Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2012: Players Every Championship Team Should Own

Every fantasy baseball guru knows that drafting sleepers is just as important as drafting superstars.

Sleepers distance you from the competition. If you can find a hidden gem in the late rounds, your chances of winning the title go up considerably.

Look at it this way: Nearly every first-rounder will excel this season. In that sense, you don't create that much separation with your superstars.

But does every late-rounder excel? Hardly. If you can clean up late in drafts, you'd be surprised how much it will help you.

Here's a look at some sleepers every championship team must go after come draft day.

5. Rafael Betancourt, CL, Colorado Rockies

The No. 15 closer according to Yahoo! Sports, Rafael Betancourt can be had way later in the draft.

Why is Betancourt the No. 15 closer? Well, I'm still trying to figure that out.

Betancourt may be 37 years old, but he owns a career 3.18 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, and has racked up 600 strikeouts in 560 innings.

Last season, he posted a 2.89 ERA and 0.87 WHIP and was particularly impressive in the closer's role after August 27, converting five saves in five chances.

4. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals

Mike Moustakas was a prized prospect in the Royals organization for years before making it to the big leagues.

He had a rough start in his rookie campaign, but he was able to get going in the last month of 2011, batting .352 with four home runs.

Moustakas may seem like a bit of a risk, given he hit .263 with five home runs collectively in 89 games last season, but I think he's primed to finally realize his potential.

Plus, he's ranked 13th in a relatively shallow third baseman pool by Yahoo! Sports. He's definitely worth grabbing later on in the draft.

3. Ike Davis, 1B, New York Mets

Ike Davis, the No. 18 overall pick in the 2008 draft, has been a breakout candidate ever since his rookie season in 2010, when he hit .264 with 19 home runs and 71 RBI.

He was well on his way to a breakout campaign last season before a busted ankle ruined his year.

He did hit .302 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs in 36 games. Even if he plays only 144 games, at that pace, that would make him a 28-homer, 100-RBI guy.

Did I mention the Mets brought the fences in this year?

He's the No. 18 first baseman according to Yahoo! Sports. I plan on waiting to draft him as my starting first baseman (anyone who is in any of my leagues ignore this message).

2. Dustin Ackley, 2B, Seattle Mariners

The second overall pick in the 2009 draft, Dustin Ackley has been waiting for his chance to shine in the majors.

In 90 games last season, he hit .273 with 39 runs, 36 RBIs and six stolen bases. Those aren't particularly eye-popping numbers and he does play on the woeful Mariners, but anyone who has seen this kid play knows it's only a matter of time before he erupts.

He has the speed and bat to make a difference at second base for your fantasy team.

1. Dee Gordon, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers

You may be surprised to see Dee Gordon as my No. 1 sleeper to lead you to a championship, but this kid's for real.

In the final month of the 2011 season, Gordon went off.

He hit .372 with 21 runs and 12 steals. He has blazing speed and a quick bat and I wouldn't be surprised if he led the majors this season in stolen bases.

He's that fast.

Did I mention he couldn't be more set up to succeed? His father, Tom Gordon, was a star pitcher in the pros, manager Don Mattingly will give him the green light and first base coach Davey Lopes is arguably the best running coach in the game.

It doesn't hurt that Gordon is a budding star at shortstop, a position that doesn't have a lot of depth this year.

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