Don’t sleep on these 5 potential fantasy aces

Many 2016 fantasy championships were likely rooted in the draft-day decision to make a small investment in Kyle Hendricks or Rick Porcello.

Selected after the top-200 spots in many mixed-league drafts, Hendricks and Porcello went on to lead baseball in ERA (2.13) and wins (22), respectively. Looking ahead to ’17, wise owners will be on the lookout for next year’s versions of those two right-handers.

Here are five candidates who have the potential to enjoy a rapid rise up the fantasy ranks, providing an ace-level return on a minimal investment.

Alex Cobb (Rays): After missing all of ’15 and most of ’16 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Cobb returned to post an 8.59 ERA across five starts last season. Though he has never thrown more than 166 1/3 innings in a single campaign, the right-hander found success via a solid strikeout rate (8.2 K/9 from ’13-14) and lofty ground-ball rate (lifetime 56.3 percent) before his long-term absence. Having produced a 2.82 ERA across ’13-14, Cobb could compete for the American League ERA title if he can stay off the disabled list.

Rich Hill (Dodgers): Though Hill followed up a brilliant September ’15 showing with a dazzling effort last season (2.12 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 10.5 …

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