Desmond Jennings (TB, OF) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft in Late rounds of All leagues as a OF4/UTIL.

ANALYSIS: There are some premium positions in fantasy baseball that have a so-called "inner circle" of elite talent. These are the guys worth reaching for to maximize value in your draft. However, the OF position is loaded with talent ranging from speed demons to monster power hitters. It even supplies fantasy owners with jack-of-all-trade players that provide little pockets of stats in several categories. This is where a player like Desmond Jennings thrives for fantasy owners.

Jennings comes in to his 6th season in Tampa Bay and wants to prove the critics wrong this year. Since he became a full time starter during the 2012 campaign, Jennings has struggled to live up to high expectations. He only has one season of 30+ SB's and only one season hitting above .250.

As a leadoff hitter, Jennings posts a 2:1 K/BB ratio which mirrors the stats of another solid hitter, one Jose Altuve. The main difference being that Jennings's K numbers still hover around the 100-120 mark for a full season.

Jennings draws a solid BABIP number around the .300 mark which is around the MLB average. His speed allows him to leg out a lot of hits on the ground. With Wil Myers gone to San Diego, Jennings must take on a more central role in the Rays offense if any success is to be had. One could see this as a reason to be cautious taking a chance on Jennings.

Jennings remains a vastly talented player though, on that first year manager Kevin Cash should not be afraid to use. A healthy lineup around him should have Jennings back to 25 SB, 90 runs and 30+ doubles. Players such as Torii Hunter, Ben Revere and Coco Crisp are all going several rounds before Jennings. Wait it out and snag Jennings for a lower price and he should reward you with decent numbers for a 4th OF.