Austin Jackson (OF, SEA) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target as OF5

ANALYSIS: Austin Jackson was dealt to Detroit prior to the 2010 season, and made an immediate impact, posting a .293/.345/.400 triple slash line while scoring 103 runs and stealing 27 bases en route to a second-place finish in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. However, Jackson never fully developed into a consistent, 20/20 player many expected him to be. In 2014, Jackson hit just .256 for Detroit, managing only 4 HR with 9 SB before being dealt to the Mariners at the deadline.

Despite his declining production, Austin Jackson is a legitimate bounce back candidate for 2015. Jackson was grossly under-utilized in Detroit, most notably not being given the green light on the basepaths, but that should change in his first full season with the Mariners. In just 54 games with Seattle after the deadline, Jackson stole 11 bases in 13 attempts. This year, he is slated to return to the leadoff slot, and he should therefore see more strikes, batting ahead of Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz.

In his short time with Seattle last year, we caught a glimpse of how manager Lloyd McClendon intends to use Jackson going forward. With that aggressive approach and a slight increase in offensive production, Austin Jackson is a player who can help you in multiple offensive categories in 2015.