The Detroit Tigers will be the best team in baseball in 2012, so if you’re looking for fantasy baseball sleepers, they are probably a good roster to check out.
Superstars like Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder are given fantasy studs, but they aren’t the only players on this roster that put up big numbers.
Catcher Alex Avila had a breakout year last season with a .295 batting average, 19 home runs, 82 RBI and .389 OBP, so he’s going to be a fantasy favorite.
And then there are the pitchers. With Justin Verlander, Doug Fister and Jose Valverde being the big-name arms, the Tigers pitching staff is obviously jam packed with must-have arms.
Who will be the sleepers on this year’s team, though?
Once you get to the later rounds of your draft, you will need to have player or two that can produce big numbers at a good value.
I’d keep an eye on these two Tigers for the sleeper pick role:
Brennan Boesch:
Do you remember when Boesch had that exceptional start to his rookie season and absolutely looked like a stud?
This kid’s got one of the nicest left-handed swings you’ll ever see in the MLB, and he’s full of raw potential and talent. The problem with Boesch is his consistency, and he missed the playoffs last year with a thumb injury.
There have got to be questions about how he’ll bounce back, but I’m confident in the young left-hander. He can only get better with both Cabrera and Fielder in the lineup, and he’s going to get better pitches to look at.
Expect a big year out of Boesch.
Austin Jackson:
Jackson ran into somewhat of a sophomore slump last season, only batting .249 with 10 homers, 45 RBI and a .317 OBP.
He definitely had his struggles from the plate, but some of his slide may have come from the exceptional rookie season he had and the expectations that were placed on him.
He doesn’t need to be the team’s star anymore, he just needs to play his role, continue to dominate the outfield and get on base.
Without that pressure, I expect to see a free-swinging and very efficient player this summer.
He’s the perfect fantasy sleeper candidate.
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