1  Jonathan Papelbon - BOS

Papelbon posted three straight years with a WHIP below 1.00.  In 2008, he accumulated a career-high 41 saves and he only walked 8 batters.  His strikeout ratio was down and ERA jumped a bit, but he’ll receive plenty of save opportunities and is the number 1 fantasy reliever.

2  Mariano Rivera - NYY

Veteran consistency is Rivera’s trademark and he proved it again in 2008.   He walked a paltry 6 batters and converted 39 saves out of 40 chances. Rivera’s ERA has been below 2.00 in five out of the last six seasons providing stability in an otherwise volatile position.  He’s aging, but you can’t ignore the reliability.

3  Francisco Rodriguez - NYM

Rodriguez erased all thoughts of Bobby Thigpen with a record setting 62 save performance.  He finds himself with the NY Mets, which is certainly a fine situation. Rodriguez’s strikeout total did drop to 77 after averaging 99 Ks from 2003-2007, but totaling 40+ saves should be a lock.

4  Joe Nathan - MIN

 Few others can match Nathan’s 3 consecutive years with a sub- 2.00 ERA.  After tossing for 90+ Ks in ’05 and ’06, his strikeout total dropped to the 70’s over the past two seasons.  He hasn’t topped 40 saves since 2005, although he’s consistently in the mid to high 30s. 

5  Brad Lidge - PHI

The perfect 41 for 41 season from Lidge was remarkable.  After scuffing with a variety of injury issues, he ends up in another hitter’s ballpark in a similar situation.  Lidge responded with a 100% save rate and some consideration for the Cy Young Award.  He walked 35 batters but allowed a career-low 15 earned runs while serving up only 2 HRs.  It’s hard to repeat the magic, you have to respect the effort and draft him accordingly.

6  Joakim Soria - KC

Closers on poor teams tend to be lesser known, but among fantasy circles a pitcher like Soria is a household name.  His fastball is sufficient although he doesn’t strikeout many players. The pitching-deficient Royals afforded Soria 45 save opportunities in 2008 and the trend should continue this season.

7  Brian Fuentes - LAA

Replacing the single-season save leader a year after the mark was set isn’t exactly an ideal situation.  However, Fuentes has been an efficient reliever by decreasing his WHIP over the past 3 years.  In 2008, he pitched in 62.2 innings and struck out 82 batters, the most since 2005.  Fuentes won’t equal record-breaking save efforts, but he has a shot a career-high save total.

8  Francisco Cordero - CIN

Cordero parlayed a big 2007 campaign into a substantial free agent contract from the Reds.  His first year in Cincinnati wasn’t as notable, and he regressed a tad.  He walked 39 batters (18 in 2007) and received 11 fewer save chances than the previous year.  Banking on a repeat of 2007 would be unwise, but he’s a serviceable 2^nd level closer.

9  Bobby Jenks - CWS

A shoulder injury caused Jenks to miss some time and appear 8 fewer times than the previous season.  His   K/9 IP ratio plummeted, but Jenks still maintained a mid 2.00 ERA.   The injuries remain a concern even though they have apparently subsided.   The risks are well known, making Jenks’ potential owners a little nervous on draft day.

10  Jose Valverde - HOU

Valverde has save totals of 40 and 47 over the past two seasons, but he can make it interesting at times.  His 3.38 ERA isn’t as minuscule as other top relievers and he allowed 17 total HRs since 2007.  The Astros won’t be dominant, so they need to hit the bullpen early and give Valverde his fair share of save opportunities.