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Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

With these six sleepers, I will have made one full run through all 30 majors league teams.  This sextet has a little more emphasis on players who could help in mixed leagues via the free agent pool or in AL- and NL-only leagues as players who can be had for a third of the price of similar, more established ones.

  1.  RP Manny Delcarmen Boston Red Sox:  While Hideki Okajima is still considered the top set-up man in Boston, Delcarmen is the pitcher Red Sox staff has publicly said will get chances to close games if Jonathan Papelbon needs a breather or gets hurt.
  2.  3B Brandon Inge Detroit Tigers:  He is slated to be the back-up catcher for the Tigers.  He doesn't have catcher-eligibility right now, but be prepared to add Inge once he does.  His skills should make him a Top 25 catcher.  As a bonus, he could also gain OF eligibility, too.  How many players can fill-in at OF, 3B, CR, DH and C?
  3.  CF Jordan Schafer Atlanta Braves:  While slated for AA, I recently read the Braves are ready to go with him at the 1st opportunity.  Mark Kotsay's slash stats so far this Spring - 220/273/244.  FWIW, Schafer's are 316/356/416.
  4.  RP Dave Riske Milwaukee Brewers:  Riske was given a $13MM contract.  Expect the Brewers to give him a chance to close games if Eric Gagne proves to be no more effective than he was as a Red Sox Nation member.  Note that Keith Law of ESPN says Gagne is still not throwing his change-up.
  5.  2B Eric Patterson Chicago Cubs:  Patterson fell out of favor last September, but has been playing 2B and OF this Spring.  He has also been hitting at the top of the line-up.  If he recovers good favor with manager Lou Piniella, then expect him to get some ABs in a utility function and run.  Piniella always runs those players on his team who have that skill.
  6.  3B/LF Chase Headley San Diego Padres:  He is winning the Spring Training competition for LF.  Unfortunately, rumblings have him going to AAA to continue to learn the position.  If so, then he could be this year's Ryan Braun - a rookie who comes up in the first third of the season and makes a significant fantasy contribution.
For those in ultra deep leagues, here are a couple of AAA players to watch.  A few days ago, I heard Royals' manager Trey Hillman tell XM Radio there are two rookies who have made a positive impression on him - OF Mitch Maier and 2B Mike Aviles.  

Maier has some pop and so does Aviles.  While Maier has no Spring slashstats worth typing (he may be lusting for Mark Kotsay's), Aviles has one worth noting - 414/469/552.  With 17 HRs in AAA, Aviles could be a power upgrade to current Royals' 2B options Makr Grudzalaniek, Esteban German and Alberto Callaspo.