Leading off: Finding fantasy sleepers atop lineups

Leadoff hitters enjoyed a banner year in 2013, and the arrival of Billy Hamilton this season has the fantasy community abuzz. But other leadoff hitters can be mined for value in fantasy leagues.

By R.J. White

Mar 28, 2014 at 4:39 pm ET • 1 min read

Leadoff hitters are in the midst of a renaissance, thanks in part to the efforts of players like Shin-Soo Choo and Starling Marte. A fresh face is expected play the role of traditional speedy leadoff hitter in center field this season, and Billy Hamilton has fantasy owners fawning over his stolen-base potential.

However, other players are being largely overlooked in fantasy leagues late in drafts or auctions despite having the potential to contribute in runs, steals and sometimes even batting average from atop major-league lineups.

I don't necessarily think all leadoff hitters deserve to be rostered ahead of hitters lower in the order as a rule, but when looking for potential fantasy finds, owners could do a lot worse than nabbing a player or two that'll reap the benefits of batting leadoff.

Below, I've grouped the league's leadoff hitters (as projected by MLBDepthCharts.com) by surefire mixed-league rostered players and potential top-of-the-lineup sleepers, and I've roughly listed the players in descending order by fantasy appeal. Obviously, the two lists will bleed into each other depending on league size and format. Also, players denoted with an asterisk (*) will likely serve as the strong side of a platoon, thereby limiting their upside in no-bench or weekly-lineup leagues.

Owned in most mixed leagues

NYY Jacoby Ellsbury

TEX Shin-Soo Choo

LAD Yasiel Puig

MIL Carlos Gomez

PIT Starling Marte

TOR Jose Reyes

ATL Jason Heyward

DET Ian Kinsler

BOS Shane Victorino

STL Matt Carpenter

CIN Billy Hamilton