A common recommendation from fantasy baseball writers this spring is to wait on pitching, as there is value to be found in the latter stages of fantasy drafts. While there are certainly a few blue chip starters like Roy Halladay and Felix Hernandez who command an early-round pick, there are also late round value picks or sleepers who could pay dividends for owners this summer.
One such player is Jake Peavy, the 2007 Cy Young winner who was acquired by the Chicago White Sox via trade in 2009. Although Peavy has not been able to replicate his award-winning form in which he went 19-6 with an impressive 2.54 ERA and a league leading 240 strikeouts, he is just 29 years old and does have the ability to be a viable third or fourth starter for fantasy owners.
Drafting a player like Peavy is like placing a roulette bet in Vegas or Internet Casino. Yes, you may lose your initial bet if he ends up being a bust. However, the return on your bet and the odds that you receive are well worth the gamble. At his current ADP of 375, Peavy is an excellent value pick in all formats.
In his only spring training outing so far in 2011, Peavy delivered two scoreless innings with one walk and two strikeouts. The White Sox appear to be slowly working him back into the rotation, and there has been some speculation that he may miss a few starts this April.
When drafting this spring, owners should view Jake Peavy as a low risk, high reward pick. If he struggles to perform well due to injuries or age, his owner will only be giving up a late round pick. Conversely, if he recaptures some of his former self he could be the key to a championship season.
Check out our other sleepers for 2011:
This article was originally published on www.kramericasports.com. The home of free fantasy baseball news, rankings and advice.
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