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The fate of fantasy baseball teams can change with a few good sleeper picks.

One of those picks for many owners (including myself) last season was Chris Sale—the relief pitcher turned ace. Before the season started it was unclear if Sale would even be in the rotation, but he finished in the Cy Young conversation when the book closed on 2012.

All it takes is one pick in the later round to strike fantasy gold. Here are three pitchers who are poised to shine and are under the radar of most fantasy owners.

Lance Lynn

Lynn had a breakout season in 2012, but fantasy owners still aren’t big believers of the righty’s sustainability. In CBS’s latest mock draft, he was drafted in Round 11 alongside Hiroki Kuroda and Matt Garza. I see Lynn building on last year with a firm spot in the Cardinals rotation.

On top of his 18-win campaign, he notched eleven games with seven or more strikeouts last season. He has a relatively young arm, only pitching 180 innings last year. He’s ready for the heavy workload and fantasy owners will be lucky to have him.

Unless you read this column and draft him afterward. Then you’re just plain smart.

Jason Hammel

Hammel started 2012 on fire before tailing off after a knee injury in the second half. Still, the potential for a great season in Baltimore is on the table, pending his health.

He had eight quality starts through July 8 last year, and he can be an innings hound in those fantasy leagues that reward for them.

With some quality hitting finally in Baltimore, Hammel should get more run support and reach double-digit wins for the first time since 2010.

Jacob Turner

As for deep sleepers: Why not take a chance on Turner? The 21-year-old is one of the young faces of the Marlins new rotation.

Viewing the Fish on paper, most of it looks like fantasy trash. However, Turner will have an entire season to show his stuff in the more pitcher-friendly National League.

In three starts at Marlins Park, the right-hander had a 2.75 ERA. The former Detroit Tiger will need to fix his problems on the road—where his numbers skyrocketed—in order to have any fantasy value.

Mike Shiekman is a Breaking News Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow his sports musings and random life observations on Twitter.

Follow @TheRealShiek

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Only one round away from the World Series and baseball fanatics are already dreaming up potential pairings in the Fall Classic.

Historic MLB franchises make up the postseason’s final four, with all but the American south represented in the field (they’re a baseball region anyway).

The Giants make up the West Coast, Detroit the blue collar Midwest, St. Louis the midway point between east and west coasts, with lastly the Yankees’ giant American following.

Let’s not forget the World Series history of each these clubs. This postseason is not any of their first rodeos in recent years. All of them have played in the championship series in the past decade, some with more experience than others (Yanks, Cards).

For predictions sake, let’s rank the four juiciest potential matchups.

4. San Francisco Giants vs. Detroit Tigers

I’m a bit of a history buff and this series, has well, no previous postseason chronicles.

What this matchup does lack in history though, it makes up for in bats. David Freese and Carlos Beltran on one side with Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder in the other dugout makes for a fantasy slugfest.

For those attending those potential games, make sure to bring your glove. Bombs away.

3. St. Louis Cardinals vs. Detroit Tigers

No disrespect for the Tigers, but any series with the Yankees makes for more compelling baseball, and why Detroit’s finest is absent from the top two.

Still, the revenge factor is in play for Detroit, from St. Louis’ World Series win over them in 2006.

Justin Verlander vs. the World Champions, as well, will make for some intense drama. The Tigers’ ace will be called on to carry his team not once, nor twice, but possibly three times against an experienced postseason squad.

2. St. Louis Cardinals vs. New York Yankees

Bob Gibson won’t be pitching in Game 1, but a rematch of the 1964 World Series would have their host of pitching aces.

C.C. Sabathia, the Yankees rock, pitched an opportune Game 5 performance to get his team into the ALCS, while St Louis’ Chris Carpenter has been one of the most underrated aces of the last decade.

Much like the Series in ’64, this one might go the full seven games.

1. San Francisco Giants vs. New York Yankees

The state of New York would have a conundrum on its hands with Brooklyn’s old team facing its former rival from the Bronx.

With 58 World Series appearances and 33 championship rings between the two teams, the history books would welcome a matchup of these two baseball superpowers. Not to mention a West Coast-East Coast clash that would split the country in two.

They haven’t faced each other in the Fall Classic since 1962, but this one would open historic memories, with too many stars to count

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