Brady Grove looks at fantasy baseball stolen base (SB) sleepers, MLB steals specialists to target in drafts as they can produce sneaky speed production for your teams.

With so much athleticism in the game today, you wouldn't immediately think that stolen bases would be a hard statistic to come by when trying to fill your roster. The ongoing problem with the stolen base category is that many players that can steal bases tend to be one trick ponies.

It is a hefty challenge to fill the stolen base category without sacrificing other statistical areas that are even more difficult to come by, such as power hitting figures. So with stolen bases, the challenge isn't as much finding quantity, but it is finding quantity in positions that your weekly opponent fails to do so while not just cementing your victory in that lone category.

Today, I present three players who have huge sleeper potential to steal bases in the 2016 season without breaking the bank in other facets of the game.

Sneaky Stolen Base Options for Fantasy Baseball

Carl Crawford (OF, LAD)

Owned in 9% of Fleaflicker leagues

Isn't it wild that I am labeling the 4x MLB triples champion and 4x MLB stolen bases  champion a "stolen base sleeper"? Carl Crawford has had five seasons of 50+ steals with totals of 50, 55, 58, 59, and 60 steals in a single season. Crawford might have the ample opportunity to accumulate the AB necessary to produce another super SB season, as he is currently listed as a starter in what is a surprisingly shallow Dodger outfield.

Crawford is available in 91% of leagues and is being selected as the 88th overall player in just LF. His injury woes may make it easy to forget that this is a veteran who as recently as 2014 batted .300/.339/.429 with 23 stolen bases with the neat little accessory of eight homers in just 343 AB in Los Angeles. While Crawford's play was shaky last season due to being off of the field, in the second half of the season Crawford had a slash of .273/.319/.402 in just 132 AB which improved on his first half slash of .245/.260/.408.

Incidentally, the second half's 132 AB is when Crawford stole all ten of his bases for the reason. If he was to continue on that pace with the amount of AB he received in even his 2014 season, Crawford would be on pace to steal 26 bases on the season, as well as hit 10 long balls. If Crawford is getting AB and has a solid OBP, as it stands now, 91% of Fantasy Baseball Managers will be watching a lot of SB go to waste.

Melvin Upton (OF, SD)

Owned in 4% of Fleaflicker leagues

Melvin Upton had a five season stretch with the Rays in which he stole 44, 42, 42, 36, and 31 bases. Then again, that was when he was averaging about 550 AB per season. Times got tougher for Upton, but last year, in pitcher friendly Petco Park, Upton had a .259/.327/.429 slash with nine stolen bases and even five HR in 205 AB. The .259 BA is Upton's highest since 2008, the .327 OBP is his highest since 2011, and the .757 OPS is his highest since 2011 as well.

Upton did not have a bad year last year. His ability to reach base means a high quantity of stolen bases, as Upton is penciled in as a starter in the Padres' outfield. If Upton would've had the 560 AB he had in 2011 last season, his 9 SB would've been on pace to reach 25 stolen bases (and even 14 homers in Petco!). All cliche jokes aside about Upton's couple of poor years in Atlanta, Upton is back to some solid work at the plate, and if he reaches base, fantasy baseball managers are likely to cash in on some high volume stolen bases. Remember, this is also a guy who hit 28 homers in 2012. This multi talented weapon is currently available in 96% of leagues and is being drafted as the 60th overall Center Fielder.

Jonathan Villar (SS/3B/DH, MIL)

Owned in 2% of Fleaflicker leagues

Whether there are shortstop prospects in the Milwaukee farm system or not, Jonathan Villar currently occupies the starting role for the Brewers. Villar is currently eligible at SS and 3B, and is being drafted as the 63rd overall shortstop and the 67th overall third baseman.

While Villar may produce inconsistent batting figures, his base stealing ability remains rock solid. He has never stolen more than 18 bases in his three Major League seasons, but he has also never had more than 263 AB. In three seasons with Houston, Villar had 210 AB and 18 SB, 263 AB and 17 SB, and 116 AB and 7 SB. In total that is an impressive 42 SB in just 589 career AB. Villar may not hold this starting spot until the end of the season, but if he gets even as few as 200 AB, the stolen bases he racks up as such a widely available player will be well worth the commitment.

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-12" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]