Fantasy Baseball Picks 2023: Sleepers to Target Deep in Your Draft

Barring injuries, fantasy baseball managers can reasonably expect a healthy return on investment with their early draft picks.

It's the late-round selections that can really create separation in the league standings.

Yes, you need marquee stars to win a league title, but you also need depth and production from all parts of your roster. One of the best ways to scratch that latter itch is by pouncing on a player who outperforms his draft slot.

The following three players could do just that and won't cost you a top-100 pick.

Jake Fraley, OF, Cincinnati Reds

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GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 21: Jake Fraley #27 of the Cincinnati Reds poses for a portrait during photo day at Goodyear Ballpark on February 21, 2023 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

The upside of a full season for Jake Fraley intrigues if for no other reason than the fact we've never seen it before.

Injuries limited him to just 68 games last season, and those were the second-most of his career. If he just stays healthy, though, he has dropped hints of a power-speed combination that could play up in the fantasy world.

Moving to Cincinnati helped bring his bat alive, especially after he returned from a lengthy layoff due to a knee injury. From late July to the end of the season, he had a .295/.377/.526 slash line with 11 homers and 53 combined runs and RBI in 53 games.

His career 162-game averages include 21 homers and 16 steals, per Baseball-Reference. If he approaches those numbers while hitting for a similar average, he could be one of this draft season's best buys.

Freddy Peralta, SP, Milwaukee Brewers

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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 22: Freddy Peralta #51 of the Milwaukee Brewers poses for a portrait during photo day at American Family Fields of Phoenix on February 22, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Freddy Peralta enjoyed an All-Star breakout season in 2021, then watched the injury bug deny him a chance to repeat in 2022.

Buying his bounce-back potential for cheap now makes all kinds of sense.

Despite being limited to just 78 innings last season, he still managed to flash his high-end potential. He had a 3.58 ERA and an even better 3.06 FIP, per Baseball-Reference. He also averaged a healthy 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings, which was easily the lowest of his career. Prior to last season, he'd never averaged fewer than 11 punchouts per nine.

A healthy Peralta can be a fantasy juggernaut. In 2021, he had a 10-5 record and 2.81 ERA with 195 strikeouts in only 144.1 innings.

Esteury Ruiz, OF, Oakland Athletics

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MESA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Esteury Ruiz #1 of the Oakland Athletics poses for a portrait on media day at HoHoKam Stadium on February 23, 2023 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Getty Images)

Esteury Ruiz posted bonkers numbers in the minors last season.

While it's unclear how much—if any—of that production will carry over to the big leagues, the A's have every reason to find out if they're legitimate and fantasy managers should feel the same way.

Over 114 games at Double-A and Triple-A last season, he had a scalding .332/.447/.526 slash line with 16 homers, 179 combined runs and RBI and—wait for it—85 stolen bases. With that type of turbo speed, he could single-handedly lock up the steals category for you.

Now, it's worth noting that he did make it up for 17 big-league outings last season and they were...well, rocky enough that his draft cost puts him in the deep-sleeper range. More specifically, he batted just .171, never homered and managed just a single stolen base (while getting caught stealing twice).

It's possible that spending a draft pick on Ruiz never amounts to much, but bailing on a 24-year-old who isn't even a calendar year removed from making magic in the minors feels premature. There is little to lose and plenty to gain by taking a late-round flier on him.