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.
Next up: outfield, a position whose demise has been greatly exaggerated among fantasy analysts this spring. Yes, there are a lot of spots to fill, and yes, you’re bound to feel a bit of a squeeze as you get later into drafts. But there are still plenty of interesting outfielders with which to round out your squad, regardless of what categories you’re prioritizing. Want proof? Read on.
Fantasy baseball sleepers: Outfielders
Christopher Morel, Chicago Cubs
ADP: 195
Morel cooled off a bit after his truly ridiculous power surge last summer, but not by as much as you might think. He posted an .886 OPS in September, and finished the year with a very respectable .247/.313/.508 line with 26 homers and six steals across just 106 games. There’s much to still be decided, but Chicago sure seems set on giving him a chance to stick as the team’s everyday third baseman, and if that is indeed the case, the sky is the limit here. Morel isn’t as recklessly aggressive as his reputation suggests — his swing and chase rates are above league average but not egregiously so — and he shows signs of advancing his approach at the plate. With some tweaks, he could truly take off.
Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
ADP: 198
It sure seems like Duran is going to be starting in center field and hitting leadoff more often than not in 2024, and that should automatically get your attention — the man stole 24 bases in fewer than 400 big-league plate appearances, after all. But I also think there’s some power potential here waiting to be unlocked, potential Duran started tapping into a bit before a toe injury cut short his 2023 campaign. He hits the ball harder than you’d expect from a leadoff guy with his speed, and the 95th-percentile outcome here might just be a 20/40 season.
Jack Suwinski, Pittsburgh Pirates
ADP: 274
Suwinski was top-ten in barrel rate among qualified hitters, top-30 in maximum exit velocity and top-50 in hard-hit rate — he hits the ball hard, is what we’re saying, and more often than not he hits it in the air. Even if he just repeats his 26/13/.224 line from last year, you can do a lot worse than Suwinski at this price, and that’s assuming there’s no further improvement in 2024 for a guy entering his age-25 season. The ceiling here is 30/15, with a chance for more if he irons out some of his streakiness.
Sal Frelick, Milwaukee Brewers
ADP: 293
The Brewers really want Frelick in the lineup this season, so much so that they’re trying him at both third base and second base in addition to his usual duties in the outfield. That means eventual three-way eligibility, which is hugely valuable — especially considering the speed that Frelick brings to the table. At 5-foot-9, he’s never going to do a ton of damage at the plate, likely topping out at double-digit homers. But that’s about the only weakness here, as he makes tons of contact for someone his age and can really, really run wild on the bases. Why draft Steven Kwan when you can get a potentially better version a hundred picks later?
Parker Meadows, Detroit Tigers
ADP: 342
This late in the draft, the name of the game should be trying to find sources of power and speed — and Meadows seems to check both boxes. He hit three homers and swiped eight bases in just 37 games for the Tigers last year, production backed up by his metrics — his batted-ball profile (barrel rate, contact rate, fly-ball rate) points to league average power, and while the fly ball-oriented swing dings his average, his OBP skills are enough to allow him to tap into his 25-steal speed. Add it all up, and that’s a potential 20-20 player, one whose center field defense will keep him in the lineup and maybe even hitting leadoff all year long.
Nelson Velazquez, Kansas City Royals
ADP: 348
A trade to K.C. finally opened up some playing time for Velazquez, and he certainly made the most of it, posting an .878 OPS with 14 homers in just 40 games with the Royals. The man has a frame and swing optimized for major power: His exit velocities are off the charts, and he was second in all of MLB in terms of barrels per plate appearance. Playing time is still a bit up in the air here, but he seems to have the inside track of Kansas City’s DH spot as things stand. If he gets rolling, there’s a 35-homer season in here.
