Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitchers With SP Eligibility: Yahoo Position Eligibility

March 22, 2026

Joey's upside relief pitcher fantasy baseball sleepers, draft targets with starting pitcher position eligibility in 2026. Insert these RPs into SP slots on Yahoo.

There are plenty of pitchers who will enter the season with starting pitcher (SP) eligibility in Yahoo! leagues, but won't be an actual starter for the team they are on. Those pitchers could give fantasy managers an inside edge in their matchups each week. Most of the SP-eligible relievers can go multiple innings out of the bullpen.

In this article, we will break down five relievers who have SP eligibility in Yahoo! leagues. Fantasy managers can recycle these relievers every day in their SP spots to gain a real edge over their league mates. It is a cheat code to carry a reliver in one of your SP spots and stream that position in either daily or weekly leagues. All five of these pitchers are going undrafted in almost all formats.

So, who are the best SP-eligible relievers to target in fantasy baseball drafts? Let's dive in and find out.

• Fantasy baseball draft kit
• Fantasy baseball rankings
• Team Sync platform and Draft Assistant
• Fantasy baseball mock draft simulator
• Fantasy baseball draft cheat sheets
• Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
• Fantasy baseball prospects

Tyler Holton, SP/RP, Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tyler Holton is one of the best SP-eligible relievers that fantasy managers can either draft in the last round or pick up off waivers. Holton has put together back-to-back strong seasons out of the bullpen. He finished with a 2.19 ERA and 77 strikeouts across 94 1/3 innings in 2024 and had a 3.66 ERA and 64 strikeouts across 78 2/3 innings in 2025.

Holton has SP eligibility because the Tigers have started him in some bullpen games over the past two years. He made nine starts in 2024 and six starts last year. But the majority of his appearances will come out of the bullpen. That means the left-hander is someone that fantasy managers should be keeping a close eye on throughout the season.

Do it all lefty Tyler Holton 😤

Save energy at home with these tips: https://t.co/sm4zCCupj6 pic.twitter.com/a2KhJDdn3e

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 27, 2024

He has been a workhorse out of the bullpen since 2023, logging at least 75 innings pitched in each of the past three seasons. Last year, Holton pitched more than one inning in 22 of his 64 relief appearances and had a 3.20 ERA out of the bullpen. With the 29-year-old being a lock to make the Opening Day roster, the Tigers pitcher is a top option as a SP-eligible reliever.

Eric Lauer, SP/RP, Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Eric Lauer posted solid numbers as a starter last year. He had a 3.77 ERA and a 23.6% strikeout rate across his 15 starts and emerged as a solid pitcher option for fantasy managers in the middle of the 2025 season. However, the arrival of Dylan Cease and the return of Max Scherzer will likely push Lauer to the bullpen to begin the 2026 season.

That's where Lauer becomes valuable as a relief pitcher with SP eligibility in fantasy formats. The southpaw dominated in that relief role throughout the 2025 season, finishing with a 1.76 ERA across 13 appearances. He had a 3.00 ERA and 11 strikeouts in his final seven relief appearances from September 2 to September 28 and completed at least 1 1/3 innings in five of those seven games.

So, Lauer is a nice SP-eligible reliever to target in the last round of fantasy drafts or to pick up off waivers to begin the season. He will almost certainly start the 2026 campaign as a long reliever for the Blue Jays and can give fantasy managers multiple innings each week in their SP spot. That makes him a sneaky pitcher to look at in the final rounds of your draft.

Colin Rea, SP/RP, Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs pitcher Colin Rea put together the best numbers of his career in 2025. He finished with a 3.95 ERA and 127 strikeouts across 159 1/3 innings pitched. Rea was an innings eater for the Cubs last year and also made a few appearances out of the bullpen. The right-hander appeared in five games in relief, giving up only one run across 16 innings pitched (0.56 ERA).

Although he only made five relief appearances last year, he will be the Cubs' primary long reliever out of the bullpen this season. With Chicago acquiring Edward Cabrera in a trade this past offseason, that will move Rea to the bullpen to start the 2026 campaign. The good news is that fantasy managers saw just how dominant he can be in that role in 2026.

Colin Rea's 7Ks. pic.twitter.com/9MToKX6axq

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 25, 2025

So, Rea is a sneaky draft target as a SP-eligible reliever in Yahoo! formats. He is expected to be in the bullpen for the majority of the season, with the Cubs already having a strong starting five. Justin Steele (elbow) will also be added to that rotation group once he recovers from his elbow injury, meaning fantasy managers can assume that Rea will be in that reliever role for a large chunk of the season.

Huascar Brazoban, SP/RP, New York Mets

It is a little surprising that New York Mets pitcher Huascar Brazoban will have SP eligibility as a reliever in 2026. He has appeared out of the bullpen in 165 of his 168 major league games and has only made three starts in his career. All three of those starts actually occurred last year, as Brazoban operated as an opener for the Mets in each of those games. 

But with Brazoban having SP eligibility as a primary reliever, it could be a real advantage for fantasy managers this season. The hard-throwing right-hander is coming off a solid all-around campaign in 2025 in which he finished with a 3.57 ERA and 57 strikeouts across 63 innings pitched. That season saw him rank in the top half of the league in chase rate (32.2%), average exit velocity (87.1 mph), and hard-hit rate (34.5%). 

As a result, Brazoban has the makings to be a really good SP-eligible reliever throughout the 2026 season. He should make the Mets' Opening Day roster and operate as a middle-inning reliever for the team this year. The 36-year-old also completed more than one inning in 16 of his 52 appearances in 2025. Brazoban is someone to keep in mind ahead of the season in deeper formats.

Cole Sands, SP/RP, Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins used pitcher Cole Sands in a lot of different ways last year. He made three starts, saved three games, and was used anywhere from the fifth inning to the ninth inning throughout the season. Since Sands made three starts as an opener in 2025, he will enter the 2026 season with SP eligibility as a reliever.

Sands might be the most valuable SP-eligible reliever in all of fantasy drafts because he has the potential to be the Twins' closer in 2026. The 28-year-old is currently battling with a handful of relievers for that closer spot. If he were to earn that coveted spot, fantasy managers would be able to put a reliever who could earn saves in their SP spot. That would be a huge advantage for those in Yahoo! formats.

Although Sands had a down year in 2025, he is just two years removed from a dominant season on the mound. Back in 2024, the Twins reliever had a 3.28 ERA and a 29.1% strikeout rate. Returning to that form in 2026 could make him an underrated pick in the last round of fantasy drafts. Even if Sands doesn't earn that closer role, he has solid fantasy potential as a reliever in that SP spot.

Cole Sands, K'ing the Side in the 6th. pic.twitter.com/CIPhXHJSdB

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 26, 2024

Other relievers with SP eligibility: 

• Javier Assad/Ben Brown, Chicago Cubs (whoever makes the team)
• Jordan Hicks, Chicago White Sox
• Brant Hurter, Detroit Tigers
• Drew Pomeranz, Los Angeles Angels

LIKE ROTOBALLER?

CLICK HERE, ENTER ROTOBALLER.COM, THEN CHECK THE BOX

More Fantasy Baseball Advice