We finish up our fantasy baseball rankings by ranking the 75 best relief pitchers.

The top of the relief pitcher rankings are loaded with closers with secure jobs. There are also some sleepers on the list since a ton of closers start out the season on shaky ground or in a committee role.

The Yankeess demoted Aroldis Chapman late last season. He starts the season as closer, but does Dellin Betances find his way back into the role this season?

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

1. Kenley Jansen – Los Angeles Dodgers – Jansen will always be a stud closer in fantasy. The Dodgers are favored to win the NL West and even if a lot of those wins are beyond a closing total of three runs, Jansen will still have plenty of chances. He has swing and miss stuff and will walk less than double-digits in a season.

2. Craig Kimbrel – Boston Red Sox – Kimbrel didn’t log 40 saves last season, but all his peripheral stats are top-notch. The Red Sox will be a better team this season and if starters Porcello and Price regain their past form, Kimbrel will have more opportunities to close out games.

3. Corey Knebel – Milwauke Brewers – The Brewers aren’t expected to be a contender, but Knebel is good enough to close out close games for the Brewers. sub-.500 team. He can still be a solid source of saves in fantasy. I had Knebel on many teams last season and even though Milwaukee had a below average year, he saved 39 games after get 11 holds before taking over the job. 

4. Aroldis Chapman – New York Yankees – I almost knocked Chapman down a few more spots in my rankings. He struggled down the stretch and he has Dellin Betances breathing down his neck. The Yankees also have a few more closer candidates on the team. They are paying Chapman a lot of money, so he will need to struggle again for them to make the switch. There’s risk in taking him as one of the top-five closers, but the payoff could be huge if he looks like his 2016 self.

5. Raisel Iglesias – Cincinnati Reds – Iglesias found his niche last year when he became the Reds closer. His slider was nastier and had better velocity on his fastball. The Reds won’t be very good this season as their pitching staff is very young, but Iglesias should still get 30+ saves on a 70-win team.

6. Wade Davis – Colorado Rockies  – Davis had a solid year as the Cubs closer, but Chicago managed to win their games by more than three runs most games, so his opportunities were limited. He now finds himself on the upstart Rockies who are improved and should be in plenty of tight games as they battle the NL West. Davis should see an increase in saves, but could end up giving up a few extra dingers in the thin Coors Field air.

7. Edwin Diaz – Seattle Mariners – Diaz has been a strikeout force the last two season. He has struck out 35+% of the batters he has faced the last two seasons. He will have plenty of save opportunities in Seattle. He does have one red flag and it’s his control. It could land him in some sticky situations as the season progresses. He should still finish as a top-ten closer this season.

8. Felipe Rivero – Pittsburgh Pirates – Rivero took over as the Pirates closer when they shipped then-closer Tony Watson to the Dodgers. He excelled as the team’s set-up man and then continued his success as the closer by saving 21 games. He should be a solid closer with no real threat of being taken out of that role.

9. Roberto Osuna – Toronto Blue Jays – Osuna had a sneaky season last year. He saved 39 games for the Blue Jays and only walked nine batters in 64 innings. His sinker has helped him keep balls inside the park and relied heavily on it last season. He’s also a fairly safe pick for a consistent closer.

10. Ken Giles – Houston Astros – Giles got off to a slow start last season, but was one of the best closers in the second-half of the season. He ran out of gas last postseason and could fall in some drafts since fantasy owners with long memories may remember his struggles. The Astros have plenty of solid arms in the bullpen, but none of them are a threat to the closer’s job. The only red flag with Giles is the Astros potent offense may not lead him to a ton of saving opportunities.

11. Sean Doolittle – Washington Nationals – The Nationals struggled to find a closer for most of the season last year. They acquired Doolittle via a trade at the deadline and he converted 21 of 22 chances. He has experience closing out games, but as the Nationals are World Series contenders, they could jump at the chance of adding an even better closer at some point in the season. Doolittle has the job right now, but there’s always a small chance someone else could come in and take the role. I don’t see anyone internally doing it, so unless there’s a trade, he’s safe.

12. Cody Allen – Cleveland Indians – Due to Andrew Miller’s dominance, Allen tends to slide under the radar. Miller is perfect in his role and there’s no need for him to take over Allen’s job. Allen saved 30 games last season and without Miller, he would have had less chances. They are in the perfect roles for the Indians.

13. Alex Colome – Tampa Bay Rays – Colome led the league in saves last year with 47. The Rays are a worse team overall and even though Colome has a cheap contract, they could ship him elsewhere if the price is right. If he stays in Tampa Bay, he should still be a solid source for saves on a bad team.

14. Brad Hand – San Diego Padres – Hand has a huge strikeout upside as his slider is one of the best in the game. He struck out 104 batters in only 79 innings last season. This will be his first full season as closer, but I see his job as safe. He has more than one ‘out pitch’ and can get out of a jam.

15. Jeurys Familia – New York Mets – Familia is a rather risky pick as he missed most of last season after a lengthy suspension. He may have to share the closer role with AJ Ramos, but for the time being, Familia has the role as closer for the Mets.

16. Brandon Morrow – Chicago Cubs – The Cubs signed a few end-of-the-game pitchers, but none of them really have any long-term success closing games. Morrow is currently tabbed to be the closer, but Steve Cishek, Pedro Strop and Carl Edwards Jr. are right there. Morrow was light’s out for the Dodgers last season and has big game experience. He’s the safer pick and has the better ‘stuff’ of the available options.

17. Mark Melancon – San Francisco Giants – Melancon only pitched 30 innings last season and then missed the rest of the year after needing forearm surgery. He’s been one of the most consistent closers in the Majors over the last five years. I want to just chalk up last year’s struggles as normal wear and tear. The Giants are improved and I see Melancon has a solid RP2 for any team.

18. Kelvin Herrera – Kansas City Royals – The Royals appear to be nearing a rebuild. It’s almost a given that Herrera’s name will come up as we approach the trade deadline. He may not have the most save chances for the Royals, but he has extreme job security. He will be the Royals closer as long as he’s on the team.

19. Arodys Vizcaino – Atlanta Braves – The Braves have pegged Vizcaino as the closer of the future for awhile now. He now has the job and could be a sleeper when it comes to getting saves on a bad team. He has a rocket fastball and an off-speed curveball that will buckle the best hitter’s knees. The only thing holding him back is his team.

20. Greg Holland – Free Agent – Holland could easily jump up this list once he signs with a team. There a few potential contenders that would benefit from signing Holland. He’s looking for a long-term deal, so he’s still out there.

21. Andrew Miller – Cleveland Indians – I mentioned Miller above when I wrote about Cody Allen. Miller is a Swiss Army knife and can be employed in any situation late in a game. He can also pitch for multiple innings. He may only get a save or two when Allen needs a rest, but his benefit will be everything else.

22. Archie Bradley – Arizona Diamondbacks – The Diamondbacks currently have Bradley listed in a ‘closer by committee’ situation. He does have an advantage over Yoshihisa Hirano and Brad Boxberger, since the manager is comfortable with him. Bradley had a 1.73 ERA in 63 appearances last season. Some may look at him as more of a setup man since he doesn’t have the power stuff, but I think he would excel at either job. He’s the current front runner, but keep an eye on him this Spring.

23. Blake Parker – Los Angeles Angels – Parker is also stuck in a committee to close out games. He’s in it with two former closers (Cam Bedrosian and Jim johnson). Parker had the closer job to end the season, but his grasp as the leading candidate to come out of this committee with the job, is razor-thin. The pitch that could win him the job is his splitter that has been getting swinging-strikes since his arrival in Los Angeles.

24. Hector Neris – Philadelphia Phillies – The Phillies are a team that could still go after an unsigned experienced closer. Neris is an okay closer, but his control is an issue. He did convert 26 saves last season, but the Phillies are now a team looking to take it up a notch with their rebuild. They want to see more success on the field, so his spot could be up for grabs.

25. Fernando Rodney – Minnesota Twins – Rodney currently has the job as the Twins closer, but Addison Reed is right there. Reed had a resurgence and Rodney is always volatile as a closer. The Twins closer role should rack up a decent amount of save chances, but it just depends if Rodney can keep from walking batters.

26. Blake Treinen – Oakland A’s – Treinen was a wild closer for the Nationals and found himself in the role for the A’s after his trade. He isn’t consistent and like Rodney, will walk a lot of batters. Treinen will have Liam Hendriks right there waiting in the shadows as well.

27. Brad Brach – Baltimore Orioles – Brach did a fine job when Britton had his injury issues last season. He should have the job for most of the season. Britton’s comeback from a ruptured Achilles should keep him out until after the All-Star Break (at the earliest). Darren O’Day and Mychal Givens are two other guys that could be available if Brach struggles.

28. Chris Devenski – Houston Astros – Devenski was put in an Andrew Miller-type role for the Astros last season. He is expected to be in the same role this season. He did hit a wall last year, so he may not pitch in multiple innings as much as he did in 2017.

29. Brad Peacock – Houston Astros – The Astros are expected to use Peacock as a spot starter and in long relief. He’s a guy that you could use in both SP/RP positions and could benefit with the extra innings if you have a start limit.

30. Dellin Betances – New York Yankees – Betances is the best pitcher not currently listed as closer. Betances will be a great source of ‘Holds’ if your league has that as a stat. He will also fill-in for Chapman on rest days for a few saves. He would be a nice handcuff if you own Chapman since he did struggle down the stretch last season.

31. Alex Claudio – Texas Rangers
32. David Robertson – New York Yankees
33. Shane Greene – Detroit Tigers
34. Zach Britton – Balitmore Orioles
35. Addison Reed – Minnesota Twins
36. Josh Hader – Milwaukee Brewers
37. Juan Minaya – Chicago White Sox
38. Luke Gregerson – St. Louis Cardinals
39. Joakim Soria – Chicago White Sox
40. Chad Green – New York Yankees

A few guys above are stuck in a committee role. There are also two more Yankees that could be a nice source for holds and innings of work out of the bullpen. Claudio is an interesting guy for the Rangers to keep an eye on.

41. Brad Ziegler – Miami Marlins
42. AJ Ramos – New York Mets
43. Cam Bedrosian – Los Angeles Angels
44. Jim Johnson – Los Angeles Angels
45. Ryan Madson – Washington Nationals
46. Drew Steckenrider – Miami Marlins
47. Sam Dyson – San Francisco Giants
48. Juan Nicasio – Seattle Mariners
49. Matt Bush – Texas Rangers
50. Kyle Barraclough – Miami Marlins

The group of ten above have a few closer options for the Miami Marlins. The rest of the guys are just setup men that could step into the closer role due to injury or ineffectiveness. Also, there is a news that Matt Bush could be used as a starter this season.

51. Tyler Lyons – St. Louis Cardinals
52. Kazuhisa Makita – San Diego Padres
53. Dan Jennings – Tampa Bay Rays
54. Liam Hendriks – Oakland A’s
55. Steve Cishek – Chicago Cubs
56. Tony Watson – San Francisco Giants
57. Pat Neshek – Philadelphia Phillies
58. Brad Boxberger – Arizona Diamondbacks
59. Alex Wilson – Detroit Tigers
60. Brandon Kintzler – Washington Nationals
61. Darren O’Day – Baltimore Orioles
62. Mychal Givens – Baltimore Orioles
63. Carl Edwards Jr. – Chicago Cubs
64. Pedro Strop – Chicago Cubs
65. Hector Rondon – Houston Astros
66. Tommy Kahnle – New York Yankees
67. Yoshihisa Hirano – Arizona Diamondbacks
68. Jake McGee – Colorado Rockies
69. Seung-Hwan Oh – Toronto Blue Jays
70. Hunter Strickland – San Francisco Giants
71. Koda Glover – Washington Nationals
72. Josh Fields – Los Angeles Dodgers
73. Adam Ottavino – Colorado Rockies
74. Jacob Barnes – Milwaukee Brewers
75. Jeremy Jeffress – Milwaukee Brewers

I hope you enjoyed our 2018 Fantasy Baseball Top 75 Relief Pitchers rankings. We are planning on doing this for every position (the outfielder and pitcher rankings will be massive).

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About the Author…

Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.