Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Part 1 of 3

Fantasy baseball is a challenge to many and people seem to get the idea that superstars will win you the championship in your league. I have learned from experience this isn’t true, while stars will make your team good it will not win the league. In a league of mine I have won consecutive championships while only having one or two true stars, Miguel Cabrera and Adrian Beltre last season while another team had set his roster to explode with superstars Prince Fielder, Jared Weaver, Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp, Troy Tulowitszki, Dustin Pedroia and Evan Longoria. While he had a lot better roster than me I still beat him in the championship due to sleepers throughout the season such as Johnny Cueto, Justin Masterson, Alex Avila, Brandon Allen (for a week when he hit a few HRs), Guillermo Moscoso and Jose Constanza. So if you want to win your fantasy league this season here is a list of 3 sleepers at each position and 5 at outfield.

Catcher:

Salvador Perez (290) – The 21 year old rookie for Kansas City showed a little of what he was made of last season by hitting 2 HRs, 13 RBIs and holding a .331 average in 148 Abs. His weaknesses are his plate discipline and speed, being one of the slowest guys in the league. With good contact and slightly above average power at his position he should be a sure sleeper.

Jonathan Lucroy (309) – At 25 years old Lucroy has a career .260 average, 16 HRs and 85 RBIs in 707 Abs. At this pace a season with a .260-.270 average, 12 HRs and 75 RBIs is easily reachable by the Brewers catcher. If we can see them kind of numbers from a catcher, especially around pick number 300 then he could help your team a lot.

Josh Thole (388) – In 672 Abs the 25 year old catcher for the Mets has hit .267 with 6 HRs and 66 RBIs. These numbers may not look good to the eyes but were looking at a last resort catcher here, don’t be picky. With little power Thole will have to look to his contact to increase his value. Thole hasn’t had a great career average but a .300 average in A ball in 2008, and .328 average in AA ball in 2009 show he can hit for average. He may not be a stylish pick but if you’re the guy who picks his catcher after the others are gone he could be the guy for you.

1B:

Brandon Allen (281) – With a .210 average, 11 HRs and 38 RBIs in 324 career at bats the 235 pound slugger seems unattractive to many. To see the potential you would need to watch the guy play, if you did this you would see the raw power he has. After switching from the AL to the NL and back to the AL again Allen might have finally found a full time starting job in 2012 for the Athletics. Throughout 8 seasons in the minors Allen has a .268 career average and 142 HRs. With so much power we could see Carlos Pena stats from Allen.

Todd Helton (319) – The .323 career average and 347 HRs in 14 seasons says all we need to know about the Rockies veteran first baseman. At 38 years old the consistency showed as Helton put together another wonderful season while batting .302. To me any player that is a 300+ pick and hits .300 with 10+ HRs for you is a steal. Perfect late first basemen or guy to fill a utility spot. DO NOT pass up Helton if he fits into your roster.

 Justin Smoak (345) – Remember when Smoak was coming up and everyone was in love with him? His .227 average is what took away the hype but his power is there. 28 HRs in less than 2 full season isn’t bad and he has even more power than that. If you need average stay away here but if you have the average on your team to balance it out Smoak could give the pop needed to take over a few categories. If you average out his stats into a season he would average 20 HRs, 75 RBIs and 78 Runs for a season. For a bench player or late pick Smoak has the power to help you a lot and if some average comes you got the steal of the year.

2B:

Ryan Theriot (406) – If you need some cheap steals at second base or shortstop Theriot is an underrated guy who could help. Theriot has stolen at least 20 bases in 4 of his 5 full played seasons. Power will not be here at all though, and a solid .282 average should hurt to have as a 400+ pick. You don’t need to worry about strikeouts with Theriot either since he has only stuck out 75+ times in 1 season of his career. I wouldn’t recommend starting Theriot unless the league is deep but he is a great utility guy to switch in at 2B and SS.

 Freddy Sanchez (455) – The 2006 NL batting champ is probably the most underrated player in baseball, especially fantasy. With eligibility at 2B, 3B and SS you can always find a slot to put Sanchez in. I personally take Sanchez in almost every league I have. With a .297 career average in 10 seasons you know he can slap the ball around with consistency. Just don’t expect anything but average from Sanchez, cause you’re not getting it, unless it’s doubles, which he also lead the NL with in 2008. Must have sleeper!!!

 Ryan Raburn (553) – With plenty of talent Raburn is being held back by inconsistency, we see it every year. This season he will compete with Brandon Inge, Don Kelly and Ramon Santiago for the starting job at 2B for the Tigers. If Raburn gets the spot it could mean big numbers for Raburn in a line-up that includes Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. A 20 HR season and .270 average is possible for Raburn and who else will give you them numbers that deep into a draft?

Mel Kiper's Top 5 Review

1.       Andrew Luck – At 6’4” and 235 pounds the quarterback out of Stanford has the size to play in the NFL. Luck was almost solidified as the 2012 1^st overall pick when he decided to return for his senior year after finishing 2^nd in Heisman voting behind Mark Ingram. Once again Luck fell short and was again voted 2^nd in Heisman voting, this time behind Robert Griffin III. Luck has been compared to Peyton Manning and John Elway by many scouts but he is overrated. The numbers behind his career are great and he runs the offense well but he does have some NFL-caliber flaws. The problem is his receivers always seem to be more open than he should expect at the next level. While this is not his fault at all it seems Luck has not been forced to pin point the ball and put more power into a covered receiver like he will be forced to in the NFL. Luck seems to take the easier and softer throws, while this is smart he will not be able to do that as much at the next level. Luck will need to prove he has the power and accuracy to force some throws once he gets drafted. Instead of the ridiculous comparisons to Manning and Elway write it down, Andrew Luck is comparable to Matt Hasselbeck.

2.       Matt Kalil – The Junior out of USC stands in at 6’7” and 295 pounds. Kalil is one of the most dominant offensive linemen to come out of the draft in years. With fast hands, solid run blocking, great pass blocking and quick feet Kalil is the complete package. Add his talent to his ruthless aggression and attitude and you have a player no defensive lineman would want to face. The only problem with Kalil is his muscle build, which should come easy once he is working out with fellow NFL players. It’s easy to see a long, excellent career coming for Kalil and little reason to believe otherwise. I see a reasonable comparison to Orlando Pace here.

3.       Trent Richardson – The 5’11” running back out of Alabama weighs in at 224 pounds, a respectable size to play the position. Richardson isn’t the fastest running back in the draft but he has enough speed to take advantage of opening gaps and has the ability to make quick cuts. Besides having one of the best vision sites at his position Richardson is almost undoubtedly the most powerful back in the draft. Not only a good runner but Richardson is also an excellent pass catcher and can be a huge factor coming out of the backfield and catching passes. The weakest part of his game is his blocking; he has the strength and intensity to block any blitzing lineman but often seems to miss his assignments on blocking plays. With proper coaching Richardson should be able to lock on better to his targets and be one of the better blocking backs in the league. With no injury problems and the toughness to carry the ball 30+ carries per game Richardson should be a dynamic running back in the NFL. He has the strength comparable to Michael Turner and about the same speed as Turner did when he got drafted, so I’ll make the Turner comparison here.

4.       Morris Claiborne – The 6’ 185 pound Junior out of LSU is easily the best cornerback in the draft. Claiborne seems to be one of the lesser talked about corners from LSU over the last few years but can match up evenly with all the others, including Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu. Clocked in at as fast as 4.36 second in the 40-yard dash there’s no questioning Claiborne has the speed needed in the NFL. Claiborne is more of a zone coverage corner due to his lack of aggression. When facing bigger receivers he never gets the good jam he needs. Other than the lack of aggression Claiborne also isn’t very good at defending the run. While these are two major factors Claiborne has some of the best hands, awareness and zone coverage in the nation. A major factor in special teams has been showed through his elusiveness to make big plays on kick returns. He will need to bulk up a bit and be more aggressive to be great at the next level. With similar body structures, strengths and weaknesses he is very comparable to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

5.       Justin Blackmon – Blackmon isn’t the biggest receiver in the draft at 6’1” and 211 pounds, but he surely isn’t the smallest either. Blackmon is the type of receiver that can, and will, make the big play when the ball is released. With excellent speed and jumping abilities Blackmon is a huge playmaker. Good body language while running routes leads him to cause a lot of open routes for easy pass plays. The main concern about Blackmon is his ability to make the plays after the catch and to break tackles. With more aggression and determination after the catch Blackmon has the size to dominate smaller defenders trying to tackle him. Comparison here would be to Hakeem Nicks.