Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Picks: Outfielders

Last week, we kicked off our 2010 fantasy baseball coverage with an overview of this season’s projected sleeper picks, including a couple of choice names to watch out for as sleepers at catcher, and we also looked at potential infield sleepers.

This week we will look to the outfield and the pitcher’s mound to complete our four-part preseason sleeper series.

Starting today with the outfielders, we’ll look at two guys who came on very strong in the second half of last season. Both of these guys – Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies and Chris Coghlan of the Marlins – probably contributed to a lot of late season surges by prescient owners who snatched them up before anyone else realizes how well they were playing.

(Follow the link to review my sleeper methodology and category system if you need a refresher.)

Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Pick: OF Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies

• #40th Drafted OF – ADP 123 (High 84 / Low 177)
• Category: Primed for PrimeTime

I have done well in the past taking Colorado Rockies OFs before they started to see helium.  Matt Holliday and Brad Hawpe to be specific.  I see Gonzalez taking his place in that same class.  Gonzalez was part of the deal that sent Holliday to Oakland.

Gonzalez is the type of player that I love to target in fantasy baseball.  He contributes in all of your basic and saber categories (BA, Runs, SB, RBI, HR, SLG, OBP).   The fact he plays in Coors Field is also a big plus.  His star was on the rise starting in 2006/2007, but then started to slow down in 2008 when he hit AAA/Oakland.  He bounced back nicely at AAA in Colorado, and really turned it on in 278 AB for Colorado last year.

13 HR/29 RBI/16 SB along with .284/.353/.525 projects very nicely over 500 AB in 2010.  I can see him outperforming other OFs being drafted higher: Rios, McLouth, Quentin, Ibanez, Hunter, Damon.

Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Pick: OF Chris Coghlan, Florida Marlins

• #55^th Drafted OF – ADP 235 (High 132 / Low ND)
• Category:Primed for PrimeTime

Even if Coghlan performed way over his head last year – there is no reason why is he being drafted so low.

113 – that’s the number of hits he got Post All-Star Break in 2009.  His line deserves a lot more hype, because what he did was Fantasy MVP like – .372/.423/.543 7 HR 32 RBI.  Go ahead and project those #’s over 500-600 AB.

Now, I do think Coghlan comes back to earth, but I’d rather own him over Carlos Gomez, Vernon Wells, Corey Hart, and Jack Cust.

Follow the links to view the other posts in MSF’s 2010 fantasy baseball sleeper series:

• Fantasy baseball sleepers: catcher
• Fantasy baseball sleepers: infielders
• Fantasy baseball sleepers: starting pitchers
• Fantasy baseball sleepers: closers

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* – Carlos Gonzalez photo credit: dylan49 on Flickr.com

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