Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2012: Guaranteed Steals at Each Position

After all the analysis and breakdowns have been made, it is time to let the world know where the best bargains at each position in fantasy baseball lie. 

The best part of playing fantasy baseball is figuring out which players will make you look better than everyone else because you knew what to expect from them and where to get the best value from where you were picking. 

Here are the fantasy steals you can find at every position this season. 

Catcher: Devin Mesoraco, Cincinnati Reds

Mesoraco is the rare catching prospect who can hit for average and power. He should get the starting job for the Reds when the season starts, but even if he doesn't, it won't be long before he is a fixture in the lineup. 

First Base: Brandon Belt, San Francisco Giants

Like Mesoraco, the only thing that could potentially hold Belt back is playing time. Bruce Bochy loves veteran players, even if they are clearly inferior to a younger player—as Aubrey Huff is to Belt. 

Belt has the athleticism to play left field if the Giants need him to, but his best position is going to be first base. He has a patient approach at the plate, which allows him to hit for a high average and creates great leverage in his swing to hit for 20-25 home runs this season if he plays enough. 

Second Base: Dustin Ackley, Seattle Mariners

We have already caught a glimpse of Ackley in the two regular season games the Mariners played with Oakland in Japan this week. He hit a homer and drove in the game-winning run during the opener. 

While power is not likely to be Ackley's strong suit, he does have enough of it to approach 15 home runs this season. 

He is really more of a contact hitter, waiting back on the ball and putting it in play to keep his average high. He will also steal at least 10 bases and with Jesus Montero and Justin Smoak hitting behind him, he should score plenty of runs. 

Third Base: Mat Gamel, Milwaukee Brewers

Even though Gamel is going to be the primary first baseman for the Brewers, he is still third base eligible. 

His stock has slipped a little bit from when he was one of the best prospects in the game three years ago, but the bat is still good. Gamel is going to be playing every day. He has good power and makes enough contact to keep his average respectable. 

Shortstop: Zack Cosart, Cincinnati Reds

Despite having a career year in the minors last season, hitting .310/.357/.467, Cosart still offers a lot of upside, even if he doesn't approach those numbers in the big leagues. 

His batting average will be more in line with what he did in 2009 (.262) and 2010 (.255), but he has more than enough power to be a great value pick as a shortstop. 

Cosart is going to get the starting job for the Reds this season and provided Dusty Baker doesn't pull the plug if he struggles early, he should hit 15-18 homers with almost as many stolen bases. 

Outfielder: Colby Rasmus, Toronto Blue Jays

After a falling out with the St. Louis Cardinals, Rasmus gets a chance to start over with the Blue Jays. He did play almost half the season with them last year, but now he has had a full offseason to get ready and a clearly defined role with this team. 

Rasmus has been around for three years, but he is just 25 years old and still shows signs of being the player everyone thought he would be when he was one of the best prospects in the game. 

The power numbers are going to make Rasmus worth a spot on your team. He may not do much for your average and he is only going to steal around 10 bases, but he can hit 20-25 homers with regular playing time. 

Starting Pitcher: John Danks, Chicago White Sox

Danks' 2011 season was not as bad as some might have you believe. His ERA was a little bloated at 4.33 and he only threw 170 innings, but when you dig deeper, you see a starting pitcher who can potentially dominate. 

Ignoring the ERA, Danks had an xFIP of 3.79, averaged 7.13 K/9 IP to just 2.43 BB/9 IP. He is a left-handed starter with overpowering stuff and a really good cutter that can destroy bats. 

Relief Pitcher: Sean Marshall, Cincinnati Reds

When Ryan Madson went down, Marshall was given the closer's role for the Reds. He is not a traditional closer, in that he doesn't have huge stuff. He has a pretty good fastball that sits in the low-90s and a big looping curveball. 

He has been one of the best relief pitchers in each of the last two years, with more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings.

With Madson being in the back of the Reds' bullpen, look for him to get at least 30 saves with a lot of strikeouts and a good ERA and WHIP. 

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