Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2012: Power Ranking This Season's Top Sleepers

If you want to win your fantasy league, you're going to need to pick up some sleepers in your draft.

Then you just have to sit back, cross your fingers and hope that they wake up.

Waiting for sleepers to wake up is an unpredictable game in large part, obviously, because some of them just don't wake up. You're going to be disappointed far more often than you're going to get rewarded when it comes to sleepers.

But every once in a while...

There are a million lists of fantasy sleepers out there, but the trouble is that too many experts think it's OK to list proven veterans like Ichiro and clearly talented youngsters like Brett Lawrie as sleepers. The trick with sleepers is to target guys who are much more obscure and whose ceilings are just as high.

For example, check out the five guys listed below.

5. Felix Doubront, LHP, Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox started camp knowing that they had two rotation spots to fill, and there were a handful of favorites in the mix to fill them.

Felix Doubront wasn't one of them, but he's put himself in Boston's rotation picture with an outstanding spring.

Per the Red Sox's official website, Doubront has a rock-solid 2.70 in four appearances this spring, three of them starts. The Sox have looked at several candidates for their final two rotation spots, but Doubront is the only one who has truly shined.

It hasn't been decided that Doubront will break camp in Boston's rotation, but it's a good bet that he will. If he does, he's going to be a cheap source of wins, pitching with Boston's offense doing work on his behalf, and he'll be an absolute steal if he carries his spring dominance over into the regular season.

Keep in mind we're talking about a guy who has seven minor league seasons under his belt. Doubront is looking like a late bloomer, and he can be had late in your draft.

4. Matt Harrison, SP, Texas Rangers

When you think about Texas' rotation, the only guy who really stands out is Yu Darvish. He carries way too high of a profile to be labeled a sleeper. 

The same is not true of Matt Harrison. He flies under the radar as well as any starting pitcher in the major leagues, which is funny considering the fact he won 14 games last season.

Harrison's first full year as a starter went pretty well, but he was particularly good before the All-Star break. He had a 3.04 ERA, and opponents were hitting a respectable .249 off of him.

Harrison doesn't strike out a ton of guys, and he's not going to post an elite WHIP, so he's going to be available late in a lot of fantasy drafts. But like Doubront, Harrison promises to be a cheap source of wins. If he makes over 30 starts again this season, you have to figure he'll win at least 15 games.

If Harrison continues to develop as a pitcher, we're talking about a 17- or 18-game winner this season. With Texas' offense, anything is possible.

3. Jason Kipnis, 2B, Cleveland Indians

Jason Kipnis will join Cleveland's youth movement on a full-time basis this season, taking over as the team's starting second baseman.

Kipnis got a taste of the majors last season, logging 136 at-bats in 36 games. He played pretty well, hitting .272 with seven home runs and five stolen bases.

Imagine that kind of production spread out over a full season. Kipnis will have to stay healthy and productive, but we're talking about a second baseman capable of hitting 20 home runs and stealing anywhere between 20 and 30 bases.

Numbers like those would make Kipnis one of the best second basemen in fantasy. 

For now, Kipnis is pretty low in the second base pecking order. You'll be able to get him late in the draft, perhaps as a backup. If he shines, you'll therefore be in a prime position to make a key trade.

2. Cory Luebke, SP, San Diego Padres

Cory Luebke went from the Padres pen to the starting rotation late last season, but nobody cared to notice because, well, he was pitching for the Padres.

But Luebke pitched well after he was moved into the rotation. In 17 starts, he had a 3.31 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP, not to mention a 9.92 K/9.

The downside when it comes to Luebke is that he's not going to win a lot of games pitching for the Padres, who are bound to struggle to score runs once again. But as long as he's pitching half his games at Petco Park, Luebke will help you keep your ERA and WHIP in check, and he'll pitch in some strikeouts as well.

The perception is that the Padres don't have an ace, but Luebke is the one guy who could fit the bill in 2012.

1. Drew Stubbs, OF, Cincinnati Reds

Am I contradicting myself by including Drew Stubbs on this list? Isn't he a big-name player?

Yes and no. He's a big-name player because he's been overrated by Reds fans, but he's not a big-name player because he's sucked more often than he's been good in his first two seasons. 

Stubbs' biggest problem is his tendency to strike out. He led the majors in strikeouts last season, and he had a hideous K rate of 30.1. Obviously, this is an issue.

On the bright side, Stubbs is money when he puts the ball in play. He had a BABIP of .330 in 2010 and a BABIP of .343 last season.

Even despite Stubbs' strikeouts, he still managed to hit 15 home runs and steal 40 bases, making him a decent fantasy option.

So here's the thing: if Stubbs cuts down on his strikeouts, we're talking about an elite fantasy option. He'll hit close to .300 with roughly 30 home runs and 40 stolen bases, and he'll score plenty of runs after being moved to the top of Cincinnati's lineup.

Either that, or Stubbs will give you 15 home runs and 40 stolen bases again. You basically can't lose if you use a late pick on him, making him a perfect sleeper candidate.