Trea Turner was the hottest player at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, leading all players with five home runs. The Phillies fans are eager to see their new $300 million man in action during 2023 MLB Opening Day on March 30. Turner's Fantasy baseball owners will be hoping that his current hot streak will carry over to the regular season as he also hit .417 during spring training. Turner is a proven star at this point, but might a third change of scenery in three years and the security of a massive contract lead to a drop-off in production?
A reliable set of live-updated 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings can help you sort through the fallout of another busy MLB offseason, and they can also help you stay on top of the latest MLB injury news. How should Jose Altuve's hand injury impact your Fantasy baseball draft strategy, and who are some of the potential 2023 Fantasy baseball sleepers that you need to be aware of? 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: Tigers starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen. The 31-year-old has primarily been used as a reliever throughout his eight-year MLB career but last year he was thrust into the Angels' rotation out of necessity and fared well. Lorenzen posted an 8-6 record with a 4.24 ERA while striking out 85 over 97.2 innings. That earned him a one-year, $8.5 million contract to join the Tigers this offseason, where he is expected to be a full-time member of the starting rotation.
Lorenzen has a whopping seven-pitch arsenal according to Statcast and sits in the 94-95 mph range with his sinker and his four-seam fastball. And with a 38.0% whiff rate on his changeup, he's got the ability to keep hitters off balance. He's also playing in one of the game's most pitcher-friendly ballparks now and that's why the model likes him ahead of starters like Charlie Morton and Luis Garcia who are being drafted at least 80 picks earlier on average.
Another of the Fantasy baseball sleepers 2023 the model is all over: Dodgers outfielder David Peralta. After nine seasons with the Diamondbacks and then a brief 47-game stint with the Rays last season, Peralta joined the Dodgers on a one-year, $6.5 million contract during the offseason. The 35-year-old should see regular work against right-handed pitching for one of the National League's most dominant clubs.
The former Silver Slugger has slashed .293/.350/.486 in his career against righties with 93 of his 110 career home runs coming against them. And after being one of the main attractions in bad Arizona lineups for years, he should enjoy the stress-free life of hitting down a dangerous Los Angeles order. He slugged .539 against four-seam fastballs last season and that's why the model ranks him ahead of left fielders like Alex Verdugo and Andrew Benintendi, who are being drafted at least three rounds earlier on average.
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.
