X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Deeper AL Outfield Sleepers for 2020

Kipp Heisterman looks at five deeper fantasy baseball AL outfield sleepers who are excellent values at their current ADPs. Consider any of these names later on in drafts.

As usual, the outfield position is deep in 2020. You can draft the position early or late and still find plenty of value to fill your roster. Finding the right guys is not always easy, but we are here to help.

The players mentioned in this article have ADP's somewhere in the 240-300 range. These players are not meant to start on your roster from day one, but could provide solid depth for when your stars have rest days or if you suffer an injury at the position. It is also possible that a couple of these options breakout and could eventually start at outfield for you.

Now that we have a foundation for the types of players we are looking at, let's take a look at some possible deep sleepers at outfield in the American League.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Nomar Mazara, Chicago White Sox

Nomar Mazara finds himself in a new location in Chicago and could finally have that breakout season we have been looking for over the past four seasons. He has been a steady producer over this time frame and showed this in 2019 by slashing .268/.318/.469 with 19 HR, 66 RBI, 69 R, 28 BB, and four SB in 429 at-bats. It was a solid output given the fact he only played in 116 games thanks in large part to an oblique strain he suffered late in the season. Much of his value is derived from his ability to hit for modest power as well as drive in runs.

His advanced metrics tell us he should be able to continue providing value here as he was above average in barrel rate (10.7%), exit velocity (89.1 mph), xSLG (.485), and hard-hit rate (39.3%). The barrel rate stood out most in 2019 as it was 4.4% above league average and was the best of his career. Had the oblique injury not slowed him down and reduced his playing time to 116 games, we easily could have seen 25 home runs and 80 plus RBI.

His transition to Chicago should be solid as well. While the lineup only scored the 24th most runs in the league in 2019, they have added the likes of Edwin Encarnacion and Yasmani Grandal to the mix and should also see improvements from their talented youth in Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, and Yoan Moncada.

By all means, this lineup should be much improved from a season ago. Guaranteed Rate Field also ranked fifth in terms of park factors for home runs in 2019, so you could certainly expect his home run totals increase in this park as well as with more playing time.

Mazara currently has an ADP of 244, which makes him an early 20th-round pick in most mixed leagues. He should provide plenty of value off the bench to replace starters with off days to begin the season and could certainly work his way into your starting lineup at some point during the season.

 

Brett Gardner, New York Yankees

Gardner may be getting up there in age, but his run-scoring opportunities are not diminishing. In 2019, Gardner slashed .251/.325/.503 with 28 HR and 86 runs scored at the age of 35. He was able to put up this run production despite a majority of his at-bats coming out of the sixth and ninth spots in the batting order.

The short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium is one of, if not the main reason, that we see home runs from Gardner, but his ability to consistently get on base is why he should have success scoring runs in 2020. While Gardner may have only put up a .325 OBP in 2019, he has a career OBP of .342. One of the key reasons for this is his ability to make zone contact, as well as chase contact, as noted by his plate discipline metrics.

Another reason Gardner should be able to get on base at a solid clip and score runs is his walk rate. In 2019, Gardner put up a walk rate of 9.5%, which was 1.2% above the league average. He also has a career walk rate of 10.4%, so we could see this increase in 2020.

Gardner's speed is also not something to be overlooked. In 2019, he ranked in the 91st percentile with a sprint speed of 28.9 ft/sec, which allowed him to steal 10 bases while only being caught twice. His ability to steal bags and go first-to-third will certainly come in handy for run production in 2020.

With the injury to Aaron Judge, Gardner is now projected to bat second in the Yankees' lineup. While we do not yet know the timetable for Judge's return, we do know that Gardner is capable of scoring runs, even if he is eventually pushed down in the lineup, as he scored 57 runs from the sixth spot on down in 2019. Batting second (in a lineup that led baseball in runs scored in 2019) to begin the season will only bolster his run-scoring value.

Gardner currently has an ADP of 290, which means that he is being taken near the beginning of round 24 in most 12-team mixed leagues. Fantasy owners looking for run production at the end of their drafts should feel comfortable selecting Gardner here.

 

Randal Grichuk, Toronto Blue Jays

Randal Grichuk is another under the radar value for RBIs heading into 2020. In 2019, he slashed .232/.280/.457 with 31 HR and 80 RBI. While the .232 average is not ideal, the home run and RBI production he provided for the Blue Jays cannot be understated.

The RBI production came in large part because of the home run total, which was a direct result of his power. While Grichuk found himself below his career average in several metrics, he was still above league average in barrel rate (8.5%), exit velocity (89.3 mph), xSLG (.427), and hard-hit rate (.378). If he can return to a level near his career averages in 2020, we could see a spike in home runs and RBIs.

Grichuk finds himself in an ideal situation for RBI production in the Blue Jay lineup. He is projected to bat fifth or sixth depending on pitcher handedness in a lineup that should certainly outperform its run total of 729 from 2019. He will have the likes of Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hitting in from of him, who put up on-base percentages of .358, 364, and .339, respectively. He also calls the Rogers Centre home, which ranked 12th in terms of runs scored and first in terms of home runs in 2019. All of this adds up to Grichuk being a late-round value for RBIs.

He currently has an ADP of 272, which makes him a 22nd-round pick in 12-team mixed leagues. If you find yourself looking for RBI production with one of your last picks, Grichuk should be your guy.

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nikola Jokić21 mins ago

Nikola Jokic Posts 19th Postseason Triple-Double
Anthony Santander23 mins ago

Suffering Through Slow Start To The Season
Kawhi Leonard30 mins ago

Leads Clippers To Game 2 Victory
Wilmer Flores31 mins ago

Crushes Key Homer Monday Night
Jalen Brunson39 mins ago

Leads All Scorers With 37 Points In Monday's Loss
Robbie Ray44 mins ago

Works Five Innings In No-Decision
Tobias Harris46 mins ago

Notches Double-Double In Game 2 Win
Cade Cunningham51 mins ago

Leads Pistons To Victory With 33 Points
Rob Dillingham1 hour ago

Out On Tuesday
Anthony Volpe1 hour ago

Still Hovering Around .200
Maxi Kleber1 hour ago

Remains Out For Game 2
Matt Olson1 hour ago

Extends Hitting Streak To Six Games
GG Jackson II1 hour ago

Available For Tuesday
Evan Bouchard1 hour ago

Dishes Out Three Assists In Postseason Opener
Connor McDavid2 hours ago

Racks Up Four Points In Losing Effort
Nick Taylor2 hours ago

Can Surprise Again In The Big Easy
Phillip Danault2 hours ago

Nets Two Goals In Game 1 Victory
Adam Hadwin2 hours ago

Expects To Contend At Zurich Classic
Mark Scheifele2 hours ago

Bags Two Points In Monday's Win
Alejandro Tosti2 hours ago

Could Get Hot Again In New Orleans
Lane Hutson2 hours ago

Posts Two Assists In Playoff Debut
Joe Highsmith2 hours ago

Struggling As New Orleans Approaches
Dylan Strome2 hours ago

Registers Three Assists In Overtime Win
Karl Vilips2 hours ago

Steps Up To Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Alex Ovechkin2 hours ago

Scores First Playoff Overtime Goal
Michael Thorbjornsen2 hours ago

Ready To Make Waves In New Orleans
Braden Schneider2 hours ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Tom Hoge2 hours ago

Ready To Make Some Birdies In New Orleans
Billy Horschel2 hours ago

Has Game To Win Third Zurich Classic
Texas Rangers3 hours ago

Kohl Drake Sharp In Latest Outing
José Castillo3 hours ago

Jose Castillo Makes Season Debut
Jordan Wicks3 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Termarr Johnson3 hours ago

Tallies Two Hits In Return
Zach Dezenzo3 hours ago

Busy In Monday's Victory
Craig Yoho4 hours ago

Allows One Run In MLB Debut
Jackson Chourio4 hours ago

Singles In Loss To Giants
Caleb Durbin4 hours ago

Homers In Loss Monday
Edwin Díaz4 hours ago

Edwin Diaz Earns Save On Monday
Will Vest4 hours ago

Picks Up Save On Monday
Justin Slaten5 hours ago

Picks Up Save On Monday
Otto Lopez5 hours ago

Steals Two Bases Monday
Austin Riley5 hours ago

Drives In Two On Monday
Bryson Stott5 hours ago

Hits Three-Run Home Run On Monday
José Ramírez5 hours ago

Jose Ramirez Homers, Drives In Four On Monday
Spencer Schwellenbach5 hours ago

Notches Quality Start Vs. Cardinals
Tennessee Titans10 hours ago

Titans Have Turned Down Offers For No. 1 Overall Pick
10 hours ago

Saints Targeting Jaxson Dart?
Kirk Cousins11 hours ago

Falcons Have Had Trade Discussions Regarding Kirk Cousins
Atlanta Falcons11 hours ago

Falcons Could Take A Tight End On Day 2 Of The Draft
11 hours ago

Steelers Very Interested In Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders
Sam Howell11 hours ago

Seahawks Open To Trading Sam Howell
Las Vegas Raiders11 hours ago

Raiders Not Afraid To Take A Running Back Early In The Draft
NFL12 hours ago

Shavon Revel Expected Back Around The Start Of Training Camp
Aaron Gordon13 hours ago

Cleared For Action
NFL14 hours ago

Josh Simmons May Not Be Cleared Until August
NFL14 hours ago

Jihaad Campbell A Candidate To Start On PUP List
NFL14 hours ago

Mykel Williams Still Hampered By Ankle Injury
NFL14 hours ago

Will Johnson Could Fall In Draft Due To Knee Injury
15 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders Could Fall Out Of First Round
15 hours ago

Cam Skattebo Visiting With Lions, Titans
Dallas Cowboys15 hours ago

Cowboys Expected To Pick Up Tyler Smith's Fifth-Year Option
Philadelphia Eagles15 hours ago

Cam Jurgens, Eagles Agree On Four-Year Extension
C.J. Stroud15 hours ago

Expects To Be "Running The Show" In New Offense
J.J. McCarthy15 hours ago

"No Limitations" For J.J. McCarthy
San Francisco 49ers16 hours ago

Fred Warner Could Stay Away From Offseason Program
Ousmane Dieng16 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
George Kittle16 hours ago

May Not Take Part In Offseason Workouts
Kevin Love16 hours ago

Remains Away From Team
Brock Purdy16 hours ago

Might Not Participate In Voluntary Workouts
Terry Rozier16 hours ago

Hurts Ankle Monday
Damian Lillard16 hours ago

Officially Listed As Questionable For Game 2
Isaiah Stewart16 hours ago

Ruled Out For Game 2 Against Knicks
Trent Frederic16 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Monday
Leon Draisaitl16 hours ago

Returns To Oilers Lineup For Postseason Opener
Jake Walman17 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Brett Kulak17 hours ago

Ready To Play Monday
Aliaksei Protas17 hours ago

Expected To Return During First-Round Series
Miro Heiskanen17 hours ago

Out On Monday
Ross Colton17 hours ago

Uncertain For Game 2
Gabriel Landeskog17 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Auston Matthews1 day ago

Finishes Game 1 With Two Assists
Mitchell Marner1 day ago

Totals Three Points In Postseason Opener
Matt Boldy1 day ago

Bags Two Goals In Losing Effort
Brett Howden1 day ago

Scores Twice In Sunday's Win
Logan Stankoven1 day ago

Nets Two Goals In Game 1 Victory
Isaiah Stewart2 days ago

Iffy For Monday Night
Aaron Gordon2 days ago

Listed As Probable For Game 2
Jaylen Brown3 days ago

Not Expected To Be Limited On Sunday
Ja Morant4 days ago

Cleared To Play Friday
Brandon Williams4 days ago

Available Against Grizzlies
Anthony Davis4 days ago

Will Play Friday Night
Gary Trent Jr.4 days ago

Available For Game 1 Against Pacers
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Bold Strategies Fall Flat, Still Musters A Top-Five Finish At Bristol
Lucas Glover6 days ago

Looks To Rebound After Poor Performance
Daniel Berger6 days ago

Looking To Continue Solid Play At RBC
Sepp Straka6 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At RBC
Justin Thomas6 days ago

Looking To Shake Off Poor Masters At RBC Heritage
Xander Schauffele6 days ago

Still Looking For Year's First Win At RBC Heritage
Austin Dillon6 days ago

Nabs His First Top-10 Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
Maverick McNealy6 days ago

Is An Intriguing Play At RBC Heritage
Shane Lowry6 days ago

Looks To Shake Off Poor Masters Sunday At RBC Heritage
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF