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
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

MLB Closers and Saves Report - Week 9

Another quiet week in the world of bullpens, and few fantasy owners will complain about that.

After a whirlwind of moves to start the season that lasted through most of April and May, it's been oddly comforting to have two weeks straight where bullpens allow us to relax.

But, as always, it wasn't a completely quiet week, so here is the news for Week 9:

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

 

Bullpen News for Week 9

San Diego Padres

Padres manager Andy Green said he would be using a committee in the ninth inning, playing matchups based on opposing batters. Brad Hand got two save chances in a row, leading people to think he was getting close to taking the ninth all for himself. Soon after that, though, Brandon Maurer showed up and got three straight saves. The committee remains, but while Hand seemed to be in the lead for a bit, Maurer looks like he's got the upper hand once again. Despite rough standard numbers (0-3, 5.73 ERA), Maurer has good peripherals (2.58 FIP, 24:4 K:BB) and should be able to hold down the closer's role if given the chance again. Still, Carter Capps is likely to get healthy at some point and he'll mix in for saves as well. For now, Maurer looks like the one to own in mixed leagues again, but Hand shouldn't be too far behind.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels started the season with Cam Bedrosian as their closer. The thought was that he might hold things down until veteran Huston Street came back from an injury. Bedrosian started off the year excellently, making Angels fans hope he'd keep the job all season, healthy Street or otherwise. But then, Bedrosian got hurt and landed on the disabled list. He hasn't pitched since April 21, but he's finally on his way back. Street is on his way back too, and should rejoin the Angels bullpen before Bedrosian does. In the meantime, Bud Norris has reinvented himself as a closer and has pitched well, developing some mixed league value himself. Bedrosian is the best pitcher in the Angels bullpen though, and it shouldn't take too long, assuming he's healthy, for him to remind manager Mike Scioscia of that and reclaim the ninth inning. For right now, Norris is still the arm to own in Anaheim, but Bedrosian should be the best bet going into the summer.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates closer Tony Watson was pulling the opposite trick that Padres former closer Brandon Maurer pulled: while Maurer had bad results despite great peripherals, Watson was seeing great results despite poor peripherals. Things, as they say, ran their course seemingly for both relievers however. While Maurer has been pitching much better in San Diego, Watson has started to struggle in Pittsburgh. Watson is 4-1 with 10 saves and a 3.47 ERA despite a 5.14 FIP and a concerning 18:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's an average reliever who is better against lefties, but not a guy you would normally choose to be a team's closer. Lurking in the eighth inning lately, however, is Felipe Rivero. Rivero, on the other hand, is the kind of guy you want to see as a team's closer. He's also left-handed, but unlike Watson, he can touch 100 mph with his fastball, has a 0.65 ERA and strikes out over a batter per inning while walking fewer than two. There haven't yet been any rumblings of a ninth inning shift in Pittsburgh, but a few more rough outing from Watson and continued success by Rivero may force manager Clint Hurdle's hand.

 

Roster Moves of the Week

Adds

Cam Bedrosian, Los Angeles Angels- In deep leagues and for teams with open roster spots only, Bedrosian is about as good a "wait-and-see" target as any. He was the closer, and did well, before getting hurt. The only guys standing is his way are Bud Norris (good this year as a closer, but still Bud Norris) and Huston Street (still Huston Street). Bedrosian is almost certain to lead the Angels in saves going forward, and he should be back from the disabled list soon.

Felipe Rivero, Pittsburgh Pirates- Another speculative add, Rivero may take over closing duties in Pittsburgh sometime this summer. Current closer Tony Watson likely has a rather long leash, but Rivero has far more upside than Watson. Watson's fantasy owners should definitely try to pick up Rivero as an excellent handcuff, but even non-Watson owners can hold him as a speculative source of saves while picking up a nice source of strikeouts in the meantime.

Drops

No drops this week, and no one was removed from their ninth inning role or taken out of a committee.

 

Best of the Week

Koda Glover- Washington Nationals- 3 1/3 IP, 5 K, 4 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP

Nationals closer Koda Glover was officially named closer last week. He proved that he probably should have been closer all year (when healthy) by having a perfect week, facing 10 batters and retiring them all, including five strikeouts. He picked up four saves along the way. He is currently only owned in 61 percent of fantasy leagues, so take a look at that waiver wire!

Roberto Osuna, Toronto Blue Jays- 3 1/3 IP, 6 K, 4 SV, 2.70 ERA, 0.60 WHIP

Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna didn't have the perfect week Koda Glover did, but he was great in his own right. Osuna picked up four saves as well, pitching 3 1/3 innings in four appearances and striking out six. His first three appearances were perfect, but he allowed a run on two hits in his most recent outing.

Craig Kimbrel, Boston Red Sox- 4 1/3 IP, 9 K, 3 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.23 WHIP

Cue "Don't You (Forget About Me)" for Kimbrel, who many left out of the top-tier of closers before this season started. This week, Kimbrel struck out nine of the fourteen batters he faced. The only one that got on base did so via walk, as Kimbrel did not allow any hits. He's been amazing this year, and should be one of the best closers in fantasy as the season continues.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds

 

Premium Tools & DFS Research

Get a free trial of our powerful MLB Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Optimizer & Lineup Generator, daily Matchup Ratings, expert DFS Lineups/Cheat Sheets, and more.

Sign Up Now!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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

RANKINGS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

7 hours ago

Shohei Ohtani Among NL Silver Slugger Winners
7 hours ago

Aaron Judge Headlines AL Silver Slugger Winners
8 hours ago

Giants Not Currently Scheduled To Meet With Juan Soto
8 hours ago

Raiders Expected To Make The Change To Desmond Ridder At QB
Jose Alvarado9 hours ago

Out Against OKC
Zach LaVine9 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report For Wednesday
Luka Doncic10 hours ago

Cleared To Play Against The Warriors
Donovan Clingan10 hours ago

Starting Versus Minnesota
Deandre Ayton10 hours ago

Sidelined Versus The Timberwolves
Andrew Wiggins10 hours ago

Good To Go Versus The Mavs
P.J. Washington10 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus Golden State
Luka Doncic10 hours ago

Now A Game-Time Decision
Jusuf Nurkic11 hours ago

Out On Tuesday Night With Left-Ankle Soreness
Gary Trent Jr.11 hours ago

Active On Tuesday, Will Come Off Bench
11 hours ago

Giants Potentially Moving On From Daniel Jones?
11 hours ago

Tyreek Hill Playing With Torn Ligament In His Wrist
Cameron Payne12 hours ago

Active On Tuesday, Will Face Former Team
Miles McBride12 hours ago

Active On Tuesday Against Sixers
Dereck Lively II12 hours ago

Returning On Tuesday
Andre Jackson Jr.12 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo12 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Jarrett Allen12 hours ago

Uncertain For Wednesday
12 hours ago

Nicky Lopez Elects Free Agency
Tre Mann12 hours ago

Unavailable On Tuesday
12 hours ago

Dallas Goedert A Limited Participant On Tuesday
Cody Martin12 hours ago

Active For Tuesday Night's Matchup Against Orlando
Minnesota Twins12 hours ago

Dave St. Peter Steps Down As Twins President
Dante Fabbro13 hours ago

Makes Blue Jackets Debut Tuesday
Al Horford13 hours ago

Will Play Versus Atlanta
13 hours ago

DeVonta Smith Limited On Tuesday
Jaylen Brown13 hours ago

Active Tuesday Night
13 hours ago

Wander Franco Now Facing Weapons Charges
Jayson Tatum13 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Spencer Knight13 hours ago

Set To Face Devils Tuesday
13 hours ago

Travis d'Arnaud Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Angels
Logan Stanley13 hours ago

Added To Injured Reserve
Philipp Grubauer13 hours ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Shane Pinto13 hours ago

Returns To Senators Lineup
Cam Fowler13 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
13 hours ago

Nico Collins Expected To Practice This Week, Play On Monday Night
Robby Fabbri13 hours ago

Lands On Injured Reserve
Brendon Todd14 hours ago

A Hard Sell At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Greyson Sigg14 hours ago

May Surprise In Bermuda
Jacob Bridgeman15 hours ago

In For Adventure At Port Royal Golf Course
Mark Hubbard15 hours ago

Plays Solid In Bermuda
Andrew Novak15 hours ago

Tries To Build Off ZOZO Championship
Daniel Berger16 hours ago

Looks To Continue His Consistent Run At Port Royal Golf Course
Justin Lower16 hours ago

Looks To Continue His Hot Play At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
16 hours ago

Enoli Paredes Signs Minors Deal With Braves
Ben Griffin16 hours ago

Brings Solid Form And Good Course History To Bermuda
16 hours ago

Ryan Helsley Won't Move Into Starting Rotation
16 hours ago

Tanner Houck Open To Extension With Red Sox
17 hours ago

Blue Jays, Red Sox To Meet With Juan Soto
Sam Stevens17 hours ago

In Good Form Heading To Bermuda
Doug Ghim17 hours ago

May Be Up For Bermuda
Seamus Power17 hours ago

Returns To Bermuda With Good Outlook
17 hours ago

Caleb Durbin Steals Four More Bases On Monday
18 hours ago

Denzel Clarke Homers In Three-Hit Day
18 hours ago

Najee Harris Should Be Good Despite Dealing With Ankle Issue
18 hours ago

Panthers Activate Adam Thielen From Injured Reserve
18 hours ago

Matt McLain Homers Twice In Arizona Fall League Action
19 hours ago

Charlie Morton Intends To Pitch Again In 2025
19 hours ago

Josue Briceno Extends AFL Home Run Lead On Monday
19 hours ago

Chiefs Designating Isiah Pacheco To Return From Injured Reserve
19 hours ago

Braves Acquire Nick Allen From Athletics For Pitching Prospect
Chicago Bears20 hours ago

Bears Fire Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron
20 hours ago

Dak Prescott To Have Season-Ending Surgery
Dustin Wolf22 hours ago

Cools Off Kings Monday
Mason Marchment22 hours ago

Erupts For Five Points Versus Pittsburgh
Cole Caufield22 hours ago

Takes Over Goal-Scoring Lead
Nick Suzuki22 hours ago

Ends Dry Spell With Four-Point Effort
Jack Eichel22 hours ago

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Seth Jarvis22 hours ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Anthony Mantha23 hours ago

To Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery
1 day ago

Puka Nacua Targeted 14 Times Against Miami
1 day ago

Kyren Williams Fumbles, Fails To Find End Zone
1 day ago

Shane McClanahan Expected To Be Ready For Spring Training
Carolina Panthers1 day ago

Panthers Mum On Starting QB Heading Into Bye Week
1 day ago

Jaguars Uncertain If Trevor Lawrence Can Play In Week 11
1 day ago

George Kittle Dealing With "Hamstring Irritation"
1 day ago

Amari Cooper Improving
1 day ago

Seahawks Expect DK Metcalf Back At Practice On Wednesday
1 day ago

Jonathon Long Dominating Arizona Fall League
1 day ago

Alejandro Osuna Continuing To Progress In Arizona Fall League
1 day ago

Brian Robinson Jr. Listed As Limited On Monday
1 day ago

Kemp Alderman Shining In Arizona Fall League
1 day ago

Dallas Goedert Picks Up A DNP On Monday
2 days ago

DeVonta Smith Listed As DNP On Monday
Mattias Samuelsson2 days ago

Injured On Monday
Tage Thompson2 days ago

Suffers A Lower-Body Injury Monday
Ryan Poehling2 days ago

Ready To Return On Monday
Matvei Michkov2 days ago

Returns To Flyers Lineup Monday
Jamie Drysdale2 days ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Tommy Novak2 days ago

Remains Out On Monday
Mark Stone2 days ago

Misses A Second Consecutive Game
Carlos Prates2 days ago

Gets Higlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 100
Neil Magny2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 100
Cortavious Romious2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 100
Gaston Bolaños2 days ago

Gaston Bolanos Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Joey Logano2 days ago

Holds On At Phoenix To Win His Third Cup Series Championship
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Falls Short Of The 2024 Cup Series Title At Phoenix
Dusko Todorovic2 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 100
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Lacks Speed Of Other Championship 4 Contenders But Drives Well
William Byron2 days ago

Finishes Third In Phoenix Race And Championship
Mansur Abdul-Malik3 days ago

Gets First-Round Finish At UFC Vegas 100
Luana Pinheiro3 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Vegas 100
Gillian Robertson3 days ago

Extends Win Streak At UFC Vegas 100
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC Vegas 100
MMA3 days ago

Reinier de Ridder Gets Submission Win In UFC Debut
NASCAR3 days ago

Bubba Wallace Is A Top DFS Recommendation With Upside For Phoenix
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Is Expected To Compete For The Title At Phoenix
Joey Logano3 days ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Phoenix
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Could Be A Favorable DFS Option For Phoenix Lineups
Corey Lajoie3 days ago

Corey LaJoie Will Start 20th At Phoenix
Brad Keselowski3 days ago

Is A Solid Recommendation For Phoenix DFS Lineups
Erik Jones3 days ago

Will Start 19th At Phoenix This Week
Carson Hocevar3 days ago

Will Compete For A Top-10 Finish At Phoenix
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Should DFS Players Fade Ty Gibbs At Phoenix?
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Is Chase Elliott A Solid DFS Pick For Phoenix Lineups?
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

The Championship Favorite Despite Qualifying Blunder
William Byron3 days ago

Will Be Strong In Fight For Championship
Austin Cindric3 days ago

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Is Great At Phoenix
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Looking To Go Back-To-Back At Phoenix After Championship Snub
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

Can Be Worth Rostering In Tournaments At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Could Contend At Phoenix
Carlos Prates5 days ago

Looks For His Fourth Win In A Row
Neil Magny5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
MMA5 days ago

Benardo Sopaj Looks For His First UFC Win
Ricky Turcios5 days ago

Returns At UFC Vegas 100
Dusko Todorovic5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 100
Mansur Abdul-Malik5 days ago

A Big Favorite At UFC Vegas 100
Luana Pinheiro5 days ago

Could Be Fighting For Job At UFC Vegas 100
Gillian Robertson5 days ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC Vegas 100
Reinier De ridder5 days ago

Reinier de Ridder Makes UFC Debut At UFC Vegas 100
Gerald Meerschaert5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 100

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Nick Chubb - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Matchups to Target, Avoid (Week 11) - Offensive Line Champs and Chumps

Week 10 featured an excellent Thursday night game but plenty of struggles on Sunday and Monday. Some rough offensive performances from historically reliable players this season made fantasy scoring hard to come by for many. The injuries kept racking up along offensive lines across the league. In Week 10, 18 teams were missing at least […]


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

Fantasy Football WR Injury Reports: Week 11 Updates For Nico Collins, Tyreek Hill, Tee Higgins, DeVonta Smith

For what seems like the first time, this column isn't a post-mortem. Rather, we're anticipating the return of fantasy football stars. To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NFL, make sure to favorite or bookmark the fantasy football player news page. Also, download the free RotoBaller fantasy football mobile app with […]


Isiah Pacheco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Running Backs

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL RBs: Week 11 Updates for Isiah Pacheco, Brian Robinson Jr., Aaron Jones, Miles Sanders

Below is our fantasy football injuries report for running backs in Week 11, as of November 13. The injury statuses for various NFL running backs are up in the air for Week 11, including Isiah Pacheco, Brian Robinson Jr., Aaron Jones, and Miles Sanders. As the fantasy football season continues, every decision, transaction, and lineup […]


Christian McCaffrey - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS and Betting Picks, NFL Injury News

Rest-of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings: Week 11 Updates for Top 200 (2024)

It's the thick of November with four games left before the playoffs for many of you, which means it's time for an updated rest-of-season rankings chart! We keep sifting through evolving developments, such as key players returning from injuries or dealing with fragile quarterback situations. Let's see who is rising and falling with our Week […]


A.J. Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS and Betting Picks

Commanders vs. Eagles TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin, Brian Robinson, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, more

After last week's 35-34 edge-of-your-seat matchup between Baltimore and Cincinnati, what can the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles do in Week 11 for some kind of encore for fantasy football managers? Will we This game promises a lot of top-end talent with immense upside, but very little in terms of borderline plays. Will we get […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 11 Include Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Joe Mixon, George Pickens, more

Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson lit the world on fire on Thursday Night Football to send fantasy managers into a love/hate frenzy heading into the weekend. Unfortunately, the weekend did not deliver the same level of goodness that fantasy managers were hoping for. There were several duds from players fantasy managers have come to expect […]


Jauan Jennings - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 11

Week 10 of the 2024 season is in the books. That means another week of cold, hard data to analyze. We’ll try not to overreact, but instead, use logic and reasoning as the foundation for our decision-making in the weeks ahead. Each week, we’ll take a look back at the previous week to see if […]


Austin Ekeler - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL News

Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Derek Carr, Austin Ekeler, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Tylan Wallace, Tanner Hudson

Week 10 of the NFL is behind us, and it's time to look ahead to next week's action. There were some surprising performances in the 10th week of the season, but were those surprising performances a sign of things to come for players? Every week, I'll examine five NFL players whose numbers from the previous […]


Austin Ekeler - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL News

High-Value Touches and Opportunities - Fantasy Football Underperformers, Overperformers (Week 11)

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my weekly series, "High-Value Touches and Opportunities," for Week 11 of the 2024 fantasy football season. We're nearly a month before the fantasy football playoffs begin, depending on if leagues go through Week 17 or 18. It's crunch time, and we'll want to pay attention to the news, noise, and trends, […]


Tampa Bay Bucs Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Vita Vea Fantasy Football IDP

Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 11, 12, 13, 14) - Defense Streamers and Starts

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football D/ST streamers and starts for Weeks 11, 12, 13, and 14 -- looking at the next four weeks and identifying the best D/ST matchups. Streaming defenses each week is a strategy that some fantasy managers have adopted over the years, and looking ahead weeks in advance could give you an […]


Chicago Bears Defense - Jaquan Brisker, DST, D/ST, Rankings, Streamers

Week 11 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

At the outset of every season, I warn fantasy fans and rankers alike not to overvalue the preseason strength of schedule rankings. Those ratings rely largely on player and unit performance from the previous year, which is not always consistent. Whether it's player migration, age, coaching changes, or all of the above, you will see […]


Titans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Harold Landry Fantasy Football IDP

IDP Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 11 (2024)

The usual names are absent from the leaderboard for sacks. T.J. Watt, who led the league in sacks in two of the past three seasons, is only No. 12 this season. Maxx Crosby is tied with Watt with 6.5 sacks. Nick Bosa is barely hanging onto the top twenty with just 5.5 sacks in 2024. […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

NFL DFS: First Look of Week 11 - Totals, Salaries, Slates, and more

The NFL Sunday main slate in Week 10 was somewhat disappointing and couldn't match the Thursday Night matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. There were less fireworks and more pain for some players. However, we're moving onto Week 11 and going where the grass is greener. Let us dive into the data and […]