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Ryan Nakada analyzes five MLB relief pitchers (RP) and setup men to target for holds as fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and adds for Week 6.
While holds are even tougher to predict than saves, the players we’ll highlight today include some elite setup men to target off the waiver wire in Week 6.
Bottom line: the more likely an MLB team is to win, the more likely these pitchers will be eligible to earn the holds that could be the difference between winning or losing in your fantasy league.
Let's get to it.
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Week 6 Waiver Wire RP Pickups for Holds
David Robertson, New York Yankees
5 Holds, 2.93 ERA, 15.1 IP, 19 K, 0.78 WHIP
The New York Yankees boast one of the best bullpens in the league and David Robertson is a strong veteran presence. The 33-year-old Robertson frequently pitches in the eighth inning as he moved into the high leverage role. He has not hit many bumps in the road and strikes out more than a batter per inning. Opponents are hitting .167 against Robertson this year. He is primarily going for his 83.1 mph curveball with his 91.7 mph cut fastball complementing it. The Yankees have a strong team and Robertson will see many situations for holds and he has proven to put up strong fantasy numbers.
Carl Edwards Jr., Chicago Cubs
7 Holds, 0.66 ERA, 13.2 IP, 23 K, 0.88 WHIP
The Chicago Cubs have groomed Carl Edwards over the years to reach this point of being a dominant reliever. Opponents are hitting .146 against Edwards this year. Edwards is striking out nearly two batters per inning pitched and has allowed about a baserunner per inning pitched. After struggling in the postseason the last couple of years, Edwards appears to be playing with a determination to prove himself and that has been evident. The Cubs clearly count on Edwards to be the eighth inning reliever. He has also shown that he is capable of pitching more than an inning of work without losing effectiveness. If he has not been claimed off the waiver wire, do so immediately as he will fill in all the statistics positively.
Juan Nicasio, Seattle Mariners
11 Holds, 4.02 ERA, 15.2 IP, 16 K, 0.83 WHIP
One bad inning can certainly inflate a reliever's ERA and Juan Nicasio is a perfect example of that. The Seattle Mariners' eighth inning reliever, Juan Nicasio, has been a great reliever for holds. Nicasio is striking out a batter per inning with his 92.9 mph fastball and 86.5 mph slider. He gave away his first lead recently, inflating his ERA by a full run. Do not let one bad inning ruin the possibility of a waiver wire claim of Nicasio. Prior to the blown save, Nicasio pitched seven consecutive scoreless appearances. The Mariners will not doubt Nicasio and what he is capable of and neither should anyone seeking a consistent candidate for holds.
Will Harris, Houston Astros
2 Holds, 1.59 ERA, 11.1 IP, 11 K, 1.24 WHIP
The World Series champion Houston Astros carry one of the deeper bullpens so veteran Will Harris may go under the radar. A model of consistency, Harris continues to be a stable fantasy contributor. He strikes out a batter per inning and shows up in various situations, from the sixth to the eighth inning. Opponents are hitting .238 against Harris and the walks are a bit up but his sub-2.00 ERA shows he maintains his composure regardless. His 54.8 percent ground ball rate on batted balls helps in his hitter-friendly home ballpark. With an average fastball of 91.7 mph, Harris is a break from the hard-throwing relievers that are so prevalent in this era of baseball. Regardless, he is a consistent stable presence that deserves a waiver wire claim as the champions look to repeat.
Jordan Hicks, St. Louis Cardinals
2 Holds, 1.17 ERA, 15.1 IP, 7 K, 1.37 WHIP
Kids coming in throwing harder and harder these days and St. Louis Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks is the prime example of this. Averaging a fastball at 99, that has topped out at a league-high 102; 21-year-old Jordan Hicks has commanded attention. The Cardinals have comfortably called upon him in the seventh inning for most of his appearances. While opponents are hitting .160 against Hicks, they may not need to, as he walks nearly a batter per inning pitched. In addition, he is not striking out batters at a rate that a flamethrowing pitcher is expected to. Hicks may not be an immediate waiver wire claim but he is worth keeping an eye as he irons out the bumps at the major league level.
