Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2012: Late-Round Grabs Well Worth the Risk

In baseball, they say that the key to success over a 162-game season is a good, deep bench. The same holds true for fantasy baseball, as you have to find depth in the later rounds to offset potential injuries and poor performers you grabbed in the earlier rounds. 

Often times, players you look for in the back half of the draft are players battling back from serious injuries, as well as young players we have all heard about that will either be making their debut this season or have not lived up to their potential yet, but can breakout at any time. 

The trick is to know who is ready to come out of their shell and who still has something left in the tank. It is a fine line to walk, but if you do, you will be one step closer to winning your league in 2012. 

Devin Mesoraco, C, Cincinnati Reds

The Reds were so confident in Mesoraco's ability they were willing to include their other highly-touted catching prospect, Yasmani Grandal, in a trade with San Diego to acquire Mat Latos. It's hard to blame them when you look at his offensive performance in the minors. 

The Reds' catcher of the future hit .289 with 53 extra-base hits and 71 RBI in Triple-A before getting a September call-up. 

Ryan Hanigan might be the starter when the season begins, but eventually, Mesoraco is going to push him out of the way. Catching is not a deep fantasy position, so you have to be willing to take some chances to get impact. 

A.J. Burnett, SP, New York Yankees

Yes, this is the same pitcher who has posted an ERA over 5.00 the last two seasons. But according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees are shopping him around.

If he can go to a place that doesn't have the intense media scrutiny that New York does, he can be a valuable fantasy pitcher. 

My preference would be to see him land in Oakland, but there is no indication that anything is going to happen. Make sure that Burnett gets traded before you consider drafting him, but there is value in his right arm in the right situation. 

Brandon Belt, 1B/OF, San Francisco Giants

Belt entered the 2011 season with a lot of promise, but the Giants kept screwing up his playing time and he never had a chance to succeed. Don't give up on him as a fantasy player this year, because he is going to see the field a lot more. 

One of the best things about Belt is his versatility for your lineup. He can play at first base or in the outfield. His power is going to show this year, and I expect at least 20-25 home runs if he gets 500-550 at-bats. 

The Giants don't have a lot of offense, so he won't get many chances to drive in runs. If you can live with 65-70 RBI, Belt is going to be a great fit later in the draft for you. 

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