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Rookies and veterans among stolen base sleepers

Jason Heyward was disappointing in 2016, but he has the skills to provide steals if he's able to get on base at a healthier pace. Getty Images

Billy Hamilton, Dee Gordon and hopefully several fellows in the comparatively speed-starved American League are likely to steal many bases this season, but for those in deeper fantasy leagues it’s often all about the sleepers that surprise as late- or post-round draft picks. This isn’t about the next Jonathan Villar, necessarily, since he was supposed to be intriguing and expecting upwards of 50 stolen bases from seemingly nowhere is indeed asking for a lot, but his teammate Hernan Perez is a more realistic option. Perez, a forgotten bench option, finally saw opportunity to play and, well, he ran with it, so to speak. Same with Padres outfielder Travis Jankowski, a young player with the right skill set.