majority of save chances going forward. He has a solid 2.57 ERA and a strong 27.9% K%. He needs to show some more control (13.1% BB%) but could end up being a decent "real life" closer. With the A's unlikely to have too many leads for him to save though, he won't be much of an asset in most fantasy leagues.

Risers: Zach Jackson
Fallers: Jeurys Familia, Domingo Acevedo

 

Chicago White Sox - Bullpen and Closer News

The White Sox bullpen (actually, their entire season so far) has been a disaster this year. There's a bright, bright light at the end of the tunnel, though. Closer Liam Hendriks is on a rehab assignment and could be ready to join the big league club after four or five minor league appearances. Until he's back, though? More messy Chicago bullpen things.

Reynaldo Lopez, who had been operating as the team's closer despite an 8.76 ERA, is now dealing with a biceps injury. Keynan Middleton earned a save this week and has pitched to a 2.89 ERA with a 42.5% K%. He might be the favorite for saves until Hendriks returns, but Kendall Graveman could mix in as well.

Risers: Keynan Middleton (short-term), Liam Hendriks (soon)
Fallers: Reynaldo Lopez

 

Tampa Bay Rays - Bullpen and Closer News

The Rays bullpen is always a source of excitement and plenty of fantasy baseball questions and conversations. That's even more true this season, as Tampa Bay is off to a ridiculous 26-6 start to the year. Unfortunately, usual Rays committee leader Pete Fairbanks was placed on the injured list this week due to right forearm inflammation. It's unclear how much time he'll miss, but we all know forearm things can sometimes be really bad news.

While Fairbanks is out, Jason Adam figures to be the new head of the committee. As they always do, the Rays are sure to mix things up. Colin Poche and Kevin Kelly will likely see some ninth innings. In very much Rays fashion though, a 35-year-old with almost 1000 innings of big league experience got the first save of his career this week. Chase Anderson will likely operate more as a middle reliever, but it was certainly fun to see him close out a game.

Risers: Jason Adam
Fallers: Pete Fairbanks

 

Texas Rangers - Bullpen and Closer News

The Rangers had been splitting save chances between a lefty and a righty, using William Smith and Jose Leclerc in close ninth-inning situations. Leclerc was getting results (0.93 ERA) but was getting really lucky, as he was having a hard time throwing strikes (seven walks, nine strikeouts).

This week, the team announced that Leclerc would begin working earlier innings in lower leverage situations while Smith would be taking over the closer's role and get "the majority of save chances" going forward. Smith needs to be rostered in all formats at this point. While Jonathan Hernandez and Leclerc may find themselves in some ninth innings, it will be Smith more often than not for what is a somewhat unexpectedly good Texas team.

Risers: William Smith
Fallers: Jose Leclerc

 

Short Relief - Other Bullpen News

-Clay Holmes has been a mix of struggling and unlucky, but he got a vote of confidence from his manager. Michael King would be next up, but for now, the Yankees' closer job still belongs to Holmes.

-Kenley Jansen was unavailable for a couple of games this week due to a back injury, but he was "fully available" on Thursday and should be good to go for the weekend.

-Aroldis Chapman, who had been looking like vintage Aroldis Chapman to start the season, looked more like recent Aroldis Chapman in an outing this week in which he allowed three walks, a balk, four stolen bases, and a go-ahead two-run single.

-The Angels bullpen was being looked at as a committee for most of the season so far, but Carlos Estevez seems like he's fully taken over the ninth inning and is pitching really well.

-Kyle Finnegan on the Nationals has also seemingly taken over completely and eliminated the committee approach in Washington.

-Tanner Scott earned a save for the Marlins this week, but it was on a day when both A.J. Puk and Dylan Floro were unavailable due to recent workloads. Scott remains third in line at best in Miami.

-Nick Martinez started the season in the starting rotation for the Padres but was moved back into the bullpen recently. He's quickly worked his way up to being one of the primary setup men ahead of closer Josh Hader.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Christian Watson24 mins ago

Plans To Play Against Lions
David Montgomery30 mins ago

Lions Optimistic About David Montgomery's Week 4 Status
Luis Robert Jr.2 hours ago

Season Could Be Over
Max Scherzer3 hours ago

Takes Another Step Forward
Rasmus Dahlin7 hours ago

Pleased To Link Up With Connor Clifton
Kailer Yamamoto7 hours ago

Posts Pair Of Power-Play Goals
Jakob Chychrun7 hours ago

Nets Two Goals In Win Over Toronto
Sean Couturier7 hours ago

Plays His First Game Since 2021
Jordan Eberle7 hours ago

Hopes To Remain In Seattle
Jakob Pelletier7 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Kyren Williams11 hours ago

' Production Capped By Poor Play-Calling
Tutu Atwell11 hours ago

Makes The Most Of Week 3 Defeat
Brandon Crawford14 hours ago

Expects To Play In Season Finale Sunday
Ja'Marr Chase14 hours ago

Wrecks Rams, Closes Buy-Low Window
Patrick Sandoval15 hours ago

Exits Early Monday With Right Oblique Tightness
Jon Gray15 hours ago

Exits Early Monday With Right-Wrist Tightness
Joe Burrow15 hours ago

Guts Out Calf Issue In Close Victory
A.J. Brown16 hours ago

Explodes For 131 Yards Against Tampa Bay
D'Andre Swift16 hours ago

Gashes Buccaneers For 138 Total Yards
Mike Evans16 hours ago

Snags Touchdown In Loss
Minnesota Timberwolves17 hours ago

Trevor Keels Signs With Timberwolves
Golden State Warriors17 hours ago

Rodney McGruder Joins Warriors
Atlanta Hawks17 hours ago

Chris Silva Joins Hawks On Exhibit-10 Deal
Julius Randle17 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Training Camp
Joe Burrow19 hours ago

Officially Active On Monday Night
Puka Nacua20 hours ago

Active Against Bengals
Alvin Kamara20 hours ago

Reinstated From Suspension
Brandon Aiyuk20 hours ago

Seen At Monday's Practice
Deebo Samuel20 hours ago

Held Out Of Monday's Practice
David Montgomery20 hours ago

Listed As Limited
Christian Watson20 hours ago

Listed As DNP Monday
Jaylen Waddle21 hours ago

Still In Concussion Protocol
Joe Burrow21 hours ago

Optimism Surrounding Joe Burrow's Monday Night Status
Garrett Mitchell24 hours ago

Could Return Tuesday
Aaron Jones24 hours ago

Could Play On Thursday Night In Week 4
Derek Carr1 day ago

Deemed Week-To-Week With Shoulder Injury
Andy Dalton1 day ago

Throws For 361 Yards In Loss
Rafael Fiziev1 day ago

Suffers Knee Injury To Cut Main Event Short
Rafael Fiziev1 day ago

Mateusz Gamrot Victorious After Rafael Fiziev Suffers Knee Injury
Michelle Waterson-Gomez1 day ago

Dominated In TKO Loss
AJ Fletcher1 day ago

Drops To 1-3 In The UFC
AJ Fletcher1 day ago

Bryan Battle Submits AJ Fletcher For Second Straight Finishing Win
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Speeding Penalty Costs Him Big At Texas
Francisco Alvarez1 day ago

Dealing With Finger Contusion
Ketel Marte1 day ago

Absent From Lineup On Monday
Mike Trout1 day ago

Season Is Over
William Byron1 day ago

Earns Sixth Win Of Season At Texas
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Secures Third Straight Top-Five Finish At Texas
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Late Wreck Ruins Tyler Reddick's Race At Texas
Chase Briscoe1 day ago

Delivers Big Value At Texas
Kyle Busch1 day ago

Championship Hopes Take Big Hit After Texas Wreck
Ross Chastain1 day ago

Overcomes Throttle Issue To Finish Second At Texas
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace "Gave it Away" At Texas, Finishes Third
Chris Buescher1 day ago

Has Another Strong Points Day At Texas
Kyle Larson1 day ago

On Playoff Hot Seat After Wrecking At Texas
Adam Fantilli1 day ago

Registers Two Assists In Preseason Debut
Trevor Van Riemsdyk1 day ago

Trevor van Riemsdyk Sustains Apparent Hand Injury
Travis Konecny1 day ago

"Banged Up"
Andrei Vasilevskiy1 day ago

Battling Minor Injuries
Mika Zibanejad1 day ago

Suffers An Upper-Body Injury
Kyle Palmieri1 day ago

Set For Re-Evaluation This Week
Deandre Ayton2 days ago

To Portland A Possibility?
Damian Lillard2 days ago

Bulls, Raptors Expressing Interest In Damian Lillard
Tim Hardaway2 days ago

Pacers Reportedly Not Interested In Tim Hardaway Jr.
Buddy Hield2 days ago

To Dallas?
Francisco Alvarez2 days ago

Removed Early On Sunday
Luis Robert Jr.2 days ago

Replaced During Sunday's Game
Yandy Díaz2 days ago

Yandy Diaz Leaves Early Sunday
Ricardo Ramos2 days ago

Submitted Early At UFC Vegas 79
Charles Jourdain2 days ago

Extends Win Streak To Two
Marina Rodriguez2 days ago

Scores One-Sided TKO Win At UFC Vegas 79
Dan Ige2 days ago

Falls Short Against Another Top-10 Opponent
Bryce Mitchell2 days ago

Returns To Win Column At UFC Vegas 79
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

Feels Good About His Car at Texas
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

a Very Strong Option at Texas
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Pegged as Favorite to Win at Texas
Carson Hocevar3 days ago

Looks Impressive Again at Texas
Zane Smith3 days ago

Slow In Practice and Qualifying at Texas
Todd Gilliland3 days ago

in Downgraded Equipment for Texas
Luis Arraez3 days ago

Suffers Injury On Saturday
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Will Start 25th At Texas
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

The Top Value Play On Sunday At Texas
Ricky Stenhouse Jr3 days ago

.'s Struggles At Texas To Continue This Weekend
Joey Logano3 days ago

Makes For A Nice Bounce Back Play At Texas
NASCAR3 days ago

Bubba Wallace Wins Pole At Texas Motor Speedway
Kenley Jansen3 days ago

Returns From COVID List
Mike Trout3 days ago

Hits Off Tee
Yordan Alvarez3 days ago

Doubles In A Run, Managing Elbow Issue
MLB3 days ago

Diamondbacks-Yankees Postponed Saturday Due To Rain
MLB3 days ago

Braves-Nationals Postponed On Saturday
Nolan Arenado3 days ago

Cardinals Place Nolan Arenado On Injured List
Sandy Alcantara3 days ago

Suffers Setback After Rehab Start
Clayton Keller3 days ago

Ready To Become 100-Point Player
Nicklas Backstrom3 days ago

Feeling At 100 Percent
Oliver Ekman-Larsson3 days ago

Set To Get Look On Top Power-Play Unit
Carter Verhaeghe3 days ago

Battling Muscle Tightness
Nikolaj Ehlers3 days ago

Struggling With Neck Spasms
Logan Cooley3 days ago

Scores Wonder Goal In Preseason Opener
3 days ago

Chauncey Billups Backs Scoot Henderson To Become A "Star"
Josh Green3 days ago

Aims To Become A Bigger Defensive Presence
Josh Hart3 days ago

Set To See Minutes As Power Forward
Cade Cunningham3 days ago

Jaden Ivey Believes Cade Cunningham Will "Shock" People
DeMar DeRozan3 days ago

Ready To Shoot More Threes
Marcus Morris3 days ago

Sr. Set To Remain A Starter In New Season
Brandon Lowe4 days ago

Finished For 2023 With Knee Fracture
Jaden McDaniels4 days ago

Timberwolves Desire To Extend Jaden McDaniels
Boston Celtics4 days ago

Celtics Signing Lamar Stevens As Bench Piece
Frank Ntilikina4 days ago

Could Be Limited At Training Camp
Jayson Tatum4 days ago

To Play More Point Guard In 2023-24?
Rasmus Dahlin4 days ago

Sabres Aiming To Lock Up Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power Long-Term
Connor Hellebuyck4 days ago

Focused On The Jets In 2023-24
Trevor Zegras4 days ago

Jamie Drysdale Absent On First Day Of Camp
Damian Lillard4 days ago

Suns Considered Dark Horse To Facilitate Damian Lillard Deal
Donovan Mitchell4 days ago

Not Expected To Sign An Extension Next Summer
4 days ago

Amen Thompson Is Ready To Go For Training Camp
Mateusz Gamrot4 days ago

Seeking Victory In Seventh UFC Appearance
Rafael Fiziev4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Michelle Waterson-Gomez4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
AJ Fletcher4 days ago

Set To Showcase On Main Card
Bryan Battle4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 79
Ricardo Ramos5 days ago

Set For First Fight In Over A Year
Charles Jourdain5 days ago

Hoping To Bring UFC Record Above .500
Marina Rodriguez5 days ago

Gets A Rematch At UFC Vegas 79
Dan Ige5 days ago

Enters UFC Vegas 79 On Two-Fight Win Streak
Bryce Mitchell5 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back After First Career Loss

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP