We’re almost there, everybody: After a long, cold, frustratingly slow offseason, MLB’s regular season begins on Wednesday, March 20, with the Dodgers and Padres squaring off in Seoul (the 28 other teams will get things started on Thursday, March 28). With precious little time to go until Opening Day, now is the time to start cranking up your fantasy baseball drafts — and we’re here to be your one-stop shop for all things draft prep. We just recently unveiled our top 300 overall for redraft leagues in 2024, as well as top prospects to know and full previews of each position. Now it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty, the stuff that really helps you win your leagues: a list of sleepers to target at every position.
Last but not least: relievers, a position that’s far more stable than it has been in recent years but still has more than its share of volatility and job insecurity — qualities that make it ripe for throwing darts. Sure, some guys are locked into the ninth inning. But for many other teams, that role is up for grabs, so let’s see if we can identify some guys who might emerge as sneaky sources of saves.
Fantasy baseball sleepers: Relief pitchers
Jose Alvarado, Philadelphia Phillies
ADP: 184
We know that the Phillies are going to win their fair share of games, and we know manager Rob Thomson likes to have a guy in the ninth — just look at how he used Craig Kimbrel last season. We also know that Alvarado is the most talented guy in that bullpen, with a triple-digit fastball and wipeout cutter from the left side, and that he was about to run away with the closer’s role last summer before an elbow injury waylaid things. That injury, and the perceived murkiness around Philly’s bullpen depth chart, is keeping Alvarado’s price artificially low, but he seems like a natural fit for the job.
Jason Adam, Tampa Bay Rays
ADP: 300
You won’t mind many health report cards sketchier than current Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, which makes his setup guy particularly intriguing — especially when said setup guy has been as effective as Adam has over the last couple of years. With a silly changeup plus a strong breaking ball, he’s got the stuff to close, and even if never overtakes Fairbanks, the Rays spread the love around enough to make him worth your while regardless.
Shelby Miller, Detroit Tigers
ADP: 477
The Tigers are going to be better than you think this year, and that puts more pressure on whoever’s in the closer’s role — especially when that closer has as shaky of a command profile as current Detroit incumbent Alex Lange. If Lange loses the plot at some point this season — and history suggests that’s pretty likely — Miller is a great candidate to swoop in. The former starter was electric with the Dodgers last year, with a crackling fastball and a new splitter to keep hitters balanced.
Josh Sborz, Texas Rangers
ADP: 701
If you want to know how good Sborz’s stuff is, and the type of reliever he can be, simply cast your mind back to last year’s World Series, when Sborz was the man on the mound recording the final out of the decisive Game 5. The Rangers will be competitive, but their bullpen remains wide open; Jose Leclerc is liable to lose the strike zone at any moment, and David Robertson is pushing 40 and looked awful down the stretch with the Marlins. Why not throw a dart here?
