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Closer fantasy baseball sleepers, targets to draft in the mid rounds. Potential 2026 fantasy baseball sleepers and undervalued relief pitchers to target in drafts.
Welcome to the latest 2026 article in our mid-round fantasy baseball values and sleepers series, looking at middle-round closer fantasy baseball sleepers, values, and targets to target in 2026 fantasy baseball drafts. With relievers/closers being the most volatile position in fantasy baseball, waiting until the middle rounds to draft your first closer is a good strategy.
For the fantasy baseball managers who never pay for saves, below are some relievers that can be had in the middle of the draft that could help you in this category. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and become a priority mid-round draft target? Read on to see our takes.
The five closer fantasy baseball outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit. Be sure to save 30% on any MLB Package today to start reading all of our in-depth 2026 player outlooks and many other premium articles and tools, including Team Sync, the Live Draft Sync assistant, Custom Rankings Service, and so much more. Let's win some leagues in 2026!
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Closers Fantasy Baseball Draft Values
Jeff Hoffman, Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman had an up-and-down year in his first season with the team in 2025. Across 68 innings (71 games), the 33-year-old posted a 9-7 record with a 4.37 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 84 strikeouts, and 33 saves. Hoffman's elevated ERA and WHIP came as a disappointment to both Blue Jays fans and fantasy managers, as he had posted consecutive sub-2.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023 and 2024.
Hoffman still missed plenty of bats, logging a solid 29.3% strikeout rate. However, his walk rate jumped from 6.0% in 2024 to 9.4% in 2025, and he had major issues with keeping the ball in the park. Hoffman allowed a 1.99 HR/9 last season, his worst rate since he was working as a starter with the Colorado Rockies in 2019. 20% of the fly balls Hoffman allowed went for home runs, a dramatic increase from his 9.4% homer-to-fly ball rate from 2024.
Heading into 2026, Hoffman still appears to have the closer job in Toronto secured. If he sees some regression in his home run rate, Hoffman could be a value selection for fantasy managers at his current average draft position of pick 117, which aligns with his RotoBaller rank of 124.
At the same time, Hoffman could also be in danger of losing his job, should his 2025 struggles carry over to 2026. Those concerns should be put at ease as Blue Jays manager John Schneider recently said that he's "100 percent confident if [Hoffman] is closing most games.
-- Will Brady - RotoBaller
Daniel Palencia, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Daniel Palencia had a breakthrough season in 2025. The young righthander claimed the closing job in May and had a fine season: one win, 22 saves, a 2.91 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts in 52 innings. He missed a few weeks in September due to a strained right shoulder. Palencia has the tools to be an elite closer, with a 99.6 MPH velocity on his fastball and a 28.4% K%. He also boasted a miniscule 4.4% barrel rate in 2025.
His current NFBC ADP (143) over the last two weeks is 124, down from 156 in most of December. It seems drafters feel good about the security of Palencia's hold on the closer job, even through the additions of veterans Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey. However, Cubs manager Craig Counsell recently said that Daniel Palencia is his closer. It is important to keep in mind that manager Craig Counsell could also use him in a stopper role, as he did during the playoffs.
According to @TheWrigleyWire , Craig Counsell has announced that Daniel Palencia will be The #Cubs closer for the '26 season.
His stats in '25:
-54 games
-52.2 IP
-2.91 ERA
-61 SO
-16 BB
-22 SavesIMO, love this move. Lots of energy and potential.
Let's go! pic.twitter.com/4HpFZ1R75y
— Just Another Year Chicago: Cubs (@JAYChi_Cubs) February 11, 2026
There is some risk in the profile based on potential role uncertainty. But this is a high-octane arm who should see continued success and a potential 30-save season if he is the closer. ATC projections are on board with Palencia securing ninth-inning duties and project him to rack up 28 saves in 2026. Palencia is RotoBaller's ranked 18th among relief pitchers and is a value pick at his current ADP.
-- Mike Carter - RotoBaller
Emilio Pagan, Cincinatti Reds
Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Emilio Pagan was one of the top value picks managers could have selected in their 2025 drafts. The right-hander would operate as Cincinnati's primary closer all season long and finished the campaign with an elite 2.88 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and an eye-catching 32 saves, the second-most in the entire National League.
With the Reds, Pagan struck out hitters at a 30.0% clip, placing him in the 89th percentile among qualified pitchers. This elite showing earned him a two-year contract with the Reds in December, suggesting they view him as their closer going forward. Before 2025, the last time Pagan would tally up to 20 saves in a single season was in 2019 with the Tampa Bay Rays.
From 2020 through 2024, Pagan would hold an overall 4.15 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP. While Pagan was a league-winner last season, he will likely take a step back in 2026. He generated a low 29.1% ground-ball rate and hefty 56.7% fly-ball rate, which suggests he could see his ratios hurt significantly by the long ball this upcoming season, pitching in a hitter's paradise in Cincinnati.
Additionally, his 9.1% barrel rate, which placed him in the 38th percentile, further suggests he could face significant regression this season. While he is a safe bet for 20 saves at his 122.8 ADP on NFBC drafts, managers should expect an ERA within the mid-3.00s with a significantly higher WHIP in 2026, making him a riskier pick at that point of the draft.
-- Andy Smith - RotoBaller
Abner Uribe, Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers right-handed reliever Abner Uribe had a breakout season in 2025. The youngster appeared in 75 games and posted a (3-2) record with a sparkling 1.67 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, 90 strikeouts, and seven saves. Uribe led all of MLB with 37 holds during the 2025 season.
He transitioned to the closer role when Trevor Megill lost time to injury late in the season, and he was excellent. A 30.2% K% and fastball velocity of 98.8 MPH show he has the tools to man the closer role for the Brewers.
Abner Uribe has had an INCREDIBLE season:
75.1 IP
1.67 ERA
1.04 WHIP
90 KHe adds two shutdown outings in the NLDS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/AIQGde3ttU
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) October 12, 2025
However, it remains to be seen who will have the closer job to start the season: Megill or Uribe? Even if he does not earn the closer job, Uribe is a prime candidate for high-leverage work and will earn holds and rack up strikeouts while posting useful ratios.
If Megill gets traded as is widely expected, Uribe would have a clear road to 25+ saves on a team that should compete for an NL Central crown. This will be something to monitor for role clarity during spring training. ATC projects Uribe for 16 saves and an 81:30 K:BB across 69 innings in 2026. RotoBaller ranks Uribe 132nd overall and RP18, which is much more favorable than his NFBC ADP of 167. If everything falls right for Uribe, he could easily smash his current price tag.
-- Mike Carter- RotoBaller
Pete Fairbanks, Miami Marlins
Miami Marlins reliever Pete Fairbanks enjoyed a solid 2025 on the surface, earning 27 saves to go with a (4-5) record and 2.83 ERA in 60 ⅓ innings pitched with the Rays in 2025. His 3.04 xERA and 3.26 xFIP were more good than great, however, and his 24.2 K% and 7.4 BB% don't exactly scream "closer." The 32-year-old is mostly a two-pitch pitcher with a fastball (11.1 SwStr%, 58.3 Zone%) and slider (13 SwStr%, 54.5 Zone%, 32.4 percent chase rate) these days, so he probably won't recapture his prior dominance.
Fairbanks experimented with a change (14.6 SwStr%, 39.6 Zone%, 34.5 percent chase rate) and cutter (23.8 SwStr%, 47.6 Zone%, 68.2 percent chase rate), so he's still trying to improve. Miami is also improving as a ballclub, so they should have more save opportunities than they've had in recent years.
His biggest competition for saves in Miami's pen is Calvin Faucher, whose 4.38 xERA and 23.1 K% were even less impressive than Fairbanks. That should give Fairbanks job security in an era where few closers enjoy it, making him a worthwhile draft choice for saves at his 131.40 ADP. ATC is on board with Fairbanks being Miami's primary closer and projects him with 22 saves, making him a solid pick around his current ADP.
-- Rick Lucks - RotoBaller
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