Fantasy Baseball Week 12 Preview: Top 10 sleeper hitters highlight Nick Gonzales, Willi Castro (2024)

With a reduced strikeout rate and greatly improved fly-ball rate this year, Nick Gonzales is emerging as a real Fantasy asset. This week seems like an optimal time to try him out with the Pirates having the fourth-best hitter matchups, which include a visit to Coors Field.

Heliot Ramos has been a fixture in the Giants lineup for the past month, and his power production is beginning to live up to his high exit velocities. The strikeouts are a bit worrisome, but the only pitchers on the schedule this week with more than a strikeout per inning are Spencer Arrighetti and Patrick Sandoval, who are far from aces.

Making his third straight appearance on this list, the Blue Jays leadoff hitter has a patient approach and a swing geared for home runs. And with matchups like Colin Rea, Carlos Rodriguez, Tobias Myers, Logan Allen, and Carlos Carrasco, it's shaping up to be another good week for Davis Schneider.

Joc Pederson has quality numbers this year, but since he only plays against right-handers, there's rarely an occasion to use him. The Diamondbacks have only one lefty on the schedule this week, though, and I would bet on Pederson hitting at least a couple homers against righties like Griffin Canning, Chris Flexen, Erick Fedde, and Drew Thorpe.

Willi Castro is having a slow June so far, but he's eligible at four positions and a fixture in the Twins lineup, making him an easily deployed choice to take advantage of the No. 1-ranked hitter matchups this week.

The Twins have been so pleased with Jose Miranda's work at the plate this year that they continue to find at-bats for him even with Royce Lewis back from the IL. He's a fine choice to take advantage of the most favorable hitter matchups this week, with the toughest pitcher being ... Austin Gomber? Joey Estes? Nobody good.

Connor Joe's numbers are less than spectacular, but he's been steady enough to hold down a full-time job for the first time. The Pirates' schedule this week includes matchups like Miles Mikolas and Lance Lynn at St. Louis and then Ryan Feltner, Ty Blach and Dakota Hudson at Coors Field.

The Athletics are one of just eight teams scheduled to play seven games this week, and every pitcher on the schedule throws right-handed. That works to the advantage of someone like J.J. Bleday, a left-handed hitter with a respectable .249/.338/.443 slash line against righties.

Josh Bell entered Sunday batting .348 (32 for 92) with three homers and a .928 OPS over his past 23 games and is scheduled to face four lefties in his six games this week, including mashables like David Peterson, DJ Herz and Patrick Corbin. The switch-hitter hasn't been as productive against lefties this year, but over a larger sample against them last year, he had a .854 OPS.

Andy Pages' batting average dipped to .225 at one point, but he appears to be back on track again, coming into Sunday batting .406 (13 for 32) over his past 10 games. He'll begin this week facing the back of the Rangers rotation, which features the not-so-illustrious trio of Dane Dunning, Jose Urena and Michael Lorenzen.