Fantasy File

Sleepers wake up: Midseason surprise All-Stars

Junior Spivey is tied for eighth in the NL in hitting despite not being pegged as a starter in spring training. Brian Bahr/Getty Images

By James Quintong, CNNSI.com

With the All-Star teams ready to be announced this weekend, it would be easy to come up with the top fantasy All-Stars for the first half of the year. Many of those players were high picks in your draft anyway, but it's always the sleepers and surprises that make for the most fun, especially if they've been the ones driving you to the lead.

That said, here's this year's Sleeper All-Star team. A number of these players will be in Milwaukee in a couple of weeks, and some will even be voted in by the fans. To make this team, not only do you have to produce, you also had to come at a reasonably low price or low draft pick.

American League

1B: Paul Konerko, White Sox: It's sometimes hard to call him a real sleeper since he hit 32 homers and had 99 RBIs last season. But he's now leading the AL in RBIs, plus he's hitting in the .320 range. It's a shame he's not even on the All-Star ballot, but he should get a nod to the team.

2B: Alfonso Soriano, Yankees: He still doesn't walk much, but he's arguably the best player in all of fantasy baseball this season. He's hitting in the .320s, he's already matched last season's total with 18 homers and he's got 21 steals. At this pace, he could make a run at a 40-40 season. You knew he'd be a good player, but this good?

SS: Omar Vizquel, Indians: The quartet of young AL shortstops (A-Rod, Nomar, Jeter, Tejada) grabs most of the attention, but Vizquel keeps plugging away. After he looked to be showing his age last year, Vizquel has hit the fountain of youth, hitting over .300 and putting up double digits in homers and steals. He'll likely bump two of the four youngsters off the roster.

3B: Shea Hillenbrand, Red Sox: Neither Soriano nor Hillenbrand are showing signs of a sophomore jinx. Hillenbrand has already matched last year's walk total (OK, so it's 11), as well as his home run and RBI numbers to go along with a .300 average. He's one of baseball's most improved players this year, and it's good to see the fans recognizing that by making him the leading vote-getter at third.

OF: Garret Anderson, Angels: He's driven in 240 runs the last two seasons, but he often gets overlooked partly because of his relatively low average and minuscule walk totals. Since walks aren't often used in fantasy baseball, that shouldn't be a concern. He's still not walking much this year, but he's back among the league leaders in homers and RBIs, not to mention he's hitting .300. Maybe we won't overlook him anymore.

OF: Torii Hunter, Twins: Now that he's gotten his average closer to the .300 mark, people are realizing how good he is. With 18 homers already, he should break last year's mark of 27, and he's adding more speed to his game, with 11 steals under his belt. He'll turn the magic age of 27 next month, so maybe it's not so stunning that he's now blossoming into a star. It would be a nice reward if the fans vote him in.

OF: Jacque Jones, Twins: He may be just a step below Hunter, hitting slightly fewer homers and stealing fewer bases. But he's got plenty of talent and the numbers to match. Jones turned 27 in April, so it looks like this also could be his year to shine as well. He just had fewer numbers in the past as signs he would break out.

C: Scott Hatteberg, Athletics: He was one of my sleeper picks entering this year given some of the instability in the Oakland lineup. He doesn't catch much anymore but is still eligible there in most leagues. Instead, he's hit 11 homers in place of the disappointing Carlos Pena at first. As a first baseman, he's a so-so prospect. As a catcher, he's golden because of the power and the respectable .270 average.

SP: Ramon Ortiz, Angels: He was one of the players who suddenly aged a couple of years during the offseason, but he is proving that he's still a solid pitcher. He's built a lot like Pedro Martinez, and he's pitching almost as effectively, although he doesn't strike out as many. Ortiz's WHIP is a hovering around one and his ERA keeps moving down.

SP: Derek Lowe, Red Sox: Lowe looked good in four starts at the end of last season, making him worth a flyer entering this year. But did you think he'd be this good? SP: Paul Byrd, Royals: There's a good chance he'll be selected to his second All-Star team, which is pretty hard to believe given that he's had two good half-seasons in his career. Byrd was moderately effective at the end of last year for the Royals and continued that momentum for the first part of this year. He's struggled of late, although he did pitch well last week against the Mets. He's a nice surprise so far, but hopefully you sold high on him already.

SP: Rodrigo Lopez, Orioles: After moving into the rotation in mid-April, Lopez was close to untouchable, going 4-0 in his first six starts. He's come back to earth a little bit, and you probably shouldn't expect him to keep up his 2.70 ERA the rest of the season. But he could finish with 12-13 wins and an ERA in the mid-to-high three range, which would be great for someone who wasn't on the radar in spring training.

SP: Kenny Rogers, Rangers: His numbers in Texas were mostly forgettable until this season's rejuvenation. He's been the most consistent part of the Rangers' staff with eight wins and an ERA of about three, although his strikeout numbers leave a lot to be desired in 5x5 leagues.

RP: Eddie Guardado, Twins: He finished last season as the closer and picked up a handful of saves. He's kept up the pace with 23 saves this year, thanks to Minnesota's great start. If the Twins continue to play this way, he could be a 40-save guy.

RP: Juan Acevedo, Tigers: Someone was going to have to get saves with Matt Anderson done in by arm injuries. Acevedo has been solid in his place with 11 saves and an ERA under three. Save opportunities may be few and far between in Detroit, but he'll do fine when he's in there.

RP: Hideki Irabu, Rangers: The infamous "fat ... toad" stepped in nicely when Jeff Zimmerman went down with an injury and John Rocker struggled again. He's back in the closer's role after Francisco Cordero got hurt, although his hold on the job is still tenuous, especially when Zimmerman comes back. But enjoy the saves for now.

National League

1B: Eric Karros, Dodgers: The homers are slightly off, but now he's hitting .300 again. It's a reversal from the days where he'd hit a bunch of homer and but just a .250 average. He's always been a nice source of power, the average is a plus.

2B: Junior Spivey, Diamondbacks: Even with all of the veterans on the roster, it's the young guys who are finally breaking through. Erubiel Durazo has been a force when in the lineup, and Spivey came out of relatively nowhere to become a great producer in the lineup filling in for the injured Jay Bell. This surprise start will likely get him a deserved All-Star berth.

SS: Jose Hernandez, Brewers: He strikes out a lot and can hit a bunch of homers (like the 25 he had last year) but with a low average. This year, he's still striking out a lot, but he's also hitting homers and making contact (in the .290 range). That in itself is an upset.

3B: Todd Zeile, Rockies: Maybe it's not that much of a surprise, given that he was moving to Colorado with an everyday job. But 12 homers and an average near .300 is somewhat surprising, all things considered, given his struggles last year with the Mets.

OF: Pat Burrell, Phillies: We've been waiting a couple of years for him to have that huge breakout season. This could be it. After hitting 27 homers last year, he's at 18 already, and is poised for a 40-homer year. He's making a lot more contact (flirting with .300), which will make him all the more valuable.

OF: Dave Roberts, Dodgers: Milwaukee's Alex Sanchez could also go in here with his 19 steals, but I'll take the once-marginal Roberts with his 18 SBs and a .300 average. Some people took Roberts as a flyer when he got the Opening Day start, and it's paid off nicely.

OF: Juan Encarnacion, Reds: It seemed like a questionable move when they got him for Dmitri Young, given their glut of outfielders. But he broke through early on and had a steady job in the lineup when Ken Griffey Jr. got hurt. He struggled when Griffey came back because he wasn't getting regular playing time, but now with Junior hurt again, Encarnacion might get back on track.

C: Eli Marrero, Cardinals: I was going to put Michael Barrett here, but he slowed down considerably after a very hot April. Marrero was scorching as well, and his average has cooled off in a big way. But his nine steals, six homers and 29 RBIs make him one of the top fantasy catchers. Plus, he's got plenty of positional flexibility as he's played some first and outfield. Not bad for a cheap backup catcher who'd always struggled with his average.

SP: Vicente Padilla, Phillies: He had a lot of potential entering this season, but primarily as a reliever and potential closer. Once he entered the starting rotation, he's been outstanding, going 10-4 to lift a sagging Philadelphia staff. There's always the danger he'll fade because he hasn't had this much work in a while, but he's a prime example of why you don't have to pay a lot for pitching.

SP: Odalis Perez, Dodgers: The Braves have done a good job of cultivating pitching talent, and when they trade one away(Rob Bell, Bruce Chen, etc.), there's usually a reason. So you had to wonder about Perez when he was part of the Gary Sheffield deal (instead of Jason Marquis and Damian Moss). Instead, Perez has been one of the answers in Los Angeles, firing two one-hitters and winning nine games with a WHIP under one. Most of the starters in L.A. have shined this year, including Andy Ashby and Kazuhisa Ishii (who both could've gone on this list).

SP: Matt Clement, Cubs: While he got roughed up in his last start, Clement has been solid all year, even though he's won just five games. The talent has always been there but he's been consistently inconsistent, bringing down his value at the draft. Clement struggled the last two years in San Diego and Florida, but he may have found his groove at Wrigley. Just as important as the solid ERA and WHIP numbers are the 95 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings. He's been a boon for players in 5x5 leagues.

SP: Kip Wells, Pirates The WHIP doesn't correlate with the ERA, but both have gone down after a couple of rocky starts. He's arguably been the best pitcher on the staff, especially since Josh Fogg has tailed off. Wells, Fogg and Sean Lowe have all had their moments since being dealt from the White Sox for Todd Ritchie –- still one of the more puzzling deals in the offseason, given Ritchie's mediocrity. Most Pirates pitchers were avoided at the draft, but some have proved to be worth something.

SP: A.J. Burnett, Marlins: Brad Penny and Josh Beckett grabbed most of the attention in Florida, but both have been slowed by injuries. Burnett, on the other hand, has stayed healthy and consistent all year to become a solid fantasy contributor. While he's still walking a lot of batters, he's also racking up more strikeouts, a good sign if he doesn't tire out in the second half.

RP: Eric Gagne, Dodgers: Depending on when you drafted, he probably didn't go all that high, given L.A.'s unsettled relief situation this spring. But Gagne emerged in March and April, and he hasn't looked back. He's blowing hitters away with a great fastball and is a great intimidating force with his John Wetteland hat and Chris Sabo goggles. He's been the best fantasy closer this year, especially since he was probably was a low-cost pick at your draft.

RP: Mike Williams, Pirates You figured he wouldn't be getting 10 saves a month every month in Pittsburgh, but he's been a solid closer all year, saving 21 of 23 chances so far. Williams was always an underrated performer in the past because pitches for Pittsburgh, but even lesser teams can produce outstanding closers.

RP: Vladimir Nunez, Marlins There was a mad waiver-wire scramble for him in many leagues after he assumed the closer's job when Braden Looper fizzled out, and he's produced well enough for those who won the race. His save percentage is decent (17 of 22), and the ERA and WHIP numbers are passable. If you picked him up as roster filler, you got a steal.

James Quintong is Fantasy Sports Producer at CNNSI.com.

 

Related information

Stories

Fantasy File: Pitch counts critical in determining future performance NL Report: Closer situations and alternatives Fantasy Mailbag: Burrell, Anderson, Gagne are for real AL Report: Top 10 minor-league prospects

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video