MLB Fantasy Sleepers
[the_ad id=”567″]The term sleeper refers to someone or something unpromising or unnoticed that suddenly attains prominence or value. In the Fantasy Baseball world, we are always looking for that kind of player to add in the late rounds of our draft or to pick up at a relatively inexpensive price in our auction draft. Sometimes this can be the key to being successful in your own fantasy league. When considering a player to be on a sleeper list, you have to take into account that all leagues are formatted differently, and all are different sizes. What classifies as a sleeper in a 10-team league won’t qualify in a 15-team league. So for the purposes of this article, a player could only be on this list if he is owned in less than 75% of leagues and/or has an Average Draft Position (ADP) of 300 or greater. Based on previously held drafts on Fantrax. Here are the 10 that could help you fill out what will hopefully be a winning team.
Jurickson Profar, 2B/3B/OF, Texas Rangers
It is hard to believe that this 24-year-old has been in the majors since 2012. Unfortunately, he has missed virtually all of two seasons due to injury. His 2016 season was not all that impressive (.239/.321/.338) but he once was considered a top prospect and has the tools to be a productive major league player. Profar has been showing some of that talent with an excellent run in the World Baseball Classic. Combine that with the fact that he has multiple position eligibility, (1B/SS in some leagues), Profar could be a valuable asset to any fantasy roster.
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Patrick Corbin, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Corbin is making a strong case to rejoin and remain in the Diamondbacks rotation after a demotion to the bullpen during the 2016 season. Corbin seems to have figured things out during his time as a reliever, posting a 0.95 ERA with 22 strikeouts over his final 19 innings. This spring he has found the ability to throw first-pitch strikes and command the strike zone.
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Kevin Pillar, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
Recently, Pillar admitted that he played with a torn thumb that he suffered while sliding into second base during a game in August, which affected his productivity during the last two months of the season. He did post a .401 slugging percentage before the All-Star break, and if Devon Travis (knee) begins the season on the DL, Pillar may be the team’s leadoff hitter on Opening Day. He says that he is completely healthy now, and if his spring training effort is any indication, it appears he’s telling the truth.
Mitch Moreland, 1B, Boston Red Sox
Based on his 2015 statistics, a guy in one of my leagues wanted to trade Moreland to me for Robinson Cano. The rationale was that with a career-best .278 average along with 85 RBI’s and 23 home runs, Moreland was a fair trade for Cano. Even after rejecting the trade with about one second of deliberation, that decision was vindicated when Moreland batted .233, hit 22 home runs and batted in 60 RBIs in 2016. Last December, Moreland signed a one-year contract with the Red Sox where he will share time with the oft-injured Hanley Ramirez. What makes him interesting is that Moreland has hit well in spring training and has the potential to put up those 2015 numbers for someone being drafted 320th.
Kendall Graveman, SP, Oakland A’s
In 2016, Graveman went 10-11 over a rotation-high 31 starts. He allowed 196 hits over 186 innings with a 108/47 K:BB ratio. Pitching his first full season at age 25, Graveman finished with a 4.11 ERA and 1.306 WHIP. These are not outstanding numbers, but for a player who is being owned in only 44% of leagues, Graveman could be an attractive option and should be a great value pick in an auction draft. With No. 1 pitcher Sonny Gray now suffering from a lat strain that will prevent him from throwing for a couple of weeks, Graveman will be one of the arms expected to help pick up the slack.
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Gerardo Parra, 1B/OF Colorado Rockies
Injuries to Ian Desmond and David Dahl has given Parra the opportunity for regular plate appearances. An ankle injury derailed his first season in Colorado, but Parra is healthy and is still in his peak productive years. In his first 23 spring plate appearances, Parra posted a nice .350/.435/.550 slash line. In the enhanced offensive environment of Coors Field, he’s definitely a sleeper worth considering for your team.
Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Texas Rangers
Choo suffered through an injury-plagued 2016 season which hurt his usually reliable on-base numbers. The good news for Choo and potential fantasy owners is that the Rangers plan on using him frequently as a DH and may bat him second in the lineup. This would likely line Choo up to score more runs than he produces, but that is a good thing for a player that has a decent walk rate. The Rangers and Fantasy owners are hoping that he can reproduce his .276/.375/.463 numbers of 2015.
Tyler Naquin, OF, Cleveland Indians
[the_ad id=”693″]I noticed that there seems to be a love/hate relationship for Tyler Naquin among the participants in Fantrax Mock Drafts. Some feel that Naquin had a solid rookie year, posting a .296/.372/.514 line in 116 games and would add them to their rosters. Others feel that since Naquin has struggled against lefties, he is more suited for a platoon role and may be bypassed by prospects in the Indians organization. However, manager Terry Francona has indicated that he would like to see Naquin be the everyday center fielder. The departures of Coco Crisp and Rajai Davis, paired with Michael Brantley’s ongoing recovery from shoulder surgery, creates more openings in the team’s outfield and makes him a good value in drafts.
Robert Gsellman, SP, New York Mets
The early news of Gsellman likely occupying a rotation spot may spill the beans on the sleeper value he might have had on draft day. Gsellman delivered solid numbers in 2016 by posting a 2.42 ERA, 8.46 K/9, 3.02 BB/9 in 44.2 innings. The right-hander can stand out in the back end of rotations for as long as he holds the job.
Justin Bour, 1B, Miami Marlins
Bour just qualifies for this list by having an average draft position of 300. He has usually been platooned in the past, as he has batted .223/.273/.291 in his career versus left-handed pitching. However, the Marlins and manager Don Mattingly are giving him the opportunity to be the everyday first baseman. They firmly believe that he will improve upon his 2016 slash line of .268/.349/.475 and be an everyday player, even against left-handed pitching.