Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2012: John Mayberry and Players to Nab in Later Rounds

A wise man once told me that a fantasy baseball league isn't won in the early rounds, but rather comes down to a player who maximized value and correctly identified the most sleepers later in the draft.

Okay, so I just made that up myself—I don't think there are many wise men who waste time poring over statistics every day to set the ideal lineup—but it nevertheless holds true.

Anybody can find a stud early. What will separate you from the rest of your league is how many studs you are able to find later in the draft.

But fear not, my faithful readers, for I have done the work for you and identified several players I believe can be fantasy studs for you this season. There are others out there, of course, but these are a few of the guys I've marked down as players I will be keeping my eye on.

Think fondly of me while you swim about in the riches gained from your fantasy baseball triumph.

John Mayberry, LF, Philadelphia Phillies

In 267 at-bats for the Phillies last year, Mayberry batted .273, hit 15 home runs, finished with 49 RBI and scored 37 runs. If we run those numbers over 650 at-bats since Mayberry will be starting this year, we end up with 36 home runs, 120 RBI and 90 runs.

Now, I'm not expecting Mayberry to post those sort of numbers this year for the Phillies. But what I am saying is that he should flourish as the team's starting left fielder and could bring you very surprising returns later in your draft.

Don't think that 25 home runs and 85 RBI are beyond the realm of possibility. Mayberry has the potential for that type of power.

Emilio Bonifacio, CF, Miami Marlins

Bonifacio will be an everyday player, is hitting behind Jose Reyes and in front of Hanley Ramirez and Mike (Giancarlo) Stanton. He hit .296 last year with 78 runs and 40 stolen bases.

Oh, and you can probably get him in the middle to late rounds of your draft. If you are looking for a guy who will help you in batting average, runs and especially stolen bases and will be hanging around later in the draft, Bonifacio is your guy.

Dee Gordon, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers

I was in a heated battle in the fantasy playoffs last year, and I had limited waiver moves, so I had to identify which areas I felt I could win and which I should concede to my opponents.

His team was weak in the steals department, so I felt I could steal (no pun intended) the category.

Enter Dee Gordon.

Not only did he help me in that category, he gave me a boost in batting average as well. It shouldn't have come as a surprise; in 54 games last season, Gordon hit .304 and stole 24 bases.

No, he won't help you at all with power numbers. But Gordon will boost your team average, steal a ton of bases and score quite a few runs with Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier behind him in the lineup. If you don't want to overpay for a shortstop early in the draft, Gordon will be hanging around later.

Oh, and I won that playoff matchup and the fantasy baseball championship. Thanks, Dee Gordon.

Clay Buchholz, SP, Boston Red Sox

Listen, you can snag the high-risk, high-potential Buchholz right around the 15th round, depending on the size of your league.

If you get the 2010 Buchholz (17-7, 120 strikeouts, 1.20 WHIP, 2.33 ERA), you've landed fantastic value.

If you get the injury-prone version...well, you'll get some frustration but a guy who can still contribute when he is healthy for your rotation.

The potential gain is higher than the price you'll pay—he's worth a look.

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