Top fantasy baseball relief pitcher waiver pickups for Week 5

Even by usual bullpen chaos standards, trying to find a reliable source of saves so far in the 2023 MLB season has been a hellacious endeavor — whether due to injuries or just the goosed-up offensive environment around baseball.

Luckily, we’re here to help you sift through the morass and try to find diamonds in the rough with our weekly waiver wire report. Here are four relievers we’re targeting for Week 5.

Fantasy baseball waiver wire: Week 5 relief pitcher targets

Aroldis Chapman, RP, Kansas City Royals

Roster percentage: 28%

The Royals aren’t getting very many save chances so far, but when they eventually do, chances are it’ll go to Chapman. The lefty has been lights-out this year, almost immediately unseating Scott Barlow in the closer’s chair while striking out 13 over seven scoreless innings. Kansas City is desperate to flip its rental reliever for future value at the trade deadline, which should mean plenty of showcase opportunities.

Adam Ottavino, RP, New York Mets

Roster percentage: 10%

Just when we thought David Robertson had claimed the closer’s job in lieu of Edwin Diaz, here comes Ottavino with two saves in three days against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It seems clear now that Buck Showalter is going to mix and match based on matchups, which should make both righties fantasy-viable — but even if he wants one closer, Ottavino has better stuff than Robertson at this stage in their careers.

Jeurys Familia, RP, Oakland Athletics

Roster percentage: 0%

With Dany Jimenez and Trevor May both on the shelf (and struggling even when they were healthy), it was Familia who shut the door on Oakland’s win over the Texas Rangers on Friday night. He probably won’t get very many opportunities considering the A’s talent level — and he’s as liable to blow up as Jimenez and May were — but if you’re desperate for saves, he’ll at least get some chances.

Jeremiah Estrada, RP, Chicago Cubs

Roster percentage: 0%

Estrada was a quiet call-up prior to the Cubs’ game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, mopping up after Drew Smyly’s brilliant effort. But he struck out three in those 1.1 innings of work, and he’s worth being on your radar for a simple reason: He has one of the very best four-seam fastballs in baseball.

Estrada used that heater to great effect last year, going from A-ball to the Majors while posting eye-popping strikeout numbers at every stop. Chicago’s closer committee is currently a mess, with Michael Fulmer melting down on a regular basis and Brad Boxberger not inspiring a ton of confidence. The bet here is that Estrada wins the job sooner rather than later — and could be a huge value given how good this Cubs team has looked.