Fantasy Baseball 2020 Rankings: Deep Sleepers, Hidden Gems to Target

Snoozing on a fantasy baseball sleeper won't sting you on draft night, but by season's end, it could mean the difference between securing a playoff spot or missing out on the festivities.

Consider this your alarm clock warning, then. And hands off the snooze button.

After laying out our top 25 fantasy baseball rankings for the 2020 season, we'll identify three hidden gems—with an average draft position (ADP) outside of the top 150, per FantasyPros—to put on your radar and target at the draft.

Top 25 Rankings

1. Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels

2. Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

3. Ronald Acuna Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves

4. Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians

5. Cody Bellinger, 1B/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

6. Gerrit Cole, SP, New York Yankees

7. Mookie Betts, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

8. Jacob deGrom, SP, New York Mets

9. Alex Bregman, SS/3B, Houston Astros

10. Juan Soto, OF, Washington Nationals

11. Trevor Story, SS, Colorado Rockies

12. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies

13. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves

14. Trea Turner, SS, Washington Nationals

15. Rafael Devers, 3B, Boston Red Sox

16. Anthony Rendon, 3B, Los Angeles Angels

17. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Indians

18. Bryce Harper, OF, Philadelphia Phillies

19. Max Scherzer, SP, Washington Nationals

20. J.D. Martinez, OF, Boston Red Sox

21. Walker Buehler, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

22. Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington Nationals

23. Javier Baez, SS, Chicago Cubs

24. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, San Diego Padres

25. Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros

Deep Sleepers To Target

Edwin Encarnacion, 1B/DH, Chicago White Sox (ADP: 157.0)

Fantasy owners are always overly cautious about spending too much on an aging player. It sort of makes sense, since the end of a career can be swift and severe. But too often it involves leaving proven production on the board in the off-chance that this year is finally it.

That's the case with 37-year-old Edwin Encarnacion, who has one of the safest power bats in baseball.

Sure, you'll probably have to manage around an injury at some point—he battled a stiff back and a sore hip before spring training was shut down—but at least you don't have to wonder whether his numbers are legitimate or inflated by a juiced ball. He has clubbed at least 32 home runs in each of the last eight seasons. He had 104-plus RBI in six of those campaigns.

Last year, he only made it through 109 games and still delivered 34 bombs and drove in 86 runs. Hitting in the heart of a loaded White Sox lineup, the veteran slugger should continue sending balls over the fence and clearing the bases.

Willie Calhoun, OF, Texas Rangers (ADP: 178.4)

A former top prospect, Willie Calhoun finally got a chance to validate that status with his first consistent playing time at the big-league level last season.

He exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. He only played 83 games and still produced 21 home runs with 48 RBI. Over a 162-game pace, that becomes 40 homers and 93 runs driven in.

For as much as fantasy players fawn over youngsters, it's surprising to see a 25-year-old with this much pop go outside of the top 175 selections. Unlike some other young boppers, he won't destroy you in batting average or strikeouts. He owns a respectable .258/.311/.468 slash line over 131 MLB games.

He suffered a fractured jaw in spring training, but that concern likely dissipated with the delayed start. He announced Thursday he's already been cleared to resume daily workouts and baseball activities.

Justin Upton, OF, Los Angeles Angels (ADP: 202.2)

Owning Justin Upton last season was no fun. Injuries limited him to 63 games, and when he did play, he wasn't himself. He batted a career-worst .215 and had his lowest on-base percentage in more than a decade (.309).

Maybe some will frame that as the beginning of the end for the 31-year-old, but it felt like the results of just not being able to shake the injury bug. He had multiple bouts of knee tendinitis and lost over two months to a toe injury.

"In a sense, it's been a lost season from an injury perspective," then-Angels manager Brad Ausmus told reporters in September. "Never really got rolling, then another injury. I think he's really looking forward to an offseason where he can get going."

Fantasy owners should be looking forward to this, too.

Upton has been one of baseball's more reliable hitters in recent years. From 2013 to 2018, his average season output featured 30 homers, 11 stolen bases, 86 runs and 89 RBI. With Anthony Rendon joining Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, this lineup should yield no shortage of run-producing opportunities for Upton.

As rough as his 2019 season was, he's being overly discounted for what looks like a fluky year. If he's healthy, he could be one of the biggest steals in fantasy.