Like many fantasy writers, I've expressed reservations about what the term "sleeper" even means anymore. So let's quantify it for purposes of this article.

Any player outside the top 100 who has potential to turn a significant profit relative to their ADP qualifies. All ADP figures are courtesy of FantasyPros.

Today we'll cover potential outfield bargains in the AL, and tomorrow we'll look at the Senior Circuit. Be sure to also check out more of our draft sleeper articles, which will continue to roll in until the season starts.

 

American League Outfield Sleepers

Adam Eaton - OF, CHW

ADP: 112

For your consideration:

Player	ADP	BA	R	RBI	HR	SB
Adam Eaton	112	0.287	98	56	14	18
Mookie Betts	20	0.291	92	77	18	21

 
The point here isn't that Eaton is Betts' equal. When you factor in things like age, injury history, and even team context, it's obvious why fantasy owners are betting big (sorry) on Mookie and letting Eaton fall into the middle rounds. But...well, those numbers are fairly similar. Similar enough that Eaton is arguably a better investment from a pure profit perspective.

Maybe you don't buy the power, given that Eaton hit only six homers in his first 928 MLB plate appearances. But just three of those 14 bombs were classified as "Just Enough" by HitTracker. While you're at it, take a look at the batted ball distance leaderboards over at Baseball Heat Maps and you'll see that Eaton and Betts had essentially identical marks. After his scorching second half (.904 OPS, eight homers, 13 steals), it's surprising that Eaton isn't getting more attention in early drafts.

 

Josh Reddick - OF, OAK

ADP: 207

Did you know that over the last four seasons, Josh Reddick is 24th among all outfielders in home runs? He's got more than Matt Holliday, Shin-Soo Choo, and Alex Gordon among others. Back in 2012, he hit 32 homers, stole 11 bases, and totaled 170 R+RBI. Last season, he went 20/10 with 144 R+RBI. Of course, the intervening years were injury-plagued and not very good, but Reddick obviously has the talent to be a fantasy asset.

What's interesting is that his strikeout rate has steadily decreased over that four-year span. In 2012, Reddick whiffed on 22.4% of his trips to the plate. Last season, exactly half that. The secret? He quit swinging so much, particularly early in the count and at pitches low and away. Pretty simple, huh? Assuming health - admittedly a tricky thing with him - Reddick offers pop and speed in the back half of the draft.

 

Steven Souza - OF, TB

ADP: 218

Had he not missed 50 games with finger and wrist injuries, Souza had a decent chance at a 20/20 season last year. Of course, that category juice also came saddled with a .225 average. Souza is a textbook three true outcomes hitter - he walked, struck out, or homered in just over 48 percent of his plate appearances as a rookie. Only nine players made less contact than Souza (minimum 400 PA). He obviously carries much more value in leagues that count OBP instead of AVG, but he's worth rostering even in standard leagues if you can absorb the latter. Power and speed combos aren't exactly easy to find after pick 200, after all. Particularly if you missed out on Reddick.

Steamer thinks Souza can cut down on the Ks. If he can do that and avoid the disabled list in 2016, he'll return a nice profit at his current price. Should you find yourself well-stocked with high-average hitters as the draft wears on, Souza would make a fine addition to your fake baseball team.

 

Delino DeShields - OF, TEX

ADP: 235

So DeShields is fast. Like, really fast. He isn't quite on Billy Hamilton's level - few mortals are - but like Hamilton, he has a 100 SB season on his minor league resume. And unlike Hamilton, he can actually hit a little. As a rookie, he posted a .261/.344/.374 line with 83 runs in 121 games. The OBP probably tipped you off as to his plate discipline; he maintained the double-digit walk rate he carried throughout his minor league career. He only stole 25 bases, true, but he was on a 50-steal pace before suffering a hamstring injury. 40-plus swipes are definitely on the table, along with 100 runs if he keeps his spot near the top of the Rangers lineup.

Stolen bases were more difficult to find on the waiver wire than usual last season. There's no guarantee that will continue, of course, but you might want to invest a little more in speed just in case. If you're going to do that though, why pay a premium for Hamilton, whose ADP is just inside the top 100? DeShields is barely a blip on the radar for most owners right now. Take advantage.

 

Aaron Hicks - OF, NYY

ADP: 289

Hicks was dealt from the Twins to the Yankees back in November. Though Hicks was a first round pick and a well-regarded prospect, he's 26 years old and hasn't amounted to much in the majors yet. He'll also start the year as New York's fourth outfielder. So why are we talking about him? Well, he managed to hit 11 homers and steal 13 bases in only 390 plate appearances last year, for one. He did that while shaving eight points off of his K% and maintaining a solid walk rate. Oh, and this all came against increased quality of competition. Now he's moving from Target Field to Yankee Stadium, which could give him a further boost in the power department.

As for his path to playing time? Jacoby Ellsbury has missed an average of 54 games per season this decade and turns 33 in September. Carlos Beltran will 39 in April and has missed his fair share of time over the last few seasons as well. He's also declined defensively, against lefties, and on the bases. Hicks happens to grade out well in all of those areas. Then consider Joe Girardi's affinity for playing matchups, and it's not hard at all to envision Hicks cobbling together enough plate appearances to be relevant in most formats. He likely won't even be drafted in most leagues.

 

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