Fantasy Baseball 2021: Ranking Sleepers to Track for MLB Week 9

Need some sleeper fantasy options for your roster as the 2021 MLB season heads into its third month? We've got you covered.

Finding diamonds in the rough can make championship dreams come to fruition, particularly in a sport like baseball where depth is paramount. That is even more true considering the number of injuries teams around the majors are dealing with right now.

Let's take a closer look at three guys fantasy managers might want to monitor as they search for quality options to fill out their rosters.

The Chicago Cubs barely lost any of steam at the end of May despite some injuries, and they started June with a bang after taking a second straight game against the San Diego Padres.

Patrick Wisdom has been a vital offensive contributor over the course of the last week.

The 29-year-old is on an absolute tear as of late. He is 9-for-17 with four homers dating back to May 27 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Three of those homers have come in the last two games, as he clubbed a pair on May 31 and hit a bomb off Padres left-hander Ryan Weathers on Tuesday night.

Wisdom is red-hot, and Cubs manager David Ross has almost no choice but to keep playing him so long as he is producing at this rate. Now, there are challenges to making him part of a fantasy roster.

As of right now, Wisdom only has fantasy eligibility at first base, though that could change after he played third on Tuesday. The more pressing issue might be the fact that Jason Heyward and Jake Marisnick are both close to returning, which could present internal dilemmas for the Cubs.

That said, Wisdom is only rostered in 1.7 percent of ESPN leagues as of Tuesday night. He is well worth a flier at least until Heyward and Marisnick are activated, and maybe even beyond then considering the Cubs are without David Bote (shoulder) for an extended stretch.

Is there a reason Milwaukee Brewers backstop Omar Narvaez is only rostered in just about a third of ESPN leagues? Well, probably.

The 29-year-old spent some time on the injured list earlier in the season and has endured a bit of a rough patch as of late. He hit just .213 with a .650 OPS in May.

Still, Narvaez ranks 14th among catchers and makes a lot of contact. He came into Tuesday's game ranking in the 86th percentile in expected batting average (xBA) and xwOBA. He also ranked in the 75th percentile in strikeout rate and 71st percentile in whiff rate while being above league average in walk rate.

There's also this: While Narvaez does not make a ton of hard contact, his expected slugging (xSLG) still sits at a comfy .491. 

Any managers seeking an upgrade behind the dish would do well to consider the Venezuelan, who could be a boon if he can recapture his early-season form. 

The San Francisco Giants' rotation has gotten some well-deserved acclaim throughout the first two months, but right-hander Logan Webb is an unheralded name who demands more respect.

The 24-year-old had a 4.13 ERA in 28.1 innings but has been that much better in May. He held opponents to a measly .480 OPS last month. More impressively, he saw a rise in strikeouts per nine innings (8.9 to 11.3) and had a 0.92 WHIP en route to posting a 3.48 ERA in four May starts.

The peripherals suggest Webb is only getting started. He ranked above the 74th percentile in hard-hit rate, average exit velocity and xSLG prior to the start of play on Tuesday. Those batted ball numbers are complemented by his ranking in the 65th percentile in whiff rate and 86th percentile in chase rate.

Although the Rocklin, California native doesn't have exceptional velocity, he can work down in the zone with the sinker and wipes opponents out with a slider that has the eighth-best whiff rate of any in baseball.

Webb is rostered in just 12.5 percent of all ESPN leagues. He is a deep sleeper on the rise—and a perfect rotation filler for managers needing more starting pitching.

All stats obtained via Baseball Reference or Baseball Savant. All fantasy information obtained via ESPN.