Now that we’ve made it through our fantasy drafts, it’s time to make our final roster preparations for the longest season in sports.
Here’s a look at the top sleepers, players who I believe are currently undervalued on the fantasy market.
Catcher: Mike Napoli, Rangers
Despite playing in a pitcher-friendly ballpark in an injury-ravaged lineup, Napoli blasted 26 home runs last season.
Now he heads from the Angels to Texas (via Toronto), where he joins perhaps the best lineup in the most favorable American League hitter’s park. Napoli should have no problem leading all catchers in home runs for the second straight season.
In fact, we expect Napoli to reach 30 round-trippers for the first time in his career. Our hope is that he will earn some additional at-bats as a designated hitter when he earns a day off behind the plate.
First Base: Adam Dunn, White Sox
This slugger has had no fewer than 38 home runs in each of the past seven seasons and now he gets a chance to play in a sensational hitter’s park.
Dunn should have no issue surpassing 40 home runs and 100-plus RBI. While a common concern may be his batting average, it’s worth noting that Dunn is a significantly better player in the first half of the season than the second half. In other words, he has tired down the stretch for most of his career.
Perhaps now that Dunn will be used mostly as a designated hitter it will keep him fresh and allow the slugger to offer an average north of .270 from the south side of Chicago.
Second Base: Rickie Weeks, Brewers
Finally healthy last season, Weeks showed us what the baseball world had been missing when he was sidelined with injuries for several years.
Weeks matched Robinson Cano with 29 home runs and had more runs scored and more stolen bases than the Yankees’ MVP candidate. Yet fantasy managers are writing Weeks off this season despite the fact that he is young, bats in a solid Brewers lineup and has all five tools.
Shortstop: Stephen Drew, Diamondbacks
What’s not to like about a 28-year-old shortstop who can blast 20 home runs with 10 steals and solid run production? That’s the question I pose for fantasy managers who have opted to draft Derek Jeter several rounds earlier than Drew.
While the Diamondbacks shortstop may not have the 110 runs of Jeter, he should offer better power and similar all-around production. Of course, the biggest difference is that Drew should first just approaching his prime, while Jeter is fast approaching 40.
Third Base: Pedro Alvarez, Pirates
Last season Alvarez quietly broke into the Big Leagues with 16 home runs and 64 RBI in just 95 games.
To put that in perspective, projected over 162 games, Alvarez would have blasted 27 home runs with 109 RBI. These numbers are very much in line with the potential that Alvarez, a former second overall pick, offers.
The Pirates’ lineup is significantly improved, and while the pitching may keep the team from contention, there will be a lot of wins compiled in fantasy baseball thanks to the production of Alvarez and his teammates.
Outfield: Adam Lind, Blue Jays
Though he is fresh off a ghastly 2010 season, fantasy managers should also take into account his 2009 season when Lind seemed to be en route to stardom with 35 home runs, 114 RBI, and a .305 batting average.
At just 27-years-old, this left-handed hitter will make himself at home at first base in 2011, after struggling in the outfield in recent seasons. Considering he has offered his best Ted Williams impression so far this spring, Lind is a solid sleeper pick.
Starting Pitcher: Jered Weaver, Angels
The 28-year-old turned a corner last season, evolving into more of a strikeout artist, as his K’s soared form 174 in 2009 to 233 last season.
He is young, in his prime and calls home to a great pitcher’s park and yet somehow fantasy managers have not warmed up to the hard-throwing right-hander.
It’s doesn’t hurt that Weaver now has three stellar gloves manning the outfielder for the Angels.
Relief Pitcher: John Axford, Brewers
The hard-throwing right-hander only came away with 24 saves last season, but that was a result of the Brewers helping Trevor Hoffman reach 600 career saves.
Axford was dominant when on the hill with a stellar strikeout ratio and solid ERA. Considering the improvements to the Brewers starting rotation, Axford could be in line for many more saves this season.