Fantasy Baseball 2018 Rankings: Deep Sleepers, Hidden Gems to Target

Major League Baseball's regular season has started, but that doesn't mean fantasy drafts are finished.

The calendar will turn to April on Sunday, which has traditionally been the beginning of a new year. Fantasy owners have been able to do some early studying of players in 2018, giving them a chance to check out some of the hidden gems on the market.

A 162-game MLB season will lead to many highs and lows, though the right strategy in fantasy baseball can carry your team a long way.

As one final piece of advice for your draft, here are the late-round sleepers to focus on before making selections.

Position Player: Nomar Mazara, OF, Texas Rangers

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Big things have been expected of Nomar Mazara since his MLB debut in 2016. The 22-year-old looked like he would fulfill that promise with a .282/.330/.420 slash line and 11 homers in the first half of his rookie season.

In 212 games since, the Texas Rangers outfielder has hit .250 with 29 homers. He did drive in 101 runs last season, and his age makes it too soon to give up on him.

ESPN.com's Keith Law had Mazara ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect in 2016, noting his peak could include a .280/.360/.520 slash line with 25 homers. He did show improved patience last season, walking in 8.9 percent of his plate appearances.

Texas has also been good to Mazara, who owns a .796 OPS in 148 home games. Offense is rarely a problem for the Rangers, so he will have ample opportunities to drive in runs.

Outfield is a deep position in fantasy, contributing to Mazara's availability until the 15th round in drafts. For someone who can hit 20-plus homers and drive in 100 runs, that makes him an excellent bargain at that spot.

Starting Pitcher: Aaron Sanchez, Toronto Blue Jays

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Aaron Sanchez is a microcosm of young-pitcher volatility in MLB. The Toronto Blue Jays right-hander was a breakout star in 2016 with a 3.00 ERA and 192 innings over 30 starts.

High expectations last season were dashed almost immediately when Sanchez landed on the disabled list in April with blister problems. He only made eight starts all year, posting a 4.25 ERA with nearly as many walks (20) as strikeouts (24) in 36.2 innings.

No one knows what to expect from Sanchez in 2018. He was impressing Blue Jays players and coaches early in spring training.

"I was watching him in the bullpen before he went out there, and I saw him facing hitters," Toronto manager John Gibbons told reporters. "He really looked like in midseason form, and that's exciting to see."

Sanchez is so far down the fantasy radar he's being selected in the 18th round.

Given the 25-year-old's potential upside in the starting rotation, there seems to be minimal risk in taking a chance on him at that stage of the draft.

Relief Pitcher: Brad Ziegler, Miami Marlins

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Times are tough for the Miami Marlins, whose fantasy prospects largely boil down to catcher J.T. Realmuto and center fielder Lewis Brinson's upside. 

Brad Ziegler is a deep sleeper as a closer for your fantasy team. The 38-year-old saved 10 games last season after A.J. Ramos was dealt to the New York Mets in July. 

Saves are Ziegler's primary source of value because his overall profile isn't appealing. He's a soft-tossing sidearmer who had 26 strikeouts in 47 innings last season. 

One thing working in Ziegler's favor is he keeps the ball on the ground. He hasn't allowed more than five homers in a season with a 66.1 groundball rate over 10 years in MLB.

Even though the Marlins don't figure to be good this season, Ziegler should still be able to rack up saves. Raisel Iglesias finished 13th in MLB with 28 saves for a Cincinnati Reds team that went 68-94 last season. 

Fantasy owners are shying away from Ziegler, who is being selected in the 22nd round. He is an excellent addition to round out your relief corps as a late-round closer who will get every opportunity to save games in Miami.

Fantasy draft info via Yahoo Sports and stats via FanGraphs.