Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2012: Big Names Doomed to Disappoint

Every year, a player drafted in the first few rounds busts, severely disappointing that owner. In 2011, no player was a bigger bust for owners than Carl Crawford.

While the players on this list probably won't disappoint that much, there are nonetheless a number of players set to underachieve this year.

Let's take a look at which players you should avoid drafting too high.

Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals

I guarantee you someone in your league will draft Berkman way too high this year after a 2011 campaign that saw him hit .301 with 31 home runs and 94 RBI.

Let them.

The odds of Berkman replicating that season are highly unlikely. It was easily his best year since way back in 2006, and removing Albert Pujols from the middle of the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup will likely have a ripple effect on the other players.

Berkman may surprise me and replicate these numbers, but I doubt it. And besides, with someone in your league likely to draft him too high, he isn't worth risking the earlier pick you'd likely have to sacrifice to obtain him.

Jered Weaver, Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels

I've had Weaver on my staff the past two years, and he's been a huge part of two straight championship squads. But I'm not sure he can sustain the numbers he put up in 2011, when he gave owners 18 wins, a 2.41 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP and 198 strikeouts.

The wins and strikeouts might stay in that basic range, but I wouldn't expect him to have quite the sparkling ERA or WHIP again this year.

Weaver again set a high for innings pitched last year with 235.2, and his ERA and WHIP were lower than his normal marks. Don't draft Weaver as a top-five pitcher this year—a natural regression will keep him from having value at that slot.

Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox

Konerko has been a beast the past two years, hitting above .300 with over 30 home runs and at least 105 RBI in each campaign.

He's also be 36 when the season starts.

Maybe its just me, but I can't help thinking that the 28 home runs, 88 RBI and .277 average Konerko managed in 2009 should be where his expectations lie. Those are still excellent marks, but not the sort of numbers you should use a high draft pick to select.

Let someone else overpay for Konerko—Father Time is going to slow down Konerko's bat this year.

David Wright, New York Mets

Sometimes, a player's surroundings are all you need to look at when judging their potential.

Wright has struggled with his home run numbers at the larger Citi Field and only managed 14 home runs last year (also a product of missing time with a back injury, of course).

But the Mets also have question marks in their lineup, not helped any but the departure of Carlos Beltran at the trade deadline last year and Jose Reyes skipping town this offseason.

Wright shouldn't be one of the top three third basemen taken, but at a third base position where the production can be scarce, Wright could give you decent value if he's available in the middle rounds.

Just don't expect him to be a star for your team.

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