And then there's Devin Williams. Williams has been dealing with a back injury this spring, and according to multiple reports Wednesday night, he's going to miss three months with two stress fractures in his back. Williams will be shut down from throwing for six weeks before beginning the rehab process, which is expected to last six more weeks. It's a huge blow for the Brewers and for Fantasy players who were taking Williams as the top closer off the board, though both sides should have a fill-in option readily available.
The Brewers actually have a number of late-inning relief options, and while you'll find some who will make the case for Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe as the Brewers' likely closer, I think the much more likely outcome is that Joel Payamps steps into the ninth-inning role for the Brewers. As R.J. Anderson noted here, Payamps registered the second-highest leverage index among Brewers relievers last season, behind only Williams, which highlights the high-leverage role Payamps was in last season. He pitched in the eighth inning in 35 of his 69 appearances last season, compared to just seven of 32 for Uribe and 10 of 31 for Megill; Bryse Wilson actually pitched in the eighth more than either Uribe or Megill last season.
That doesn't necessarily mean Payamps is definitely the closer, especially since the Brewers have a new manager this season. But if I had to pick one right now, Payamps is the clear top option for me, and I'm ranking him as a top-24 reliever. I would throw a late-round dart at Uribe, Megill, and Wilson in deeper leagues, while Williams is still worth drafting in leagues with an IL spot, at least. The good news for the Brewers is, they do have a very good, and deep, bullpen, so while they'll miss Williams, they are uniquely well suited to get through the first couple of months without him.
