Ask anyone their definition of sleeper and you’ll likely get different answers from a variety of fantasy baseball managers. Fact is, a sleeper is any player who will give you a great return on investment. Guys who are incredibly underrated.
Here are my first 5 to start thinking about immediately.
Photo Credit: Gety
5 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers for 15
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Gerrit Cole - Pittsburgh Pirates
Position: SP
ADP: 85
What you know: He's a top prospect that was plagued by injury last year.
What you don't know: 8th round could be seen as a slight gamble here, but this is why he's not -- he finished '14 with seven quality starts out of his final eight games. In that time, he had a 3.44 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and a 10.32 K/9. He also had no loss in velocity on his breaking pitches, signaling he was healthy. This is a kid on a good team who is ready to make the big jump into superstardom.
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Joc Pederson - Los Angeles Dodgers
Position: OF
ADP: 199
What you know: He's a rookie who is supposedly a stud.
What you don't know: This guy is so good he was almost called-up ahead of Yasiel Puig two years ago. Instead, the Dodgers let him simmer in the minors with a crowded outfield, allowing him to develop his skills further. His Pacific Coast League numbers last year were amazing: .303/.435/.582. And, he was just the fourth minor leaguer to post a 30/30 season since 2006. One of the others was George Springer. Pederson has a great shot at being a 20/20 player and being Rookie of the Year.
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Ryan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals
Position: 3B, OF
ADP: 117
What you know: He's had shoulder problems for years with an increasing K rate.
What you don't know: He's going to be eligible at first base this year, hopefully improving his health and playing time. And, he's still a .280 hitter and is just one year removed (his last healthy season) from a 25 HR campaign -- great value for an 11th rounder.
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Steven Souza - Tampa Rays
Position: OF
ADP: 246
What you know: He's the guy who saved Jordan Zimmerman's no-hitter last year.
What you don't know: Analysts love this guy. While he's almost 26 -- no young pup -- he's coming off an MVP season in the International League, batting .350 with 18 jacks and 26 stolen bases at Triple-A. The Rays are excited to have him and the buzz is he could easily have a 15/15 year -- great for a guy you could pick last in your draft.
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Zack Wheeler - New York Mets
Position: SP
ADP: 151
What you know: In his first two years he's been up and down with a mediocre 1.34 WHIP
What you don't know: His ground ball rate jumped from 43% to 54% last season, well above the league average. He was one of just three hurlers with at least 180 innings to have a 50% ground ball rate while also striking out more batters than innings pitched. The other two fellas where Felix Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw.
