With Opening Day just a week away, fantasy baseball leagues are scrambling to draft their teams. Most drafts are not won in the early rounds - there are so many great players available that the difference between them is nominal - but rather in the middle and later rounds by owners who can anticipate the sleepers - players who will surpass their expectations.
With that in mind, here are some under-the-radar "sleepers" who will be available later in the draft and could be the difference-maker between a first- and second-place finish.
Catchers:
Chris Iannetta, Colorado Rockies: He has won the starting job and his minor league numbers suggest he will thrive in Coors Field.
Infielders:
Jhonny Peralta, Cleveland Indians: He likely won't be as good as he was in 2005, but he has reportedly slimmed down and should improve drastically over his 2006 numbers.
Stephen Drew, Arizona Diamondbacks: Drew could put up numbers very similar to Miguel Tejada's this season.
Ryan Shealy, Kansas City Royals: He won't be a superstar, but he could be a cheap source of some homers and RBI.
Outfielders:
Chris Young, Arizona Diamondbacks: He will play everyday, play half of his games in a hitter's park, and will put up monster numbers. Draft him.
Corey Hart, Milwaukee Brewers: A poor man's Young, Hart will also get the at-bats to accumulate a lot of homers and steals.
Adam Dunn, Cincinnati Reds: Strange to call a player who had 40 homers for three-straight years a sleeper, but Dunn is still undervalued and should improve from last season.
Coco Crisp, Boston Red Sox: If his finger is healthy, as he claims, playing in Fenway Park should allow Crisp to improve on his 2004-05 numbers.
Chris Duffy, Pittsburgh Pirates: With the Pirates committed to playing him everyday, Duffy could rack up a large number of stolen bases.
Starting Pitchers:
Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants: A young pitcher with excellent stuff, Cain figured something out during the season, and drastically improved in the second half.
Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies: Health is a huge concern for Hamels, but he is perhaps the National League's best pitcher.
A.J. Burnett, Toronto Blue Jays: He plays in a tough division, but his strikeout and groundball rates should allow him to excel.
Anthony Reyes, St. Louis Cardinals: Having dominated AAA during the last two seasons, Reyes should thrive in front of solid Cardinals defense.
Greg Maddux, San Diego Padres: He won't strike out many hitters, but in a huge park with a great defense, Maddux should excel in all other categories.
Relief Pitchers:
Jose Valverde, Arizona Diamondbacks: He has a successful track record and should get a bunch of save opportunities for an improved Diamondbacks team.
For owners playing in deeper leagues - AL/NL-only leagues, leagues with many owners, or leagues that have spots for minor leaguers - here are some additional sleepers to keep an eye on for this season.
Catchers:
Miguel Montero, Arizona Diamondbacks: He's currently slated to platoon with Chris Snyder, but Montero is significantly better and should earn additional playing time.
Infielders:
Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers: Braun's numbers were remarkably similar to Alex Gordon's last year, and he shouldn't have trouble raking in the numbers when he is recalled.
Outfielders:
Jonny Gomes, Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Assuming last season's woes were the result of his shoulder injury, he should hit a bunch of homers if he is healthy this year.
Shin Soo Choo, Cleveland Indians: If and when Trot Nixon gets hurt, Choo should provide excellent fantasy numbers as his replacement.
Felix Pie, Chicago Cubs: The Cubs are terrified of turning Pie into another Corey Patterson, but Pie's plate discipline suggests he will be better than Patterson. Like Patterson, Pie has an excellent power/speed combination.
Pitchers:
Adam Miller, Cleveland Indians: Miller could be the closest thing to a Francisco Liriano or Jered Weaver this season, almost certainly getting the call before July.
Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants: Strange pitching motion and all, Lincecum seems like he's Billy Wagner.
Philip Hughes, New York Yankees: Believe the hype. He may not be a perennial Cy Young contender, but he's good and he's ready to take the major league mound.
Here are some additional tips:
Just because Wily Mo Pena and David Dellucci aren't playing everyday doesn't mean they can't hit a lot of homers.
B.J. Upton will be a great hitter if given the at-bats.
If you want to impress your friends, jump on the Diamondbacks and Brewers bandwagons.
Outfielders Matt Kemp, Hunter Pence and Adam Lind should make immediate impacts when given the opportunity.
Who do the Red Sox miss more, Hanley Ramirez or Cla Meredith?
Hayden Penn dominated AAA last season before getting appendicitis.
Austin Kearns shouldn't be left on the waiver wire.
If Jason Kubel's knees let him, he'll rake in the numbers.
It's a shame that Lou Piniella doesn't understand Matt Murton's potential.
Last season notwithstanding, avoid Rockies pitchers.
And some predictions for the 2007 season: Grady Sizemore and Chase Utley win MVP; Johan Santana and Cole Hamels win Cy Young; Delmon Young and Chris Young win non-Japanese Rookie of the Year; Indians, Red Sox, Angels, Yankees, Phillies, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Mets make the playoffs; Devil Rays win more games than Mariners, Royals and Orioles; White Sox finish under .500; Nationals and Marlins combine for 200 losses; Travis Hafner finally becomes known as the best hitter in the American League.
