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 | Mets | Edwin Díaz | Adam Ottavino | Brooks Raley | GREAT | |
| 2 | Guardians | Emmanuel Clase | Scott Barlow | Hunter Gaddis | GREAT | |
| 3 | Cardinals | Ryan Helsley | Giovanny Gallegos | JoJo Romero | GREAT | |
| 4 | Yankees | Clay Holmes | Ian Hamilton | Caleb Ferguson | GREAT | |
| 5 | Orioles | Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Dillon Tate | GREAT | |
| 6 | Dodgers | Evan Phillips | Daniel Hudson | Joe Kelly | GREAT | |
| 7 | Astros | Josh Hader | Ryan Pressly | Bryan Abreu | GREAT | |
| 8 | Giants | Camilo Doval | Tyler Rogers | Taylor Rogers | GREAT | |
| 9 | Braves | Raisel Iglesias | A.J. Minter | Joe Jiménez | GREAT | |
| 10 | Blue Jays | Jordan Romano | Yimi Garcia | Chad Green | GREAT | |
| 11 | Athletics | Mason Miller | Dany Jimenez | Lucas Erceg | 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 | John Schreiber | SOLID | |
| 16 | Mariners | ANDRES MUNOZ | Ryne Stanek | Gabe Speier | SOLID | Munoz has been used in high leverage. |
| 17 | Reds | Alexis Diaz | Emilio Pagan | Fernando Cruz | SOLID | |
| 18 | Rays | Pete Fairbanks | Jason Adam | Colin Poche | SOLID | |
| 19 | Red Sox | Kenley Jansen | Chris Martin | Justin Slaten | SOLID | |
| 20 | Pirates | David Bednar | Aroldis Chapman | Colin Holderman | SOLID | |
| 21 | Nationals | Kyle Finnegan | Hunter Harvey | Jordan Weems | SOLID | |
| 22 | Angels | Carlos Estevez | Matt Moore | Luis Garcia | SOLID | |
| 23 | Cubs | Adbert Alzolay | Hector Neris | Mark Leiter Jr. | SOLID | |
| 24 | Diamondbacks | Kevin Ginkel | Scott McGough | PAUL SEWALD (IL) | TEMPORARY | Sewald is throwing bullpen sessions. |
| 25 | Brewers | JOEL PAYAMPS | Abner Uribe | Devin Williams (IL) | TEMPORARY | Payamps has taken over in Milwaukee. |
| 26 | White Sox | Michael Kopech | Steven Wilson | Jordan Leasure | SHAKY | |
| 27 | Phillies | Jose Alvarado | Jeff Hoffman | Orion Kerkering | COMMITTEE | |
| 28 | Marlins | Tanner Scott | Anthony Bender | Andrew Nardi | SHAKY | |
| 29 | Twins | Griffin Jax | Brock Stewart | JHOAN DURAN (IL) | TEMPORARY | Duran is getting closer to a return. |
| 25 | Rockies | Justin Lawrence | Nick Mears | Tyler Kinley | 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 third week of the fantasy baseball season as we head into Friday’s action:
Blown Saves
- Pete Fairbanks (1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K) blew the save vs the Angels on April 17.
- Carlos Estevez (1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) had a blown save vs the Rays on April 16.
- Kenley Jansen (1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 BB) gave up the lead vs the Guardians on April 16.
- Adbert Alzolay (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K) lost his command vs the Diamondbacks on April 16.
- Kevin Ginkel (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) blew a one-run game vs the Cubs on April 15.
Relief Appearances
- David Bednar (0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) was shelled on vs the Mets April 17.
- Griffin Jax (0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) had a rough outing vs the Orioles on April 17.
- Michael Kopech (1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) took the loss vs the Royals on April 17.
- Josh Hader (0.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) got hit hard vs the Braves on April 15.
Successful Saves
- Raisel Iglesias (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K) racked up two saves this week.
- Kyle Finnegan (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) converted two saves on April 15 and 17.
- Ryan Helsley (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) looked dominant for two saves vs Oakland.
Save Specs News
- Jason Adam (9.0 IP, 2 ER) has pitched well amid Pete Fairbanks’ recent struggles.
- Aroldis Chapman (0.1 IP, 3 ER) got rocked on April 15 while David Bednar has pitched poorly.
- Hector Neris (6 K, 7 BB) has failed to gain favor during Adbert Alzolay’s rough start.
Fantasy Baseball Closer News
Now, on to the latest news in saves, which are all current as of Friday, Apr. 19 at 8 p.m. ET.
Mariners: Andres Munoz has been used in high leverage
Andres Munoz came on in the seventh inning with the Mariners leading the Reds 3-1 on April 16. The Mariners have five saves on the year, but Munoz has only two of them. It’s clear that Munoz will not be deployed as a traditional closer in Seattle.
- Andres Munoz Fantasy Tip: This high leverage usage has caused Munoz to fall down my ranks because it certainly caps his fantasy upside. It will be interesting to see how the bullpen is deployed when Matt Brash and Gregory Santos are able to return from injury.
Diamondbacks: Paul Sewald is throwing bullpen sessions
Paul Sewald threw his second bullpen session on April 15, according to Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. There have been positive reports on Sewald’s sessions so far, so it appears that he’s getting closer to return to the team.
- Kevin Ginkel Fantasy Tip: Kevin Ginkel (2.89 ERA, 3 saves) has performed well in Sewald’s absence, but it’s highly likely that the D-Backs will go back to the former Mariner in the ninth inning. Enjoy the Ginkel ride while it lasts.
Prepare for your fantasy MLB drafts with more tips
- Keep up with our Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings.
- See who our experts are targeting among Fantasy Baseball Sleepers.
Brewers: Joel Payamps has taken over in Milwaukee
Joel Payamps worked a clean ninth inning vs the Padres to convert his second save of the season on April 17. This was Payamps’ second consecutive appearance in the ninth inning, while Abner Uribe has pitched in the 8th, 4th, and 7th.
- Joel Payamps Fantasy Tip: It’s pretty clear that Payamps has overtaken Uribe as the preferred option at closer while Devin Williams is out. Keep an eye on Trevor Megill, who was just activated off the 7-day concussion IL, but Payamps is the one you want for now.
Twins: Jhoan Duran is getting closer to a return
Jhoan Duran threw 21 pitches in a bullpen session on April 19, per Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. It looks like Duran is getting ready for a rehab assignment, putting his return date within reach.
- Jhoan Duran Fantasy Tip: Duran should retake his spot as one of the top closers in baseball, so expect him to soar up these ranks when he’s able to return. In the meantime, the Twins appear to be rolling with a committee led by Griffin Jax.
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
- Joel Payamps (32%)
Relievers
- Jason Adam (34%)
- Matt Hoffman (10%)
- Orion Kerkering (18%)
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.
