The first few rounds of your draft have passed and now you see all the holes on your team that you need to fill. With all of the proven studs gone, you are going to need to find that diamond in the rough. That is when some timely picks of undervalued players can be a huge boom to your roster. We have put together a list of sleepers based on their Average Draft Position (ADP). Hopefully, you will enjoy this article and be able to add some key pieces to help you achieve a fantasy championship.
(165) James Loney, LAD, 1B – Loney is our only sleeper 1B and he isn’t all that exciting himself. With Manny Ramirez back in the fold, Loney could see some solid growth in 2009. Bottom line: don’t sleep on 1B in your draft or you will be sorry. You will sleep well at night with a stud like Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Mark Teixeira, Lance Berkman, or Justin Morneau. Don’t push your luck!
(98) Robinson Cano, NYY, 2B- Cano is a prime candidate for a bounce back. Last year he was the hot ticket, but he disappointed owners. Even with a gimpy Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees will still have a potent lineup. Cano is just 26, so he is still improving.
(64) Alexei Ramirez, CWS, 2B, SS - Ramirez’s eligibility at SS and 2B make him a hot commodity for teams in leagues with short benches. Flexibility can be the difference between being able to add a hot waiver pickup or sitting on your hands. Ramirez won’t be around for long, but this 27-year-old hitter could be inline for great things in 2009.
(98) Garrett Atkins, COL, 3B- Atkins sounds like last week’s leftover meatloaf casserole, but the last time we checked Colorado was still a great place to harvest some power for your fantasy lineup. Atkins could be a nice grab if you find your team in need of a solid 3B option.
(148) Alex Gordon, KC, 3B- Well, we wouldn’t base our gameplan around waiting for Gordon as your starting 3B option, but he could be a nice surprise for fantasy owners that remember the mega –hype that surrounded this young player just a couple of years ago. We still think the talent is there. Gordon is only 25, so don’t give up on him just yet.
(131) Ryan Zimmerman, WAS, 3B- Zimmerman is another bounce back candidate. He isn’t sexy, but you should be aware of the fact that Zimmerman hit .306 after the All-Star break in 2008. His 2007 numbers should be too far out of reach, but be prepared to take on some strikeouts. Leagues that penalize for offensive Ks should be aware of this 3B’s high K rate.
(163) Pablo Sandoval, SF, C - Sandoval won’t be playing much catcher, but in many leagues he will be eligible there. When we draft Sandoval, we will be dreaming of Ryan Doumit version 2.0. You could do worse when you are reaching for a catcher in the high teens of your draft.
(187) Matt Wieters, BAL, C- Super rookie here. He is at the top of most people’s rookie lists, so we were surprised to see him go so low. You never know what you are going to get but at this point in your draft Wieters will start looking pretty good to you and to everyone else in your league. Don’t wait this long or he will be gone.
(42) B.J. Upton, TB, OF- Upton is exceptional and even without 2B eligibility and his truck load of Ks. Upton just provides too much speed and power to look past for very long.
(79) Corey Hart, MIL, OF- Hart is going to turn 27 this season and that could mean great things for this emerging star. Hart was also one of 2008’s leaders in stolen bases in the second half. Add all of this to the fact that he will be in a solid lineup in Milwaukee and you have a solid player worth more than his ADP.
(85) Shane Victorino, PHI, OF- “The Flying Hawaiian” That nickname is so cool we are sure that someone else in your league is going to go after the run scoring and base steal potential of this key cog to the world champions offense. You are going to have to be ready to jump when the time is right.
(225) Elijah Dukes, WAS, OF- Dukes is a truck load of talent that you can have late. The question with Dukes has never been about talent, but he has struggled with his behavior. Dukes is worth the risk for a fantasy owner in the later rounds. Your fantasy commissioner probably won’t fine you for picking up problem children!
(112) Adam Wainwright, STL, SP- Don’t get too worked up over Wainwright because you will likely have someone in your league that is a Cardinals fan. However, the Cardinals always seem to produce solid fantasy pitchers. Wainwright will be 27 this season and this will be his 3rd season of big league experience. All signs point to this year being a breakout type of season for Wainwright.
(139) Ted Lilly, CHC, SP- There are going to be other pitchers from the Cubs that go off the board before Lilly, but he could give you very comparable production compared to those players. Lilly was a second have leader in strikeouts during 2008. We think he could build on that solid finish in 2009.
(148) Javier Vazquez, ATL, SP- Vazquez melted a bit last year under the heat of Ozzie Guillen’s glare. With a fresh change of scenery and the laid back, supportive care of Bobby Cox, Vazquez could return to some of his former pop. The Braves are going to be a decent team, so look for Vazquez to have a decent number of wins to go along with solid stats.
(149) Matt Garza, TB, SP- Garza will only be 25 this season, but he is entering his 3rd year of big league experience. Pitching in the postseason of 2008 can only build this young stud’s potential. With an average draft pick of 149, it looks like Garza could be a steal.
(157) Justin Verlander, DET, SP- Verlander pretty much disappoint expectations in 2008. That just makes him a steal for you in 2009. Verlander is only 25 and he is a huge talent. Don’t wait until pick 157 or he will likely be gone. You know someone else in your league is going to be betting on a return to his 2007 form.
(168) Josh Johnson, FLA, SP- Johnson will only be 25 this season, but he is entering his 3rd year of big league pitching. Tommy John surgery is getting farther behind Johnson and he should only be stronger in 2009.
(175) Erik Bedard, SEA, SP- Bedard was a top pick in 2008 before injury decimated him. He has the stuff when healthy. If you draft Bedard, you are betting on a rebound of health. Where he is going in drafts he makes a good gamble.
(189) John Danks, CWS, SP- Danks is young, young (23 in 2009), but he will be entering his 3rd year of big league pitching. This guy reeks of talent. You could do worse than a young pitcher with experience at this point of the draft.
(215) Fausto Carmona, CLE, SP- Carmona will only be 25 in 2009, but he is another one of these young pitchers who will have 3 years of pitching under their belt in 2009. Carmona was a bit of a disappointment in 2008, but he is still very young and you should expect improvement if his health returns. If that improvement comes in 2009, you could have a nice value pick on your hands.
(224) Ubaldo Jimenez, COL, SP- Jimenez was a second half leader in strike outs, he will be 25, and he is entering his 3rd year as a starting pitcher. Coors Field will scare other owners away, but Jimenez seemed to pitch well there.
(227) Mike Pelfrey, NYM, SP- Pelfrey isn’t much of a K machine, but he is playing for a solid team, he is 25, he is entering his 3rd year of big league pitching.
You will see that there are more Starting Pitchers (SP) on this sleeper list than any other position. That is because we prefer a strategy of grabbing batters early and then hunting for pitching. Everyone is entitled to their own strategy, but this technique has worked for us for years. Good luck and have a great 2009!
