We all love a good sleeper and like every year, we want to be that guy who ends up with the goods. If you haven’t had the chance to read all the different sleeper articles, let us take some of the work out of that and give you a quick rundown of who you’ll want to keep an eye out for near the end of your drafts. You can also find our Consensus Sleepers where players are ranked based on Expert Rankings vs. ADP. Looking for more than just sleepers, consider taking a look at our most Undervalued Players as well.
All Position Sleeper Guide:
SportingNews: 2014 Fantasy Baseball All-Sleeper Team
Brad Pinkerton gives us his positional rundown of sleepers, including his runner-ups at each position as well as deep sleepers. Some of the names that highlight his list are:
- Jose Abreu (1B White Sox) – “He’s not as flashy as fellow countrymen Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes, but he is a more polished hitter with the same power upside.”
- Billy Hamilton (OF Reds) – “Hamilton’s speed may actually trump his inevitable “popular sleeper” tag. He has the potential to rack up 100-plus steals, it would be very tough to overdraft him.”
- Trevor Rosenthal (RP Cardinals) – “Rosenthal will be on everyone’s radar after his dominant postseason performance in the closer’s role. Sure, it’s risky, but no closer is without risk.“
KFFL: 2014 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers and Undervalued Players
Tim Heaney and Nicholas Minnix provide there analysis on who to watch as sleeper candidates for this years fantasy baseball drafts. Here are some of the names they consider as breakout players this year.
- Nolan Arenado (3B Rockies) – “He hasn’t yet repeated a level of professional ball. Doing so in the bigs may push him toward 20 homers and a surprising spotlight at a risky position.“
- Anthony Rizzo (1B Cubs) – “He’s shortening his swing and should gain more RBI opps with an improving club. With legit 30-homer promise, Rizzo is the next breakthrough first-sacker.”
- Wilson Ramos (C Nationals) – “If you’re not going to pay for one of the position’s top three, Ramos could be the most profitable alternative.“
CBS Sports: 2014 Draft Prep: Sleepers, 1.0
The three headed monster of Scott White, Nando Di Fino and Al Melchior (CBS Sports) have each given their draft prep sleepers and there is no better time to start getting excited with Spring Training underway. Each one of them brings a different perspective so here are sleeper candidates from each of their lists. You can find each of their respective sleeper articles by click on their names above.
- Brian Dozier (2B Twins) – “No, he won’t help with everything, but the sum is greater than the parts.” – Scott White
- Albert Pujols (1B Angels) – “He hit 50 doubles two years ago — and keep in mind, he had his knee scoped after that season, suggesting he played through pain for most of 2012, as well.” – Nando Di Fino
- Tim Lincecum (SP Giants) – “Lincecum may never recapture the elite status he enjoyed in 2008 and 2009, but signs of improved control are reason enough to keep him on your radar.” – Al Melchior
Dynasty Sports Empire: All-Sleeper Team
In a 3-Part series, Zachary Mongillo has provided us a full team’s worth of sleepers. One sleeper at every position, what more can you ask for? Well here’s a little more, one of his sleepers from each part of his All-Sleeper Team series.
- Brandon Belt (1B Giants) – “Belt recorded a total of 60 extra-base hits last season, leaving optimism that more of his 43 doubles and triples can become home runs.”
- Adam Eaton (OF White Sox) – “With an ADP of 219 so far in NFBC… his stolen base and run totals make him fantasy relevant and better than his ADP.“
- Zack Wheeler (SP Mets) – “With a fastball that sits in the mid-90’s and a great secondary pitch in his slider, Wheeler throws gas and has the tools to contribute in all Roto categories.“
ESPN: 2014 Sleepers and Busts
Asking their analysts to provide sleepers for each position, ESPN has given us a consensus look at who they feel are players that may be a steal in your draft. Ultimately you want value for where you pick any given player and these are some guys that based on where you draft them, have a chance at easily surpassing their draft position.
- Kole Calhoun (OF Angels) – “He had eight home runs and 32 RBIs in just under 200 at-bats last year after a call-up, and now he has playing time. He’s a last-round flier with decent upside.” – Matthew Berry
- Wily Peralta (SP Brewers) – “He has two seriously overlooked things going for him: A better than 50 percent ground ball rate fueled by a heavy two-seamer, and a wipeout slider” – Tristan H. Cockcroft
- Jurickson Profar (2B Rangers) – “The same skills that tantalized many of us and propelled him quickly through the minors remain: surprising power, enough speed and smart plate discipline.” – Eric Karabell
Need more sleeper candidates? Take a look at some of these articles for additional analysis of who should be on your radar.
- RotoChamp: 2014 Sleepers
- eDraft: Fantasy Baseball Sleepers Primed For A Breakout Campaign in 2014
- Fake Teams: Sleepers and Players to Target and Avoid
- Fantasy Baseball Crackerjacks: 7 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers for 2014
—
Like what you’re reading? Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below or reach us on Twitter @FantasyPros_MLB
