Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Come away from your draft with these late-round sleepers.
While fantasy football leagues can be won and lost in the early draft rounds, it tends to be the latter half of the selection process where savvy owners separate themselves from the pack.
Average draft position (ADP) figures can vary wildly from service to service, so we’re using an aggregate of four prominent sites to establish as close to a uniform valuation as possible.
Let’s dive into the top-12 targets for success after Round 8 in conventional PPR redraft leagues.
Analyzing five of the best fantasy baseball sleeper candidates for the 2020 MLB season who can help you win your league.
The fantasy baseball season is nearly upon us with spring training well underway. Below, we look at five fantasy baseball options for the 2020 MLB season that can help you win your league.
Not all fantasy baseball sleepers lists are the same, with the term being left open for interpretation. Here, we’re looking at players who will offer value relative to their draft position, whether that be in the middle or later rounds.
Upton is set to return from a 2019 season in which he was limited to just 63 games due to toe and knee injuries. He was able to hit 12 home runs in 256 plate appearances, but he posted a slash line of just .215/.309/.416 with all three figures falling well below his career averages. He posted higher rates of both fly balls and hard contact.
He’s expected to hit fifth in 2020, and he will have plenty of RBI opportunities with Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani lined up ahead of him. Returns from injury typically represent good value on draft day, and Upton is one of this season’s prime examples.
Shaw is coming off a poor 2019 season with the Milwaukee Brewers, as he hit just seven home runs in 86 games. He totaled 63 homers over the previous two seasons and is now the veteran presence in a young, loaded, Blue Jays lineup.
Shaw is expected to be the everyday first baseman and will have plenty of opportunities in Toronto, while also being able to fill in at 3B or 2B. He hit fewer ground balls with more fly balls in his limited action last year, and he should be able to return to the 30-home run tier in the very hitter-friendly Rogers Centre.
Madison Bumgarner was signed to be the new ace of the Diamondbacks’ rotation in 2020 and beyond. Robbie Ray returns as a strong No. 2, and Mike Leake and Luke Weaver help to round out the five-man group with Gallen.
Gallen, a Class AAA star in the Miami Marlins organization last year, is going overlooked. He struck out 10.8 batters per nine innings over 15 MLB starts with the Marlins and Diamondbacks last season. While he allowed 4.05 walks per nine innings, he limited damage by giving up just 0.90 home runs per nine. Keeping the ball in the park will be an essential skill at Chase Field.
Positional eligibility is a major asset in all fantasy baseball formats, and Happ’s ability to move around the field will allow him to stay in the Cubs lineup on most days in 2020.
He was sent back to Class AAA for a large portion of the 2019 campaign following strong 2017 and 2018 seasons in the majors. He totaled 27 homers and 11 stolen bases in 157 combined games across the two levels.
Smith is going overlooked in the powerful Dodgers lineup. Despite the fact he’s almost sure to be stuck in the bottom third of the batting order all season, the 24-year-old catcher should finish the season as one of the top options at the thin position. He’ll have men on base more often than not when stepping up to the plate, and his 15 home runs in 54 MLB games last year had him on a 40-homer pace.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire.
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