St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz continued to fight through injuries last season, getting limited to just 10 starts and 15 total appearances due to a torn MCL. He posted a 21.3 K-BB% that would have ranked inside the top 10 among starters if he qualified, and his 3.64 expected ERA was nearly two points lower than his actual ERA (5.25). Matz is entering this season fully healthy, so he could be one of the 2023 Fantasy baseball sleepers. Should you be targeting him in your upcoming 2023 Fantasy baseball drafts?
Opening Day is coming up next week, so there is not much time left to put the finishing touches on your 2023 Fantasy baseball strategy. Who are the top 2023 Fantasy baseball picks according to SportsLine's complete rankings? Before finalizing your 2023 Fantasy baseball draft prep, be sure to see the 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last season, SportsLine's Projection Model identified several top Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts, including Cardinals second baseman Tommy Edman.
Edman had a 2022 Fantasy baseball ADP well outside the top 100 but the model predicted that he'd outperform that draft position. The result: Edman posted new career-highs in home runs (13), RBI (57) and stolen bases (32) while slashing a respectable .265/.324/.400 to finish as the third-best second baseman in Fantasy baseball. Anybody who followed its advice and picked up Edman late in their Fantasy baseball drafts received a huge power boost in their Fantasy baseball lineups.
The SportsLine model is engineered by the same people who powered projections for all three major Fantasy sites. And that same group is sharing its 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets over at SportsLine, helping you find Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts long before your competition. Their cheat sheets, available for leagues on many major sites, are updated multiple times every day.
Any time more MLB news comes out about the updated 2023 MLB schedule, free agency signings or Fantasy baseball injuries, the team at SportsLine updates its projections. Go to SportsLine now to see these proven Fantasy baseball cheat sheets.
Top 2023 Fantasy baseball sleepers
One of the Fantasy baseball sleepers 2023 the model is high on: Rockies catcher Elias Diaz. He signed a three-year, $14.5 million contract prior to the 2022 season, which began with a slow start. However, he hit .273 with one home run, eight doubles and one triple from July 4 to Aug. 10 before missing 10 games due to a left wrist injury.
His slow start and late-season injury have created value on him as a sleeper pick in 2023. Diaz is the only catcher on Colorado's roster with regular MLB playing time under his belt, giving him the edge as the Opening Day starter. He also put together a hot stretch during spring training, hitting .310 through his first 11 games, and the model has him ranked ahead of catchers such as Cal Raleigh and William Contreras.
Another one of the Fantasy baseball sleepers 2023 the model is all over: White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada. Early reports indicated that Moncada sustained a concussion during the World Baseball Classic, but it wound up being a bruised rib. This injury is not expected to affect his availability for Opening Day, so his draft stock will remain unchanged.
He dealt with an early-season oblique injury last year, which played a large role in his disappointing campaign. However, he told reporters that he changed his offseason training and has not been dealing with the shoulder soreness that he usually experiences early in spring training. Moncada is underrated following his injury-induced regression last year, as the model projects him to have a better season than third basemen such as Gunnar Henderson, Alec Bohm and DJ LeMahieu.
How to find proven 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings
SportsLine's model is also high on a surprising starting pitcher who lands in the top 10 of its positional rankings. This player is barely going off the board in the top 125 picks, but is projected to outperform starters Aaron Nola, Shane McClanahan and Brandon Woodruff. This pick could be the difference in winning your league or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
So which 2023 Fantasy sleepers should you target in your upcoming drafts? Visit SportsLine now to get 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings for every single position, all from the model that called Tommy Edman's big season, and find out.
