Closer Fantasy Baseball Draft Targets and Avoids: ADP Report (2026)

March 19, 2026

Joey's relief pitcher and closer fantasy baseball draft sleepers, targets, avoids based on 2026 ADPs. His favorite closer fantasy baseball sleepers to draft in 2026.

The closer position is always one of the tougher ones to evaluate in fantasy baseball drafts. The biggest question surrounding this position is when is the right time to grab your first closer in drafts? Some might believe it's imperative to take one within the first five rounds to lock down that potential 35-save closer. Others might believe it is best to wait as late as possible before targeting the closer position.

In this article, we will dive into the best closer targets and avoids in fantasy baseball drafts this year. This article will highlight three closers who are must-drafts going outside the top-100 and three closers who fantasy managers should be avoiding altogether at their average draft position.

So, let's dive into the three targets and three avoids at the position in fantasy drafts.

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Closers to Draft - Top Targets

Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman is coming off the best season of his career. He finished with a 1.17 ERA, a 0.70 WHIP, 32 saves, and 85 strikeouts across 61 1/3 innings pitched. Chapman was untouchable on the mound throughout the 2025 season, and there are reasons to believe the hard-throwing left-hander can continue his dominance into 2026.

For starters, Chapman posted elite metrics across the board last year. He ranked in the 100th percentile in expected ERA (2.11), 99th percentile in expected batting average (.175), 96th percentile in chase rate (34.6%), 97th percentile in whiff rate (35.8%), 99th percentile in strikeout rate (37.3%), and 89th percentile in barrel rate (5.5%). Those are the types of metrics you want from a closer in fantasy.

Aroldis Chapman and the @RedSox SLAM the door at Yankee Stadium 😳 pic.twitter.com/tDjqU3CXo3

— MLB (@MLB) August 23, 2025

Despite just turning 38 years old, Chapman showed no signs of slowing down last year. That's why he is a smash pick at his 100.8 ADP in Yahoo! leagues. His fastball is still elite — ranking in the 94th percentile in Fastball Run Value in 2025 — and the southpaw will likely save upward of 30 games to go with strong strikeout numbers and a low WHIP. He's a great target at his ADP.

Ryan Helsley, Baltimore Orioles

There's no sugarcoating it: Ryan Helsley did not have a great 2025 campaign. He finished with a 4.50 ERA, a 1.536 WHIP, 63 strikeouts, and 21 saves across 56 innings pitched with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. Helsley was even worse once he was traded from the Cardinals to the Mets in late July, maintaining a 7.20 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP in 22 appearances for New York.

However, Helsley will bounce back in a big way in 2026. His slider was still an elite pitch for him last year, as opposing hitters batted just .140 with a .206 slugging. That helped his swing-and-miss numbers remain toward the top of the league. Both his whiff rate (29.5%) and chase rate (30.8%) ranked in the top 21% among all pitchers in baseball last season.

With Helsley signing a two-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles in the offseason, a change of scenery could be what the right-hander needs to get back on track. His expected ERA (3.99) was 51 points lower than his actual ERA (4.50) last season, and just two years ago, he posted an elite 2.04 ERA with 49 saves. So, he's worth grabbing at his 137.5 ADP in Yahoo! leagues on an Orioles team that is projected to win 85.5 games in 2026.

Daniel Palencia, Chicago Cubs 

Chicago Cubs closer Daniel Palencia is one of the best targets at the position in all of fantasy baseball drafts. The 26-year-old broke out during the 2025 season, and there is a strong chance that he will be an even better closer option for fantasy managers in 2026. Palencia finished with a career-best 2.91 ERA, a 1.139 WHIP, 61 strikeouts, and 22 saves across 52 2/3 innings pitched last season.

Palencia earned those 22 saves despite not earning the full-time closer role until mid-May. He was also arguably one of the top fantasy closers for a large chunk of the season. From May 20 to August 1, the right-hander had a 0.75 ERA and converted all 15 of his save opportunities during this stretch. Although his numbers dipped a bit down the stretch, a shoulder injury that placed him on the IL could have been the reason for his struggles.

Chicago Cubs' reliever Daniel Palencia’s slider continues to headline his arsenal, with a 19.6% swinging-strike rate in 2025, compared to a career average of 21.5%.

🛝The slider added nearly three inches of downward movement in 2025, as a breaking ball that he throws low and… pic.twitter.com/aWPFjLBxXZ

— Corbin (@corbin_young21) February 2, 2026

Given that Palencia is set to be the Cubs' closer to start the 2026 season, he has the potential to save 30+ games this year. Both his strikeout rate (28.4%) and barrel rate (4.4%) were elite last season, and Chicago is expected to be one of the top teams in the National League with an 88.5 over/under win total. That makes him a must-draft closer at his 159.9 ADP in Yahoo! leagues.

Closers to Fade - Overvalued ADPs

Josh Hader, Houston Astros

It's always a red flag when pitchers won't be ready to go for the start of the season. That is exactly the case with Houston Astros closer Josh Hader, who is expected to begin the 2026 season on the IL due to a bicep injury. While there is no set timeline on when Hader will be fully healthy, it is a bit concerning that the 31-year-old has been behind schedule for most of the spring.

Don't forget, Hader also missed the final two months of the 2025 season due to a shoulder injury. That means the southpaw has dealt with a shoulder injury and a bicep injury over the last few months. Those two recent injuries, mixed with the fact that he will begin the season on the IL, make him an avoid at his current 118.9 ADP in Yahoo! leagues.

While Hader has been one of the best closers in the game when healthy, his injury concerns are red flags heading into the 2026 season. Therefore, it's best to avoid him altogether in drafts and pivot to someone like Palencia or Helsley. Both pitchers are currently healthy and going later than the Astros closer in fantasy drafts.

Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta Braves

It's hard to invest a top 125 pick in a closer that likely has a short leash in that role. Even though the Atlanta Braves will roll with Raisel Iglesias as their closer to begin the 2026 season, the team has a pitcher more than capable of replacing him in that ninth-inning role waiting in the wings. The Braves signed Robert Suarez to a three-year, $45 million contract this offseason.

If Iglesias goes through any sort of trouble throughout the year, Suarez could easily take his closer spot. Suarez has saved 76 combined games over the past two seasons, including a career-high 40 saves in 2025. That should definitely scare fantasy managers, especially since Iglesias' 3.21 ERA in 2025 was his highest in a season since 2019.

Robert Suarez snags the liner to escape the jam and lock down the save 😮 pic.twitter.com/xwlSl1nvsJ

— MLB (@MLB) August 3, 2025

That makes Iglesias too hard to trust at his 124.5 ADP in Yahoo! leagues. The veteran is getting up there in age, and his strikeout rate has been a bit down over the past two years. There are a handful of better closers to take than a 36-year-old right-hander who could eventually lose his job. So, he's a massive avoid in all fantasy drafts.

Carlos Estevez, Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals closer Carlos Estevez posted some of the best numbers of his career in 2025. He finished with a 2.45 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, 54 strikeouts, and saved a career-high 42 games for the Royals last season. Those 42 saves were the most in baseball, and Estevez's 2.45 ERA was tied for his lowest in a season across his nine-year career.

However, the right-hander is due for some major regression on the mound in 2026. His chase rate (23%), whiff rate (19%), barrel rate (10.6%), and ground-ball rate (25.4%) all ranked in the bottom 15% of the league, and both his strikeout rate (20.1%) and walk rate (8.2%) also ranked in the bottom half of the league among all pitchers.

That's enough reason to avoid the Royals closer at his 127.9 ADP in Yahoo! leagues. He will not post as strong numbers as he did last year, and there are concerns about his low strikeout numbers and high potential WHIP. There is just a lot going against Estevez right now, making him a closer to steer clear of in fantasy baseball drafts.

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