When thinking about deep sleepers in fantasy baseball drafts, it’s wise to consider a player who can be elite in a specific category.
I’m a big fan of speed, so I favor players who are going to offer runs and stolen bases. If power is your desire, homers and RBI are a nice commodity. Multiple-category players aren’t possible at the end of the fantasy baseball draft. There are guys who can deliver at a semi-productive rate in at least one category, though.
Here’s three deep sleepers who can contribute for your 2018 fantasy baseball roster.
Joe Panik, 2B, San Francisco Giants
Panik will be a fantasy baseball contributor this season.
He’s been a No. 2 guy in the lineup in the past, but it appears he’ll be the leadoff hitter in 2018. That makes him an attractive player to make an impact, despite the lack of hype heading into 2018. According to FantasyPros, which aggregates average draft position on multiple fantasy sports platforms, he has an ADP of 30th among second basemen and 276th overall.
That’s insane.
Panik has improved his overall numbers for the most part every season since he came into the league in 2014. He registered his most plate appearances of his career in 2017, and what I especially like about him, is that he’s going to get on base. His on-base percentage of .347 in 2017 ranked seventh among second basemen. If he continues to be above-average in that category, his new spot in the leadoff position should create more opportunities at notching more runs. He has plenty of upside, so he’s a good investment at that draft position.
Shin-Soo Choo, OF/DH, Texas Rangers
Choo has some negative qualities as a fantasy baseball player. He’s injury-prone and getting older, so he may not be around for the entire season. He’s not going to contribute much in the RBI category and we have plenty of evidence to know that he’s not going to be a top-tier consistent fantasy baseball player.
But he’s not bad enough that he can’t contribute as one of your low-end fantasy baseball starters, especially at the designated hitter position.
Choo is actually one of the more consistent fantasy baseball options in scoring runs. When healthy, he’s consistently over 90 runs for a season. He’ll chip in a few homers, stolen bases and be a decent option in the on-base category, too.
So why is his ADP at 257th overall? Maybe it’s his age and injury history that is scaring fantasy baseball owners. Don’t be so anxious with Choo’s ability. He’s not a top-tier multiple category player, but he’s good enough that he should be rated higher than the position he’s currently being drafted in fantasy baseball drafts.
Jimmy Nelson, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
He’s not going to contribute right away since he’s injured. However, it appears he should be ready by mid-April, so you’re not going to have to wait long. And if he’s anything near what he was in 2017, the wait will be worth it.
Nelson was a strikeout machine in 2017. He registered a 10.21 strikeout-per-nine-inning mark in 2017, the 10th-best average in Major League Baseball. That’s a major increase from where he has been in his career, but even if he experiences a slight downswing, he’ll still be a nice option at the end of your rotation.
Finding strikeouts is always the most difficult item to find on the waiver wire in fantasy baseball. By picking up Nelson, who has an ADP of 127th among pitchers and 317 overall, you won’t have to worry about being competitive in the strikeouts department.
Stash him on your roster and experience the benefits of increased strikeouts throughout the season.
