After spending the past two days examining hitters and pitchers that should be targeted, and avoided, in drafts this year, today we shift the focus to players being selected later in drafts, also commonly referred to as Sleepers. With the amount of information about fantasy baseball on the internet, it is difficult to find a true sleeper these days, as players are rarely overlooked in drafts.
The term “sleeper” has evolved over the years and has different meanings to various fantasy players. While many consider someone who outplays his average draft position to be a sleeper, for me this fails to capture the concept – a late round pick who will be the difference between a middle-of-the-pack finish and winning a championship. For the purposes of this piece, I have identified sleepers as a player being drafted, on average, outside of the Top 200 picks, who should return excellent value this season.
Ubaldo Jimenez Baltimore Orioles RHP
More inconsistent than the DC weather this winter, Jimenez has his flaws, most notably inconsistent pitching mechanics that lead to difficulties throwing strikes. Nevertheless, Jimenez posted 100 in his last 81 innings pitched last season, and provided Cleveland with a 3.30 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 182.2 innings in 2013. It is nearly impossible to find a pitcher with 200 strikeout potential and his potential is far too enticing for me to ignore late in drafts.
Howie Kendrick Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2B
Kendrick’s not sexy like Kate Upton, but he is still only 30-years-old and has a .292/.322/.429 career batting line. The Angels’ offense should improve this season with healthy seasons from Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, along with the acquisition of David Freese, and Kendrick could benefit from the rejuvenated lineup. If you happen to miss out on second base early, or are looking for a middle infielder in the later rounds, you could do much worse than Kendrick, who should bat .290 with 10-15 home runs and 10-15 steals in 2014.
Colby Rasmus Toronto Blue Jays OF
Rasmus has been on the radar of prospect nerds for many years, but he is only 28-years-old and coming off a .276/24/66 2013 season. A free agent at the end of the season, I will be gambling on Rasmus having a breakout season en route to signing a ridiculous free agent contract next winter.
Anthony Rendon Washington Nationals 2B/3B
I will understandably receive the “Homer” catcalls on this selection, but his keen batting eye, exceptional bat speed, and potential to bolster your team’s batting average makes him an interesting gamble late in drafts. Eligible at second and third base, two relatively weak fantasy positions, draft Rendon with confidence and hope his home run power emerges in 2014.
Nick Swisher Cleveland Indians 1B/OF
Did you miss out on power early in the draft in favor of pitching? Well let me introduce you Nick Swisher, who has 9 consecutive 20+ home run seasons and is going after Round 16. He does not have the highest ceiling, but Swisher is a consistent player with some HR and RBI upside being overlooked in drafts.
Yordano Ventura Kansas City Royals RHP
This choice would have looked better a week ago before the Royals formally announced Ventura would start the season in their rotation. But I am the guy who took Jose Fernandez in the final round last season, and I will go back to the well this year with Ventura, a smallish pitcher with a monster fastball, solid offspeed pitches, and a potentially strong defensive team behind him. He is surely climbing draft boards ahead of the season, but Ventura is one of the better late round gambles I can remember in recent years.
On a related note, did you know Aloe Blacc wrote the song “I’m the Man” about Yordano Ventura?