Sleeper Candidates: Outfielders
George Bissell and Dave Shovein break down their favorite sleeper candidate outfielders heading into 2025.
The nebulous “sleeper” label has evolved into all-encompassing shorthand in the fantasy baseball lexicon to highlight undervalued players heading into draft season. Every fantasy manager seems to have a different interpretation. The Buzz is sticking with the more traditional historical definition by classifying sleeper candidates as mostly unheralded or unproven players (or aging veterans that are being similarly overlooked) that are currently flying under-the-radar (typically late-round selections) but have a real chance to emerge next season as impact fantasy contributors. George Bissell and Dave Shovein provide in-depth breakdowns of their favorite fantasy sleeper outfielders including: Parker Meadows, Evan Carter, JJ Bleday, Michael Conforto and Daulton Varsho.
Parker Meadows, Tigers
2025 Rankings: The Buzz (35) Bissell: (43) Shovein: (31)
Meadows was my pick for Rotoworld’s annual sleepers column, which comes out in early February, so I won’t completely spoil that write-up here. However, it’s worth noting that both Dave and I are metaphorically all-in on the emerging power-speed combo threat as a realistic 20-homer, 30-steal fantasy contributor in the wake of last year’s swing adjustment seemingly unlocking his massive potential. We’re buying. — George Bissell
Evan Carter, Rangers
2025 Rankings: The Buzz (56) Bissell: (48) Shovein: (63)
It’s mystifying that the hype isn’t there for Carter since offseason reports concerning last year’s stress fracture in his back that limited him to just 45 contests have been nothing but positive. MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry reported earlier this month that the former top prospect was adversely impacted by the ongoing back issue during the early stages of last season before being shut down completely by the end of May. He’s been working out without any restrictions this offseason and has also added some additional strength and weight while also working to get his swing back to pre-injury levels. Typically, I’d caution against reading too much into offseason reports, but they’re worth taking into consideration since Carter was basically never healthy at any point last season, which massively impacted his on-field production. The 22-year-old top prospect looked like a potential five-category impact fantasy contributor when he rocketed to the majors back in 2023 and played a key role in the club’s World Series title run. If the back issues are completely resolved, I’d confidently project Carter for roughly 20 homers and double-digit stolen bases, with the potential to exceed both of those marks. — George Bissell
JJ Bleday, Athletics
2025 Rankings: The Buzz (62) Bissell: (71) Shovein: (51)
How a fantasy analyst defines a sleeper can vary greatly from one source to another depending on who’s giving the advice. I’m not in the business of recommending anyone as a sleeper who is already an impact fantasy contributor, so we’re going to dive deep into the well in the outfield in an effort to uncover some hidden gems that really pay off big in the later rounds of your deeper league drafts. I actually find it fascinating that Bleday isn’t getting more early love from fantasy managers. The fourth overall selection from the 2019 MLB Draft seemingly lost his top prospect pedigree when he was traded to the Athletics and all he has really done since then is hit. In his first full season on the job Bleday very quietly slugged 20 homers with a neutral batting average while cutting his strikeout rate to under 20 percent (19.5 percent). He also increased his launch angle and hard-hit rate while hitting more balls in the air. It didn’t really pay dividends in the vast confines of the Oakland Coliseum, but it certainly will with the A’s playing in a minor league park in 2025. He’s also expected to bat third behind Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker and in front of Shea Langeliers. He’s unlikely to give you more than a handful of stolen bases, but Bleday is entering his age-27 season and looks like one of the strongest overall sources of power that can be had after the top 250 picks in drafts at the moment. — Dave Shovein
Michael Conforto, Dodgers
2025 Rankings: The Buzz (65) Bissell: (70) Shovein: (65)
Don’t overthink it. Sometimes the most obvious fantasy values are staring us directly in the face. Here’s an oversimplification: Conforto finds himself in the absolute perfect situation for fantasy purposes as a supporting character for an absolutely loaded Dodgers lineup as a strong-side platoon righty-mashing corner outfielder. The oft-injured 31-year-old’s durability concerns aren’t going away, but he’s set up for success in Los Angeles and has played at least 125 games in back-to-back seasons since returning from shoulder surgery. His familiarity with the NL West is another positive after spending the prior two years with San Francisco where he averaged 18 round-trippers. He’ll bat towards the bottom of Los Angeles’ star-studded lineup, but given it’s unprecedented depth that shouldn’t impact his counting stats too much. He feels like a virtual lock to finish as a top 50 range fantasy outfielder that fantasy managers can get much later than that on draft day. He’s the type of name that I’d throw out in the early stages of an auction hoping that I can get him at a discount while the rest of the room declines to get aggressive. — George Bissell
Daulton Varsho, Blue Jays
2025 Rankings: The Buzz (74) Bissell: (85) Shovein: (69)
Just two short years ago, Varsho was a top 45 pick in NFBC Main Event drafts. Sure, the catcher eligibility inflated his cost, but this is a player that the market absolutely loved. Last year, he went around pick 200 and despite the poor batting average still managed to hit 18 homers and steal 10 bases in just 136 games. Now, he’s a forgotten man with an ADP of 365. I get that he’s coming back from shoulder surgery and it’s possible that he misses a few games at the start of the season. It’s very rare though that you can get a player of his caliber this late in the draft. If healthy, he’s a good bet for a 20-homer, 10-steal season — and we’ve seen the upside for much more than that. He’s entering his age-28 season and still in the prime of his career and the additions of Anthony Santander and Andrés Giménez only improve his supporting cast and therefore his counting stats. These are exactly the types of gambles that I like taking late in the draft and the one’s that could wind up paying off handsomely. — Dave Shovein