X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Florio's Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report (Week 10): Kimbrel, Duran, Diaz Bounce Back, Hoffman Elite

Alexis Diaz fantasy baseball closers rankings draft sleepers waiver wire pickups

Michael reviews fantasy baseball closers to add off the waiver wire for saves in Week 10 (2024), changing bullpens, and relief pitcher risers with elite ratios.

Happy Memorial Day to you all! Memorial Day is an important week in the fantasy baseball calendar not just because you get a day off of work to eat, drink, and watch plenty of baseball, but because we are officially two months into the season.

A third of the way through the season is a good place to take stock of your team. If you are sitting pretty in the standings, you can opt to keep riding things out. But if you are falling in the standings, this is the time for action. There is still enough time left where you can salvage your season and go on a run. I have seen it done plenty. But the longer you wait, the less time you have to correct a slow start. 

The saves category is particularly interesting because it purely comes down to opportunities. If all of the closers are rostered in your league, your only option is to trade. But there are plenty of murky bullpens you can take fliers on in hopes of finding a closer that sticks. And if you are fine in saves but your ratios and strikeouts need help, there are a plethora of relievers you can nab for cheap off the waiver wire that’ll serve you better than a rocky SP6. 

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

 

Changing Bullpens for Fantasy Baseball

For a couple of weeks, it looked like Craig Kimbrel was losing his gig as Orioles closer. But with any situation like this with a proven closer, I preached patience. That worked out here as Kimbrel has a stranglehold on the closer gig in Baltimore. In the last week, he has picked up three saves and now has 12 on the season -- no other Orioles reliever has more than two. 

Kimbrel has had down periods before, so do not be surprised if something like this happens again later in the season. Yennier Cano and Danny Coulombe would be next in line and regardless, both are pitchers that can help your ratios. Coulombe especially can with his 3.20 ERA, 2.87 xERA, 0.66 WHIP, and 30 percent strikeout rate. He has been elite as a non-closer this season. 

The Mets did not pick up a single save in the last week. In their defense, it’s hard to close out games when you have a historic week of blowing leads. But it does us no favor trying to figure this bullpen out. Edwin Diaz continues to work through struggles and just like with Kimbrel above, you should practice patience. Perhaps you can get away from Diaz if you are in good standings in the saves category, but that seems unlikely given the premium price needed to draft Diaz. If you are struggling in the category, I think you continue to start him and hope he figures things out quickly. While his ERA sits at 5.40, his xERA is just 3.09, and his .310 BABIP, 63 percent strand rate, and 26 percent HR/FB ratio indicate a lot of poor luck. He is still picking up plenty of strikeouts. I would consider him a buy-low more than a cut candidate. 

However, with him not getting all the saves in Queens at the moment, you can take fliers on other pitchers here. Reed Garrett should be rostered in all but the shallowest formats. He has two saves this season with pretty elite ratios. He has a 2.67 ERA, 2.07 xERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a 38 percent strikeout rate. Adam Ottavino and Jorge Lopez are worth fliers in deeper formats. 

The Dodgers did not pick up a save in the last week. Daniel Hudson has picked up the bulk of saves in Evan Phillips’ absence. Not only that but he has provided strong ratios. On the year, he has a 2.70 ERA, 2.76 xERA, 0.75 WHIP, and a 30 percent strikeout rate. He can continue to be rostered once Phillips returns due to the ratios and the fact that he is next in line for saves on the team that may win the most games this season. 

Speaking of Phillips, he made his first rehab appearance on Sunday, striking out two in a clean inning. He will need a couple more outings and then will return to the Dodgers. Once he returns, I would expect him to quickly return to the full-time closer. 

The Rockies have had three saves this week. A different pitcher with Jalen Beeks picked each up, with Matt Koch and Tyler Kinley each recording a save. On the year, Beeks leads the team with five saves and is the top fantasy option here. Just understand that he is not a strikeout pitcher (18 percent K rate), so he will pitch to contact in Coors Field. On the year, he has a 3.20 ERA and 1.38 WHIP, but understand the risk you take with your ratios.

Still, Beeks is worth rostering if you are in need of saves. After that, even with Justin Lawrence landing on the IL, I would avoid the other options unless extremely desperate. However, if you are in a deep league and desperate for saves, Tyler Kinley would be the second-best bet in this pen. 

 

Speculative Saves for Fantasy Baseball 

It was cool having a week without including the Phillies bullpen in this article. But in the last week, we have seen Jose Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman split opportunities. While Alvarado has received the bulk of save chances this year and is clearly a must-start fantasy option, Hoffman is someone I have been advocating to add for weeks now. On the season, he has four saves, a 1.19 ERA, 2.32 xERA, 0.97 WHIP, and a 33 percent strikeout rate. He provides elite ratios and strikeouts and is getting more save chances on the best team currently in MLB. Both he and Alvarado should start moving forward. 

I have written about the Reds bullpen for a few weeks now as I was worried about Alexis Diaz. It was a great week for the Reds closer, though, as he picked up three saves and did not allow a run. He now has 10 saves on the season and even with the inconsistencies, as long as he is getting the save chances, he is a must-start fantasy option. We did see Lucas Sims pick up a notable save this week. He has closer experience in the past and could be next in line if Diaz’s struggles pick back up. 

Fernando Cruz continues to be a pitcher I will highlight in this bullpen. While he has a 4.07 ERA, his xERA sits at 2.40. He also has a 1.11 WHIP and the real reason to get excited is his 48 percent strikeout rate. Yes, he has struck out nearly half the batters he has faced this season. That alone puts him on the roto radar. 

In the last week, Jhoan Duran has picked up all four saves for the Twins. He now has a team-leading seven saves while pitching to a 3.75 ERA, 2.78 xERA, 1.08 WHIP, and a 25 percent strikeout rate. While it is awesome to see him get the bulk of chances (and he is a must-start fantasy option), I am not sure we have reached the point where we should expect every save to go his way. The Twins may still opt to use him in very high-leverage situations, though this past week has been great for Duran. Griffin Jax remains next in line but his fantasy value does take a hit if the bulk of chances are now going Duran’s way. 

Last year, Alex Lange picked up 26 saves for the Tigers. This year, he has a 4.34 ERA, just two saves, and was sent to the minors to work on throwing strikes after a weird altercation on the mound last week. Jason Foley, who was Lange’s setup man last year, continues to be the Tigers' full-time closer even after blowing a save on Sunday. He is a must-start fantasy option. But the thinking had been that if anything happened to him, Lange would be next in line. However, this past week, we did see Tyler Holton pick up a save. Just something to note in case something happens to Foley. 

 

Elite Strikeouts and Ratios for Fantasy Baseball

Remember Luke Weaver? The former starter came up with hype with the Cardinals but has had an ERA over six in three of the last four seasons. Yes, that guy has converted to a full-time reliever for the Yankees and is putting up elite numbers. He has pitched 32.1 innings in 19 appearances, so he often will give you multiple innings. That is the third-most innings by a reliever so far this season.

On the year, he has a 2.51 ERA, 3.70 xERA, 0.71 WHIP, and a 28 percent strikeout rate. That WHIP is the seventh best amongst qualified relievers. He will not get you saves, but since he often goes multiple innings, he can certainly be used in place of a shaky starter. He will provide a similar amount of innings in a week but much better numbers. 

Bryan Hudson has been a similar pitcher as Weaver. He has thrown 30.1 innings in 20 appearances, the sixth-most innings among any reliever this season. He has a 0.59 ERA, 1.98 xERA, 0.73 WHIP, and a 32 percent strikeout rate. I would not expect many saves since he has just four in his entire professional career including the minors, but the numbers he can give you are elite. And just like with Weaver, because he can go multiple innings, he can give you a similar workload to a back-end starter who may go five innings in a given week. But the results would be far better with Hudson. Take advantage and help stabilize your ratios. 

Just like the two above, Ryan Walker has been a workhorse reliever who can provide elite ratios and strikeouts, just no saves. Noticing a trend this week? Walker already has made 29 appearances this season, pitching to a 4-2 record with a 2.17 ERA, 2.76 xERA, 0.90 WHIP, and a 33 percent strikeout rate. While you will not get saves out of him, he can help stabilize those ratios. At this point, if you have already done damage to your team's ERA and WHIP, using a reliever like these three is better than a questionable starter. Trusting those starters is what damaged your ratios to begin with! 

While the trade deadline is two months away, it is never too early to think about teams that could be looking to trade relievers. No position gets a bigger shakeup due to trades than relief pitchers. Some relievers could see their fantasy value increase either by their team trading the current closer or by trading this pitcher to a team in need of late-inning arms. Some pitchers who fit this mold that are not mentioned above are Hunter Harvey, Jason Adam, Lucas Erceg, Jordan Leasure, A.J. Puk, Aroldis Chapman, and Chase Anderson

Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio. 



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

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Quinshon Judkins

to Have "Snaps Closely Monitored" Versus Baltimore
Jauan Jennings

a "Game-Time" Decision for Week 2, Optimism That he'll Play
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Russell Wilson

Giants Have No Urgency to Bench Russell Wilson
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Brock Bowers

Officially Questionable for Monday Night
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Christian Kirk

Ruled Out for Week 2
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Brock Bowers

Expected to Play on Monday Night
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
Ryan Preece

Seems Slower on Concrete Than on Asphalt
NASCAR

Legacy Motor Club's Short-Track Speed Will Likely Hold John H. Nemechek Back
Erik Jones

Definitely Faster This Year, but Short Tracks Still a Liability
Daniel Suarez

Despite Poor Qualifying Run, Daniel Suarez Might Not Be a Great Choice
Noah Gragson

Unlikely to Be Fast at Bristol but Still Might Be Worth Considering for DFS
Tarik Skubal

Avoids Serious Injury, Expected to Make Next Start
Chris Godwin

Officially Ruled Out for Week 2
Xavier Worthy

Officially Ruled Out for Week 2
Austin Ekeler

Suffers Torn Achilles
Quinshon Judkins

Expected to Play Against Ravens
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
Kyle Larson

Can Kyle Larson Dominate at Bristol Again?
Denny Hamlin

One of the Best at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

All Eyes on Ryan Blaney at Bristol
Chase Briscoe

Whiffs in Qualifying, Will Start 31st in Bristol Night Race
Ty Gibbs

Could Contend at Bristol
Tanner Bibee

Fans 10 in Two-Hit Shutout
Zach Neto

Dealing With Wrist Soreness
Masyn Winn

Shut Down for Rest of Season
Tarik Skubal

to Undergo Imaging on Saturday
Jacory Croskey-Merritt

RapSheet: Jacory Croskey-Merritt Expected to Be Lead Back Moving Forward
Tyler Soderstrom

Scratched on Friday With Groin Tightness
Tarik Skubal

Exits with Side Tightness
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
Ketel Marte

Scratched From Friday's Lineup
Brock Purdy

Officially Ruled Out Against Saints
Jauan Jennings

Given Questionable Tag for Week 2
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Dallas Goedert

Officially Ruled Out for Week 2
Xavier Worthy

Listed as Doubtful to Play in Week 2
Jayden Reed

Hopes to Return in November Following Surgery
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Kyle Tucker

"Unlikely" to Return When Eligible on Tuesday
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Ketel Marte

Expected to Return on Friday
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Quinshon Judkins

Questionable to Make NFL Debut in Week 2
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Alexander Hernandez

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Quang Le

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Card Opener
Santiago Luna

Set For His Debut At Noche UFC 3
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Sees Little Usage in Week 2, Outlook Still Trending Upwards?
Deebo Samuel Sr.

Leads Commanders in Catches, Scores Touchdown Again
Tucker Kraft

Posts Huge Performance on Thursday
Joe Mixon

Lack of Joe Mixon Injury Updates Sparking Concern for Fantasy Managers?
Jesús Luzardo

Jesus Luzardo Strikes Out 10 in Win
Aaron Judge

Matches Yankees Legend with Two-Homer Game
Anthony Volpe

Playing Through Partially Torn Labrum in his Shoulder
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
Charles Oliveira

Not Eyeing Retirement
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Will Smith

Scratched With Hand Soreness on Wednesday
Ketel Marte

has Foot Contusion, Expected to Play Friday
Shohei Ohtani

Won't Pitch This Weekend
MacKenzie Gore

to Start on Thursday
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Posts Historic Triple-Double
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For 15 at Wyndham Championship
Bud Cauley

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied for Seventh at Tour Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 25th at Tour Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 19th at Tour Championship
Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied for 10th at Tour Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for Second at Tour Championship
Gary Woodland

Could Hang Around at Procore Championship
Karl Vilips

Ready for Napa Valley This Weekend
Taylor Montgomery

Heating Up at the Right Time
Jackson Koivun

May Be a Little Rusty at Procore Championship
Doug Ghim

Looking to Rise Up at Napa Valley
Josh Giddey

Re-Signs With Bulls for Four Years
Shakir Mukhamadullin

Joins Informal Skate
William Eklund

Skates With Sharks
Owen Power

Back at 100 Percent
Tyler Seguin

Cleared for Action
Mathew Barzal

Good to Go for Season Opener
Dustin Wolf

Signs Seven-Year Extension
NBA

Mason Jones Takes His Talents to Australia
NBA

Talen Horton-Tucker Joins Reigning EuroLeague Champions
Malcolm Brogdon

on Knicks' Radar
Andrew Wiggins

Attracting Interest From Lakers
Miami Heat

Heat Interested in Reunion With Precious Achiuwa
New York Knicks

Ben Simmons Reportedly Declined Knicks' Contract Offer
Caio Borralho

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Nassourdine Imavov

Extends Win Streak
Mauricio Ruffy

Gets Submitted
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Taps Out Mauricio Ruffy
Paul Craig

Retires After UFC Paris Loss
Modestas Bukauskas

Scores First-Round Knockout
Bolaji Oki

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Mason Jones

Scores Comeback Win

RANKINGS

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