While Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant will be off the board in the opening round of your fantasy baseball draft, the real challenge will come in the later rounds when the picks will not be nearly as obvious. Figuring out the difference between whether to draft a potential sleeper pick or selecting a bust isn’t easy by any means so we took the time to circle a handful of names that you should remember in terms of both the good and the bad. Here is a look at some potential MLB fantasy infield sleeper picks and busts for 2017.
Sleepers
Jose Peraza, Cincinnati Reds
Brandon Phillips’ exit from Cincinnati will push the door wide open for Peraza to start at shortstop for the Reds and that should mean big things to come. The 22-year-old hit .324 with 13 extra base hits and 21 steals in 56 plate appearances last season and his numbers are set to be even better with a full year as a starter in Cincinnati. Peraza has immense sleeper potential so don’t shy away from reaching a little bit to land him at the shortstop position in MLB fantasy leagues.
Devon Travis, Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays will need Travis to stay healthy this season and if he can finally play 162 games then he could be in for a breakout season at second base. Travis has hit .301 with 46 doubles, 19 home runs and 85 RBI over his last 163 combined games and if he can sustain that level of production it could lead to him ranking in the top-five in MLB fantasy at his position.
Nick Castellanos, Detroit Tigers
Castellanos was in the middle of a breakout season before a broken left hand limited him to just nine games over the final two months in 2016. However, if you extrapolate his stats from last year for a full 162-game season then you would get a .285 batting average with 27 home runs, 85 RBI and 80 runs. Those are excellent numbers for a third basemen with plenty of promise heading in to 2017 and he could end up being a quality sleeper pick in your MLB fantasy league.
Busts
Dansby Swanson, Arizona Diamondbacks
Swanson is one of the top prospects in baseball for a reason but he could be in tough to live up to the immense hype that has followed him to Arizona. Swanson has the potential to put up big numbers in time but his potential might be capped in his rookie season based on his relative inexperience and the pressure on his shoulders. There is nothing wrong with taking Swanson at the shortstop position in the later rounds just make sure you don’t reach on him with the expectation that he will carry your fantasy baseball team this season. Some people feel that the Diamondbacks could be a sleeper team that’s under the radar. If that’s in fact that the case and they emerge with a winning record, Swanson is likely to be one of the reasons.
Eduardo Nunez, San Francisco Giants
Nunez broke out last season when he hit .288 with 16 home runs and 40 stolen bases but it’s worth pointing out that he didn’t exactly finish the season on fire. Nunez hit just .244 with four home runs in the final couple of months after the All-Star break so it might not be wise to take him too high in fantasy baseball leagues this season. Nunez should still be a decent source of steals and he could maintain a decent average but don’t take him too high expecting the numbers he produced during his torrid start to the 2016 season.
Greg Bird, New York Yankees
Bird is another top prospect that could be an All-Star in time but one that should have his expectations tempered for the 2017 season. Bird is working his way back from shoulder surgery and the Yankees acquired Chris Carter as insurance for him at first base. Bird will not be a top-15 fantasy first basemen in 2017 so while the potential is there for him to be a star in time it’s important to make sure you don’t take him too high in fantasy baseball leagues this season.
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