Top 5 Sleeper Center Fielders - Ultimate Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide 2009

Last year, Josh Hamilton wasn't picked until the later rounds of most fantasy drafts, if at all, and he went on to be one of the top fantasy players in all of baseball . Who will be this year's Josh Hamilton? Here's a look at the top five sleepers at the center field position for the 2009 fantasy baseball season.

1. Denard Span

2. B.J. Upton

3. Aaron Rowand

4. Felix Pie

5. Cameron Maybin

#1 Sleeper Center Fielder: Denard Span, Minnesota Twins

Span spent the first part of last season in the minor leagues before playing right field for the injured Michael Cuddyer. This year, he'll likely play more at his natural position of center field. Span was very impressive in the second half of last season, finishing the year with a .294 batting average and driving in 47 runs in 97 games, despite batting from the 1st or 9th position most of the year. Span has a nice combination of speed and power that make him a valuable fantasy player over any number of different categories.

#2 Sleeper Center Fielder: B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Rays

It may not be appropriate to consider Upton a sleeper anymore, but he often gets overshadowed by other talented young Rays like Evan Longoria and David Price. But Upton has shown flashes of becoming a great center fielder. His power numbers were down a little last season, and he suffered from some discipline issues, but he has the potential to join other top center fielders like Curtis Granderson and Grady Sizemore in the 20 HR/20 SB category.

#3 Sleeper Center Fielder: Aaron Rowand, San Francisco Giants

Rowand is a bit of a known commodity, but is a player that people often forget about because he plays on a bad San Francisco team. But he is a more than serviceable fantasy center fielder that is going to play hard every day, and milk the most out of whatever talent he has. He won't be the star of your fantasy team, but could be good enough to push them over the top.

#4 Sleeper Center Fielder: Felix Pie, Baltimore Orioles

Pie has been considered a top prospect, but could never break out with the Chicago Cubs. He'll move to Baltimore this year where he'll get a chance to play more frequently and hopefully show why people were so high on him as a youngster. Hopefully playing every day will give him a little more patience and plate discipline to cut down on his strikeouts. Once he starts making consistent contact with the ball, he'll be able to utilize his great speed and decent power.

#5 Sleeper Center Fielder: Cameron Maybin, Florida Marlins

The consensus is that Maybin is due for a huge breakout season eventually. It will more than likely be in 2010, but there's always the possibility that Maybin will make his big move this season. Again, learning plate discipline will be the key, but Maybin has the potential to some day hit 30 HRs and steal 30 bases in a single season. If you buy low on Maybin at the right time, you could be able to sell very high.