Fantasy Baseball 2020: Top-50 Roto Rankings and Sleeper Position Player Targets
June 5, 2020
This felt like it was going to be the year of the elite starting pitcher, as MLB's power surge had widened the gap between good and great hurlers.
But in a shortened season, pitchers might have trouble finding the volume needed to separate from the pack. Their margin for error also shrinks in any ratio stat, as one bad outing could have year-long ramifications in rotisserie leagues.
Hitters keep climbing our boards, so let's lay out the top-50 roto ranks and identify three of our favorite position player sleepers—those with an average draft position outside the top 200 at Fantasy Pros.
Top 50 Roto Ranks
1. Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels
2. Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
3. Ronald Acuna Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves
4. Cody Bellinger, 1B/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
5. Mookie Betts, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
6. Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians
7. Juan Soto, OF, Washington Nationals
8. Trea Turner, SS, Washington Nationals
9. Gerrit Cole, SP, New York Yankees
10. Alex Bregman, 3B/SS, Houston Astros
11. Trevor Story, SS, Colorado Rockies
12. Jacob deGrom, SP, New York Mets
13. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies
14. Rafael Devers, 3B, Boston Red Sox
15. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves
16. Anthony Rendon, 3B, Los Angeles Angels
17. Bryce Harper, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
18. J.D. Martinez, OF, Boston Red Sox
19. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Indians
20. Justin Verlander, SP, Houston Astros
21. Max Scherzer, SP, Washington Nationals
22. Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros
23. Javier Baez, SS, Chicago Cubs
24. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, San Diego Padres
25. Starling Marte, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
26. Walker Buehler, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
27. Charlie Blackmon, OF, Colorado Rockies
28. Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington Nationals
29. Xander Bogaerts, SS, Boston Red Sox
30. Jack Flaherty, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
31. George Springer, OF, Houston Astros
32. Pete Alonso, 1B, New York Mets
33. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
34. Gleyber Torres, SS/2B, New York Yankees
35. Manny Machado, 3B/SS, San Diego Padres
36. Shane Bieber, SP, Cleveland Indians
37. Austin Meadows, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
38. Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays
39. Nelson Cruz, DH, Minnesota Twins
40. Luis Castillo, SP, Cincinnati Reds
41. Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs
42. Ozzie Albies, 2B, Atlanta Braves
43. Yordan Alvarez, DH, Houston Astros
44. Ketel Marte, OF/2B, Arizona Diamondbacks
45. Kris Bryant, 3B/OF, Chicago Cubs
46. Patrick Corbin, SP, Washington Nationals
47. Jonathan Villar, 2B/SS, Miami Marlins
48. Max Muncy, 2B/1B/3B, Los Angeles Dodgers
49. Eddie Rosario, OF, Minnesota Twins
50. Eugenio Suarez, 3B, Cincinnati Reds
Sleeper Position Player Targets
Alex Verdugo, OF, Boston Red Sox (ADP: 216)
After headlining Boston's return package for Mookie Betts, Alex Verdugo has the opportunity to announce his arrival in a big way this season.
Previously plagued by a stress fracture in his back, the 24-year-old benefited from the campaign's delayed start. He would not have been ready by the original Opening Day, but he told reporters in May he was "100 percent ready" to play.
That's good news for the Red Sox, and better news for fantasy owners. Verdugo is an expert contact hitter, and he should contend for a batting title at some point in his career. By moving to Boston, he should have improved his position in the order, as the Red Sox aren't nearly as deep as the Dodgers. He could factor into the leadoff spot, or even claim it outright for himself.
Save perhaps for batting average, his stat line probably won't pop in an individual category, but he could leave his fingerprint on all five. A .300 average with 20 homers and double-digit steals is well within the range of his possible production.
Rougned Odor, 2B, Texas Rangers (ADP: 220)
Streaky hitters will make for fascinating investments in this shortened campaign, and they don't come much streakier than Rougned Odor.
His cold spells are frigid. They usually destroy his batting average, and if you're not careful, they can take your team's average down with them. He hit below .180 in March/April, May and August.
But the 26-year-old can be fiery hot, too. He hit better than .260 in July, then did it again in September/October. He also had more RBI (25 each) than games played (24 each) in both of those stretches. If he times his hot streaks just right this season, he could be the steal of your draft.
Even if Odor alternates between hot and cold stretches, this price point seems more reflective of his weaknesses than his strengths. He clubbed 30 homers, stole 11 bases and tallied 170 combined runs and RBI last season. To get those numbers this late in the draft is silly, even if they're attached to an unsightly batting average.
David Peralta, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (ADP: 226)
One of two things is taking place with David Peralta.
As a 32-year-old, there's a chance he's stuck in an irreversible decline. He missed 63 games last season, and maybe there are more to come.
But there's also a chance the injuries just left him in an out-of-sight, out-of-mind state with the fantasy world. Even with the missed time, he still managed 12 homers, 57 RBI and a .275 batting average. If he's healthy now, he should zip past those numbers with ease.
Peralta has topped 140 games three times in his career. In 2015, he hit .312 with 53 extra-base hits (including 17 homers), 78 RBI and nine stolen bases. In 2017, he scored 82 runs, drove in 57 runs, hit 14 homers and swiped eight bags. In 2018, he hit .293 with 30 homers, 87 RBI and 75 runs.
He could be a premier power presence in your lineup, and you might be able to get him in the 20th round.