Below is a chart of every National League reliever covered in MLB.com's 2008 Fantasy Preview, a rundown that includes established big leaguers and up-and-coming prospects.
The list features dollar values compiled by our MLB.com staff based on standard 23-man, $260, 5x5 NL-league play. We included projected stats for the 2008 season as well as a one-liner prediction that encapsulates every player's value in 10 words or fewer. This page will be updated throughout the spring to reflect the impact of inevitable transactions, injuries and changing job situations.
An indispensable part of the draft-day kit, the cheat sheet can make the difference between winning and losing your fantasy league. With quick-hitting rankings and forecasts, it'll help you keep the remaining players on the board in order as the draft wears on. The last thing you want to be doing is flipping through some magazine when it's your turn to pick.
So play fair, but don't forget your cheat sheet when you head to your draft.
| Relievers |
TM |
$$ |
W |
SV |
SO |
ERA |
WHIP |
Notes |
| Billy Wagner | NYM | 26 | 3 | 36 | 76 | 2.91 | 1.21 | Age may soon start taking its toll. |
| Takashi Saito | LAD | 26 | 4 | 37 | 74 | 2.08 | 0.85 | Handcuff with setup man Jonathan Broxton. |
| Jose Valverde | HOU | 26 | 3 | 36 | 70 | 3.11 | 1.32 | Don't pay for '07 saves total. |
| Francisco Cordero | CIN | 26 | 3 | 34 | 71 | 3.88 | 1.22 | Hurt by move to smaller ballpark. |
| Trevor Hoffman | SD | 24 | 3 | 35 | 39 | 3.07 | 1.18 | Continues to defy Father Time. |
| Manny Corpas | COL | 22 | 4 | 34 | 60 | 2.13 | 1.03 | Should thrive in first full season as closer. |
| Jason Isringhausen | STL | 17 | 4 | 31 | 55 | 3.45 | 1.35 | Expect a decline. |
| Matt Capps | PIT | 16 | 5 | 30 | 59 | 2.57 | 1.01 | Save chances limited in PIT. |
| Chad Cordero | WAS | 16 | 4 | 31 | 60 | 3.81 | 1.45 | Warning signs abound. |
| Eric Gagne | MIL | 15 | 2 | 29 | 55 | 3.15 | 1.24 | Durability remains major hurdle. |
| Rafael Soriano | ATL | 15 | 3 | 31 | 61 | 3.13 | 0.89 | High upside available at good price. |
| Brad Lidge | PHI | 15 | 2 | 27 | 95 | 3.86 | 1.33 | Slated to come off DL April 5. |
| Kevin Gregg | FLA | 15 | 2 | 29 | 72 | 3.65 | 1.31 | Needs to improve shaky control. |
| Carlos Marmol | CHC | 9 | 3 | 15 | 91 | 2.67 | 1.18 | Only needs opportunity. |
| Brandon Lyon | ARI | 7 | 4 | 22 | 37 | 3.43 | 1.27 | Has yet to hold closer job for entire season. |
| Ryan Dempster | CHC | 6 | 2 | 15 | 79 | 4.63 | 1.47 | Role TBA. |
| Jonathan Broxton | LAD | 5 | 3 | 9 | 94 | 2.54 | 1.18 | Takashi Saito injury away from closing. |
| Brian Wilson | SF | 5 | 3 | 17 | 50 | 3.82 | 1.34 | Default closer needs to maintain control. |
| Tony Pena | ARI | 4 | 3 | 12 | 60 | 3.46 | 1.30 | Worth grabbing in case Brandon Lyon falters. |
| Bob Howry | CHC | 4 | 6 | 8 | 68 | 3.22 | 1.19 | May steal saves if Ryan Dempster starts. |
| Jon Rauch | WAS | 4 | 6 | 10 | 78 | 3.61 | 1.24 | Could be closing by season's end. |
| Heath Bell | SD | 4 | 5 | 5 | 83 | 2.85 | 1.06 | Vulture saves await when Trevor Hoffman rests. |
| Chad Qualls | ARI | 4 | 5 | 7 | 69 | 3.19 | 1.37 | Could receive emergency SVO. |
| Brian Fuentes | COL | 3 | 3 | 7 | 70 | 2.94 | 1.19 | Ninth inning now Manny Corpas' territory. |
| Derrick Turnbow | MIL | 3 | 5 | 7 | 71 | 4.47 | 1.55 | Risky business even if Eric Gagne gets injured. |
| Brad Hennessey | SF | 2 | 5 | 8 | 44 | 3.71 | 1.29 | Could close again if Brian Wilson struggles. |
| Matt Lindstrom | FLA | 2 | 5 | 5 | 68 | 3.31 | 1.32 | Possible future closer. |
| Aaron Heilman | NYM | 2 | 5 | 6 | 66 | 3.14 | 1.17 | Insurance for Billy Wagner owners. |
| Tom Gordon | PHI | 2 | 2 | 7 | 49 | 4.28 | 1.17 | An option only if Brad Lidge falters. |
| Justin Miller | FLA | 1 | 3 | 2 | 73 | 3.71 | 1.39 | Stuck behind Bobby Jenks in setup role. |
| Taylor Tankersley | FLA | 1 | 4 | 4 | 55 | 3.43 | 1.58 | Fireballing lefty needs to show consistency. |
| Lee Gardner | FLA | 1 | 3 | 4 | 57 | 3.16 | 1.37 | Expect return to earth after amazing second half. |
| Michael Wuertz | CHC | 1 | 3 | 1 | 71 | 3.22 | 1.39 | Good source of Ks, but don't expect any saves. |
| Juan Cruz | ARI | 1 | 5 | 0 | 91 | 3.45 | 1.21 | Cheap source of Ks for NL-only leaguers. |
| Peter Moylan | ATL | 1 | 4 | 5 | 54 | 2.53 | 1.13 | Top insurance option for Soriano owners. |
| Kevin Correia | SF | 1 | 10 | 0 | 112 | 4.01 | 1.41 | Might land rotation spot after promising audition. |
| David Weathers | CIN | 1 | 6 | 5 | 48 | 3.98 | 1.35 | Returns to setup role with Francisco Cordero in town. |
| David Riske | MIL | 1 | 2 | 3 | 57 | 4.04 | 1.26 | One of many Eric Gagne insurance options. |
| Kerry Wood | CHC | 1 | 4 | 4 | 60 | 3.15 | 1.23 | Could thrive in second year of relief work. |
| Cla Meredith | SD | 1 | 6 | 3 | 58 | 3.43 | 1.44 | Slick control artist burried in deep 'pen. |
| Carlos Villanueva | MIL | 1 | 6 | 0 | 69 | 4.04 | 1.22 | Swingman on wait list for rotation duty. |
| Duaner Sanchez | NYM | 1 | 4 | 3 | 43 | 4.13 | 1.22 | Looking to regain '06 form after missing all of '07. |
| Ryan Madson | PHI | 1 | 4 | 2 | 53 | 3.96 | 1.23 | Will battle Tom Gordon for top setup job. |
| Luis Vizcaino | COL | 1 | 5 | 3 | 71 | 4.46 | 1.44 | Expect slight improvement in home numbers. |
| Geoff Geary | HOU | 1 | 3 | 2 | 50 | 4.25 | 1.45 | Middling reliever needs to regain command. |
| Chris Perez | STL | 1 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 3.78 | 1.31 | Future closer could take over from Izzy next year. |
| J.C. Romero | PHI | 1 | 2 | 1 | 54 | 2.53 | 1.26 | "Lefty specialist" means little in fantasy. |
| Matt Wise | NYM | 1 | 2 | 2 | 48 | 3.84 | 1.39 | Could enjoy resurgence in new surroundings. |
| Saul Rivera | WAS | 1 | 3 | 4 | 55 | 3.74 | 1.44 | Has potential value only if Chad Cordero gets dealt. |
| Shawn Chacon | HOU | 1 | 6 | 0 | 83 | 4.79 | 1.49 | Could wind up starting again. |
| Taylor Buchholz | COL | 1 | 5 | 0 | 65 | 4.36 | 1.33 | Long reliever until rotation spot opens up. |
| Jorge Julio | COL | 1 | 1 | 4 | 51 | 5.12 | 1.53 | Pass unless former closer regains control in setup role. |
| Guillermo Mota | MIL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 4.99 | 1.30 | Steer clear of fading setup man. |
| Bill Bray | CIN | 1 | 3 | 0 | 38 | 4.45 | 1.60 | Promising lefty fighting for job. |
| Mike Gonzalez | ATL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2.04 | 0.83 | Will spend most of '08 rehabbing after TJ surgery. |
| Byung-Hyun Kim | PIT | 1 | 5 | 0 | 92 | 4.77 | 1.53 | Erratic sidewinder to pitch in both rotation, 'pen. |
| Bob Wickman | FA | 1 | 2 | 4 | 32 | 4.03 | 1.61 | Proven FA vet could see SVO. |
| Ryan Franklin | STL | 1 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 4.38 | 1.49 | Control artist best suited for 4x4 formats. |
| Salomon Torres | MIL | 1 | 3 | 1 | 54 | 4.45 | 1.45 | Minimal value in crowded 'pen |
| Armando Benitez | FLA | 1 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 5.52 | 1.84 | Creaky ex-closer trying to hang on. |
| Casey Weathers | COL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 4.61 | 1.28 | 07 draftee on fast track with closer potential. |
| Daniel Moskos | PIT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 4.72 | 1.65 | Former college reliever should move fast. |
| Evan Meek | PIT | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 4.91 | 1.89 | Hard-throwing Rule 5 pick will get Ks. |
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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