We shall rejoice! Baseball is officially back. Just a few days ago the owners and players agreed upon a new collective bargaining agreement. Baseball will begin April 7th with all 162 games set to play! After a long 99 days, we can now breathe a sigh of relief. With baseball back, fantasy baseball is on our minds. Let’s talk some more sleepers!
Just as he has done in years past, Nate will bring his favorite sleepers per position of the upcoming fantasy baseball season. For each position he will offer three sleepers, with outfielders, starting and relief pitchers seeing five suggestions. He’ll take into consideration both points and category leagues in his suggestions.
So far in this series, we’ve touched on catchers and first basemen. Catcher is a position you can wait on in fantasy baseball and really look for those sleepers to fill that position. As we mentioned last week (link can be found to both previous articles at the bottom of this article,) first base is a position that you cannot wait on. Now we’re onto second base, another position that you can wait on. There are much more important positions that I would focus on early in drafts before thinking about second base. This is always a deep position without much disparity between the bottom and top of the position, unlike positions such as first base. We’ll give three sleepers who we would be comfortable leaving your draft with as your top second basemen.
Kolten Wong (Milwaukee Brewers)
Position Rank: 25th
ADP: 237th
2021 Stats: .272 BA, 445 AB, 70 R, 14 HR, 50 RBI, 12 SB & .783 OPS
When it comes to the middle of the infield, including second base, I like to not only wait on the position in my drafts, but look for those coveted stolen bases. You won’t be finding those 20-plus base stealing guys this late, but you can find a guy in the 19th round of 12 man leagues who can flirt with 15 stolen bases. On top of that, Wong is a good hitter, period. He hits for a good average and with the way the Brewers’ are bettering themselves, I think this team is a bit of a sleeper in themselves. Wong is also a Gold Glove caliber second baseman so it’s not like he’ll be missing much time at the top the Brewers’ lineup.
Kike Hernandez (Boston Red Sox)
Position Rank: 27th
ADP: 268th
2021 Stats: .250 BA, 508 AB, 84 R, 20 HR, 60 RBI, 1 SB & .786 OPS
Kike Hernandez is one of the pieces the Boston Red Sox acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Mookie Betts trade. Hernandez had a good first season in Boston. Not only was he a postseason hero for the club, he was a good regular season being the Red Sox everyday second baseman. He really took off in the second half of the season. You’re getting these numbers in the 22nd round of 12 man drafts. Either it be points leagues where Hernandez will be more important as a bit of a power guy or categories where you need more pop, he is an insane value in my opinion.
Garrett Hampson (Colorado Rockies)
Position Rank: 32nd
ADP: 304th
2021 Stats: .234 BA, 453 AB, 69R, 11 HR, 33 RBI, 17 SB & .669 OPS
Much like my suggestion of Wong, I’m again looking at the importance of stolen bases here. Hampson is a guy who you’re finding in the 25th round of 12 man leagues. He’s going to flirt with 20 stolen bases. On top of that, with the full rebuild the Rockies are going through, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to play everyday. He’ll also carry dual eligibility for both second base and outfield on some platforms. The value here this late in the draft is very good in my opinion.
Catchers: https://www.weknowfantasy.com/post/fantasy-baseball-sleepers-catchers-1
First Base: https://www.weknowfantasy.com/post/fantasy-baseball-sleepers-first-base-1
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