There are many different fantasy baseball draft strategies when it comes to the outfield position. Some prefer to grab a top-tier outfielder in the first round with Ronald Acuna, Julio Rodriguez, and Mookie Betts atop the current fantasy baseball outfield rankings. Others like to wait a round or two and scoop up a Cody Bellinger or Mike Trout further down fantasy baseball ADP. Then we have those who ignore the position almost entirely until the later rounds to take fliers on potential breakouts and fantasy baseball sleepers. That’s where we’re looking today.  

No matter your own personal fantasy baseball draft plan, finding a gem in the outfield can be the difference between winning or losing your league. Most rosters have to fill multiple outfield spots, so grabbing a fantasy baseball sleeper in the later rounds can give you a significant advantage over other teams. Let’s take a closer look at some fantasy baseball outfield sleepers to target in your drafts, according to current NFBC ADP data.

 

Fantasy Baseball Outfield Sleepers 

Teoscar Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers (ADP 117)

Back in 2021, Teoscar Hernadez had his breakout fantasy campaign in a loaded Toronto Blue Jays lineup. His 32 home runs, 116 RBI, 92 runs, .296 batting average, and .346 OBP were all career-bests. Hernandez hasn’t been able to exactly match those numbers in the past two seasons, but he did average 25.5 home runs, 85 RBI, and 70.5 runs over 2022 and 2023 combined. After signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason, the outfielder can get back to that level while hitting in another stacked lineup. 

Hernandez will likely hit in the middle of the Dodgers order as a key right-handed bat in a lefty-dominant lineup. There’s a good chance he comes to bat with one or multiple guys on base with Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman in the 1-3 spots. If he hits fourth, then Hernandez will have Max Muncy, Will Smith, and others coming up behind him. We’ll see how the Dodgers lineup shakes out game-to-game. Overall, though, Hernandez will have a good chance to rack up RBI and runs with better pitches to hit considering how much firepower the Los Angeles offense boasts. He can easily outperform his current ADP if gets back to those 2021 numbers. 

Esteury Ruiz, Oakland Athletics (ADP 126)

If you play in a head-to-head league, it’s tough to make the case for Esteury Ruiz. In categories leagues, though, Ruiz can help you dominate the steals category. The Oakland Athletics’ speedster stole 67 bases last season, trailing only Ronald Acuna for the MLB lead. He did that despite playing in just 132 games and mostly hitting near the bottom of the A’s order as well. If Ruiz becomes more of an everyday player and hits leadoff more often, he can realistically lead the league in steals this year. 

Ruiz has hit leadoff in a few Spring Training games already, which is a good sign. That would also give him more production in runs categories. He only scored 47 runs last season because he was batting eighth or ninth in the Oakland lineup in most cases. Ruiz also only hit .254 with a .309 OBP last year. There’s a chance he improves on those numbers in his second full season as he’s reportedly improved his mechanics and exit velocity as a hitter already this spring. Either way, Ruiz is worth a later-round pick just for his steals – especially if you prioritized power or pitching in early rounds. 

Jung Hoo Lee, San Francisco Giants (ADP 247)

Looking a bit further down the outfield ADP rankings, Jung Hoo Lee could quickly emerge as a steal where he’s going in drafts right now. Lee signed with the San Francisco Giants this season after coming over from Korea, where he was the KBO MVP in 2022. He’s a big wild card for fantasy baseball because we really don’t know what to expect. On the one hand, Lee could struggle to acclimate to big-league pitching and take a few months to become valuable. However, this is a talented hitter who can easily outperform his lower ADP. 

Lee was one of the best pure hitters in the KBO with a .340 batting average across seven seasons. He hit .349 and .360 in the 2022 and 2021 seasons, respectively, and was a singles machine. Lee profiles as a high-contact hitter in the majors and can realistically finish with a .300 average or better this year. Outside of his BA, there are questions as to how much fantasy value Lee will offer. He’s never been a big power hitter and the pitcher-friendly San Francisco stadium doesn’t help. Still, Lee could score a ton of runs (with strong BA and OBP numbers) if he’s hitting first or second in the Giants order. San Francisco signed Jorge Soler and Matt Chapman this offseason so the lineup could be a sneakily potent one.