Follow Elite Sports NY on this list of some of the top sleeper options for the infields of your 2017 fantasy baseball teams.

Anyone that has ever drafted a fantasy team has found themselves, at least once, frantically searching for sleepers near the end of their draft or auction. This list will give you a few options at every infield position when the pressure is on.

If a dozen people were asked what makes a player a sleeper, you’ll probably get a dozen different answers.

Does a sleeper have to be a rookie? Do they have to be a player not being drafted as a starter? Do they have to be a player you’ve never heard of before?

For the purposes of this list, a sleeper is a player the fantasy community as a whole is not expecting much from this year. You won’t find them in the main sections of your fantasy magazines or in any of the top ten position lists on the internet.

A sleeper is not expected by anyone to be a starter for your team in 2016, but if things go right, they can potentially finish the year putting up starter-like numbers.

So if it’s getting late in the draft, and you want to roll the dice, here are some names you may want to consider adding to your squad.

Sleeper C:

Tom Murphy – COL

Unless they make a last minute signing, 25-year-old Tom Murphy will be the Colorado Rockies primary catcher in 2017. While that may not be great for the Colorado Rockies pitching staff, it is an absolute dream for anyone looking for a fantasy baseball sleeper at the catcher position.

Murphy was excellent in his September audition last fall, as he hit one home run in every four games played — five in 21 contests — and sported an overall OPS of 1.006. That’s a small sample size, but check out his 2016 Triple-A numbers. Murphy hit a homer just about every four games — 19 in 81 contests there — and held an impressive 1.008 OPS.

This is simple — Murphy is a power hitting catcher that plays his home games at Coors Field. If you miss out on your guy earlier in the draft, don’t fret. Odds are Murphy will be available.

2016 Stats
AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	SLG	OBP	OPS	TB	XB
44	8	5	13	1	.273	.659	.347	1.006	33	7

Sandy Leon – BOS

Sandy Leon played in 78 games for the Boston Red Sox in 2016, but he was expected to play in none.

Since 2013, Leon hadn’t hit better than .263 at any level of professional baseball. For the big club, in the midst of a playoff race in 2016, he hit .310.

Put simply, Leon came out of nowhere in 2016 to finish in the top-12 of all catchers in average, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS.

Nothing in his past could have foretold this offensive explosion on the major league level, but that’s precisely how sleepers are made. No one believed in him last year, and he delivered. No one’s believing in him this year either — that is except us.

2016 Stats
AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	SLG	OBP	OPS	TB	XB
252	36	7	35	0	.310	.476	.369	.845	143	26

The Rookie:

Chance Sisco – BAL

With Matt Wieters signing with the Washington Nationals, the O’s top prospect in the 22-year-old Chance Sisco may see the majors this season. Drafted in 2013, Sisco has put up impressive minor league stats. In three seasons, he has a .317 average, six home runs, an .833 OPS, 61 walks and 88 strikeouts in 426 at-bats across all levels. It’s not his bat preventing him from ascending to the show though. As with all young catchers, it’s Sisco’s defense and game calling that may keep him down on the farm.

Sleeper 1B:

Greg Bird – NYY

No one seems to be expecting much from any one of the New York Yankees‘ three first baseman — four if Tyler Austin is included — in 2017. Neither Greg Bird, Matt Holliday nor Chris Carter is ranked inside the top-25 at the position in anyone’s preseason rankings, yet any of the three could potentially put up top-15 fantasy first base numbers.

While Joe Girardi tries to balance an otherwise overwhelmingly left-handed lineup, righties Holliday and Carter will get their turns at bat against left-handed pitchers. It appears as of now Bird, a big part of Brian Cashman’s “Baby Bomber” collective, will get the bulk of the at-bats against righties.

Bird has hit every step of the way on his path to the majors, including during his brief stint with the big club in 2015. Unfortunately for the Yanks, Bird’s 2016 breakout was not to be as a shoulder injury ended his season before it began.

What’s not to like about a big young left handed hitter swinging for the short porch at Yankee Stadium? Bird is currently being drafted outside the top-200 overall and appears to be a gamble worth taking.

2015 Stats
AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	SLG	OBP	OPS	TB	XB
157	26	11	31	0	.261	.529	.343	.871	83	20

Tommy Joseph – PHI

Tommy Joseph is the primary cleanup hitter for a major league baseball team that plays its home games in a hitter’s park. The 25-year-old first baseman hit 21 home runs in only 315 at bats in 2016. With the departure of Ryan Howard, Joseph has no real competition for the job either.

These facts alone would lead one to think that Joseph would be the hip pick of 2017, but he’s not. Why, you may ask? Well it’s because the team he is hitting cleanup for is the Philadelphia Phillies. Yeah those Phils, the worst offense in all of baseball in 2016. Unfortunately for fans, those 21 homers he hit in 2016 were one more than the total number of homers combined that he hit across all levels since 2013. Still, when you’re looking for sleepers sometimes you have to focus on the positive and hope for a repeat, while ignoring some of the negatives.

According to Fangraphs, Joseph is projected to put up numbers close to those of the Indians’ Carlos Santana and Royals’ Eric Hosmer, while coming in at a much cheaper price. If he’s still hanging around at the end of your draft and you need some insurance at first or utility, Joseph is your man.

2016 Stats
AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	SLG	OBP	OPS	TB	XB
315	47	21	47	1	.257	.505	.308	.813	181	36

The Rookie:

Josh Bell – PIT

Josh Bell got a taste of the majors in 2016, and he wants to stay. Offseason surgery on his left knee may prevent him from breaking camp with the big league club, but it will be simply a matter of time before he’s back hitting in the middle of the order.

As a true rookie in 2016, Bell played batted .273 with three homers, 19 RBIs and a .775 OPS. He should be the Pirates everyday first baseman in 2017 and beyond.

Sleeper 2B:

Jonathan Schoop – BAL

In the first half of 2016, Jonathan Schoop hit .304 with 14 homers, and was one of the best offensive second baseman in all of baseball.  However, he hit .196 with four homers in September and October, and was a big reason the Orioles faded down the stretch.

The 25-year-old played in 162 games and nearly every defensive inning for the O’s in 2016. Those are impressive feats for such a young player and it’s not crazy to think that the huge workload contributed mightily to his uneven play and weak finish.

Schoop is better than the 17th best second baseman in baseball, which is where he’s currently being drafted. While second base does seem to be stacked this year, owners that want to handcuff their early round second base investment would be wise to draft Schoop late. He may just wind up being your starter.

2016 Stats
AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	SLG	OBP	OPS	TB	XB
619	82	25	82	1	.265	.451	.296	.747	300	64

DJ LeMahieu – COL

Quick — name a middle infielder with the initials DJ who bats second in a good lineup, hits for a high average, scores a bunch of runs, drives some in and will get you double digit steals and homers every year. If you said Derek Jeter, you’re not crazy.

DJ LeMahieu has a lot in common with Jeter circa 2008 from a fantasy baseball perspective. Both players are solid contributors in all five categories, and provide elite production in batting average and runs. While Jeter played in New York and was a household name, LeMahieu plays in Colorado and, outside of fantasy, Colorado is largely unknown. That’s probably why he’s currently number 100 overall instead of in the top-50.

Value hunters out there are going to be smiling all spring as they watch the Nationals’ unproven Trea Turner go around the turn in the first or second round. That’s because they know they can expect to get similar production from LeMahieu eight or nine rounds later.

He may not technically be a sleeper because of his rank as the 12th best second baseman on a few lists, but going 65 picks after Daniel Murphy in most drafts qualifies him for that title.

2016 Stats
AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	SLG	OBP	OPS	TB	XB
552	104	11	66	11	.348	.495	.416	.911	339	51

The Rookie

Yoan Moncada – CHW

Once considered the top prospect in all of baseball, Yoan Moncada was one of four prospects included in the Chris Sale to Boston trade. Moncada has been phenomenal in the minors, as he hit .297 with 23 homers, 155 runs, 100 RBIs and 94 steals in just 187 games. While it’s no sure thing he makes the Opening Day roster, Moncada will play in the majors in 2017, and when he does you’ll want him on your roster.

Sleeper SS:

Brad Miller – TBR

Brad Miller plays first base for the Tampa Bay Rays, but qualifies at shortstop for fantasy. That’s good news because as a first baseman, Miller is waiver wire fodder. As a shortstop though, he’s a sleeper.

Miller is one of six shortstop eligible players to record at least 80 RBIs in 2016. He is also one of only three shortstops to hit at least 30 homers, also making the top-10 in runs scored.

The downside here is that Miller is a free swinger. He’s going to strike out a ton and will not hit for a very high average. He won’t steal you many bases either.

In the 13th or 14th round, if your roster has speed and average already, you can still find power from an unusual spot if you make Miller your shortstop.

2016 Stats
AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	SLG	OBP	OPS	TB	XB
548	73	30	81	6	.243	.482	.304	.786	311	65

Asdrubal Cabrera – NYM

2017 will be Asdrubal Cabrera’s 10th big league season, and yet, he’s only 31-years-old. While Cabrera may never be an All-Star again, his first season with the New York Mets has shown that he still has something left in the tank.

Cabrera got better and better as last year wore on. In fact, he looked to be peaking right as the playoffs approached. That’s a good sign for a Mets team with playoff aspirations in 2017.

Hitting in the two hole for the Mets, Cabrera could see 600+ at-bats in 2017. Another year facing now more familiar NL pitching should also bode well for the veteran.  A .300, 20 homer season is not out of the question.

Troy Tulowitzki is going about 140 spots earlier than Cabrera’s current 280th average draft pick. Quite frankly, outside of name recognition, there doesn’t appear to be any reason for that.

2016 Stats
AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	SLG	OBP	OPS	TB	XB
524	65	23	62	5	.281	.473	.337	.811	287	54

The Rookie

Gleyber Torres, NYY

Gleyber Torres joined the Yankees as the key piece in the Aroldis Chapman deal with the Cubs during the summer of 2016.  He immediately became the Yankees top prospect upon his acquisition.

Early results suggest the Yankees made a great deal, as Torres became the youngest MVP in the history of the Arizona Fall League this offseason. The now 20-year-old Torres was only 19 during the AFL season, and was its batting champion (.403) and the leader in both on-base percentage (.513) and OPS (1.158). If he can crack the Yankees lineup in 2017, he’d be a must add in fantasy leagues.

Sleeper 3B:

Jake Lamb – ARI

Jake Lamb hit mostly out of the cleanup spot for the D-Backs in 2016, and projects to do so again in 2017.  His numbers last season put him in the top-10 among third baseman in home runs, RBIs, walks, slugging, OPS, total bases and extra base hits.

Now for the bad news — Lamb achieved almost all of that production in the first half. He struggled mightily in the second half after suffering a left hand injury, and the experts have punished him in the rankings as a result. It is possible that Lamb has another great season in him, though.

A lot of the third base eligible players this year are also eligible at other positions, making the group surprisingly thin. If you miss the big names at the top or want to take a chance on a bench player late, Lamb is your ticket.

He has shown he’s capable of producing both elite and wretched numbers. With the possibility he will return top-12 value at third base again in 2017, Lamb is worth the investment if you can get him around the 13th round.

2016 Stats
AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	SLG	OBP	OPS	TB	XB
523	81	29	91	6	.249	.509	.332	.840	330	69

Jose Ramirez – CLE

What you see is what you get with Jose Ramirez. The 5-foot-9 switch-hitting utility man out of the Dominican Republic will not hit for a lot of power. He will likely hit for a high average and score a bunch of runs for you, though. He may even steal some bases.

Ramirez qualifies at third base and outfield, which is a bonus as well. Plus, because Indians’ manager Terry Francona likes him batting at the top of the Cleveland lineup, he’ll play every day and get a ton of at-bats.

Ramirez is not a player you want to count on, though, and in most cases, you won’t need to. However, if you wait too long to draft a third baseman, he can be at least serviceable. That is, until you can pull off a trade or find a waiver wire gem.

2016 Stats
AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	SLG	OBP	OPS	TB	XB
565	84	11	76	22	.312	.462	.363	.825	305	60

The Rookies

Yoan Moncada and Gleyber Torres are listed in this list at second base and shortstop respectively. However, it is just as likely that either, or both, top prospects make it to the majors as a third baseman. There just aren’t that many top third base prospects ready for the majors in 2017.

If we’re allowed to cheat a bit, though, Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros is not technically a rookie any longer — he had 201 at-bats in 2016 — but he will make a nice second-year sleeper. The former top prospect hit .263 with eight homers and 34 RBIs in only 49 games last season.