"Wins" is the "runs scored" of pitching stats - overshadowed, grammatically awkward and often an afterthought on draft day. Most owners figure that drafting good pitchers will automatically translate into more wins. Well, that's partially true, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. Similar to runs scored, there are many external factors that contribute to a pitchers win totals, which is a large reason why many leagues have done away with the statistic entirely. The chief variable is the strength of the team on which a pitcher may find himself. Good teams win games and good pitchers generally benefit from that.

Ultimately, the pitchers who garner the highest win totals at season's end are, quite simply, the league's best pitchers. This fact makes it difficult to qualify many of the league's top win-earners as sleepers. However, there are plenty of consistent options on the league's top teams that will be overlooked come draft day, or at least undervalued. Plus, there are a variety of others facets that may help predict which perennially middling talents will excel in the win column.

Starting Pitcher Sleepers for Wins

Marco Estrada, Toronto Blue Jays

After seven years of mediocrity in the National League, a 31 year-old Marco Estrada put up the best numbers of his career in the 2015 American League. With an average ADP of 236.6 heading into 2016, the now 32 year-old Estrada presents a strong argument for sleeper status in multiple categories. Chiefly, Estrada was top-10 in the MLB last year with a 1.04 WHIP. Though it may be a fluke, that's a pretty impressive feat to go along with the lowest 9xH/IP, or hit rate per inning, in the league at 6.7. Accompanied by a 3.13 ERA, Estrada was quietly one of the most efficient pitchers in the AL in 2015.

You know what helps a pitcher earns wins? A dump truck full of runs. Take the efficiency of Estrada and add 891 runs of offense. That's how many runs the Blue Jays scored in 2015, 127 more than the second-place Yankees. The offensive explosion in Toronto helped Estrada to 13 wins last season, the highest total of his career. As if this situation could get any sweeter, the Jays added Drew Storen in the offseason to help strengthen the bullpen in addition to incumbent relievers Roberto Osuna and Brett Cecil. If Estrada can continue to keep runners off the base paths in 2016, there will be a wealth of wins to show for it.

Doug Fister, Houston Astros

You never know what you're going to get with Fister. The 6'8" ground ball specialist witnessed two completely different seasons in 2014 and 2015, both with the Nationals. In 2014, Fister put up the best numbers of his career, posting a 2.41 ERA (6th in the MLB) while racking up 16 wins. Everything fell apart in 2015, as Fister found himself relegated to the bullpen after recording a 4.19 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. By season's end, there were few fantasy rosters that found a home for Fister.

Now he has the chance to start anew with the Houston Astros, a team that won 86 games last year and an offense that clobbered 230 home runs. There's no denying that the inconsistency of Fister makes him a risky pickup - especially with the depth of the Astros rotation. Though the 32 year-old currently finds himself occupying the fourth-spot, (third-spot for as long as Lance McCullers remains sidelined with shoulder soreness) Scott Feldman and Mike Fiers are both lurking right behind him. Another performance like that of 2015 could quickly land Fister back in the bullpen again. However, with Houston's stellar defensive infield (as compared to Washington's putrid unit) Fister's ground balls should be in much safer hands, leading to successful numbers in 2016. His current average ADP is 310, making him a worthy gamble in the later rounds of the draft.

John Lackey, Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are predicted to win more than 100 games this year. We all know that Jake Arrieta and John Lester will rack up a bunch of those wins. John Lackey, the wily veteran and former teammate of Lester, knows how to win games, as he has reached double-digit totals in each of his last 13 full campaigns. Much of Lackey's success can be attributed to his placement on winning teams for the better part of the last decade, including the past eight years between the Red Sox and the Cardinals. Well, the fortunate 37 year-old has now found himself on another club with a victorious pedigree, at least as of late.

It's not just a happy coincidence that makes Lackey a tantalizing choice heading into 2016. The Texas native posted some of the best numbers of his career in 2015, including a career-best 2.77 ERA in 218.0 innings pitched, his highest total since 2007. He showed last year that he's still got plenty left in the tank. Lackey will be worth owning until he proves otherwise. There is little threat from the pitchers behind him, as there is a steep drop off from the Cubs top-3 to Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel. With an average ADP of 160.2, Lackey can be a reliable mid-round choice for a steady influx of wins and consistent pitching.

Nathan Eovaldi, New York Yankees

Eovaldi is an outlier on this list, as his pure pitching stats leave little to be desired. With a career ERA of 4.10 and career WHIP sitting at 1.40, Eovaldi is a pitcher who would normally find himself dwelling on the waiver wire. Yet somehow, even though his 2015 numbers were worse than his career averages, (4.20 ERA and 1.451 WHIP) Eovaldi managed a 14-3 record by season's end. His .824 winning percentage was second behind Zack Greinke. In that traditional ol' Yankee spirit, the man just knows how to win.

Sure, that win total is most likely a fluke and is bound to regress in 2016. However, the factor that makes Eovaldi such a valuable sleeper is the potency of the Yankees new bullpen. With an All-Star trio of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and newcomer Aroldis Chapman, taking a lead into the seventh inning becomes an almost guaranteed win for Yankees starters. That is a feat that Eovaldi achieved 11-of-26 times in 2015. If the young hurler can continue to keep the ball in the infield for six or more innings, he should easily achieve double-digit win totals in 2o16. Though his peripheral stats make him less than enchanting, he will come at a reasonably cheap price on draft day with an average ADP of 279.3.

Check out RotoBaller's entire 2016 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!

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