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Fantasy Baseball Closers and Saves Waiver Wire Report for Week 26

Jhoan Duran fantasy baseball rankings closers saves draft sleepers

Fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for closers, saves, and bullpen arms for Week 26 (2024). David's relief pitcher and bullpen updates, and closers to add.

Sometimes, you make the playoffs in your home fantasy baseball league every season since its inception 17 years ago. Other times, you make it 16 years in a row and then actually miss the playoffs the 17th year by two games in the standings. I wonder how that feels, I'm asking for a friend...

This week, baseball's hardest throwing closer got hurt, committees around the league continued doing committee things, and one of two pitchers who still hasn't allowed a home run this year went on the injured list. We'll take a closer look at that and more in this week's report!

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 2024 baseball season. 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Weekend Quick Hit Closer Updates

-Tyler Holton picked up a save this weekend in a game where Jason Foley wasn't available because he'd pitched in two in a row.

-Luke Weaver got his second save and Yankees manager Aaron Boone heavily implied they may not officially name a closer any time soon.

-Edwin Uceta earned his third save for the Rays. Manuel Rodriguez remains the highest leverage guy in that bullpen, but he won't always be kept waiting for save situations.

-Lucas Erceg leads all of baseball in saves + holds (SOLDS) since the All-Star Break, with 16. He has nine saves and seven holds.

-Emmanuel Clase is the saves leader for the second half, with 15 so far.

-Evan Phillips had a really rough day on Saturday, coughing up five earned runs while getting only one out. That won't help anyone's ratios.

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Saves

Jesus Tinoco, Miami Marlins (Rostered in 1% of Leagues)
Declan Cronin, Miami Marlins (Rostered in 1% of Leagues)
Anthony Bender, Miami Marlins (Rostered in 1% of Leagues)

The Miami Marlins had one of the league's best closers in Tanner Scott until the trade deadline. Once Scott was shipped off to the Padres, the Marlins mixed and matched for a while until Calvin Faucher settled into the ninth inning and pitched more than well enough to keep the role.

Faucher landed on the injured list this week with a shoulder impingement, leaving the Marlins with yet another committee approach for now. Jesus Tinoco, Declan Cronin, and Anthony Bender have been handling leverage innings when they come up, and one of them should end up picking up any Marlins saves.

Each guy is available in almost every league, but it's a complete toss-up as to who will work his way into the role. Desperate fantasy managers can close their eyes and pick one of these guys and maybe get lucky.

Hunter Strickland, Los Angeles Angels (Rostered in 2% of Leagues)
Jose Quijada, Los Angeles Angels (Rostered in 1% of Leagues)

The Angels bullpen is in a similar position to the Marlins bullpen, as mentioned above. They had a closer, they traded their closer, they had a guy take over the role, and now that guy is hurt. Ben Joyce landed on the IL this week with shoulder inflammation.

The Angels' committee approach seems more likely to be a two-headed monster compared to the three-headed one in Miami. Still, both of the guys expected to see save chances in Anaheim are guys who are available in almost every fantasy league right now.

Hunter Strickland has settled into a leverage role and has been pitching well, and Jose Quijada is only 16 innings into his 2024 season, but he's allowed just two runs so far.

 

More Bullpen and Closer News

New York Yankees

Clay Holmes has been removed from the closer's role in the Bronx, and yet he still found a way to add to his league lead in blown saves, suffering his 12th in the seventh inning of a game this week. Luke Weaver has been used the most like a closer, although Tommy Kahnle and Jake Cousins are still seeing significant leverage innings.

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers are somewhat suddenly Wild Card contenders, and Jason Foley is heating up just at the right time. The closer committee leader in Detroit has 22 saves and has allowed no earned runs since August 14, saving seven games in that span with 10 strikeouts and four walks in 11 1/3 innings.

 

Short Relief - Other Bullpen News

-Jordan Montgomery earned the first save of his career by throwing 37 pitches and getting the final nine outs of a blowout win.

-Edwin Diaz earned the 223rd save of his career by throwing one pitch.

-Since August 26, three pitchers have saved six games: Emmanuel Clase (okay, yes of course), Kirby Yates (oh, that's kind of interesting), and ... Tyler Kinley (what?!).

-Michael Kopech pitched his way into and out of a rough outing this week and earned another save. He's been a totally different guy since the trade.

-Andres Munoz pitched well and looked sharp in an outing this week, but it had been a week since he'd last pitched and workload concerns could limit his fantasy value going forward.

-Declan Cronin has faced 281 batters this season and has yet to allow a home run. He and his teammate, Calvin Faucher, remain the only pitchers with 50+ innings pitched and no home runs allowed.

-We have a tie for the league lead in saves, with both Emmanuel Clase and Ryan Helsley at 44. Kyle Finnegan takes the bronze with 36.

-On the holds leaderboard, we have Bryan Abreu up top on his own with 34, followed by Andrew Kittredge, Hunter Gaddis, and Yennier Cano each with 32.

 



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POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Anthony Santander

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Could Return Later This Week
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Day-to-Day with Groin Tightness
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Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
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Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
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Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
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Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
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has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Hunter Greene

Suffers Setback on Monday
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Kyle Lowry Staying With 76ers
Kyle Anderson

Lands in Utah
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Traded to Jazz in 3-Team Swap
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Traded to Miami
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Finishes Tied For 14 at Travelers Championship
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Finishes Tied For 61 at Travelers Championship
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Finishes Tied For Eighth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
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Finishes Tied For Second at Travelers Championship
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Wins John Deere Classic
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Scores 10 Points
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Isaiah Mobley Drops 16 Points
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Pittsburgh Still Not Close on New Contract
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Still Not Pleased with Contract Situation
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on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
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to Make Season Debut on Monday
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Nationals Fire Dave Martinez, Mike Rizzo
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Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
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Arrested on Two Charges
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to Begin Throwing on Monday
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Prioritizing his Health this Offseason
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Andres Gimenez Hits 10-Day Injured List
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Continues to Show Growth
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Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
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Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
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May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
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Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
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Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
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Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
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Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
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Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
Austin Cindric

Remains an Overrated Road Racer
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"Not Expecting" to be handed Starting Job
Chase Claypool

Eager to Get Back on the Field
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Activated, Playing on Saturday
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on the Move to Indiana
Cam Whitmore

Wizards Acquire Cam Whitmore from the Rockets
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Stands out on Special Teams
Clarke Schmidt

Likely to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nolan Arenado

Scratched from Saturday's Lineup
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Starting on Saturday
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Activated from 10-Day Injured List
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Shemar Stewart, Bengals Continue Contract Talks, No Progress Made
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Ha-Seong Kim

Removed Early During Season Debut
ARI

Christian Fischer Retires From NHL at 28
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Spencer Martin Moves to Russia
WAS

Anthony Beauvillier Re-Signs With Capitals for Two Years
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sitting Out With Foot Issue
Isaiah Neyor

Impresses at Minicamp
Jock Landale

Waived by Rockets
Bo Bichette

Back in Blue Jays Lineup
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Jonas Valanciunas Considering Returning to Europe
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Works With Starters During Mandatory Minicamp
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Chimere Dike

Titans Could Move Chimere Dike Inside
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KeAndre Lambert-Smith not Guaranteed Roster Spot
Anthony Bradford

Working Hard to Win Back Starting Job
Byron Young

Still Improving?
Cody Simon

Jonathan Gannon has Been Impressed With Cody Simon
SirVocea Dennis

has Impressive Offseason
Trevor Penning

Could Still Have a Role in New Orleans
Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors Decline Recent Offer for Jonathan Kuminga
Moritz Wagner

Magic Agree to One-Year Deal
Clarke Schmidt

Placed on Injured List
José Soriano

Jose Soriano Throws Gem Against Braves
Robbie Ray

Earns Ninth Win in Complete Game
T.J. Watt

Likely to Reset the Edge-Rush Market
George Springer

Blasts Two Homers, Drives in Four
Bradley Beal

Suns Discussing Potential Buyout
Jaxson Hayes

Staying with the Lakers
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Damian Lillard "Open" to Signing With a Team This Offseason
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Omar Khan, Steelers Agree to Three-Year Contract
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
Chau Smith-Wade

Having Stellar Offseason
Ace Bailey

Inks Rookie Contract With Jazz
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs with Islanders for Two Years
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal with Mammoth
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
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Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
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Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
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Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
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a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
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Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
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Needs a Challenge in Illinois
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