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2020 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 40 Relievers (Updated)

Refreshing the relief pitcher rankings.

By Heath Capps, Mark Abell, and Garrett Atkins
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim v New York Yankees Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

We are gearing up for another fantasy baseball season here at Fake Teams, and that began with refreshing each position’s cumulative rankings. Today’s the last position, the volatile relievers.

When it comes to closers specifically, I’m a confessed hater. I loathe spending draft capital on one of the most volatile positions in fantasy baseball. I’d much prefer to mine for the next up-and-comer via the waiver wire. That said, in 2020 I don’t think you can be so cavalier with the ignoring of this category. Sure, maybe you paid up for Aroldis Chapman and the recent positive COVID-19 test is a massive bummer. But if you’re playing fantasy baseball at all in 2020, you’re playing roulette with all of your players, anyway. In general, my strategy for closers in 2020 is endeavoring to leave any draft with two guys who have the closer’s role locked up on their team right now. Playing for the future is overrated, but it’s especially overrated in a 60-game season. If you hold your nose and draft just TWO guys out of the 30 or so on your roster, you’ll have a great chance of besting at least half your league in one category.

As always, we welcome your disagreements in the comments section. Your kind and respectful disagreements, obviously.

Updated Top 40 RPs

Rank PLAYER TEAM Early Rank Heath Mark Garrett New Avg
Rank PLAYER TEAM Early Rank Heath Mark Garrett New Avg
1 Josh Hader MIL 1 1 2 2 1.5
2 Kirby Yates SD 2 2 1 3 2
3 Roberto Osuna HOU 4 3 3 1 2.75
4 Aroldis Chapman NYY 3 4 4 4 3.75
5 Taylor Rogers MIN 5 6 6 5 5.5
6 Kenley Jansen LAD 6 7 7 6 6.5
7 Brad Hand CLE 7 8 5 8 7
8 Liam Hendricks OAK 8 5 8 9 7.5
9 Ken Giles TOR 9 9 10 7 8.75
10 Raisel Iglesias CIN 10 11 9 10 10
11 Edwin Diaz NYM 11 10 11 11 10.75
12 Craig Kimbrel CHC 12 19 12 12 13.75
13 Archie Bradley ARI 15 13 17 15 15
14 Nick Anderson TB 21 14 13 13 15.25
15 Hansel Robles LAA 20 12 14 16 15.5
16 Brandon Workman BOS 14 15 15 18 15.5
17 Alex Colome CWS 18 17 16 20 17.75
18 Carlos Martinez STL 13 18 24 18.33333333
19 Hector Neris PHI 16 16 20 22 18.5
20 Jose Leclerc TEX 22 20 19 17 19.5
21 Sean Doolittle WAS 17 24 22 19 20.5
22 Giovanny Gallegos STL 19 26 23 14 20.5
23 Keone Kela PIT 24 23 18 21 21.5
24 Ian Kennedy KC 23 22 21 23 22.25
25 Joe Jimenez DET 26 21 27 25 24.75
26 Mark Melancon ATL 25 25 25 24 24.75
27 Will Smith ATL 27 27 26 30 27.5
28 Hunter Harvey BAL 29 28 30 31 29.5
29 Seth Lugo NYM 31 34 28 26 29.75
30 Scott Oberg COL 28 37 29 29 30.75
31 Wade Davis COL 35 30 31 28 31
32 Corey Knebel MIL 35 33 27 31.66666667
33 Tony Watson SF 33 32 34 33 33
34 Matt Magill SEA 38 31 32 32 33.25
35 Daniel Hudson WAS 30 33 36 37 34
36 Emilio Pagan SD 34 35 35 34.66666667
37 Brandon Kintzler MIA 39 29 41 34 35.75
38 Mychal Givens BAL 32 37 42 37
39 Diego Castillo TB 40 36 38 40 38.5
40 Dellin Betances NYM 37 39 40 38.66666667

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