We’re almost there, everybody: After a long, cold, frustratingly slow offseason, MLB’s regular season begins on Wednesday, March 20, with the Dodgers and Padres squaring off in Seoul (the 28 other teams will get things started on Thursday, March 28). With precious little time to go until Opening Day, now is the time to start cranking up your fantasy baseball drafts — and we’re here to be your one-stop shop for all things draft prep. We just recently unveiled our top 300 overall for redraft leagues in 2024, as well as top prospects to know and full previews of each position. Now it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty, the stuff that really helps you win your leagues: a list of sleepers to target at every position.
We begin with catcher, a position that still doesn’t have a ton of ceiling — seriously, please do not pay market price for Adley Rutschman’s 20 homers and fine batting average — but is much deeper than it has been in years past. We’re witnessing a changing of the guard behind the plate, and the result is several exciting young players to target later on in drafts. Let’s get to it.
Fantasy baseball sleepers: Catcher
Logan O’Hoppe, Los Angeles Angels
ADP: 196
Acquired from Philly in the Noah Syndergaard trade, O’Hoppe hit .283/.339/.547 over the first 16 games of 2023 and appeared on the verge of a breakout season … and then a torn labrum in his left shoulder kept him out for the next four months. But O’Hoppe came back and hit 10 homers over his final 35 games, with a poor .217 average explained away by a fluky low .209 BABIP. The shoulder still carries some residual risk, and he’s unlikely to be helpful to your batting average. But the power here is very real, and Ron Washington is already talking about giving him all the work he can handle behind the plate — a huge plus given the volume questions that often dog this position for fantasy. If you want a name that could come out of nowhere and produce a top-five season at the position, O’Hoppe’s your man.
Mitch Garver, Seattle Mariners
ADP: 230
I know, I know, the next time Garver puts together a healthy season — or, heck, even plays more than 100 games — will be the first time. But the Mariners already have Cal Raleigh entrenched as their primary catcher; Garver will likely only suit up behind the plate against lefties. In the meantime, he’s penciled in as the team’s everyday DH, a role that will hopefully keep him healthy and let his bat shine. And make no mistake: Garver has always been able to hit, slashing .249/.347/.479 with 42 homers in 209 games over the last three years. T-Mobile Park isn’t a great spot for power, and he’s more valuable in OBP leagues, but a 30-homer campaign is very much on table here — rare upside at this position this late in the draft.
Henry Davis, Pittsburgh Pirates
ADP: 282
This is technically cheating, given that Davis doesn’t yet have catcher eligibility for the upcoming season — he spent all of two innings behind the plate in his MLB debut last year. But he’ll check that box almost immediately in 2024, especially given Endy Rodriguez’s elbow injury over the winter, and once he does he belongs on your radar as a bargain-basement option with legitimate top-10 upside at the position. Yes, Davis struggled in his first taste of the Majors, hitting .213/.302/.351. But this guy was taken No. 1 overall for a reason, and he hit 16 homers with 13 steals in 86 games between Double-A and Triple-A over the past two years. He’ll get tons of opportunity, and he could contribute across four categories if things click.
