X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Five Under the Radar Shortstops - Sleeper Keepers for 2014 Fantasy Baseball

By Alorrigan (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Session 5! Look at what you’ve learned so far: Ike Davis doesn’t have eight hairy legs (1B Sleeper Keepers) and bite people while they sleep, Brandon Phillips is overrated (2B Sleeper Keepers) - did we talk about that? If not, we should have, Brett Lawrie is going to bust loose in 2014 (3B Sleeper Keepers), and the catcher position (Catcher Sleeper Keepers) has more available swingers than a country bar on payday Friday. It’s good to see you smile! After our next session, you’ll be completely fantasy baseball healed! I don’t want to use any counseling theories or techniques in our session today. Between you and me, I consider myself eclectic. Shhh! That’s a bad word in my profession. Our shortstops happen to share the same mindset. Many of them are transforming a formerly weak position.

Hanley Ramirez, Troy Tulowitzki, Jose Reyes and Ian Desmond are the cream of this crop. With the exception of Desmond, there are some major injury histories to consider with these guys. Age is creeping up on all of them, which means the time is ripe for a changing of the guard. The shortstops listed below, all of whom are 25 and under, will come at a much lower price. They’re all ready to stop being spoon fed.

 

Five Shortstops to Target in Keeper Leagues

 

Andrelton Simmons

The 24-year-old defensive whiz disappointed the Braves at the plate in 2013…..but only every other month. In between, especially in July and September, the kid known mostly for his glove pulled out his driver and nailed some tee shots. For the season, he hit .248 with a very surprising 17 HR (he hit only 6 in 930 minor league at-bats). Ten of those homers came in July and September. Simmons stole only 6 bases last year, but his 54 minor league swipes attest to his speed. He also struck out only 9% of the time, phenomenal for a young hitter. It would be a shame to miss out on this guy when his speed and power level out.

 

By Alorrigan (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Jean Segura

A scorekeeper’s nightmare, the soon-to-be 24-year-old Brewers shortstop managed to steal second base and be thrown out at second base in the span of about ten pitches. Click here to watch this oddity. Not nightmarish to fantasy owners, however, was Segura’s stat line during the ’13 season. He led his position with 42 SB and 10 triples, hit .294, and turned in a .752 OPS. That’s the good news. The bad news is he hit .325 with 11 HR prior to the All Star break and .241 with 1 HR afterward. He also batted .301 with 10 of his 12 HR coming when nobody was on base. No matter. This guy has the talent to hit near .300 and go 20/40 for years. Gimme Gimme.

 

Brad Miller

The fantasy community is buzzing about this 24-year-old Mariner. Called up in June last year, he stroked 8 HR, scored 41 times, legged out 6 triples and stole 5 bases in 306 at bats. He also hit .265, which is very respectable for a rookie…especially one who contributes in all categories. A lefty batter, Miller held his own in 100 AB against southpaws (.270 BA). He’ll likely be the Mariners leadoff hitter. A great guy to keep on the cheap.

 

Xander Bogaerts

Red Sox players rarely escape the spotlight. The only hesitation with Bogaerts, as of this writing, is Stephen Drew. If the Sox re-sign Drew, Bogaerts will likely battle Will Middlebrooks for the 3B spot in Beantown, and find time when others site There’s a lot of talent here, but also a lot of questions as far as playing time. Regardless, Bogaerts is one of the top young talents in the game, so even if he doesn't become a mainstay in the lineup until later in the summer, he draft price makes him a fantastic value this year and in the future.

 

Extra Sleeper: Chris Owings

Chris Owings’s offense vs. Didi Gregorius’s defense is the dilemma in Arizona. Owings, who has power and speed, is clearly the best fantasy option. If the D-Backs go with him, you might want to jump in as well.

 

That’s it for today. Next, we’ll run through the outfield and then you’ll be good to fly on your own. What’s that? You want to know about pitchers? Remind me to refer you to Reid Contini for that specific need. I don’t mess with guys who only work once every five days. See you soon

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Davis Bertans8 mins ago

Listed As Probable For Friday
Dario Saric24 mins ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Jonathan Kuminga39 mins ago

Questionable For Warriors Friday
Lauri Markkanen54 mins ago

Questionable Against Houston
Justin Steele59 mins ago

Exits Thursday's Start
Richaun Holmes1 hour ago

Out Versus Pistons
Luka Doncic1 hour ago

On The Injury Report For Friday
David Bednar1 hour ago

Still Dealing With Lat Injury
Rudy Gobert1 hour ago

Might Miss Friday's Game
Tyus Jones1 hour ago

Unavailable For Friday
Jaden Ivey2 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Rhys McKee2 hours ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Anthony Edwards2 hours ago

Uncertain For Friday Night
Chidi Njokuani2 hours ago

Drops Back Down To Welterweight At UFC Atlantic City
Kyle Nelson2 hours ago

An Underdog Again At UFC Atlantic City
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander2 hours ago

Doubtful For Friday Night
Bill Algeo2 hours ago

Eyes Sixth UFC Win
Joaquin Buckley2 hours ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Quentin Grimes2 hours ago

Ruled Out Friday
Vicente Luque2 hours ago

Gets Short-Notice Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
LeBron James2 hours ago

Questionable Against Indiana
Taj Gibson2 hours ago

Out Friday Against Wizards
Anthony Davis2 hours ago

Questionable Versus Indiana
Eduardo Rodriguez3 hours ago

Could Throw Off Mound In 5-7 Days
Max Kepler3 hours ago

Leaves On Opening Day With Injury
Nick Senzel3 hours ago

Suffers Broken Thumb
Jason Foley3 hours ago

Earns The Save For Tigers
Dejounte Murray3 hours ago

Available Versus Boston
Xavier Tillman3 hours ago

Sr. Cleared For Thursday Night
Al Horford3 hours ago

Won't Face The Hawks
Jrue Holiday3 hours ago

Available On Thursday
Tarik Skubal4 hours ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes4 hours ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis4 hours ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Max Scherzer6 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw6 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler6 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager6 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz6 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Alex Caruso6 hours ago

Ayo Dosunmu Probable Friday
Darius Garland7 hours ago

Probable Against 76ers
Bryan Reynolds8 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jordan Romano10 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Gerrit Cole10 hours ago

Yankees Put Gerrit Cole On 60-Day Injured List
Elly De La Cruz10 hours ago

Batting In Six-Hole On Opening Day
Anthony Rendon10 hours ago

Hitting Leadoff On Opening Day
Wander Franco11 hours ago

Placed On Administrative Leave
Aaron Ekblad11 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov11 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto11 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin11 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard11 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins11 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist12 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear12 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
TJ Friedl1 day ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson1 day ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen1 day ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers1 day ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers1 day ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers1 day ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers1 day ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels1 day ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby1 day ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds1 day ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA1 day ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry1 day ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan1 day ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg1 day ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord1 day ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder2 days ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF