It is crunch time for fantasy baseball drafts as Spring Training is now in full swing and the regular season is mere weeks away from opening day. If you are doing your research, which you should be, then the top rated fantasy players in the American League East should be second nature to you. The names like Jose Bautista, Jose Reyes, Adam Jones, Evan Longoria and Dustin Pedroia are atop every perspective fantasy GM’s draft day wish list.

Fantasy baseball is an easy draft to partake in, at least for the first five rounds; as by then the top fifty or so players are off the board and each team in the league has one or two representatives. If you are playing in a deeper league of say 12 GM’s and 20 rounds then you had better have an idea of who you are going to be looking at with that 240th pick.

This is eDraft’s fantasy sleeper guide and we are continuing our analysis of potential fantasy sleepers and draft day bargains as we move on to the American League East. From the East division we are focusing on the lesser-known and undervalued players whom you can look at grabbing in those later rounds while your co-general manager’s are struggling to find serviceable fantasy options.

Here are nine position players worthy of draft day consideration. Stay tuned to eDraft for fantasy pitchers from throughout the National League and American League and check back for more fantasy sleeper picks as we work our way through each division, next stop the American League West. To check out eDraft’s NL East, NL Central and and NL West fantasy picks click on the links and draft away.
 

Manny Machado - Third Base, Baltimore Orioles

Manny Machado broke into the big leagues last season as he got the call up in early August to finish out the year with the Baltimore Orioles. During his time in the show, Machado showed glimpses of his potential and set the stage for 2013. Machado will be the everyday third baseman and with that he should project out with decent fantasy numbers. A 20-homerun season is not out of the question for Machado, although a 15-plus year is more likely. Machado will need to keep his average up and over the .270 mark to be effective, which means he had better cut down on those strikeouts. 60-plus RBI’s and 60-plus runs scored is very attainable while a rip line of .268/.308/.416 is likely. Tremendous upside to this young man, it may not come to fruition this season but it shouldn’t take too long. A must have in keeper leagues and a solid late-round pick-up in mixed leagues.

J.J. Hardy – Short Stop, Baltimore Orioles

J.J. Hardy would be the first to tell you that the 2012 season was not his best. The season saw him hit 30 points lower on his batting average, finish the season with an OBP under .290, a slugging percentage under .400 and saw him set a career high in strikeouts with 106. This season there is reason for optimism as Hardy has promised a better eye at the plate and more discipline to cut down on the strikeouts and increase the walk totals. Hardy’s draft day value is a bit suppressed due to the bad year; however, he could easily regain his 2011 form that saw him hit 30 homeruns, drive in 80 RBI and finish with a .491 slugging percentage. Personally, come draft day, I value Hardy higher than Erick Aybar, Alcides Escobar and Alexei Ramirez. Let others over pay for the shortstop talent, take Hardy in a later round and reap the benefits.

Mike Napoli - Catcher, First Base, Boston Red Sox

Most folks are calling Napoli’s 2012 season a bad year. He still managed to club out 24 homers in only 352 at-bats. He scored 50-plus runs and had 50-plus RBI’s; however, what hurt fantasy owners the most was the dismal .227 average. Looking back, it would seem that Napoli’s 2010 BA of .320 was quite the anomaly and such a gaudy number isn’t to be expected again. If Napoli can maintain his health throughout the season and remain position eligible at both catcher and first base then he could give your fantasy team some real upside. A season consisting of 23-plus HR, 65-plus RBI and runs scored to go along with a .255-plus average would have to be considered a success. Playing in Fenway Park should help the power numbers and increase the doubles totals as the Green Monster could get peppered by Napoli as the season wears on.

Matt Joyce – Outfield, Tampa Bay Rays

The off-season was generous to Matt Joyce as he inked a new contract with the Tampa Bay Rays giving him a raise from the paltry sum of $500,000 to $2.45 million. I’m figuring with that kind of money on the table, Joyce will be counted on to play every day and no longer just against right-handed pitchers. Joyce represents a nice late-round flier pick as he has 20-plus homerun potential and could drive in over 80 runs on the year. Downside to owning Joyce is his low batting average and high strikeout totals. Currently Joyce is slated to bat fifth in the lineup behind Evan Longoria and will probably see some decent pitches to hit so long as Longoria is hitting well. 

Wil Myers – Outfield, Tampa Bay Rays

The James Shields trade to the Kansas City Royals netted the Tampa Bay Rays one of the top-prospects in all of baseball in Wil Myers. This 22 year old prospect is as major league ready as they come at this age. The prevailing thought is that the Rays organization will keep Myers at Triple-A to start the season if for no other reason than to push back the free-agency and salary arbitration eligible years on his contract. Myers will be playing up with the big club by mid-season and should be making a fantasy impact come July. Keeper leagues will see this kid go much higher than what his current value would dictate; however, standard league format would say that Myers is a late-round pick up at best for this season.

J.P. Arencibia - Catcher, Toronto Blue Jays

Last season saw Arencibia club out 18 homeruns in only 347 at-bats, which gave him 41 total bombs over the previous two seasons. I do not expect similar production this season simply because of the offensive upgrade to the entire Blue Jays roster. Potentially the biggest fantasy upside to drafting J.P Arencibia is that he could actually get traded from the Jays and in turn plays for a less offensively gifted team where he could take a more prominent offensive role. A decent fantasy option at catcher, particularly if you aren’t willing to use a mid-round picks on the position.

Adam Lind - First Base, Toronto Blue Jays

Thus far this spring, Lind has been flat out raking the ball. He is showing the patience at the plate that has been previously missing and he is making good solid contact and driving the ball as opposed to getting underneath everything and flying out. I’m looking for Lind to be more relaxed at the plate this season and feel less pressure to come up with the big hit given the recent roster upgrades. I’m not ready to predict a 2009 like season worth of production; however, a repeat of 2011 is achievable. First base is a very deep position in fantasy baseball and given the stiff competition Lind is a reach even in the later rounds. If this season can bring with it resurgence to Lind’s power and OBP then you will look like a genius for using that late-round pick on Lind.

Honorable Mentions

Ryan Lavarnway – Catcher, Boston Red Sox

It would appear as though the talented Ryan Lavarnway is slated to start the season at Triple-A for the Boston Red Sox. Right now David Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia have the catcher position sewn up and Lavarnway hasn’t shown enough consistency to be considered a DH fill in for the injured David Ortiz. Plenty of upside to this young man as his full-season numbers would actually project out to be quite productive. At the moment Lavarnway is a draft and stash prospect as he needs consistent playing time to show his fantasy worth.

Emilio Bonifacio - Second Base, Toronto Blue Jays

There is a battle brewing in Toronto for the starting second baseman job. Both Bonifacio and Maicer Izturis have been playing well and are both making good cases for the starting gig. I like Bonifacio to win out here and earn the spot to open the season simply based upon his speed and base running ability. From a fantasy perspective the stolen bases are such a bonus and to draft a player near the end of the draft who could net you 30-plus steals; that would be a steal of a pick.