Welcome to The Game Day’s Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings, Depth Charts, Bullpen Report, & Sleepers For Saves.
When you’re working the fantasy baseball waiver wire and trying to find the best sleepers for saves, you must know each Major League Baseball team’s relief pitchers.
Who has a path to 2024 fantasy baseball saves? Who’s going to focus on holds and set-up appearances? Frank Ammirante ranks each fantasy bullpen from strongest (1) to weakest (30) while giving security ratings for each club’s relief corps.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Drag the table to the left to see the entire closer depth charts and rankings list. All caps denote news updates or new closers.
| Rk | Team | Closer | Next In Line | Watch | Job Security | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guardians | Emmanuel Clase | Scott Barlow | Hunter Gaddis | GREAT | |
| 2 | Mets | Edwin Díaz | Adam Ottavino | Reed Garrett | GREAT | |
| 3 | Cardinals | Ryan Helsley | Giovanny Gallegos | JoJo Romero | GREAT | |
| 4 | Yankees | Clay Holmes | Ian Hamilton | Dennis Santana | GREAT | |
| 5 | Dodgers | Evan Phillips | Daniel Hudson | Joe Kelly | GREAT | |
| 6 | Orioles | Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Dillon Tate | GREAT | |
| 7 | Athletics | Mason Miller | Lucas Erceg | Austin Adams | GREAT | |
| 8 | Braves | Raisel Iglesias | A.J. Minter | Joe Jiménez | GREAT | |
| 9 | Giants | Camilo Doval | Tyler Rogers | Taylor Rogers | GREAT | |
| 10 | Astros | Josh Hader | Ryan Pressly | Bryan Abreu | GREAT | |
| 11 | Blue Jays | Jordan Romano | Yimi Garcia | Erik Swanson | GREAT | |
| 12 | Padres | Robert Suarez | Yuki Matsui | Wandy Peralta | SOLID | |
| 13 | Tigers | Jason Foley | Shelby Miller | Alex Lange | SOLID | |
| 14 | Rangers | Kirby Yates | David Robertson | Jose Leclerc | SOLID | |
| 15 | Royals | James McArthur | Will Smith | Chris Stratton | SOLID | |
| 16 | Mariners | Andres Munoz | Ryne Stanek | Gabe Speier | SOLID | |
| 17 | Reds | Alexis Diaz | Emilio Pagan | Fernando Cruz | SOLID | |
| 18 | Nationals | Kyle Finnegan | Hunter Harvey | Jordan Weems | SOLID | |
| 19 | Red Sox | Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten | SOLID | |
| 20 | Angels | Carlos Estevez | Matt Moore | Luis Garcia | SOLID | |
| 21 | Pirates | David Bednar | Aroldis Chapman | Colin Holderman | SHAKY | |
| 22 | Rays | JASON ADAM | Garrett Cleavinger | Pete Fairbanks (IL) | TEMPORARY | Adam should be valuable with Fairbanks out. |
| 23 | Diamondbacks | Kevin Ginkel | Scott McGough | PAUL SEWALD (IL) | TEMPORARY | Sewald had a setback in his rehab. |
| 24 | Marlins | Tanner Scott | Calvin Faucher | Andrew Nardi | SHAKY | |
| 25 | Cubs | HECTOR NERIS | Mark Leiter Jr. | Adbert Alzolay | SHAKY | Neris is the new best bet for saves. |
| 26 | Brewers | JOEL PAYAMPS | Trevor Megill | Devin Williams (IL) | TEMPORARY | The usage has been unpredictable in Milwaukee. |
| 27 | Phillies | JEFF HOFFMAN | Jose Alvarado | Orion Kerkering | COMMITTEE | Hoffman looks like the leader of this committee. |
| 28 | Twins | Griffin Jax | Brock Stewart | JHOAN DURAN (IL) | TEMPORARY | Duran may be back next week. |
| 29 | Rockies | Justin Lawrence | Jake Bird | Nick Mears | SHAKY | |
| 30 | White Sox | Michael Kopech | Steven Wilson | John Brebbia | SHAKY |
Read on for more fantasy baseball closer tips.
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Fantasy Baseball Closer Report
Here are some important closer tidbits from the fourth week of the fantasy baseball season as we head into Sunday’s action:
Blown Saves
- Craig Kimbrel (0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K) blew the save vs the A’s on April 28.
- Raisel Iglesias (1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) had a blown save vs the Marlins on April 24.
Relief Appearances
- Michael Kopech (3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) had a tough week.
- Jason Foley (1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K) got hit in a successful save.
Successful Saves
- Mason Miller (3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K) was dominant en route to three saves.
- Evan Phillips (3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K) also converted three saves.
Save Specs News
- Mark Leiter Jr. (1.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K) was solid as the high-leverage reliever.
- Jeff Hoffman (3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K) had a terrific week.
Fantasy Baseball Closer News
Now, on to the latest news in saves, which are all current as of Sunday, Apr. 28 at noon ET.
Rays: Jason Adam should be valuable with Pete Fairbanks out
Pete Fairbanks was placed on the IL with an arm injury. While an MRI revealed no structural damage, there is no timetable for his return. Jason Adam steps in as a closer in Fairbanks’ absence.
- Jason Adam Fantasy Tip: Adam has a 1.38 ERA so far, but his strikeout rate is down from 31.1% to 22.7%, which is a bit concerning. Having said that, Adam has a strong track record, making him a reliable option with Fairbanks out.
Diamondbacks: Paul Sewald had a setback in his rehab
Paul Sewald felt sore during his rehab assignment, which will delay his return to the big leagues. Kevin Ginkel will continue as closer while Sewald is injured.
- Kevin Ginkel Fantasy Tip: Kevin Ginkel (3.27 ERA, 4 saves) has performed well in Sewald’s absence, so you can continue relying on him moving forward in fantasy. I’m ranking him a bit lower only because this is temporary.
Outlast your competition in fantasy baseball with more tips
- Keep up with our Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings.
- See who our experts are targeting among Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire.
Cubs: Hector Neris is the new best bet for saves
Hector Neris has taken over as closer for the Cubs, replacing Adbert Alzolay. The only issue is that he hasn’t been that effective, putting up a 5.75 SIERA in nine innings.
- Hector Neris Fantasy Tip: The one thing that Neris has going for him is closing experience, which is why he’s been given the role in the ninth. But Mark Leiter Jr. has been more effective, so keep an eye on this.
Brewers: The usage has been unpredictable in Milwaukee
Joel Payamps leads the Brewers in saves, but Trevor Megill converted the most recent one on April 25. Payamps worked in the eighth in that game, so this is something to monitor going forward.
- Joel Payamps Fantasy Tip: Megill has better stuff than Payamps, so perhaps the Brewers will use him in high leverage at times. We will have to keep a close eye on this situation.
Phillies: Jeff Hoffman looks like the leader of this committee
Jeff Hoffman has worked in the ninth in each of his last two appearances. While we should treat this as a committee, there’s a reasonable chance that Hoffman is the best bet for saves at this time.
- Jeff Hoffman Fantasy Tip: Hoffman has put up an impressive 2.52 SIERA with a 35.4 K%. If he can get more of a defined role, we could see him develop into a valuable fantasy closer.
Twins: Jhoan Duran may be back this week
Jhoan Duran has been averaging over 98 MPH on his fastball during rehab, so it’s clear that the Twins elite closer is well on his way to getting back in the lineup.
- Jhoan Duran Fantasy Tip: Duran should retain his role as one of the best closers in baseball immediately once he returns. Congratulations to those who took a risk to stash him at a reduced price in drafts.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Waiver Wire Pickups
Find out how I’d rank the fantasy baseball closer and reliever waiver wire pickups below. The percentage in brackets is how often they are rostered in Yahoo! leagues. Only players rostered in fewer than 50% of leagues are included here.
Closers
- Jason Adam (45%)
- Jeff Hoffman (9%)
- Justin Lawrence (7%)
Relievers
- Trevor Megill (7%)
How to Find Fantasy Sleepers for Saves
It can be difficult navigating bullpen usage, especially over the long haul of a 162-game season. That’s why we’re here to help you find fantasy sleepers for saves.
Follow the tips outlined below to decipher how each MLB team likes to use their bullpen.
Team Trends
Determining how each team and manager like to deploy their relievers is important. Some prefer the traditional approach of using one reliever in the ninth. Others prefer to use their best reliever in high-leverage situations.
You have to accept that some closers will have a lower percentage of team save opportunities than others, depending on their team.
This means that you should never drop your committee closer if they were bypassed for a save opportunity on a given night. It could be that their manager wants to use them to face their opponent’s best hitters in the seventh or eighth inning.
Bullpen Usage
When trying to decipher a team’s preferences in the bullpen, take a look at how their manager uses their relievers, even in non-save situations. This can help you understand the pecking order for saves within each bullpen.
Stuff and Command
If you’re debating which reliever to pursue on a team with an unclear situation, the best bet is to target the one with the best stuff. If they have strong command as well, that’s an added bonus.
