2010 Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Rankings Outlook: Relief pitchers have the highest turnover rate in fantasy baseball and account for a large percentage of waiver wire activity during the season. Last year only 12 teams had the same closer the entire year, and for this reason many fantasy owners will pay a high price for an elite “low-risk” closer.

Drafting a top-tier closer certainly has its merits, although some fantasy owners question paying such a high price for a one-category position. If you decide to take the “safe” route, Mariano Rivera, Jonathan Broxton, Jonathan Papelbon, and Heath Bell bring very little risk to the table. Remember to look at more than just the saves category when picking a closer. Brian Fuentes was the league-leader with 48 saves last season, but did not help owners in any other categories posting a 3.93 ERA, 1.4 WHIP, and only 46 strikeouts.

Draft-Day Advice: Saves are an unpredictable stat, while talent is more consistent. Look for relief pitchers with a high strikeout rate and low WHIP. In the later rounds, you may actually get better value by selecting top-tier setup men, rather than lower-tier closers.

The following are our 2010 Fantasy Baseball Rankings, which are based on standard 5×5 scoring and take into account projected stats as well as upside and risk. Offensive categories include BA, HRs, Runs, RBIs, and SBs. Pitching categories are Wins, ERA, WHIP, Ks, and Saves. Although several players are eligible at multiple positions, they are listed at the position that they will most likely play the most in 2010. All leagues have different position eligibility requirements so be sure to check your settings before draft day.

2010 Rankings: C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP | RP | Top 150 | Cheatsheet

Rank	Player	IP	W	SV	K	ERA	WHIP
1	Mariano Rivera	66.1	3	44	72	1.76	0.90
2	Jonathan Broxton	76	7	36	114	2.61	0.96
3	Jonathan Papelbon	68	1	38	76	1.85	1.15
4	Heath Bell	69.2	6	42	79	2.71	1.12
5	Joakim Soria	53	3	30	69	2.21	1.13
6	Andrew Bailey	83.1	6	26	91	1.84	0.88
7	Carlos Marmol	74	2	15	93	3.41	1.46
8	Francisco Rodriguez	68	3	35	73	3.71	1.31
9	Jose Valverde	54	4	25	56	2.33	1.13
10	Brian Wilson	72.1	5	38	83	2.74	1.20
11	Billy Wagner	15.2	1	0	26	1.72	1.02
12	Francisco Cordero	66.2	2	39	58	2.16	1.32
13	Huston Street	61.2	4	35	70	3.06	0.91
14	David Aardsma	71.1	3	38	80	2.52	1.16
15	Trevor Hoffman	54	3	37	48	1.83	0.91
16	Rafael Soriano	75.2	1	27	102	2.97	1.06
17	Brian Fuentes	55	1	48	46	3.93	1.40
18	Ryan Franklin	61	4	38	44	1.92	1.20
19	Mike Gonzalez	74.1	5	10	90	2.42	1.20
20	Brad Lidge	58.2	0	31	61	7.21	1.81
21	Bobby Jenks	53.1	3	29	49	3.71	1.28
22	Frank Francisco	49.1	2	25	57	3.83	1.11
23	Chad Qualls	52	2	24	45	3.63	1.15
24	Octavio Dotel	62.1	3	0	75	3.32	1.44
25	Brandon Lyon	78.2	6	3	57	2.86	1.11
26	Matt Capps	54.1	4	27	46	5.80	1.66
27	Kerry Wood	55	3	20	63	4.25	1.38
28	Leo Nunez	68.2	4	26	60	4.06	1.25
29	Kevin Gregg / Frasor	68.2	5	23	71	4.72	1.31
30	Matt Thornton	72.1	6	4	87	2.74	1.08

If you have any questions for our fantasy experts, or you’re ready to start talking some baseball, sign up to join our free Fantasy Sports Forum.

PLAY NOW!