The 2019 Major League Baseball season has officially started. The season opened at the Tokyo Dome in Japan with the first of two games between the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners. That means Fantasy Baseball season is finally here and fantasy managers everywhere are gearing up their drafts to prepare for the new season. One of the most important part of any successful fantasy draft is knowing what sleepers and breakouts to look out for as well as potential busts to avoid. That’s why we compiled a list of the top fantasy baseball sleepers you should not be sleeping on this season.
Cesar Hernandez
Cesar Hernandez is another sleeper you should be all over this season. The Phillies second baseman had 15 home runs last season, a personal best for the player, but it also came with 155 strikeouts. While he may not be the most exciting player to have in your draft Hernandez has had a good run in his last few seasons and offers a consistency that would make him a valuable asset in anyone’s fantasy lineup. Hernandez finished last season with an impressive on-base percentage of .356, 15 home runs and 19 stolen bases. While the 28-year-old second baseman is often overshadowed by bigger names in the Phillies lineup like Jean Segura and Bryce Harper, Hernandez has the speed and firepower which make him a valuable addition to any fantasy manager’s team.
Nick Pivetta
Pivetta is one of the many players to watch this season. He had the 13th highest K/9 in the league last year with 10.3 and can put up a 3.84 FIP making the 26-year-old Phillies player a valuable starter in anyone’s fantasy team. The bookmakers have the Philadelphia Phillies as favourites to win this year, and with the support of the team’s new lineup, we can expect to see Pivetta rack up a lot of wins this season.
Chris Taylor
Another player often flying under the radar is Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Chris Taylor.
Last year Taylor improved his hard-hit contact rate from 32.4 percent in 2017 to an impressive 38.4 percent, and raised his line-drive rate from 22.6 percent to 27.5 percent. Taylor’s breakout season was in 2017 with 21 home runs and 17 steals. The 28-year-old utility man stands out as great option to target for your draft, with the potential to hit 20 or more homers. And with the support of Corey Seagar and Cody Bellinger in this lineup, Taylor has the tools and the team around him to put up some good runs and steal this season.
Pedro Strop
Pedro Strop is a seriously undervalued player that you should be taking advantage of this season in your draft. Last year Strop had a SwStr percent of 16.2 which ranked him in the top 10. Strop sat out the first week of spring games after injuring his left hamstring late last season. The Chicago Cubs player is entering the season as a closer and has a lower draft than most other closers, making him an absolute bargain and definitely a player you want to add to your lineup for some easy steals.
Alex Reyes
Alex Reyes is the very definition of a sleeper and definitely a player you want to utilise in your fantasy draft this season. The Cardinals player has had to take a backseat during the last few seasons due to injuries. Reyes had a fantastic season in 2016 with an ERA of 1.57 and a K/9 ratio of 10.2. While he is an injury risk at this point, Reyes has the potential to perform at a very high level this season.
In summary…
Well there you have it, our top picks for the Fantasy Baseball sleepers you need to snatch for your draft in the 2019 season. Hopefully you have a better idea of what to look out for when picking your fantasy lineup. Be sure to check out other posts on New Theory on all things related to business and lifestyle.
