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

Week 5 MLB Closers & Bullpen Usage Report

Monitoring bullpens in 2020 will be a vital task each and every day. Because of this, we'll be publishing a weekly article at RotoBaller that tracks which bullpens are being taxed and which pitchers within that bullpen are being heavily used.

The idea of this column is to help you gain an inside track into which relief pitchers, closers, and setup men should be avoided or targeted in a given week of fantasy baseball.

As always, we'll be closely tracking bullpen updates every day in our Closer Depth Charts. That is definitely a resource you want to bookmark and visit each day to stay up-to-date with the latest bullpen changes and movements.

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

 

Around the American League

New York Yankees - Aroldis Chapman is back. He threw 20 pitches on Monday. Zach Britton has been one of the best closers in baseball, yet he may only have the job for another week at the most as Chapman gets his sea legs. Whenever the swap is made, Britton immediately becomes an elite holds guy.

Toronto - Rafael Dolis has pitched in two straight heading into Tuesday. Anthony Bass returned to the mound after being dinged up and only threw 14 pitches. He may need another day to rest and recover back to full health, but Bass should be back to closing in no time.

Chicago White Sox - Alex Colome hasn't pitched in a while, but all of his supporting arms may need rest. Zack Burdi, Steve Cishek, Jimmy Cordero, Ross Detwiler, Evan Marshall, and Jose Ruiz all have appeared in two of the last three days.

Cleveland - Everyone should be available Tuesday, but all of Cam Hill, James Karinchak, Dominic Leone, and Nick Wittgren pitched at least two of three days to start the week. Anyone who gets action will need another day of rest immediately following.

Minnesota - The Twins bullpen has been well worked. Sergio Romo and Taylor Rogers both pitched in two straight before a day off Monday. Trevor May and Tyler Clippard pitched in two straight now. Minnesota will have to stagger returns in order to not be without everyone at the same time.

Houston - Ryan Pressly got into two straight games before needing a day off, though he only threw 18 total pitches. The rest of the bullpen seems to be rounding into form as the Astros needed to pull a quick restart on their reliever depth. Blake Taylor, Josh James, and Brooks Raley seem like the new go-to arms in front of Pressly. Taylor has gotten into two straight games now; James and Raley both pitched in two of three. None of these guys were on the radar (James was a starter) before injuries decimated the unit. Now they are being leaned on in a major way.

Los Angeles Angels - All of Ty Buttrey, Felix Pena, and Keynan Middleton have pitched in two of the past three days. Hansel Robles also got back into the action with a scoreless outing. The team may be forced to turn back to Robles at least for one outing as the rest of the bullpen rests up.

Oakland - T.J. McFarland has taken the mound in three of the past four days. The Athletics have plenty of other options late in games, so McFarland's holds chances could be lacking this week.

 

Around the National League

Atlanta - Will Smith pitched in two of the past three. Shane Greene pitched in two straight before a day off. Mark Melancon already got a couple days of rest last week; now it's likely Smith's and Greene's turn for at least a day.

Washington - Tanner Rainey has looked good but has thrown in two straight games, including needing 29 pitches in the most recent outing. Daniel Hudson secured the team's closer role, and then has decidedly not looked good, getting rocked in multiple outings. He has also pitched in two straight. With Will Harris throwing 25 pitches on Monday, and Sean Doolittle sidelined, we could see a surprise save from someone like Javy Guerra. Guerra's 22.2 percent K-rate has been a career-best; as has his 5.6 percent walk rate.

Chicago Cubs - Jeremy Jeffress has gotten into two of the past three. With Jeffress needing a blow, Craig Kimbrel may very well get another save chance after two clean outings for himself.

Milwaukee - David Phelps has been moving up the responsibility ladder. He's pitched in two straight, though, before a day off. Devin Williams is moving into that third option, with two holds in the last four days. Everyone still looks up at Josh Hader, but Hader has thrown a lot of pitches recently. An appearance every other day in the span of four days saw him need 60 pitches in just two outings.

St. Louis - With the Cardinals finally back in action, Andrew Miller and Giovanny Gallegos have both been used heavily, pitching in two of three games. If both need a day off this week at the same time, it is hard to tab a replacement. Genesis Cabrera and John Gant have also both pitched in two of three days. Kwang Hyun Kim moved to starter and threw 57 pitches Monday. Expect St. Louis to stagger days off the next few days to avoid losing multiple guys. More importantly, Miller seems to be ahead of Gallegos in closer pecking order. There isn't much to read into that statistically yet. Neither guy has even thrown four total innings.

Arizona - Archie Bradley pitched in two straight before a day off. One more outing could force him to the bench again this week.

Colorado - Carlos Estevez pitched in two straight games, recorded a save, got banged up, and is a question mark. Yet the rest of the Colorado pen has been scuffling as well. Jairo Diaz now has a 2.07 WHIP; Daniel Bard has given up runs in two straight; Tyler Kinley has five walks in his last two innings, which included getting blasted for five runs last week. The starters have been amazingly good thus far, but recent bullpen outings put into question who Bud Black can count on.

Los Angeles Dodgers - Kenley Jansen pitched in three of four days, nabbing a save in each. He will get some much needed rest. Perhaps Jake McGee, well rested and pitching very well, gets a vulture save this week. He currently sports a 33.3 percent K-BB rate and has a .071 BAA. Pedro Baez has been getting eighths and will also be an option.

San Francisco - Tony Watson pitched in three of four. The same goes for Tyler Rogers and Trevor Gott. Gott will need rest but has also been rocked recently. Watson is the best bet to get a save chance this week. He has pitched as often as the other late-innings guys but threw only nine and seven pitches respectively in two of those outings.



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 Analysis




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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

New England Patriots6 hours ago

Patriots Have League-High $110 Million In Salary Cap Space
Tee Higgins6 hours ago

Franchise Tag Could Be In Play For Tee Higgins
Miami Dolphins7 hours ago

Dolphins Hire Bobby Slowik As Senior Pass-Game Coordinator
Tyler Lockett7 hours ago

Seahawks Still Deciding On Tyler Lockett's Future
Jonathon Brooks7 hours ago

Could Miss All Of 2025
Aaron Rodgers7 hours ago

Jets Were Willing To Stick With Aaron Rodgers Under Certain Stipulations
Spencer Horwitz7 hours ago

To Miss Time In Spring Training With Wrist Injury
Alex Bregman7 hours ago

Likely To Land With Red Sox, Cubs, Or Tigers
Roki Sasaki7 hours ago

Dodgers Won't Place Any Restrictions On Roki Sasaki
Austin Reaves7 hours ago

Should Play On Wednesday
LeBron James8 hours ago

Expected To Play On Wednesday
Drew Thorpe8 hours ago

Feeling Good, To Throw Off A Mound Soon
Jusuf Nurkić8 hours ago

Jusuf Nurkic Will Have Minutes Limit On Wednesday
Ky Bush8 hours ago

To Have Tommy John Surgery On Wednesday
Ben Simmons8 hours ago

Won't Suit Up On Wednesday
Hayden Birdsong8 hours ago

Could Be Ticketed To Start At Triple-A
Bogdan Bogdanović8 hours ago

Bogdan Bogdanovic Cleared For Wednesday
Jalen Suggs8 hours ago

Doubtful To Play Against Hornets
Brett Wisely8 hours ago

Could Have Inside Track On Bench Job
Drew Eubanks8 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Jerar Encarnacion8 hours ago

Should Get Plenty Of Chances In 2025
Dorian Finney-Smith8 hours ago

Unavailable On Wednesday
Vasilije Micić8 hours ago

Vasilije Micic Ruled Out Tuesday
Luis Matos8 hours ago

A Favorite To Platoon In Right Field
Grayson Allen8 hours ago

Available Against Grizzlies
Maverick McNealy8 hours ago

A Volatile Play At Genesis Invitational
Brent Headrick8 hours ago

Yankees Claim Brent Headrick Off Waivers From Twins
Scoot Henderson8 hours ago

Out On Wednesday
Jake Cousins8 hours ago

Clayton Beeter Dealing With Injuries
Dalton Knecht8 hours ago

Removed From Injury Report
Deandre Ayton8 hours ago

To Miss Wednesday's Action
DJ LeMahieu9 hours ago

Healthy Heading Into Spring Training
CJ McCollum9 hours ago

Uncertain For Wednesday
Luka Dončić9 hours ago

Luka Doncic Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Min Woo Lee9 hours ago

In Great Form Ahead Of Genesis Invitational
Fred VanVleet9 hours ago

Expected To Return After All-Star Break
Alperen Sengün9 hours ago

Alperen Sengun Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Evan Phillips9 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Ready For Opening Day
Chet Holmgren9 hours ago

To Be Rested On Wednesday
Viktor Hovland9 hours ago

A Solid Value Play At Torrey Pines
JT Chargois9 hours ago

Rangers Sign JT Chargois To Minor-League Contract
Tyler Herro9 hours ago

Labeled As Questionable For Wednesday
Jrue Holiday9 hours ago

Unavailable Wednesday
Jaylen Brown9 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing A Second Consecutive Game
Rasmus Hojgaard9 hours ago

A Strong Play At Genesis Invitational
Ronny Henriquez9 hours ago

Marlins Claim Ronny Henriquez Off Waivers
Xzavion Curry10 hours ago

Designated For Assignment
Jake Diekman10 hours ago

Braves Invite Jake Diekman To Spring Training
Scottie Scheffler10 hours ago

Aims For A Strong Rebound At Torrey Pines
Vaughn Grissom11 hours ago

Adds Muscle
Boston Red Sox11 hours ago

Red Sox Open To Closer Committee
Jackson Jobe11 hours ago

Adds Two New Pitches
Michael Taylor11 hours ago

White Sox Agree To Deal
Collin Morikawa14 hours ago

An Excellent Play At Genesis Invitational
Matthew Wright14 hours ago

 Signs Reserve/Future Contract With Panthers
Brandon Aiyuk14 hours ago

Could Be Ready For Week 1
Shane Lowry15 hours ago

Back In Action At Torrey Pines
Derek Carr15 hours ago

Likely To Remain Saints Starter In 2025
PGA15 hours ago

Sungjae Im Is A Highly Volatile Play With Persuasive Upside
Brock Purdy15 hours ago

49ers Committed To Brock Purdy
NFL15 hours ago

Kyle McCord A Potential Late-Round NFL Draft Sleeper
New Orleans Saints15 hours ago

Brandon Staley The Leading Candidate To Become Saints Defensive Coordinator
Russell Henley15 hours ago

Torrey Pines May Be A Place To Avoid Russell Henley
New Orleans Saints15 hours ago

Saints Finalizing Deal With Kellen Moore For Head-Coaching Position
Nick Taylor16 hours ago

Might Not Thrive At Torrey Pines
Adam Scott16 hours ago

Is A Fun Long Shot At Genesis Invitational
Andrew Novak16 hours ago

Tries To Repeat Torrey Pines Success
Robert MacIntyre17 hours ago

Could Be Intriguing At Genesis Invitational
Stephan Jaeger17 hours ago

Trying To Build Off Pebble Beach
Christiaan Bezuidenhout17 hours ago

A Risky Option At Genesis Invitational
Billy Horschel17 hours ago

Hopes Scottsdale Was Just A Blip
Thomas Detry17 hours ago

Seeking Back-To-Back Victories At Genesis Invitational
Max Greyserman17 hours ago

Seeking Return To Form At Torrey Pines
Max Homa17 hours ago

A Fade Candidate For Genesis Invitational
Si Woo Kim17 hours ago

A Value Play At Genesis Invitational
Rory McIlroy17 hours ago

In Dominant Form Ahead Of Genesis Invitational
Kansas City Chiefs1 day ago

Nick Bolton Wants To Stay With Chiefs
New Orleans Saints1 day ago

Saints Expected To Have Interest In Brandon Staley For Defensive-Coordinator Role
Kirk Cousins1 day ago

Browns To Look At Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones?
Deebo Samuel Sr.1 day ago

Bills, Chargers Among Teams That Could Be In Play For Deebo Samuel Sr.
MMA2 days ago

Weili Zhang Wins Decision In Co-Main Event Of UFC 312
Tatiana Suarez2 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
DeAndre Hopkins2 days ago

Finds End Zone In Super Bowl Loss
Justin Tafa2 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC 312
Travis Kelce2 days ago

Nearly Disappears In Super Bowl Loss
Xavier Worthy2 days ago

Scores Twice In Super Bowl Debut
Tallison Teixeira2 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 312
Patrick Mahomes2 days ago

Loses His Second Super Bowl
Francisco Prado2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 312
Jake Matthews3 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC 312
Rodolfo Bellato3 days ago

Battles Back To Get A Draw At UFC 312
Jimmy Crute3 days ago

Fights To A Draw In Return At UFC 312
Sean Strickland3 days ago

Suffers Lopsided Decision Loss At UFC 312
Dricus Du Plessis3 days ago

Retains Middleweight Belt At UFC 312
Drew Doughty3 days ago

Joins Team Canada For 4 Nations Face-Off
Rasmus Ristolainen3 days ago

To Sit Out 4 Nations Face-Off
Jakub Dobes3 days ago

Starts On Sunday
Matias Maccelli3 days ago

Heads Back To Press Box Sunday
Connor Ingram3 days ago

Takes On Capitals Sunday
Logan Thompson3 days ago

Faces Utah On Sunday
Mathew Barzal3 days ago

To Miss Roughly Six Weeks
Lukas Dostal3 days ago

Stops 43 Shots In Victory
Thomas Harley3 days ago

Tallies Goal, Assist On Saturday
Matt Boldy3 days ago

Tallies Three Points On Saturday
Samuel Ersson3 days ago

Stands Tall Against Pittsburgh
Matthew Tkachuk3 days ago

Tallies Three Points In Victory
Thatcher Demko3 days ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Igor Shesterkin4 days ago

Out For 1-2 Weeks With An Upper-Body Injury
Pyotr Kochetkov4 days ago

Takes On Utah Saturday
Sam Montembeault4 days ago

Starts On Saturday
Tyler Tucker4 days ago

Misses Third Straight Game Saturday
Mikey Anderson4 days ago

Remains Sidelined Saturday
Dylan Cozens4 days ago

Expected To Play Saturday
Zachary L'Heureux4 days ago

Considered Day-To-Day
Kevin Fiala4 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak On Friday
MMA5 days ago

Weili Zhang Set For Third Title Defense
Tatiana Suarez5 days ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Tallison Teixeira5 days ago

Makes His UFC Debut At UFC 312
Justin Tafa5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC 312
Francisco Prado5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Jake Matthews5 days ago

Opens Up UFC 312 Main Card
Rodolfo Bellato5 days ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC 312
Jimmy Crute5 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC 312
Sean Strickland5 days ago

Looks To Reclaim Middleweight Title At UFC 312
Dricus Du Plessis5 days ago

Puts Middleweight Title On The Line At UFC 312
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Rome Odunze - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

2025 Second-Year Breakouts: Sophomores Who Could Shine In Year Two

A 2024 season full of rookie breakouts spoiled the fantasy community. Brian Thomas Jr. (WR4), Malik Nabers (WR6), Ladd McConkey (WR12), Brock Bowers (TE1), Jayden Daniels (QB5), and Bucky Irving (RB13) excelled in their first professional seasons. That made it even more of a bummer when other big-name rookies and first-round picks didn't burst onto […]


Dylan Sampson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Dynasty, Rookie Prospects

Dynasty Fantasy Football Strategy - How To Rebuild Your Roster

It's never easy going from worst to first in Dynasty fantasy football. But it's possible. Just because something isn't easy doesn't mean it's not possible, and certain strategies can help you achieve what might seem impossible at first -- going from the worst team in your league to making a championship run. There are a […]


Jaxson Dart - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Rookie Dynasty Mock Draft: 2025 Fantasy Football 12-Team, Superflex/Two-QB

The 2025 NFL Draft is still less than 100 days away. More importantly, the NFL Combine is around the corner. While much will change between now and the NFL Draft at the end of April. However, it’s time for my second dynasty rookie mock draft of the year. This rookie mock draft is a two-round, […]


Jerry Jeudy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Tale of Two Seasons - Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Edition (Part II)

It's not uncommon for a player to have a hot streak or a cold spell during a long season. It's the nature of the beast. What is, however, less common is when a player seemingly flips a switch and becomes a different player entirely. Sometimes, a player has two different seasons in a single year. […]


Kyren Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks

Dynasty League Sells - Overrated Fantasy Football Players To Trade Away

Being tied to bad teams, having anomalously high production that isn't sustainable long-term, and dealing with serious injuries are at least a few reasons why players can become overrated in Dynasty fantasy football leagues. When evaluating your players, it's important to take a wide-angle lens to understand what's going on. Hanging on to an overrated […]


Mark Andrews - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Tight Ends Touchdowns Fallers for Fantasy Football - Regression Candidates

Fantasy points per game is one of the best predictive stats for fantasy managers. However, a player's point-per-game average can sometimes be significantly impacted by how many touchdowns they did or did not score. For 80% of a position's player pool, the players score more or less what we'd expect or in line with their […]


Tetairoa McMillan - College Football DFS Lineup Picks, NCAA CFB, NFL Draft Prospect

Early-Round Busts In 2025 Rookie Dynasty Fantasy Football Drafts

It's incredibly unpopular to say that rookies, who many Dynasty fantasy football managers are excited about, will bust and not be worth their picks. The problem is that it happens every year. Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is a prime example of this. While he had plenty of chances to develop into a […]


Isaac Guerendo - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Backup Running Backs To Buy In Dynasty Fantasy Football Leagues

You can never have enough running backs in fantasy football, just like you can never have enough lobster tails at your favorite seafood establishment. While the NFL has transformed into a pass-first league, and the fantasy values of quarterbacks and wide receivers have increased over the past decade, running backs still rule the fantasy roost. […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

A Tale of Two Seasons - Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Edition (Part I)

The NFL season is long and can result in players performing differently throughout the year. Sometimes, a player starts hot but fades down the stretch. Other times, they start cold but catch fire late in the year. Identifying these can not only be interesting but can also help fantasy managers understand who to buy or […]


Patrick Mahomes - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS

Super Bowl Fantasy Football Projections: (Half-PPR) - Patrick Mahomes, A.J. Brown, Isiah Pacheco, Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, more

Super Bowl LIX is just around the corner, and we know many of you are still competing in postseason fantasy football setups or DFS contests, so we're here to help. Use our Super Bowl fantasy football projections to assist your efforts and see how key players are expected to perform. Ahead of the final game of […]


Xavier Worthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL DFS Stacks for Super Bowl LIX: Correlations for Philadelphia and Kansas City

Super Bowl LIX brings us a rematch of the Eagles and Chiefs, who battled it out in the big game just two years ago, with the Chiefs coming out on top in a high-scoring close game. Vegas likes this game to be close (Chiefs -1.5) and high-scoring (48.5 total). Both teams had fantastic regular seasons […]


Dallas Goedert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver and Tight End Matchups to Target for Super Bowl LIX - Dallas Goedert, Xavier Worthy, A.J. Brown, more

Welcome to the Super Bowl LIX edition of our WR Matchups to Target column. We aim to finish the 2024-2025 NFL year on a high after a successful regular season that saw us hit the 3x DraftKings salary benchmark on 34% of our picks. We’ll be spotlighting the top six pass catchers by DFS salary […]


Travis Kelce - Fantasy Football Tight Ends You Must Have in 2024

Free Super Bowl LIX Betting Picks and Expert Predictions

Championship Sunday was kind to us two weeks ago. We cashed tickets on the Chiefs and Eagles and won .5 units in the process. Super Bowl LIX is this weekend, and the NFL season is almost officially over. I’ve enjoyed writing this weekly column for RotoBaller and am thankful for the opportunity. Hopefully, you’ve learned […]