Finding the right catcher can make-or-break your Fantasy baseball lineups, as steady play and power can sometimes be hard to find at the position. Willson Contreras was one of the most sought-after catchers last year with the Cubs and was a prized free agent signing for the Cardinals in the offseason. Contreras hit 22 home runs last year, but from a Fantasy perspective, he was already considered just a cut below Salvador Perez in preseason expectations.
Meanwhile, Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk went from being an afterthought to having a comparable — if not better — Fantasy season than Contreras. Kirk knocked in 63 RBI to Contreras’ 55, had 33 more hits and nearly 20 more walks. But who will follow in his footsteps as a top 2023 Fantasy baseball sleeper at the position? So before going on the clock, be sure to see the 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last season, SportsLine’s Projection Model identified several top Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts, including Cardinals second baseman Tommy Edman.
Edman had a 2022 Fantasy baseball ADP well outside the top 100 but the model predicted that he’d outperform that draft position. The result: Edman posted new career-highs in home runs (13), RBI (57) and stolen bases (32) while slashing a respectable .265/.324/.400 to finish as the third-best second baseman in Fantasy baseball. Anybody who followed its advice and picked up Edman late in their Fantasy baseball drafts received a huge power boost in their Fantasy baseball lineups.
The SportsLine model is engineered by the same people who powered projections for all three major Fantasy sites. And that same group is sharing its 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets over at SportsLine, helping you find Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts long before your competition. Their cheat sheets, available for leagues on many major sites, are updated multiple times every day.
Any time more MLB news comes out about the updated 2023 MLB schedule, free agency signings or Fantasy baseball injuries, the team at SportsLine updates its projections. Go to SportsLine now to see these proven Fantasy baseball cheat sheets.
Top 2023 Fantasy baseball sleepers
One of the Fantasy baseball sleepers 2023 the model is high on: Braves catcher Sean Murphy. The 28-year-old is one of the best defensive catchers in the game, winning a Gold Glove in 2021. However, he also brings plenty of power to the plate as well and any sort of productivity goes a long way at the position in the modern game.
Murphy hit 46 home runs in 1,099 career plate appearances with the Athletics and slashed a respectable .250/.332/.426 with 18 home runs and 66 RBI last season. Now he goes from one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in baseball in Oakland to a more hitter-friendly park in Atlanta where he will hit in a significantly better lineup. That’s why the model lists him as a top-five catcher despite an ADP of 10th at the position.
Another of the Fantasy baseball sleepers 2023 the model is all over: Guardians shortstop Amed Rosario. Last season, he finished with career highs in hits (180), runs (86), and he led the majors in triples, with nine. Otherwise, he was within striking distance of topping other personal offensive bests, with a .283 batting average and a .715 OPS.
Rosario played in 153 games last season and finished one RBI shy of his previous best of 72 (2019). Cleveland won the AL Central but scored the fewest runs of any division champion at 698 last year. However, Rosario led the team in hits, was third in runs scored, and should have more help around him in the lineup this season after the acquisition of first baseman Josh Bell. Despite his steady production, the model sees bargain potential in Rosario and projects him to outproduce others commonly drafted ahead of him like Brandon Crawford, Oneil Cruz and Jeremy Pena.
How to find proven 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings
SportsLine’s model is also high on a surprising starting pitcher who lands in the top 10 of its positional rankings. This player is barely going off the board in the top 125 picks, but is projected to outperform starters such as Aaron Nola, Shane McClanahan and Brandon Woodruff. This pick could be the difference in winning your league or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
So which 2023 Fantasy sleepers should you target in your upcoming drafts? Visit SportsLine now to get 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings for every single position, all from the model that called Tommy Edman’s big season, and find out.