X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Early Look at ADP Sleepers: Undervalued Players

By shgmom56 on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as "DSC03065") [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Vasont Miller's analysis on 2014 ADP sleepers and undervalued fantasy baseball players for your fantasy drafts. These sleepers can help you win on draft day.

Let's face it. The beauty of fantasy baseball is the daily nature and commitment it takes to watch game after game. There are constant lineup shifts, call-ups of young stud prospects, and rotating of starting pitchers that make the game more intriguing than most other fantasy sports. It's no surprise then, that to perennially compete, you have to look beyond just being a waiver wire hound and find the next great surprise before the rest of the league catches wind. You have to find value in the draft.

In no fantasy sport is there more hidden value in the draft than in fantasy baseball. Rosters are bigger, and there are simply more positions. So-called experts can't predict everything, and that leads to sneaky picks in later rounds that will lead you to championship glory. Here is a look at four undervalued players based on mockdraftcentral.com's latest Average Draft Position (ADP) report.

 

Draft Day Sleepers - Undervalued ADPs

Jose Quintana - SP, Chicago White Sox

rotoballer-fantasy-baseball-advice-jose-quintana

It's kind of shocking to see where Jose Quintana, who went 9-7, with a 3.51 ERA, and 164 k's, is going in mockdraftcentral's report. Couple those statistics with 200 innings pitched, and the fact he just turned 25, and it's obvious Quintana is just rolling into his stride as a big leaguer. He is currently sitting at pick 294 overall, and pick 79 in starting pitchers.

Last season ended up being Quintana's first full season after 22 starts in 2012. He is only getting better, and closer to his minor league peripherals of a 2.76 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 10.0 K/9, and he's got a younger, more athletic team playing defense behind him in 2014. You'd be doing yourself a favor and take a sure thing in Quintana over the unproven and/or erratic likes of Michael Pineda, Ubaldo Jimenez (who is still without a team, no less), or Jonathon Niese - all going ahead of Quintana.

 

Jaime Garcia - SP, St. Louis Cardinals

2010: 13-8, 2.70 ERA, 132 strikeouts in 163 innings. 2011: 13-7, 3.56 ERA, 156 strikeouts in 194 innings. Those were Jaime Garcia's numbers prior to two injury plagued seasons, and two surgeries. Even with shoulder issues worse than anyone realized in those shortened seasons, Garcia maintained an ERA under 4, along with a steady 7 k's per 9 innings. Coming in to 2014, Garcia appears healthy coming off of May surgery, and has a likely number two or number three spot in the rotation of the National League Champions, and number one scoring offense in the NL. He's a proven winner when healthy with the statistics to back it up, and he's being taken 399th overall, and 118th among starting pitchers. That's simply crazy. People have forgotten about Jaime Garcia. You should not on draft day.

 

Kole Calhoun - OF, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

If you read my previous piece on impact prospect outfielders, you'd know I am very high on Kole Calhoun in 2014. In his short 58 game stint with the big club in 2013, Calhoun batted .282, with 8 HR, and 32 RBI. Those numbers, averaged over an entire MLB season, would seem to fall right in line with his minor league peripherals of .324 BA, 22 HR, 99 RBI, .410 OBP, and .547 SLG in 2011, and .298 BA, 14 HR, 73, RBI, .369 OBP, and .507 SLG in 2012 (in 100 less at bats than 2011, due to a cup of coffee in Anaheim). Take those peripherals, Calhoun's major league experience and success, and the knowledge of a starting gig in 2014; and Calhoun should certainly be taken prior to his current ADP of 166th overall, and 45th amongst outfielders. Look for Calhoun in your draft before taking the likes of Brett Gardner (ADP 43/154), Martin Prado (39/143), or Alejandro De Aza (38/135) - all being taken before Calhoun.

 

Brad Miller - SS, Seattle Mariners

Shortstop has been a notoriously tough spot in regards to positional scarcity in fantasy baseball. While the outlook is not quite as dire in 2014, you don't want to be on the outside looking in when attempting to fill a position that hasn't always been known for consistent offensive output. The Seattle Mariners' Brad Miller got his call in June of 2013, and gave the Mariners, and savvy fantasy owners, a small taste of what he was capable of. While his line of .265 BA, 8 HR, and 36 RBI isn't exactly eye popping, note that it was done in only 306 at bats. Look for Miller to lock down his starting gig in Seattle out of spring training, and look for him to get on base at a clip closer to his minor league OBP of .409. He's currently being taken 231st overall, and 19th amongst shortstops. His peripherals show that, over a full season, he gets on base at a better clip and has more pop than Jean Segura, Andrelton Simmons, and Billy Hamilton; and he's in a greatly improved lineup that will allow for more opportunities to drive in runs and score. He is undervalued, if valued at all. Look for Miller as a sneaky bench stash that could potentially turn into the steal of your draft later in the season.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Departs Monday with Quad Injury
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Jason Adam

Diagnosed With Ruptured Left Quadriceps Tendon
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Scratched on Monday
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Edward Cabrera

Heading to Injured List With Elbow Sprain
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Harry Ford

Called Up for Major-League Debut
Victor Scott II

Activated From Injured List
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Dealing With Hamstring Tightness, Expects to Play Monday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Agrees to a One-Year Contract with Milwaukee
Kyrie Irving

"Healing Up Great"
Dante Exum

Mavs Agree on a One-Year Deal
Jaylen Warren

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Steelers
De'Von Achane

Practicing Monday, on Track to Play in Week 1
Quinshon Judkins

Could Report to Browns This Week
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs, Trent McDuffie Not Expected to Finalize Extension
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Dameon Pierce

Ahead of Schedule, Ready for Season
Jordan Love

May Wear Thumb Brace During Season
Matt Chapman

Leaves Early on Sunday, Expects to Play Monday
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic to Miss the Rest of EuroBasket
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington
Dallas Mavericks

Olivier-Maxence Prosper Waived by the Mavs
Lauri Markkanen

Dominant in Win Over Great Britain

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP