Fantasy baseball rankings 2022: Top 40 Relief pitchers

Are you still punting saves in your fantasy baseball league? We all know such a strategy can pay off because of the high rate of closer turnover that takes place in most bullpens during a season. But entering your draft with that punt mindset can also be harmful. Just consider last year’s results: Highly ranked relievers such as Liam Hendriks, Josh Hader, Ryan Pressly and Raisel Iglesias all met or exceeded expectations. And, of course, there were some pleasant surprises — Mark Melancon, Jake McGee, Emmanuel Clase and Jordan Romano.

Conversely, some supposedly dependable closers — Aroldis Chapman, Edwin Diaz, Craig Kimbrel — didn’t quite live up to their price. And some preseason sleeper types — Rafael Montero, Alex Colome, Amir Garrett, James Karinchak — didn’t really pan out as expected.

The point is that pitfalls exist across the reliever landscape. While there will always be bullpen arms that come out of relative obscurity to provide incredible fantasy value, knowing which ones will actually do so is very difficult. As with all positions in fantasy baseball, don’t become married to a strategy before the draft begins. You have to be flexible. Yeah, you may have planned on punting saves, but if Hader or Hendriks falls past the fourth round, understand their value at that point and be ready to pounce.

Here are my top-40 relief pitcher rankings for 2022 fantasy baseball leagues.

2022 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 40 Relief pitchers