Adam Wainwright (SP, STL) - 2016 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Target ~60

CURRENT ADP: 71

ANALYSIS: Adam Wainwright will be turning 35 in August and nobody wants to take a gamble in the early rounds on aging pitchers. Also, it's worth noting that he's coming off a torn Achilles that caused him to miss most of the 2015 season. It's difficult to even qualify Wainwright as a sleeper-- he's ranked alongside several elite pitchers in a National League that is stacked with top-tier talent.

Even still, Wainwright should hold more value. This is a player who has finished among the top three Cy Young vote-getters for each of his past four full seasons. Over the past six years, he boasts a 2.80 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and a 1.11 WHIP, despite a 2010 Tommy John surgery. It's unreasonable to expect Wainwright to finish among the Cy Young contenders in his 12th MLB season, but it's equally ridiculous to consider him over the hill.

His velocity has not significantly declined, and his curveball should continue to rack up strikeouts. With 997 curveballs thrown over 255 innings in the past two seasons, Wainwright has struck out 105 batters and kept opposing hitters to a .149 AVG. If he can stay healthy, the Cardinals' veteran is a lock for another fantastic season, and will most certainly contribute in the win category as part of a perennially potent Cardinals club.