March 6, 2016

Alex Brock analyzes five players who could provide sneaky help in runs scored (R) for the 2016 fantasy baseball season. These players could be sleepers.

Bringing runs across the plate is often seen as a one dimensional facet of the game. The guys who swat the RBI are saluted while many fantasy owners forget about the valuable run scored, an unglamorous statistic. I guess the R column just isn't as sexy as the HR or the SB.

Overlooking the runs scored category is a grave mistake, as it is just as valuable as any other aspect of fantasy baseball. When searching for runs scored sleepers, there are a few key aspects to keep in mind. First of all, many of the top run scorers in the league are, quite simply, the league's best players.

The best hitters in the league tend to cross the plate more often than others. Thus, there are few sleepers to be found among that class. However, plenty of cheap runs can be found among leadoff men on high-powered teams. Place in the lineup is essential for runs scored. Leadoff hitters tend to have a lot in common with six and seven spot hitters, often separated by just a few points in OBP.

Rather than frantically searching 'who will lead off for the Blue Jays this year' while the draft clock is ticking, we did the work for you. Although many questions still loom over the 2016 season, a few gems shine through the rest.

Editor's note: Read about more draft values and sleepers with our daily updated list. Make sure to also bookmark our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. Our rankings assistant tool consolidates all our staff ranks in one easy place. Filter, sort, and export various rankings for various leagues - mixed leagues, AL/NL only, top prospects, dynasty, keeper values, and more. And it's all 100% free!

2016 Sleepers in the Runs Scored Category

Dexter Fowler (OF, CHC)

2015 Runs Scored: 102

After a brief flirt with a contract among the high-powered Orioles offense, Dexter Fowler landed himself right back at home, or at least his home for the past year. While the Cubs clubbers may not have as much firepower as the likes of Chris Davis and Adam Jones, they are projected to be the best team in baseball this year. That translates to a lot of runs for Fowler at the top of the order. The speedster from Atlanta was one of just 13 players to record over 100 runs in 2015 with a supporting cast of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and (later in the year) Kyle Schwarber batting behind him. As if that weren't good enough, the club added Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward in the offseason, meaning the hits should be rolling in, giving Fowler plenty of chances to score when he finds himself on base. Fortunately, Fowler carries a career .363 OBP heading into 2016.

Denard Span (OF, SF)

2015 Runs Scored: 38

Denard Span probably isn't being given much credit in pre-draft rankings. Our very own RotoBaller rankers must have forgotten to include the beleaguered outfielder in their top-300. Or perhaps his horribly injury-plagued 2015 scared them off, as it did most MLB teams during the offseason. After leading the NL in hits in 2014, Span's body betrayed him in a contract year involving three trips to the DL for abdominal strains, back spasms and, ultimately, offseason hip surgery. That is not a pretty list. On the contrary, San Francisco's offense is looking very pretty this year, with no real weaknesses in the lineup. There are no true sluggers either, but that should be fine if Span can make his way to second base regularly. In 2014, Span finished top-10 in the MLB in doubles (39) and stolen bases (31). If he can approach anywhere near that level of production, he will be well worth his low price come draft day, with a healthy collection of runs to boot. The first step is staying healthy. At 31 years-old, the wily Tampa native should have a few good years left in the tank.

Side note: Former Nationals teammate Anthony Rendon is another good sleeper for runs in 2016. Similar to Span, Rendon was never fully himself in 2015 with a litany of injuries holding him back. In Washington's stunning 2014 run, Rendon finished third in the MLB with 111 trips across the plate. Look for him to bounce back with a healthy 2016 campaign. As of now, our RotoBaller experts have him ranked at #68.

Curtis Granderson (OF, NYM)

2015 Runs Scored: 98

Grandy is no spring chicken, but he can still do the two most important aspects of a leadoff man's job: get on base and get across the plate. At the age of 34, Granderson finished among the top-15 in runs scored in 2015 with 98 and posted a .364 OBP, good for 25th in the league among qualified hitters. This is impressive not only in light of Grandy's age, but also because the Mets sported one of the worst offenses in baseball for a good chunk of the season and placed 28th in runs scored before the All-Star break. In that first half of the season, Granderson came home just 42 times, compared to 56 in the second half. I wonder what changed?

Now I remember! Yoenis Cespedes showed up and swatted 44 RBI in just 57 games, bringing Granderson across the plate 12 times, accounting for almost all of those extra second half runs. The good news is that Cespedes will be sticking around for a full year and the team found a suitable replacement for Daniel Murphy in the form of one Neil Walker. His age will catch up to him gradually, but Granderson can still be a nice steal in the later rounds for a reliable source of runs on a team with a lot to play for.

Ben Revere (OF, WSH)

2015 Runs Scored: 84

This is the year the Nationals finally take the next step and assert themselves as title contenders! We've all heard this enough over the past few years to give the prophecy any thought. Still, the Nats have made some strong moves this offseason to help bolster an offense that struggled mightily in 2015. One of those key acquisitions is speedy outfielder Ben Revere, who is undervalued in a variety of measurements. Essentially, Revere replaces Span's role in Washington's lineup. It is worth noting that Revere differs from Span in a few significant areas.

His health is more reliable. Revere shared the 2014 NL batting title with Span as the two outfielders flashed 184 hits each. However, Revere was able to keep the hits coming in 2015, maintaining a .306 BA in 152 games between the Phillies and Blue Jays. Also, Revere is one of the most agile players in the league, averaging 35.2 stolen bases per year in the past five seasons. More trips to second base translates to more runs scored.

There are a few drawbacks to Revere's game. Namely, he possesses no power whatsoever. Of his 184 hits in 2014, only 22 went for extra bases, resulting in a paltry .361 slugging percentage as compared to a .416 figure for Span in the same year. Who cares, right? As long as he can get on base he's doing his job as a leadoff man. Unfortunately, he's not too extraordinary at that either. Despite recording a .305 or better BA for the past three seasons, Revere boasts a mediocre .328 career OBP, well below to valued threshold for a leadoff hitter. He just doesn't get walks. These types of figures will help keep his value low on draft day. Remember that Bryce Harper will be lurking two spots behind him, making a steady stream of runs imminent if Revere can get on base sufficiently.

Dalton Pompey/Devon Travis (OF/2B, TOR)

2015 Runs Scored: 17/38

Listen - someone has to lead off this Toronto lineup and whoever it is will score loads of runs. I mean A TON of runs. The Blue Jays lead the league in runs scored in 2015 with 891. That's 127 more runs than the second place Yankees. A large portion of those runs can be attributed to the likes of AL MVP Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Toronto had no stability at the leadoff position in 2015. Jose Reyes occupied the spot before he got traded, Devon Travis dabbled there between injuries and Ben Revere took the reigns to close out the season. Well, only one of those players remains on the roster (Travis) and even he will miss the start of the season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. It's possible that he will resume the duties upon his projected return in late-May, but someone has to occupy the spot until then.

It's possible that the job will go to Troy Tulowitzki, who led off the Jays for most of August before Revere took over. If that's the case it's a moot point, as Tulo can hardly be considered a sleeper. However, there is a distinct possibility that young prospect Dalton Pompey can earn the job in spring training and cling on to it for a decent chunk of the season. With his skill set (high OBP and good speed) Pompey will make an excellent leadoff man once his abilities have developed to a Major League level. The Jays thought that 2015 might be the season Pompey took the next step, but he faltered. If the Candian-born outfielder can hang on this year, he will be a prime candidate for a boatload of runs. Both he and Travis will likely be taken near the end of the draft (Pompey likely won't be taken at all in most formats). It might be worth your while to scoop them both up late and mix and match as the season wears on.

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