Did you spend too early many picks on big lumber and pitching and completely forget about the stolen bases category? Are you afraid that picking any speedsters in the late rounds will come back to hurt all of your other offensive categories? Sure, some players can run, but some of them will only hit about .250 with under five homers all year. Do you really want to fill a spot in your lineup with a player like that? Just for steals?
Don't worry. There are plenty of good options available in later rounds that will get you steals without putting a blemish on your other offensive categories. Here are some of the best.
Alejandro De Aza - Outfielder, Chicago White Sox
Despite being a decent base stealer - he swiped 26 in 2012 and 20 in 2013 - De Aza also has a little bit of pop in his bat. Last year, he smacked seventeen home runs and drove in 62 runs while hitting a decent .264 clip.
His past two seasons have been the best in his career, and you can expect him to keep elevating his offensive numbers each year.
While he plays for a mediocre Chicago White Sox team, De Aza could become a bright spot in the lineup. If you are in desperate need of a little bit of speed for your fantasy team and could also use a few home runs, take a good look at De Aza.
Austin Jackson - Outfielder, Detroit Tigers
Do not let it fool you that Jackson only averaged ten steals per year over the last two seasons: he will put up better numbers in 2014.
First of all, one of Detroit's main focuses for this upcoming season is to be a much faster team. The Tigers already added Rajai Davis and Ian Kinsler, and expect new manager Brad Ausmus to run Jackson more often.
Also, Jackson may be moved down in the lineup this year as Kinsler could be the new leadoff hitter. This could cause Ausmus to send him even more because stealing with the bottom of the order hitting is a much lower-risk situation.
The potential lineup change could also help Jackson - a career .278 hitter - to drive in more runs, batting behind some of the team's better hitters instead of leading off.
Christian Yelich - Outfielder, Miami Marlins
Yelich saw his first MLB action in 2013, playing in 62 games for the Marlins. In those 62 games, he swiped ten bases but impressed many by hitting .288. This year, expect him to steal around 25 bases, hit in the .260-.270 range and hit about ten home runs.
Since Yelich's name is not too well-known, he could be available in rounds later than he should be. Expect him to get picked in about the eighteenth to twentieth round of your fantasy draft.