Sleeper of the Week

Don’t look now: Paul Konerko is looking like a ballplayer again.

Konerko, whom many fantasy owners expected to be a solid choice at first base (particularly those who look for a player’s peak performance at age 27), has been one of this season’s greatest disappointments. After hitting .304 in 2002, Konerko’s average was below .200 in mid-July. And while he hadn’t recorded less than 97 rbi since 1999, Konerko went into the All-Star break with a mere 22. The young slugger lost both playing time and the confidence of fantasy owners, and wound up being waived in many leagues.

Since the break, however, Konerko has been turning his season around, hitting a solid .305 (higher than any of his previous season marks, incidentally). Perhaps even more reassuring, he already has 7 home runs and 27 rbi in 29 post-break games; both marks are higher than his totals in his first 76 contests.

Konerko seems to have turned the corner, and could be a solid contributor for your pennant run, not to mention a risk worth taking in keeper leagues. If the rest of your league has given up on him, you might be able to pick up a tremendous bargain off the waiver wire.