With the baseball season fast approaching and Spring Training upon us, fantasy owners are beginning to compile their rankings and projections for 2016. Sorting through established players and household names is one thing, but leagues are never won by big-named stars performing at their expected statistics. Instead, crowns are donned by the owners who were able to sift through the first 200 players selected and draft upside “deep sleepers” (ones who are able to greatly outperform their ADP and provide exceptional value to their owners). Which players qualify for that distinction this season? Read on and find out.

Player: Trevor Plouffe

Team: Minnesota Twins

Age: 29

Position: 3B

2015 Statistics: .244 AVG / .307 OBP / .742 OPS / 22 HR / 86 RBI / 2 SB in 352 Abs

Current ADP: 284 (Fantasy Pros)

Background

Drafting Trevor Plouffe parallels adapting to holidays gifts as one becomes older. While young, it is the expensive, new gifts that define your holiday season. "What is that Bobby? A brand new Xbox? Score!"

Yet, as one learns the ways of the world and starts to appreciate practical items, they are just as coveted. Plouffe is the new pair of boots that you needed because you wore out the old ones. He isn’t flashy and can’t adapt into something he isn’t, but he delivers on expectations.

Widely considered one of the “safest” corner infielders to draft, Plouffe offers stability for an incredibly cheap price. He doesn’t offer the same power upside that Josh Donaldson, Nolan Arenado or Manny Machado do, but he can be acquired a good 270 picks later. Based upon his Fantasy Pros ADP, he is being selected behind Danny Valencia, Nick Castellanos and Yangervis Solarte – a place that truly puzzles me. Plouffe has averaged 18.5 HR and 68 RBI over the past four seasons, all while building upon his games started and at bats each year.

Bottom line? Plouffe provides production that owners can count on at an incredibly discounted rate, and he will hit in the midst of a much-improved Twins lineup.

Positives

1.) Ascending skillset – As mentioned above, Plouffe has seen more at-bats with each passing season, which resulted in career highs in runs (74) and RBI (86). Last season Plouffe’s 41 percent fly ball rate was the highest since 2012, which resulted in a dramatic spike in power. If his home run to fly ball rate improves, it wouldn’t be out of question to see him reach the 25 HR mark in 2016.

2.) Surrounding lineup – After last season’s promotions of top prospects Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton and the addition of a legitimate slugging DH in Byung-ho Park, Plouffe is now supported by a cast that will be on base more often and drive him in when given the opportunity. He isn’t exactly Billy Hamilton on the basepaths, but Plouffe is fast enough to make a difference, and could chip in five stolen bases. He has also be penciled into the cleanup spot during Spring Training this season, batting behind Joe Mauer and Sano. Cha-ching.

3.) Support from the Twins – Plouffe’s defense improved enough over the past few seasons that the club opted to move Sano to the outfield, rather than ask Plouffe to DH or shift to another position. They clearly want to maintain a sense of consistency with this team, and Plouffe is at the heart of it.

Negatives

1.) Mediocre .OBP and .AVG – Perhaps the biggest knock against Plouffe is his middling ability to get on base. Last season he fell below the league average in AVG (.254) and OBP (.317) by exactly 10 points each. While his power did allow him to perform better than the league average in OPS (.721) by over 20 points, Plouffe’s statistics define the term “just a guy” in everything else which fantasy owners would deem relevant statistically. He can take a walk, but he has never posted a BB% higher than 9 percent. At this point in his career, owners shouldn’t expect either progress or regression, just the status quo.

2.) Struggles versus LHP – While Plouffe’s AVG in 2015 was nearly identical against RHP (.242) and LHP (.250), there was a startling difference in his power numbers versus southpaws. Of the 22 HR which he hit last season, 16 came against RHP. Additionally, of the 86 RBI which he drove in, 60 came against RHP. Plouffe’s underlying stats show that while he can still hit for a modest average against LHP, he generates much weaker contact. The splits have never been far enough apart for the team to consider platooning him, but they do have an alternative option in Sano to take over at 3B should the need arise.