Opening day is right around the corner and fantasy drafts are winding down all across the country. You have undoubtedly poured over statistics and crunched the numbers every which way to determine your player wish list.

It is a common occurrence in fantasy pools to see a team loaded with offensive talent and big names; however, the pitching gets completely neglected. I know the old adage (thanks to Nike) that chicks (and fantasy general managers) dig the long ball but I’m here to tell you that pitching wins your fantasy pool.

Solid pitching, not offense; is the mark of a successful fantasy squad. Now there is only one Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg available in every pool, so one must dig deeper to find some hidden pitching gems that can add tremendous value to your squad, while not costing high-round picks to acquire.

eDraft is continuing its analysis of fantasy sleepers as we now move on to the men on the mound. What will follow is a division by division breakdown of sleepers and undervalued arms that could just propel your fantasy squad to the top or at least garner you some serious props for your baseball insight.

We move from the AL Central division on to the AL West where we offer seven quality hurlers worthy of draft day consideration. Stay tuned to eDraft for fantasy pitchers from throughout the National League and American League.

Sean Doolittle – Relief Pitcher, Oakland Athletics

Doolittle appeared in 44 games last season and logged a lowly 47 innings. This season he figures to play a more prominent role in the A’s bullpen. Grant Balfour appears to be healthy and ready to go, after having off-season leg surgery; meaning that Doolittle is unlikely to see many save opportunities. Should Balfour stumble or have re-occurring injury issues, then look for Doolittle to step into that closer role. Despite the lack of save chances, Doolittle is a solid late-innings pitcher who projects decent numbers. A season consisting of 65-plus innings, a sub 3.00 ERA and a WHIP hovering around 1.10 is very attainable. Solid late-round value for a relief pitcher who is sure to get a lot of work throughout the season.

Brett Anderson - Starting Pitcher, Oakland Athletics

The 25-year old left-hander is the likely candidate to be the A’s opening day starter. He brings four seasons of major league ball experience and a combined 25-25 record into this season. It is kind of hard to call a team’s number one starter a sleeper pick; however, when you have a pitching staff made up of relative unknowns Anderson does set himself apart. The reasons for such optimism is due in large part to last season, where Anderson posted a 4-2 record with a 2.57 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. Anderson was limited in 2012 as he was coming back from Tommy John surgery that he underwent mid-season of 2011. A drawback for Anderson is that as the team’s number one starter, he will be going up against opposing teams' number-one starters. Despite this, Anderson is a bargain as a late-round pick up as he projects out with 10-plus wins and an ERA around 3.40.

A.J. Griffin - Starting Pitcher, Oakland Athletics

Griffin is the projected fourth man in the A’s rotation for this season. He earned the spot by posting a solid 7-1 record last season with a respectable 3.06 ERA and diminutive 1.13 WHIP. Griffin doesn’t dominate anyone with an overpowering fastball, but what he does well is throw his four-seamer, his cut-fastball and his slider at almost the same speeds which makes it very hard for hitters to differentiate. He has a slow looping curve ball that keeps hitters off balance and an effective change-up compliments the repertoire. Griffin should be an effective everyday pitcher and could potentially challenge for staff-leader in wins.

Tom Milone - Starting Pitcher, Oakland Athletics

Milone was the workhorse of the Oakland A’s staff last season, he logged 190 innings in 31 starts. He posted a respectable 13 wins to go along with a 3.74 ERA and 137 punch-outs. Milone is a  predominantly fastball-reliant pitcher who throws in the high 80’s and who induces the most swing and misses on his solid changeup. Milone figures to be the number three starter in the rotation and should come through with another solid season. A good late-round pick up for a guy who eats up innings on a team that is pretty thin when it comes to pitching depth.

Alexi Ogando – Starting Pitcher, Texas Rangers

This season the Rangers finally seem committed to using Ogando as a starting pitcher. He spent last season coming out of the pen. He did so admirably, as he had 66 strikeouts in 66 innings worked, posted two wins and three saves while maintaining a 1.00 WHIP. The 2011 season saw Ogando go 13-8 with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in 29 starts. He figures to be of higher fantasy value as a starting pitcher and would make a tremendous mid-round pick up.

Hisashi Iwakuma – Starting Pitcher, Seattle Mariners

Manager Eric Wedge has announced that Iwakuma will be the team’s number two starter in the rotation. This is good news for fantasy general managers as Iwakuma’s fantasy value last season was suppressed by the time he spent in the bullpen. As a starter, he represents great value as he could easily win 10-plus games on the season while logging 170-plus innings. Intriguing aspect of Iwakuma’s game is that he throws all his pitches for strikes and possesses a solid four-seam fastball that comes in around 90 MPH and disgusting sliders that he can also throw at 90 MPH; imagine trying to figure that difference out in 60 feet. In every draft I’ve seen thus far, Iwakuma has been available in the final rounds. I really like the potential here as a viable starting pitcher who can be slotted in for favorable matchups. A must have in deep leagues; I took him in two separate leagues with my last overall pick.

Stephen Pryor – Relief Pitcher, Seattle Mariners

Pryor will once again be called upon out of the Mariners bullpen in those all-important hold situations. In lieu of an injury to closer Tom Wilhelmsen, he isn’t likely to see many saves or even save opportunities. Pryor is a flame-throwing right-hander who relies on a 95-plus MPH heater and a filthy slider to get hitters out; which he does quite successfully. Pryor manages to strikeout 25% of the hitters he faces by consistently throwing strikes. He is able to command his fastball and slider to the point where he throws each for strikes over 60% of the time. Pryor has one year of major league ball under his belt and he figures to get better with experience. He represents a great late-round value pick and a bargain in AL only leagues.